Last Resort (Level)

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Last Resort is a Halo 3 multiplayer map.

Discovery

This level briefly appeared in the Halo 3 ViDoc: Is Quisnam Protero Damno! at about 0:56-0:57. Soon after, the map's name and existence were confirmed in a leaked video of the internal Halo 3 Beta. Although many were quick to call modding, it was shown that this was, in fact, a Beta build of Halo 3, by appearance of the Bubble Shield. By careful observation of the video, it was confirmed that the level was named "Last Resort", and that it was indeed a remake of classic Zanzibar.

It was officially confirmed on July 3rd, 2007 by Bungie Studios on a top story.

Layout

Fortress

Last Resort is extremely similar to Zanzibar. At one end of the map is a large urban fortress, a larger more expanded version of the one featured in Zanzibar, offering more defensible positions and points of egress. The "prison bars" gate that once blocked the vulnerable right flank of the fortress is now replaced by three hazardous massive cement speed bumps, preventing vehicles from intruding and giving defenders more cover. There is, however, an internal switch to lower the bumps. The "flag room" of the fortress has also been maximized by a factor of three or four in terms of surface area, making it more spacious. A turbine also sits in the center of the flag room.

The two passages that allowed attackers at the "front door" of the fortress to enter have been widened and elongated. A secondary point of entrance for vehicles has been added to the far wall (perpendicular to the main gate entrance). The gate here is also controlled by the internal switch located in the "flag room" of the fortress.

Camp Froman

Camp Froman, familiar to many Zanzibar players as the sniper spawn, is still mid-map, but is now more accessible. There is an open room underneath Camp Froman that is accessible from four different fronts (a drop-down from above, a door under each set of stairs, and a primary door in-between the stairs). Furthermore, a second catwalk stems from the second story of the fortress to Camp Froman, which allows base defenders to reach the Sniper just as quickly as attackers. In Zanzibar, players could exit the fortress on the right hand side by jumping down from the windows, or walking down a dirt ramp. This alternative catwalk replaces the dirt ramp and edges along the cement wall that walls off the map, makes a perpendicular turn midway and connects to Camp Froman. There is also a sign on the wall that says Camp Froman.

Pillars

Next to Camp Froman, there are three large pillar-like generators which provide much better coverage than the rocks in Zanzibar. This is an adequate fighting spot, considering the only possible places of attack are the Fortress and the Wheel. The Pillars protect players from a majority of fire from the Wheel though. The Sea Wall is not a threat, due to the protection Camp Froman offers. These large generators presumably power the wind wheel and the fortress with back up power. While moderate cover is provided, these generators can easily be flanked or rushed, leaving the player vulnerable to close-range enemies.

File:Last Resort Beach Overlook.jpg

A vista from the beach to the towering fortress in the distance.

Beach

At the other end of the map is the beach, next to a cinematic seashore, where the Warthog, Ghost, and two Mongooses spawn. There is a large chunk of land between the fortress and the beach. This chunk of land is home to the Sea Wall. Now more easily defended, the Sea Wall runs along the length of the beach as it did in Halo 2, and moves up towards the middle of the map (opposite from Camp Froman) with a path to the fortress or wind wheel. The middle tower in between the wheel and the beach is now accessible from the beach, and an archway is formed from the water to the tower.

Wind Wheel

File:Halo 3 Last Resort.jpg

An underside look at the wind wheel.

The iconic Wind Wheel still is placed squarely between the Sea Wall and the fortress. The Energy Sword that was present in the small wheel on the center of the windmill, has now been replaced with Active Camouflage. A Bubble Shield now resides where the Active Camouflage was in Zanzibar, the tower to the wind wheel via the Sea Wall.

The tower on the right hand side of the Sea Wall still allows players onto the wind wheel, although now an unknown red-colored mechanism replaces the yellow-colored fusion mechanism to stabilize (drop the bridge) the pathway from the tower to the wheel. The broken pathway from the tower to the fortress has not changed much aesthetically, but has been lengthened. There are now stairs and gratings around the base of the wind wheel giving players more mobility and freedom to move around the map.

The Wind Wheel itself can be used to get up to the Spartan Laser and the Active Camouflage if you are at the bottom, you can ride the wind wheel's 'blades' and then walk on them when they are horizontal.

