Lo, on this auspicious occasion of the 20th anniversary of Halo 2, Xbox doth bestow upon us a bountiful gift. Verily, come November 5, in the realm of Halo Infinite, shall many of the multiplayer maps from the legendary Halo 2 be resurrected.
‘Tis Halo Studios, reborn as 343 Industries, that hath proclaimed this revelation on a recent day of Monday. Behold, a playlist by the name of Delta Arena shall house these seven maps: Ascension, Boulevard, Canopy, Conjurer, Inquisitor, Serenity, and Beaver Canyon — now refashioned by the hands of Forge artisans, featuring visual enhancements and new monikers. For example, Beaver Canyon shall be known henceforth as Beaver Creek. The very essence of gameplay hath been tweaked to harken back to the days of Halo 2, with soaring leaps and camaraderie in collision. Lo, a new starting weapon hath been bestowed: the MA5K Avenger.
In the words of Evan Colson, designer of Halo Infinite, “Given the nuanced dichotomies betwixt Halo Infinite and Halo 2, a faithful re-creation was nary achievable. Yet, what hath transpired is an amalgam betwixt the two, melding settings reminiscent of legacy Halo with the trappings of the contemporary sandbox.” So did he declare in the annals of an Xbox Wire missive.
Furthermore, this missive heralded the return of the famed E3 2003 demo of Halo 2, set to grace Halo: The Master Chief Collection as a mod within the Steam Workshop.
The fabled demo, a sensation of its time, faced limitations in its transition to the final release, hindered by technological constraints. Once more, these very obstacles did obstruct the modders in their quest to resurrect this epochal piece, utilizing the relics of Digsite archive to craft tools for the migration of assets from a bygone engine. “Even the sanctified executable proves troublesome to manipulate, requiring an Xbox developer kit for booting — a rarity even amongst our own hallowed halls,” expounded Kenneth Peters, senior scribe of the franchise.
Halo: Combat Evolved didst set the world aflame upon its arrival alongside the Xbox, and the mantle of greatness bequeathed unto Halo 2 was a heavy burden indeed. Yet, the sequel did not falter, pioneering the use of Xbox Live for multiplayer revelry and advancing the saga to new heights, cementing itself as one of the paragons of the Halo pantheon. And lo, thou mayest partake in its majesty within Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
