DISCLAIMER: This is a symmetrical Slayer Map built for Free-for-All Slayer, but supports 4 vs. 4 Team Slayer as well.

PROJECT GOAL: Sadly, I’m not as passionate about Forging in Halo as most; it’s often been more of a curious hobby of mine than anything else. That said, with the beefed up Forge that came with Halo 5: Guardians, I wanted to test my creative abilities by digging my top three maps out of the older Halo iterations, and seeing if I could successfully overhaul each of them so they could support the new gameplay mechanics of Halo 5: Guardians. Have I met that goal? I’ve no bloody clue, but I deem this map, the first of my three projects, completed, regardless (pending any necessary feedback).

HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Since the predecessor to this map was the first I’d ever created in Forge, it felt fitting that Olympus be the first map to be uploaded to Forgehub. Olympus began during the birth of Forge back in the days of Halo 3; at the time, it was named Precipice. Originally built as two tiny bases facing each other with a massive gap of empty air and a small central Energy Sword platform between them, Precipice was later remade in Halo: Reach as Summit, where twin bridges connected the bases and sniper towers and turret nests helped to balance out the map’s focus on aerial and long-range combat.

When I started working with Forge in Halo 5: Guardians, the overhaul of this map replaced the aerial combat with Halo 5’s focus on multi-tier combat by grounding the level into a mountain alcove and adding additional structures and natural formations. By using a large amount of primitive triangles and light bars with lens flares, the hope was to have this level evoke the aesthetics of a Reclaimer Saga Forerunner site, and I think, in the end, it works really well.

GAMEPLAY MAIN POINTS: Each base has an equal amount of weaponry, grenades, and power-ups, allowing for teams to share equal power across the map. The series of Gravity Launchers around the level give players quick access between bases as well as the isolated Energy Sword platform in the center. The two Weapon Pads supply the players with the Beam Rifle and Binary Rifle, building a greater focus on long-range combat, but the foggy atmosphere and the numerous covered passageways help to balance against the power weapons, requiring snipers to tune their shots and to keep on their toes. Dynamic explosives stacked within a shielded column beneath the Sword platform provide players with an additional battlefield tool to add to their arsenal.

In conclusion, thanks for giving this a look, and I hope I haven’t wasted your time. Take Care.