Looking at Halo videos on Gamespot’s Youtube page from the Forge reveal some weeks back, one of the forge environments, Impact, seemed to or at least might have a 343i-forged Variant called Relay.
I’m very excited for relay, because it’s a tight 4v4, maybe 5v5, symmetrical map built for competitive, arena shooter play.
Watching some gameplay footage of CTF, link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S0DRKrRBSc
I noticed a remarkable amount of similarity between Relay and Halo 2’s Foundation. There are some really clear differences, but the overall layout is definitely comparable with both maps.
Is Relay another remake? I don’t think so. Relay, to me, looks more like a spiritual successor, since the interior of the map has changed significantly. Similar to how Valhalla was the spiritual successor to Blood Gulch/Coagulation.
I’m glad Relay isn’t a remake, honestly. Though the concept of bringing back old maps is great, Bungie really made a mistake by introducing Halo 2 remakes into the Reach sandbox. This goes with my overall opinion that we should not see remakes unless there is a classic playlist, instead we should have maps that bring back similar tones and design elements.
In the War Games Map Pass, which entitles users to get the first 3 Map Packs (9 Maps Total), I’d be interested in seeing more maps that did what Relay did: bringing back familiar settings, but re-envisioned for the Halo 4 sandbox. Not lazily adding a new coat of paint to old maps.
343i, I like what you’re doing. Keep up the good work!
What are thoughts on Relay as well as remakes?
Do you think that we should have spiritual successors instead of flat-out remakes?