Quite the hot take but I’ll go into depth why this map has not only brought me back, but I put it up there within the best maps from CE and 2.
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A new game mode that is innovative: It’s not a soulless battle royale where you die and game over. We seen BFV try to implement it and it failed. Halo is a game where you need multiple opportunities to prevail. Spartans also never die because they respawn. Props for Certain Affinity for knowing Halo and even bringing something new with the Last Spartan Standing game mode. Instead of an open world mess where one can play hide and go seek to get number 1, you need to get kills to earn better weapons. This adds to the pacing and intensity of a battle royale all while giving an incentive to fight instead of flight from a scene or running scared.
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Movement: Breaker is designed so well that for the first time in franchise history, sprint and clamber’s existence is justified. You need to use them to make the distances of jumps and the other for going up high ground. Massive props to Certain Affinity.
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Verticality: Which seems like a long time ago, this is the first map in a long time where we have an actually good vertical centric map. It had platforms and while you’re encouraged to get to the top, you are not punished like in Hang EM High where you will meet inevitable death from getting spawn trapped. Adding replay value in the process and not alienating the modern gamer. Plenty of cover is provided for those on the lower ground and there is a risk reward measure in place on if you should pull a reversal from the situation or wait for shields to recharge.
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A good BTB map. I firmly believe that Halo 2 was the last game where there was at least one good original {not using a remake} BTB map. Halo 3 used remakes which does not count. Reach-Guardians didn’t even have a true BTB map. This cycle is finally broken. It works in every objective game mode. I wouldn’t be surprised if the CEO of Certain Affinity singlehandedly made this map himself because he knows how a map should be done in Halo. The trailer doesn’t do this map justice and I’m glad my skepticism looked foolish or ridiculous.
Breaker is definitely my 5th favorite Halo map of all time, beating out HANG EM HIGH. I have hope in this game and I believe 343 should stick with campaign fixes and let Certain Affinity handle the multiplayer entirely because Infinite finally has two great maps. The others are mediocre to bad.
Just my 2 cents.