Want to win? Here’s how to enter (you can do all 4):

• Comment on this post
• If you have a Twitter account, follow @Xbox360Digest and retweet this tweet:
  

  Win a copy of the Defiant Map Pack for Halo: Reach! RT & follow @Xbox360Digest to win! Details: http://bit.ly/ihgpn6

• Become a fan of us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Xbox360Digest and comment on the contest post.
• Enter in our recently-reopened forums at this thread.

You may enter once each day of the contest (via any and all of the first three methods), but multiple entries per day only count as one. If you comment on this post (or Facebook), be sure to include your Twitter and/or Facebook usernames where applicable.

Contest ends 03/18/11, and the winners will be selected at random.

UPDATE: The contest has ended, and our winners are: SamMan’s comment, Game v3′s forum post, and @SPOC on Twitter! Thanks for entering!

THE FACT SHEET

RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2011
PUBLISHER: Microsoft Game Studios
DEVELOPER: Certain Affinity/343 Industries
ESRB RATING: “M” for Mature
GENRE: Shooter

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PRODUCT OVERVIEW: The Halo: Reach Defiant Map Pack introduces three stunning new battlefields for the most critically acclaimed shooter of 2010, and includes all-new Achievements worth a total of 150 Gamerscore. With maps set on a giant orbital station high above the burning surface of the planet, hidden inside the forest of a military wilderness training facility, and dug into the remnants of a civilian mining site, the Defiant Map Pack brings awesome new environments for Firefight matches and all competitive multiplayer modes.

PRODUCT FEATURES:

• Two new competitive multiplayer maps
• A new Firefight map
• Three new Achievements

Each Halo player has a multiplayer map which they’ll always remember. Whether it’s the classic Blood Gulch, the most publicized Halo 2 map known as Zanzibar, or Valhalla, the very first map to make usage of mancannons. In Reach, most of the “memorable” maps consist of Forge World maps that all look the same, like Hemorrhage, The Cage or Paradiso. Maps designed for Invasion (Spire and Boneyard) aren’t the best for just about any other gametype. The Defiant Map Pack perfectly fills in the gap in Reach with Condemned and Highlands, with Unearthed trailing along as a much needed addition to Firefight.

Condemned

The smallest of the Defiant maps, Condemned takes place up above Orbital Station Gamma, orbiting Reach in it’s final moments. Condemned brings with it a strong Halo 2 vibe, with feelings of the classic map Elongation present throughout.

Now, just because it’s the smallest of the Defiant maps, doesn’t mean it’s that small. Condemned is one of, if not the largest close quarters maps in Reach. Navigating the hallways of Condemned may be pretty confusing for first time players, since, to be honest, they all look similar. While each of the four sections of the map are color coded, it still took me a few plays to start knowing where I was exactly.

The low gravity area in the middle of the map is a much better location for low gravity combat than the outside of Anchor 9. Anyone who’s played Anchor 9 knows how frustrating it can be when you barely miss a jump and gently fall off of the edge, knowing you just made a huge mistake and not being able to stop your demise. Condemned’s low gravity area is indoors, completely eliminating that aspect out, which is definitely for the better.

Highlands

Comparable to maps such as Blood Gulch and Waterworks, Highlands is a huge map set in a abandoned Spartan training facility. Those who have read The Fall of Reach will be happy to find out that the facility in Highlands was actually described in the novel (Condemned was, too!).

Unlike the map Tempest, whose visuals remind you of Halo: Combat Evolved, Highlands feels as if the layout of the map was strongly inspired from Halo: Combat Evolved, as well. The massive canyon is friendly to both vehicles and people on-foot, something that Hemorrhage and Paradiso have a few issues with. The map itself has dedicated red and blue bases, which was also something that I personally miss dearly in Reach’s map selection. And no, Forge maps with red and blue lights don’t count. I’m talking about real maps that look like they were designed strictly for multiplayer, and not maps that were thrown into campaign, such as Powerhouse and Sword Base.

Because of the buildings and cave tunnels around the edges of the map, Highlands actually has cover for a team who’s being bombarded by a Banshee, unlike, well… almost every single other map in Reach. A welcome addition, if I do say so myself.

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Unearthed

The very first downloadable Firefight map, Unearthed immediately solves an issue the rest of the Firefight maps have: not having any space for true vehicle usage. As an avid Firefight player, any new addition to Firefight is already a huge plus, but being a vehicle friendly Firefight map is even better when playing with friends who want to truly cooperate with each other rather than two Spartans standing in different locations and shooting wildly.

