Review: Halo Reach Noble Map Pack

It will set you back $10 bucks, but the Halo Reach Noble Map Pack delivers.

Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Platforms: Xbox 360

With any new map pack it’s always best to get more than a few hours of play out of the thing under your belt to make any sort of judgement call. Unlike every other huge site out there, we think it’s just plain shortsighted and irresponsible to quickly claim awesomeness. Like a fine wine, we need to swirl it around in our mouths and let it linger. 

You have to really let it invade the senses and then finally, slowly, make the call of yay or nay. 

The Noble Map pack consists of three new maps: Anchor9, Tempest and Breakpoint.  Tempest is ripe for Invasion and CTF gameplay but not all that great for straight up Team Slayer. It is littered with high-points to do some sniping if you happen to equip the jetpack.

Breakpoint is massive! Perhaps one of the biggest damn maps I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing on. Trying to play a game of Slayer on Breakpoint is an exercise in wandering aimlessly looking for someone to finally kill. Breakpoint is custom made for Invasion games. It’s jampacked full of weapons and vehicles everywhere. Playing some rounds of Invasion on Breakpoint is a hell of a fun experience. Breakpoint is also full of small hiding spots and for careful sniping and camo assassinations.

The real barnburner of the map pack has to be Anchor9. Anchor9 is all all about Slayer and Team Slayer. Full of small enclosed spaces and spiraling walkways for close quarters combat. At times it can turn into a bit of a clusterfuck, but in a good way!

My only real complaint is that none of these maps are available for Firefight carnage with friends, which is a real shame. Granted Breakpoint would be a nightmare during Firefight but I think that Tempest could work quite nicely.

All three maps are gorgeous, showing that these aren’t just some throwaways that Bungie threw together but are all beautifully rendered with amazing detail. The craftsmanship to these maps really shows through especially on Anchor9; which is full of color changing signs, bay door pistons moving back and forth and a beautiful space backdrop.

If you’re a Halo Reach fan and enjoy its MP this a no brainer purchase. If you’re somehow on the fence, I suggest to give it a go. At a measly $10 bucks you’ll get more than your investment back in just a dozen Invasion games on Breakpoint, and you just may grow to love the frenzied combat of Anchor9.