
Corny titles aside, Bungie released Assembly, a future DLC map code named “Purple Rain,” to the ravenous hordes of the Penny Arcade Expo today. I played a couple games on the map (8 for all standard slayer), and was generally impressed with the new map. It looks and plays a whole lot like midship, with some key changes. There are even traces of Wizard (Warlock in Halo 2) in the map, especially in the central area.
I suppose you have to play it to really get it, but it makes for some fast paced, open air action with little natural cover. The majority of the ducking out of the way on the map involves jumping off of the numerous ledges and slipping into one of the many “underpasses” to the bridges of the map. A good deal of the battle is vertical on the map, and it seems to add another layer of depth to the game. In my first game on the map I managed a respectable third place (11 kills to the winner’s 15).
The setting seems to be some open area within a ginormous Covenant ship, one that contains other ,slightly less hugantic, structures. All I can say on the artwork is that it is extremely detailed and quality as always.
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