So it’s my humble opinion that Halo 1-3 had the best multiplayer maps when it came to design and playability. However, I will admit that Halo 5 probably does have the most well balanced maps in the series, but the redundancy of some of the maps does impact the game for me. In fact, my favorite maps from Halo 5 are the ones that stand out on their own in terms of play style and design, such as Tyrant, Plaza, and Coliseum. The reason I like these three maps the most is because their design is each their own and not just modified based off some other map. Overgrowth is a good map, but when I play it I just feel like it’s an inferior design to Plaza with just a swamp, vine infested theme. Same goes with Eden and Empire. Both are great maps, but why make them so similar to each other?
What I’m really trying to say is, each map should have it’s own unique personality and theme, which you could argue that each map in Halo 5 technically does, but not nearly on the same level as Halo 3 maps. Lemme just give a few examples to explain what I mean:
-Empire and Eden: both are essentially the same maps only with rearranged pieces and power ups. Empire is darker and has camo and os, and Eden is lighter and has rocket and sniper. Of course, both maps are going to play differently based on the arrangements, but when you play either map, do you really feel like each one is it’s own unique setting? I don’t.
-Torque and Stasis: same situation as Eden and Empire, only this time one map is frozen and snow themed and the other is in space. Although I admire the differences in the maps when it comes to lighting and weapons, I can’t help but feel that both maps were created on the same base plain and someone just used an advanced version of Forge to create one map as a snow theme, close combat map, and one as a space themed medium/long range map.
-Truth and Regret: I don’t think I need to explain this.
Now lets look at Halo 3 maps.
-Narrows: any other Halo 3 maps resemble or play similar to this one? nope
-Epitaph: is Epitaph a resemblance or rearrangement of any other map? nope
-Ghost Town: is there any other map in Halo 3 or even any Halo that resembles or plays like this map? Nope.
tl;dr:
Long story short, it’s my opinion that each map in Halo Infinite should be its own unique setting, theme, and play style. I’m not opposed to what Halo 5 did with it’s maps, in fact I prefer it to what Halo Reach did by just fishing out locations from the campaign. I’d just prefer each map to be unique in and of itself like Tyrant, Coliseum, and Plaza.