But more so it possessed a stoic sense of indifference it was a technological killing field with nowhere to run or hide, not that you’d want to. Sure it had the iconic two towers and relay ring, the long underpass, the leap of faith to rockets, all on a map floating in the middle of nothing – with a long, humiliating drop down. We Recommend: Slayer, Oddball, Crazy King of the Hill, Tower of Power Ascension is one of those maps with a palpable sense of place. Turning the upper corner near air lift with a jump, sailing through the air and into the hall run, and then landing two or three no-scoped headshots delivered a very particular type of thrill. This was never more apparent than during matches of SWAT, which were lightning fast. With shots being fired around every next corner, you had to watch your back at every turn if you were going to survive.

Very few maps did such a good job of making a relatively small space feel so large, and even fewer made you feel powerful and vulnerable at the same time. Spawn at the bottom of the lift and you can head for sword or slog off to any of the upper levels. Spawn upstairs and choose between covering air lift, elevator, or the back door. Spawn on the main floor and you can run for rockets or Overshield ramp. We Recommend: 1 Flag Capture the Flag, Slayer, Assault, SWAT The many, many angles… the dim, washed-out lighting… the broken levels and sparse interior design… Ivory Tower is as moody as it is varied. It wasn’t uncommon to hear locations shouted out during matches: blue room, green room, yellow lift - these were simple to call out and control when playing online, and a coordinated team could hold sniper tower (always blasting the fusion core out before, mind you), and control BR, shottie, and Hammer at Yellow Lift and, well, basically RUN A TRAIN. Sniper tower was always a first run, with Sniper, Overshield, and Needler (you could step off the back ledge for a full view through to lower Yellow Lift, a shooting gallery for enemies making the run for the Brute Hammer directly under the Center Platform). Architecture figured heavily in pacing, specifically with its many easily identifiable areas, most of which became magnets of death. With its made-for-speed layout and ample paths that all but stampede you into the fray, Guardian featured Forerunner aesthetics perched atop an overgrown jungle skyline bathed in shades of misty green and win. We Recommend: Slayer, King of the Hill, Oddball, SWAT Guardian provided the small, multi-level fix in Halo 3 that Halo 2 Lockout faithfuls longed for.

Top halo custom edition maps