Unearthed takes place in an abandoned Titanium mine right in the civilian sector of Reach, just before the initial Covenant invasion. The Spartans start with a Rocket Hog, which is actually much more useful than the Rocket Hog on Beachhead. It’s just about the same size as Beachhead, there’s plenty of dirt roads for your Warthog (or Ghost, or Wraith) to circle around, surrounding the facility, as well.

As for the Achievements, they’re pretty, um… uninspired. Is taking two flags from the enemy base to your own base in Stockpile really worth 75 Gamescore? There’s also an Achievement for returning a flag in Capture the Flag, which is done in almost every single CTF match, and another Achievement to kill three people with the Oddball in a match. The latter one, admittedly, may take some cooperation with a friend to know where the opposition is coming from, but it’s not really exciting to do. Getting a Double Kill from the grave from the last map pack? That was fun. These Achievements aren’t.

Conclusion: When I heard that Bungie wouldn’t be making the Defiant Map Pack, I felt a bit worried. Were Certain Affinity and 343 Industries really able to keep up the impeccable quality and polish that Bungie is known for? Turns out, they have. The Defiant maps rank up among the best maps in the Halo franchise to date. You’ll be reminiscing about your time you got a Spartan Laser Killtacular on Highlands years from now.

Halo is definitely in good hands. 343 Industries just proved it.

Special thanks to Microsoft Game Studios for providing us with the content for review.

Second Opinion

By: Christian Davis

Halo: Reach’s second map pack, the Defiant Map Pack, is going to be released very shortly. Lucky for us, we’ve got our hands on them early and had a nice run through of the two multiplayer maps, Condemned and Highlands, and the new Firefight map, Unearthed. With the new maps, Halo’s matchmaking will now have 18 maps and Firefight will have 9 maps. There is no reason to be bored while playing Halo: Reach.

The two multiplayer maps are completely different from one another. One is more of a close quarters area with winding corridors, while the other is more open and is peppered with lush foliage. Both are very fun to play on and gamers will love them.

Condemned takes place on an orbital space station that hovers above planet Reach. As soon as you load into the map, the high-tech locale lets you know that you’re under attack from the Covenant. In the background, ominous explosions from the constant space battles that happen outside of the playfield. It’s really easy to get distracted and watch Banshees and Space Ships engage in intense firefights.

That’s one thing both Condemned and Highlands have in common, the backdrops are exciting and are more than your typical mountain top view. Particularly on Condemned, you get a view of Reach and you can tell that the planet is already lost. Half of the surface is covered in fire and is an eye popping sight. The interior of Condemned is riddled with explosions, broken technology, and Covenant blood.

There are several areas of the map that will contain a lot of the combat. Generator rooms, repair bays and especially the maps “Center Core” which is a low gravity room with a rocket launcher in the center. The map is primarily close quarters but also has some long range elements such as hallways and elongated corridors that snipers will spend a lot of time around. Condemned is a great action packed map and will be a favorite to a lot of gamers.

The next map Highlands is located in a top secret military base on planet Reach. It’s calmer and more peaceful then Condemned, but Covenant ships are closing in on the map. The background activity again is something to be admired. Watching the ships grow closer to the preserve you’re fighting on while they obliterate everything in their path.

Highlands has a main red and blue base that’s indicated by the colored flags. Both bases are symmetrical but what’s to either side of each base is the difference. To the left of the blue base, you’ll run into a smaller, elevated, multileveled bunker that provides a great over look at the center of the map. There’s a gorgeous industrialized waterfall, flowing river and a passage that leads under the waterfall.

Take the path straight ahead of the blue base you’re provided with a couple different options. There’s a green lit tunnel that takes you above near the waterfall and the passage underneath the waterfall that you can see from the elevated bunker. They both lead to the same communications bunker but it provides some welcomed alternative paths. You could also run straight through the center of the map, which doesn’t seem like the brightest idea, but there is enough cover to shield yourself from sniper fire.

The bunker then leads to a cave which is directly connected to the red base. Highlands is the larger of the two maps and definitely will contain the most people. It’s got nice elevation, several places to take cover behind, and will also provide some nice pathways for a quick getaway on a mongoose. If you’re a fan of Big Team Battle, then you’ll love Highlands.

The final piece of the Defiant Map pack is the latest edition to Firefight, Unearthed.  Players will have to fend off wave after wave of Covenant in this abandoned titanium mine.  Unearthed is a combination of  open desert and close quarter combat. If you stay within the confines of the mine, you can hold off forces fairly simply. Run out into the desert and you’re open to all sorts of pain.

