XBox 360 News

Remaining 'Halo 3: ODST' multiplayer maps revealed

By Hector Cortez Jul 7, 2009, 14:35 GMT

Microsoft and Bungie today revealed the remaining three multiplayer maps for the upcoming Halo 3: ODST.

Microsoft and Bungie today revealed the remaining three multiplayer maps for the upcoming Halo 3: ODST. Arriving in stores September 22, Halo 3: ODST will deliver a new campaign, a new cooperative multiplayer mode called Firefight, the complete Halo 3 multiplayer experience on a standalone disc, and new competitive multiplayer maps for Halo 3.

The three new maps are Heretic, Citadel and Longshore:

Heretic returns players to familiar ground as the Halo 2 arena Midship makes its long-rumored debut in Halo 3. Heretic’s symmetrical spaces require players to execute complex strategies in order to outplay their opponents.

Citadel is a long abandoned Forerunner stronghold, with small, symmetrical confines. Two opposing bases offer little safety for players looking for solace. Instead, Citadel forces small squads to stay in constant communication, prepared to adjust combat tactics in close quarters.

Longshore is designed for large scale combat and well suited for smaller affairs. Longshore’s industrial buildings, elevated walks, and open inlets conspire to create a complex battleground tailored for multiple combat scenarios.

Developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by Bungie, Halo 3: ODST is a new game in the Halo saga that lets people experience events leading up to the story told in Halo 3 through the eyes of an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper), as they search for clues leading to the whereabouts of their scattered squad and the motivations behind the Covenant’s invasion of New Mombasa.

In addition to a brand new campaign, Halo 3: ODST introduces a new cooperative multiplayer mode called Firefight which allows Halo fans to experience co-operative gaming in a whole new way: they will be fighting as members of an ODST squad against waves of increasingly challenging enemies across a variety of battlefields. This experience is made even more intense with the integration of Halo 3’s “skulls,” which progressively activate as time goes on to alter the gameplay and up the challenge.

Halo 3: ODST also includes a second standalone disc with three new Halo 3 multiplayer maps, all original Halo 3 maps, as well as the Legendary, Heroic, and Mythic Map packs for a total of 24 maps.

Purchasing Halo 3: ODST will ensure Halo fans get access to the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta when the beta goes live in the future. Announced at E3 2009, Halo: Reach is the prequel to the Halo trilogy and is scheduled for release in fall of 2010.

Halo 3: ODST is available for pre-order in both a standard package and a Halo 3: ODST Collector’s Pack which includes the game and an exclusive, laser etched Wireless Controller. If you pre-order Halo 3: ODST at participating retailers, you will receive a token to unlock UNSC hero Sgt. Johnson as a playable character in Firefight. The Halo 3: ODST Collector’s Pack is available for pre-order in the US exclusively at GameStop, and is available worldwide at other participating retailers.