It’s a good time to return to the 2021 shooters that got a critical walloping at release. In case you haven’t heard, Battlefield 2042 is really good now (opens in new tab), and I’m starting to feel better about Halo Infinite’s multiplayer after last week’s Season 3: Echoes Within update.
First, the good stuff: Season 3 added two new Arena maps (Chasm and Cliffhanger) and one Big Team Battle map (Oasis). Halo Infinite has been in dire need of map injections since the day it launched and I’m glad to report that all three of these are winners so far. I’m especially enjoying Chasm, which might take the award for Halo-est Halo map 343 has put out yet.
Chasm is essentially two hallways in an unspecified alien facility divided by a bottomless pit (or chasm, if you will), connected only by a couple of light bridges and floating hexagonal platforms arranged like a 3D platformer.
The symmetrical staredown of the rival hallways is perfect for mid-range fights with Battle Rifle bros or pistol pros. Since most of the space between you is death pit, you tend to stay on your respective side and side-strafe until the fight is over, which is a nice changeup of the usual “run at each other while shooting then punch each other in the face” Halo tactic. It’s more spacious than it sounds, but not so big that whoever grabs the top-floor sniper rifle automatically dominates the map.
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There’s something very “original Xbox Halo” about Chasm that I…