To aide in the Covenant onslaught, you’re also provided a rocket mounted Warthog that you can drive through the map in a racetrack fashion. The Warthog can definitely help get you out of some tight spots through sheer power. The best part about this level, is how bright the level is. A majority of the Firefight maps are darker and take place in doors. This map takes place primarily outside and it’s a bright sunny day. A welcome change to the selection of levels and my personal favorite.

The Defiant Map pack will cost you 800 Microsoft Points and will be available March 15th.

The Digest:

THE FACT SHEET

RELEASE DATE: November 30, 2010
PUBLISHER: Microsoft Game Studios
DEVELOPER: Bungie
ESRB RATING: “M” for Mature
GENRE: First Person Shooter

PRODUCT OVERVIEW: Continue the fight for Reach in brand new combat arenas, including a space station within Reach’s orbit, the high mountains of Reach’s arctic lands, and even one of the seven Halo installations themselves. Along with the maps come seven new Achievements for avid Reach players to obtain.

PRODUCT FEATURES:

• Three New Maps
• Seven New Achievements

With Halo: Reach barely getting near it’s third month birthday, you’d think the DLC for Halo: Reach would be a ways away. Not so, as far as Bungie’s concerned. At the price of 800 Microsoft Points, the Noble Map Pack brings in three maps that breathe fresh air into the near constant selections of Big Team Slayer on Hemorrhage and SWAT on Sword Base.

Anchor 9

The Noble Map Pack’s smaller, more compact map, Anchor 9 takes place in the vessel refit station itself, orbiting around Reach. The layout of the map bears a resemblance to Halo 3’s map, The Pit, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Due to the fact that this takes place on a space station, you’re able to fight in space as well, with a simple pass though an energy shield. Careful use of the jetpack in space can guarantee almost unlimited floating around the outside areas, which is always fun.

Within Forge Mode, you can get rid of the energy shields between the indoor and outdoor areas of the map, which surprisingly changes your tactics a lot when fighting on Anchor 9, but sadly, the gravity on the inside doesn’t change. Not a huge issue at all, nor a minor one, but it still would’ve been a nice option to enable the option for it within Forge.

Tempest

Tempest is a medium sized, symmetrical map surrounding ancient Forerunner technology, which, like a lot of Forerunner structures, has a giant tower that shoots out into the sky. (Did you know they’re actually weather control systems for the Halo ring?) It’s perfect for teams of 4 to 6, specifically for objective based gametypes, such as Capture The Flag or Assault.

The art style just screams Halo 1, which is a wonderful breath of fresh air. The only real issue I’ve noticed is with the man cannons, which take some getting used to. They’re in the design of Forerunner technology, which can blend into the immovable structures quite easily. A few times, I ran into the mancannon accidentally when I was about to pick up the enemy flag, forcing me to run charge back into their base yet again. My own mistake, yes, but not seeing a giant Convenant gravity lift is liable to throw you off at times.

Breakpoint

The shining star of the Noble Map Pack, breakpoint is a large 8-16 person map specifically designed for Invasion modes. Set in an environment similar to (Campaign Spoiler!) the standoff point in front of Dr. Halsey’s lab on the mission The Package, and it’s basic map layout is an oval shape around a tunneled-in mountain, which you can also get on the top of, perfect for snipers and some long range DMR shootouts. The map also contains the first official map layout that has a Rocket Launcher equipped Warthog, specifically in the final wave of Invasion, along with some environmental reactions to Invasion objective capturing, including a bridge that extends when the first objective is captured. Breakpoint has the personality and originality to become comparable to maps such as Blood Gulch and Sidewinder.

If you’re not an Invasion fan, Breakpoint can still make for some fantastic Big Team battles, just be careful of the Banshees. They seem to be a bit too powerful on Breakpoint.

Conclusion: Are you still playing Halo: Reach? Then you’ll definitely need to pick up the Noble Map Pack. With some of these maps outing even the on-disc maps, the Noble Map Pack contains your future map addictions.

Not going to buy the map pack after all, or are waiting for a sale? No problem! You’ll never be required to own any of the map packs, as Halo: Reach’s matchmaking system allows for playlists to contain new maps, but not require them to enter matchmaking. The mandatory ownership a la Halo 3 won’t ever happen in Reach.

While DLC for Halo: Reach has been rumored for a few weeks now, today we have official confirmation from Bungie on the first DLC pack. Encompassing three new maps, the Noble Map Pack will also include 250G worth of new achievements.

Here’s the details from Bungie.net:

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 whatsoever – 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.

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.

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 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.

