14 DAY TRIAL // Halo: Reach, one of the best selling titles of the year, has just received its first piece of downloadable content, in the form of the Noble Map Pack, which adds three new maps to the multiplayer mode of the first person shooter.
The Noble Map Pack adds three new maps to the already impressive multiplayer roster of the regular Halo: Reach.
These are Anchor 9, Tempest and Breakpoint, and you can check out the official map descriptions, as posted by Bungie, the development studio behind Halo: Reach and the whole franchise, below.
Tempest – "Though we may never fully understand these devices, it is not our nature to leave ancient stones unturned." This abandoned shoreline facility bends both sea and sky to an unnatural purpose, but the ground itself has quickly become another all too familiar battlefield. Though the two opposing symmetrical bases may never reveal their ancient purpose, both now offer makeshift shelter and access to strategic routes perfectly suited for small and large scale skirmishes alike. Tempest supports 8 – 16 players and offers a variety of modes including Free for All, Team Slayer, Team Objective and Big Team Battle. Tempest also provides players with a huge Forge palette, allowing them to create new custom map variants that can be shared with the community-at-large.
Anchor 9 – "Orbital dockyards provide rapid refueling and repairs for a variety of UNSC vessels." Within the confines of this low orbit dry-dock, UNSC craft undergo rapid repair and rearmament in support of the enduring war effort. But for the small squads of infantry who now fight over the mirrored interior hallways and open central hangar bay, this platform no longer provides any safe harbor – whether the close quarters combat is occurring inside or out of its artificial gravitational field. Anchor 9 allows 2-8 players to face off in game variants including Free for All, Team Slayer and Team Objective.
Breakpoint – "ONI officials believe the data buried within this artifact is key to our survival." Atop this icy precipice, the Invasion continues. These modular archaeological labs were never intended to withstand such a large scale onslaught of Covenant military power, but the information being extracted here may prove vital to humanity's survival. In response to the imminent Covenant threat, UNSC ground and air assets have been deployed to bolster entrenched Spartan countermeasures. This dig site must yield salvation, or it will become a grave. Breakpoint offers multiplayer mayhem for 8-16 players, and supports the Invasion and Big Team Battle game variants.
The Noble Map Pack for Halo: Reach are available right now on the Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 MS Points.
The game has already been updated with lots of new things, including the removal of the level rank cap or the addition of campaign matchmaking, which have been added through various title updates and patches.
Expect more content and new map packs to be revealed in the near future for Halo: Reach, as Bungie wants to keep the game relevant in between other shooters like Call of Duty: Black Ops.