The Mythic Map Pack is a map pack created by Bungie for Halo 3. It was released on April 9, 2009 for 800 Microsoft points[1].
Summary
The icon of the Mythic Map Pack is an alternate version of the difficulty icon known as Mythic difficulty. The knives are replaced with Battle Rifles and the Mythic Skull replaces the Elite Skull. Keep in mind that Mythic has been known as a non-canon difficulty above Legendary, though Bungie has mentioned it several times on Bungie.net.
The Mythic Map Pack is a Halo 3 DLC map pack, which includes three multiplayer maps, Assembly, Orbital, and Sandbox. It was released with the launch of Halo Wars, but it is only included with the Limited Edition of the game.
The Limited Edition was released in Asia and Australia on February 26th, in Europe and Africa on February 27th, and in the Americas on March 3rd with the Limited Edition version of Halo Wars.[2] On March 23, 2009 Microsoft confirmed April 9, 2009 as the release date for Mythic as Downloadable Content (DLC) on Xbox Live for 800 Microsoft points.[3]
Maps Part 1
The Mythic map pack was divided into two separate packs. The first set of maps were released on Xbox Live April 9, 2009 as downloadable content. The first part includes the maps Assembly (Level), Orbital (Level) and Sandbox (Level).
Assembly
Assembly was originally planned to be in the Heroic Map Pack, then in the Legendary Map Pack, but was replaced due to the fear that it wouldn't be finished on time. The map is set in a Covenant Scarab Factory. Some say it is similar to the two Halo 2 maps, Midship and Warlock. Assembly is fit for mid-sized Slayer and Team Slayer battles, and also supports objective gametypes, other gameplay details are indefinite. The map is symmetrical and only the second Covenant map designed for Halo 3 to date. If you look up, you can see a Covenant Scarab being "assembled" directly above you.
Orbital
Orbital is set on the Quito Space Tether, a UNSC space elevator. It is the first map in Halo 3 (Campaign or Multi-player) to be set in outer space. Orbital is described as having two main U-shaped corridors overlapping each other and having some interesting switches that grant access to certain areas of the map. The first public image of Orbital was released on Bungie.net in late December.
Sandbox
Sandbox is a tiered medium-large sized map, and is a crossover between the desert landscape of Sandtrap and the Forge flexibility of Foundry. Bungie stated that Sandbox will be "the ultimate Forge map". Many new Forge objects are added to give players more options to make their own custom-created maps including, but not limited to, a golf club called the 7 wood, a Golf Ball, and a tin cup (golf hole). The map has a tiered nature. It is split into the "Sky Bubble", the ground, and the "Crypt." The Sky Bubble was designed so that Forge users could recreate maps akin to Guardian and Ascension since there is a grid only visible in Forge that will act as a death barrier, while the Crypt was added to create fully-enclosed arena maps using Grifball and similar gametypes. The ground was designed for vehicular maps more in the style of its larger brethren, Sandtrap. Every vehicle, weapon, and piece of equipment in Forge can be placed in the map.
Maps Part 2
The Mythic map pack was divided into two separate packs. The second pack is inlcuded on Halo 3: Mythic, the multiplayer disc included with "Halo 3: ODST", which was released on September 22, 2009. It will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace as a standalone map pack sometime after the release of ODST. The second part includes the maps Longshore (Level), Heretic (Level) and Citadel (Level).
Longshore
Longshore is a human-based map set in a naval shipping yard. Designed with elevated catwalks, multiple entrances and exits and based on an industrial building design, Longshore will serve more as a big team or large combat map though, still capable of providing fun small-scale incursions.
Heretic
Heretic is the long-rumored Halo 3 remake of Midship. The map applies most of Midship's geometry and tactics to Halo 3 gameplay with minor tweaks. Expect this map to take place on Pious Inquisitor with the same close-quarters action seen in Halo 2.
Citadel
Citadel is yet another small symmetrical map. This map is completely new to the Halo multi-player realm and takes place in a Forerunner stronghold.
Skulls
All six maps were confirmed to contain skulls, which give players new achievements each worth 25 gamerscore. The skulls were meant to be very hard to find because of the number of players in only one game (map). However, the skull locations of the first three maps were discovered on February 20th, 2009, and subsequently posted online. The person who discovered them before the pack release and posted their locations was banned from Xbox Live. Here is a video that may help you find the skulls.
Trivia
- If you acquire all of the skulls on the Mythic Map pack, and the skulls on Heretic, Longshore, and Citadel, you will unlock the Vidmaster Challenge: Brainpan achievement, which is the last vidmaster achievement available.
- The Mythic Map Pack which includes Assembly, Orbital, and Sandbox, is being released in four obtainable ways. The first, being shipped with the Limited Edition of Halo Wars, the second, being on Xbox Live Marketplace as DLC content for 800 Microsoft Points, third, being shipped with Halo 3: ODST, or fourth, receiving a free code courtesy of Bungie.
- In Sandbox there is a Golf Ball, a 7 wood Gravity Hammer weapon known as the Golf Club, and Golf Holes, known as the Tin Cup, effectively replacing the Soccer Ball, the humorous item of previous map packs.
- Community members have received the maps early through their contributions, and many other Halo 3 players have gotten them through community giveaways such as Halo 3 Mythbusters and Facility B5D.
- On March 2nd 2009, one day before the release of Halo Wars in the US, the three mythic maps included in the Halo Wars: Limited Edition were placed on the Xbox Live marketplace for the sum of 99,999 Microsoft points. This amounts to approximately $1,250.[4] (However, all downloadable items on the Marketplace that require a code to download are 99,999 Microsoft Points)
- In the March 20, 2009, Weekly Update, a date was placed at the very bottom of the news page that said "04/09/09." This date has been confirmed by Bungie, as the Mythic Map Pack release date.
- The Mythic Map Pack was released on April 9, 2009 at exactly 3:43 AM EST, another 7 reference and reference to Guilty Spark.
- In the UK, and possibly in other places, the Mythic Map Pack was released for 99,999 points for about 20 minutes, but then was dramatically reduced to 800.
- Those who downloaded the Mythic Map Pack early also received Bungie Pro until July 2009.
- You can get the Legendary Map achievements on Mythic maps.
- Maps, videos, and screenshots from Bungie favorites can be seen in the trailer for the Mythic Map Pack. The trailer is available for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace for free. Note that at the very end of the trailer the narrator says "Don't make us kick your ass." This line is a reference to the Latin writing on the the Bungie coat of arms.
- The skull on the promotion ads for the Mythic Map Pack is the same skull from the Halo 3 Campaign. This is due to the fact that Mythic is technically the hardest difficulty in Halo 3 with the Mythic skull activated.
- Each of the Mythic Maps, both part one and two, include three maps all made to have one UNSC, Covenant, and Forerunner themed map.