As announced by Bungie last week, the October update for Halo: Reach is now live. In addition to playlist updates, a large amount of bug fixes have been introduced.

See the full list of playlist changes below.

Team Slayer
SWAT is taking one in the face (being removed) and the weighting for all other gametypes will be adjusted to fall in line with voting data. Expect – surprise, surprise – more traditional Slayer offerings to appear.
Team SWAT
SWAT gametypes that are removed from other playlists are being incorporated into their own, unique playlist with adjustments made to modes and maps based on voting data (farewell SWAT on Hemorrhage, you sucked and everybody hated you).
Team Objective
Powerhouse will now feature several more gametypes, including 1 Flag and Stockpile. Because Powerhouse is awesome and we don’t get to play it enough.
Multi Team
Rocket Race is being added. You win by staying on the Mongoose and racing to the checkpoints. (Oh, who am I kidding, you’re just going to hop off and try to assassinate people, aren’t you?)
Big Team Battle
SWAT and Classic are being removed and the frequency of Snipers is being reduced based on – you guessed it – voting data.
Arena Doubles
Boardwalk and “Pro” options are both being removed. Default Zealot is being replaced with Arena Zealot, a map variant which features modified initial player spawns and a soft-kill zone in spaaaaaace.
Team Arena
“Pro” options are being removed. Arena Zealot (details above), is being added.
Score Attack
Credit earn rates for Gruntpocalypse are being reduced to fall more in line with other modes.
General Matchmaking
Alongside the major alterations listed above, a myriad of much needed fixes and tweaks to the experience will also go into effect on Tuesday, including a metric ton of small, but annoying bugs and gameplay issues that we’ve identified and earmarked for eradication. As these updates go live, Jeremiah will publish the full details to our Optimatch forum so you can pore over the subtle nuances of each individual change.

While it’s still too early to know when and what Bungie will release, this screenshot from Bungie.net certainly illustrates the prospect of upcoming DLC. For those who’ve had a chance to look at the achievements for Reach, you may know that the current version sports 49 achievements worth 1000 gamerscore. As shown in the screenshot above, 59 achievements and 1250 in gamerscore seem to be coming.

What’s in the works? Only time will tell, and we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we do.

(Bungie.net via Unscripted360)

With Halo: Reach having been out for just over a week, Bungie has released some incredible stats for the first week of gameplay:

• 70 Million+ Games have been played
• 235 Million+ Player-Games have been played
• 2 Million+ Files have been uploaded to File Shares
• 5,901 man-years have been spent in online Reach games (sorry, Corporate America!)
• 20 Million Daily challenges have been completed
• 709,840 Weekly challenges have been completed
• 165 Billion Credits have been earned

Additionally, Bungie also provided some comparison to the Halo 3 launch in 2007:

• On Tuesday, 09/14/2010 at approximately 1:30 pm PST, just a few hours after launch, Halo: Reach’s online unique user count had already completely eclipsed Halo 3’s total tally for the entirety of the week (09/13 through 09/20).
• To account for the same number of online players found in Halo: Reach during that same window (just six days), we had to run the numbers for Halo 3 going all the way back to 8/6/2010, encompassing a full 45 days of Halo 3 play!
• Ultimately, Halo: Reach’s online population for the first week dwarfed Halo 3’s by comparison, snagging four times the number of total unique users and decimating Halo 3’s all time high of concurrent users by more than 65%.

It’s good to see the community stronger than ever, as well as the support for Bungie’s blockbuster product.

(Bungie.net)

Through September 18th in store only at Toys” R” Us, if you pick up a copy of Halo: Reach you can get a free $20 gift card and a free Halo: Reach T-Shirt.  This is a pretty good deal if you have been holding out on buying the blockbuster title.

Now that a lot of you have had a chance to play some Halo: Reach multiplayer, we figured that we’d let you in on a little secret we found. For those who used the Halo 3 online stat-tracking system at Bungie.net, you may remember that it allowed you to put a custom emblem on your in-game nameplate. Not only does Halo: Reach allow you to customize your nameplate, but you’re now able to choose from 8 icons (shown above), depending on your previous Halo experience.

Want to see if you meet the qualifications? Head on over to Bungie’s site and customize your nameplate here.

To celebrate the launch of Halo: Reach, Bungie is providing Xbox Live users with the free Halo: Reach Invasion Theme. Featuring some of your favorite Halo characters and vehicles, the theme is available now for a whopping 0 Microsoft Points.

It’s unknown if this will be available for free past today, so we suggest you head on over and add the theme to your download queue. After the promotion is up, it will set you back 240 Microsoft Points ($3).

(Joystiq)