Despite not having online multiplayer, Halo: Combat Evolved‘s player-versus-player modes set the stage for the sequence to come, propelling many LAN parties and late-night Slayer pairs. Halo: CE’s multiplayer maps afforded prime examples of what works for this style of deathmatch and what doesn’t, and the game grew both iconic locales iterated upon throughout the series and arenas better forgotten.

Including the planneds contributed for Gearbox’s PC port of Combat Evolved, there was still 19 total planneds for Slayer, Capture the Flag, and Oddball in the original Halo. These render a reasonably even split between tight spaces designed for deathmatches and massive ends reached for Big Team Battles, filled with Scorpion cisterns and sniper rifles – though only two of these bigger planneds appeared in the Xbox version. Still, even with the PC additions, Halo feels more at home in close-fisted fourths, and that mostly stayed the same during Bungie’s work on the Halo franchise.

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From Blood Gulch to Infinity, which maps stand the test of go? Some arenas inspired others to come in the Halo franchise, while others were left with until Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The following are the best multiplayer delineates in the original Xbox FPS, as well as the ones that stand out for all the wrong reasons.

Blood Gulch is likely the most beloved map in the right. It has found its space into almost every Halo sequel in one way or another, acted as the prime fixed for the favourite Red vs. Blue machinima series, and acquainted countless gamers to the exuberances of hurling indestructible Warthogs together. It even aimed up recreated in Fortnite as part of Halo’s recent crossover. Blood Gulch is much more than only a chest valley in the middle of nowhere; it’s the Halo map where many actors feel most at home.

Boarding Action has the added benefit of a unique proposition: Steering the whole map requires teleporting between two sends with open surfaces. Combined with the legendary Halo: CE pistol, this wants spate of opportunities to catch foes off his guard with a few cases headshots. But the map’s downfall is its inclusion of Sniper Rifles. A skilled sniper on Boarding Action can deter an part crew captured in spawn with little chance of escape, killing them again and again. With the title custom-made tournament creates( like an all-rocket-launcher FFA ), there is some potential here, but it predominantly feels like one of Combat Evolved’s flunked experiments.

Hang ‘Em High is a map that feels perfectly designed for Sniper Rifle use – along with pretty much every other weapon in Combat Evolved’s arsenal. With dominance weapons placed high above specific actions on exposed catwalks, every attempt to gain an advantage creates more antagonism. Participates can easily pick off dissidents with the pistol from either basi, but there’s generally nowhere to hide formerly a shot misses. If Blood Gulch is the iconic Halo: CE map for recreation with friends, Hang ‘Em High is the proving ground for those looking to hone their headshot skills against the very best their neighbourhood LAN center can offer.

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The second of two particularly experimental Halo: Combat Evolved multiplayer maps, Chiron TL-3 4 is a maze of teleporters that’s notoriously hard to get a grip on, even after numerou discussions. Each lettuce doorway should contribute to a seemingly random new room that inspects most similar to the last one. The reaction is a map that confounds all but the most veteran Halo followers and removes most of the skill from the proceedings. Halo: The Master Chief Collection does have a fun game type that incorporates the delineate with Flamethrowers for a tumultuous good time, but it’s roughly unusable for standard rounds of Slayer.

In a standard 2v2 or 4v4 matchup, Halo: CE’s best delineates are typically symmetrical stadia with easy-to-learn power weapon places. Derelict blends this setup with the verticality of a planned like Prisoner. To achieve victory, players it is necessary both stay on top of the delineate to keep the best sightlines and secure the rockets, Sniper Rifle, and Active Camo before the foe team. The teleporters that barrier access to the second level force a lot of interaction between units, attaining both Slayer and objective dally amusing and participating. While Derelict hasn’t seen nearly as countless remakes as other classic maps, it’s certainly one of the very best from the original collection.

While there are many Halo love who enjoy its big open spaces for Warthog passes and target rule, Sidewinder is a drag in standard Big Team Battle matchups. Vehicles are practically necessitated, snipers have sightlines across half the map regardless of where they tent, and the sparkler physics can lead to some unfortunate and totally avoidable deaths. Back when it was one of the only two vehicle maps available, musicians induced Sidewinder work, but those playing The Master Chief Collection have many much better alternatives than this icy horseshoe.

Chill Out is another tiny map, but it meets up for its width with a exquisite pattern. Each of the handful of apartments is interconnected with open spaces, teleporters, and vertical scaffolds. Enemies can come from almost anywhere, so there’s always a sense of forward force, creating aggressive represents that speed up Halo: CE’s presumably slow tempo. Add in the great placement of weapons and unique Covenant theming, and Chill Out emerges as an underdog competitor for the best map in the whole game.

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The five additional maps lent in the PC version ofHalo: CE rounded out the original game’s lineup by starting big. This was the first version of the game to support online multiplayer, after all, becoming 16 -player outings much simpler. Infinity unfolds Bungie’s version of deathmatch to its limits, thanks to its gargantuan width, arising in a very unenjoyable suffer. Poor souls playing Capture The Flag on Halo: Combat Evolved’s biggest planned have to embark on a grueling expedition towards the opposing team’s base, either via a Warthog through the usually dangerous middle-of-the-road region or slowly on foot via the prodigious connects that overlook the action. The common presence of compiling it all the way to the base, merely to eat a progress-erasing rocket to the face, is just a bridge( or four) very far.

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