Strategy

• In team games, The Pillars are the best place to gain and control. The team should acquire the Sniper Rifle, Battle Rifle, and Brute Shot from Camp Froman. Have another player get the Battle Rifle from the Fortress. This way, the team is protected from close to long range. Then, have the Brute Shot protect the sniper, and have the Battle Rifle watch the catwalk near the Wheel. Have another Battle Rifle watch the Fortress and have the sniper take our long-range threats before they get too close to attack. In the case of a close range threat or vehicle, have your Brute Shot clean up with support fire from the Battle Rifle. Be sure to use grenades and equipment when required.
• A good strategy in Big Team Slayer, is to set up ambushes. Now there are several ways to do this. The best way is to get about two people to get on the very top of the sea wall, and one to the ruins of the archway at the end of the beach (the one thats half way in the water). Now when the apposing team comes to get the Warthog and the Ghost, just spring the trap and pick them off. The second place to set an ambush is at the main base. Have all your team mates spread relatively close, but throughout the base, now when the enemy comes, they're trapped with no where to run.
• If starting from the beach grab a battle rifle, shotgun, or sniper rifle. This is vital during objective games because you can either snipe, go in, cover carrier, or hunt the other team for fun and to weaken them for the main attack. If starting at the base try and grab a sniper rifle, brute shot, battle rifle, or the spartan laser. This can be vital for defense in objective games.
• In team snipers try to hide/snipe in Camp Froman, on the walkway (be careful here there is not a whole lot of cover), on top of the beach wall, the beach wall, in the building where the bubble shield spawns, and if you are a really good sniper sit where the Active Camo spawns. Although this does come at a risk, you are in a confined space and it may be hard to get out due to the wind wheel if someone starts to shoot back at you.
• In any Team Slayer game on this map, if you are on the team that starts at Camp Froman, you should pick up the Gravity Lift in the building go up near the shotgun spawn and use it to get straight to the Spartan Laser, this will save time and hopefully get you to the Spartan Laser before the enemy team.
• When it comes to bomb planting or flag capturing, the Sniper on the attacking will be most useful on the walkway that allows a clear view into the flag room, but, as a note, the enemy can still spawn below you, although this can be used to camp and keep the rest of your team safe while they do their job.
• When defending in Capture The Flag or Assault, the first priority should be the Spartan Laser, this leaves your opponents to only a few ways to enter and exit, meaning the attackers can't risk a fast approach or exit without being slaughtered.

Comparison

Bungie, however, originally said they would not do remakes of old maps, even at the beginning of the multiplayer revealing, they stated High Ground was the "New Zanzibar". Many took this as a loss.

A fan's comparison of Zanzibar and Last Resort. Note the differences.

http://www.maj.com/gallery/Sparkie92/Halo/comparison.png

Trivia

• The name, Last Resort, is a joking reference to Zanzibar's idyllic, island setting.
• Last Resort was in the Halo 3 Internal Multiplayer beta, but was not placed in the Halo 3 Public Multiplayer Beta.
• Last Resort is the only direct remake of a map (remake of Zanzibar (Halo 2)) present in the shipping version of Halo 3.
• There are seagulls flying out over the sea, it is possible to snipe them down, in which they will float on the water/sink below the water, before they disappear after a few minutes.
• While on the beach, and looking to the right up in the sky, you'll see a cloud that looks like Master Chief (flexing). http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=14056626
• Another possibility as to the time period of Last Resort is hinted at in the description text. It is possible that this is the representation of Camp Froman/Zanzibar during the training of the Spartan super-soldiers, before the Human-Covenant War, as Halo 3 also features The Pit, another UNSC training facility.
• Due to its condition, Last Resort is either a version of the level Zanzibar when it was earlier, or it was reoccupied by the UNSC and repaired and refit as a complex.
• The name Camp Froman came from a Bungie employee whose gamertag was "Cape Froman", as he camped and sniped from the general area regularly.
• You can go very deep into the water in the sea so you can be hidden even more when using the camouflage. This is the deepest you can go in water in any multiplayer map so far.

References

Last Resort was in the Halo 3 Internal Beta but not the Public Beta