The core

Just to let you know, you dont need those

 

The Core

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The Core bears a striking resemblance to The Pit from Halo 3, and so it plays almost just as well. It has a similar form but the weapons have been rearranged. It was not intended as a remake, but the gameplay is still very similar in objective and slayer games alike.

An observant player will notice small holes on the outer walls of each base. They blend in well to the surface and are rarely noticed, which ultimately works to the map’s advantage. The few people who notice it are able to utilize the tiny tunnels to their advantage, without overly frustrating anyone else. The tunnels lead into the center of the base, right to the location of the team’s Flag or Bomb site. A player can use this hole to discretely sneak past any guards and grab the flag before anyone knows what happened. This is a lot of fun for the stealthy players as it gives a whole new dimension to objective gameplay.

Health packs are very conveniently placed. Even though their locations are predictable, that works in the map’s favor. An escaping player can easily find the health pack and be back in the fight in no time. Player don’t have to spend a long time searching for them so more time is spent playing and appreciating the gameplay of the map.

Along the walls at different locations small Y platforms act as makeshift ramps. They can either be used as shortcuts up walls or perches for an advantage over other players. A player's increased elevation renders enemy frag grenades useless and instantly gives them a greater chance of success. If used well, these can be a great tactical asset to any player willing to use them.

Simply put, The Core is a real treat to play on. It may be drawing some of its style from a previous map, but that doesn’t make its level of enjoyment invalid since the creator has added just enough features to keep the gameplay fresh and interesting. The tunnels leading into each base and the Y platforms throughout are all examples of great tactical additions; something which many community maps are lacking.

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In shape, The Core shows strong resemblances to The Pit from Halo 3 and Gears of War 2’s Day One. A central area, containing two power weapons, is surrounded by a ring of elevated ground. This means that anyone who attempts to acquire the sniper rifle or energy sword is put under stress from the surrounding enemies, thus increasing the risk vs. reward element.

The aforementioned tunnels which bore into each bases’ center has been balanced as well. The creator has managed to keep these holes completely tactical by angling the corner of the first turn. By doing so, enemy players can successfully throw grenades and bounce them right next to an escaping enemy. This subtle aspect prevents potentially frustrating occurrences of escapees blasting their pursuers with a newfound shotgun, and retains a sense of fairness.

Keeping the map compared to The Pit from Halo 3, there is an almost identical hallway in both structure and importance down one side of the map’s center. A rocket launcher now resides where The Pit’s overshield would have been placed. There is an interesting yet subtle feature that affects the mad rushes at the beginning of a game. Several merged bank pieces placed side by side make an M shape on either end of the hallway. This is especially interesting cover because the shape means that no one can aimlessly fire off rockets and succeed. The cover is less visually obvious than a stark block, yet has just about the same effect. This means that when an enemy grabs the rockets, the other player still has a chance at defending themselves if they use the cover well.

The Core is not lacking at all when it comes to the very basic aspects of balance. All weapons are either shared or placed in the center of the map for mutual use. There is no structural difference across the line of symmetry, and there is no place where any players receive an unfair advantage over others.

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There are many places in which a player may perch themselves for a good view of the battlefield however that’s not to say that the creator has completely neglected the use of kill barriers. On the contrary, it is almost uncanny how many times a player can be fooled into perceiving that The Core is an easily breakable map only to find the countdown flashing once more. Given the number of potential camping spots in the map, the map’s creator has done a respectable job of countering any attempts of dishonorable camping.

Near the sniper spawn in the center of the map, there is an odd formation. The creator placed another Y platform for players to climb out through the top, however it doesn’t work very well at all. It is possible to climb out, but to do so proves difficult and often fails. In a high risk situation things can become very frustrating when the escape plan fails terribly.

A good amount of attention has also been paid to the respawn system. The majority of the respawn points were located in faraway places meaning that players could easily rejoin the battle or take refuge from it if they so chose. It would be difficult for enemies to spawn trap another team, since most respawn areas were easily defendable and have many exits if a player wished to escape.

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At first glance The Core is composed of many generic pieces within a box of coliseum walls. While the monotonous grey can be a bit unpleasant to the eyes, there are some gems of beauty dotted around for anyone willing to look for them. The color scheme may not be the first thing a forger considers when creating a good looking map, however mfish7 has done well to create a mixture of pleasing colors within the walls, windows and platforms. By combining the natural hues of each piece with their customized colors, The Core is given a unique and interesting atmosphere. This aspect isn’t blatant or obvious, but it gives an undertone to The Core which many other maps lack.

That being said, The Core has been created while staying true to the theory of gameplay over aesthetics. There is nothing else particularly special about the map, but there are few mistakes either. In a few places, the construction was a little messy and out of place. There were some points, such as the tunnels leading into each base, which felt like they weren’t supposed to be there. Needless to say, these are insubstantial errors and can easily be overlooked. Overall The Core is a decently decorated map, but doesn’t really wow anyone either.

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The M-shaped pieces of cover near the rocket launcher are definitely unique and work to great effect. The same goes for the small tunnels leading into a team’s base which require players to slow down and crouch to enter. This and the Y platforms are great additions which The Core’s creator has included in the map.

Because of the map’s resemblance to The Pit, it is hard to say whether or not the design is truly original. The similarity may be unintentional, but the fact remains the same: it is very similar. Despite that though, it is far from a remake. It bears just enough difference and small personal touches here and there to be regarded as a good map in its own right.

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Rating Multipliers

[floatleft]Enjoyment:
Balance:
Durability:
Aesthetic :
Originality:[/floatleft]8 x 3.0 = 24 out of 30
9 x 3.0 = 27 out of 30
9 x 1.5 = 13.5 out of 15
6 x 1.5 = 9 out of 15
7 x 1.0 = 7 out of 10

Final Score



Understanding the Review Hub's Ratings
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