Breakneck

Template:Multiplayer Map Infobox Template:Article Quote Breakneck is a multiplayer map included in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary for Halo: Reach. It is a remake of Headlong from Halo 2.^[1]^[2] It is the only Halo: Reach multiplayer map to be set on Earth.

Setting

Like its predecessor, Breakneck is set in New Mombasa, in a part of the docks known as Section 21, which closely resembles the Section 14 featured in Headlong. The area is lined by buildings on all but one side, which opens up to the sea with a view of a structure resembling the Uplift Nature Reserve and the city center. The playable area is dominated by a large construction site, with a skyscraper and an elevated road under construction.

The New Mombasa Superintendent's avatar can be seen on many parts of the map. The advertisement for the civilian Hog still appears on this map, with the billboard retaining its original position on the map, in the left corner of the incomplete building's rear side. The monument that resembles the Seventh Column near the water has noticeably changed since Halo 2. This is because the symbol is Bungie's registered trademark.

Locations

The following are locations on the map that are so named on the player's heads-up display during gameplay:

Airborne
Ocean Wall
Roadway
Hotel
Hotel Balcony
Underpass
FootBridge
Monument
Freight Hallway
Off Ramp
Suspended Ramp
Steel Beam
City Exit
Custodial Hallway

Air Duct
Engineering Hallway
Engineering Lift
Lower Terrace
Office 1st Floor
Office 2nd Floor
Office 3rd Floor
Upper Terrace
Construction Stairwell
Construction 1st Floor
Construction 2nd Floor
Construction 3rd Floor
Construction Scaffolding

Trivia

The location of the map in New Mombasa, Section 21, is a reference to Section 14, the setting of Headlong. Both are also 7 references, as 14 and 21 are consecutive multiples of 7.
On the southern sea wall of the map, a screenshot of Headlong can be found.
The placement of the map in New Mombasa appears to be inconsistent with the city's Halo 3: ODST incarnation. Assuming the locations of the city's landmarks, such as the bridge of the Uplift Reserve, are consistent with ODST, the map should be situated near the southernmost main section of the Reserve. No skyscrapers or streets are present in the area in ODST.^[3] In addition, according to the player's HUD compass, the city center and the Mombasa tether are situated to the south and southwest of the map, respectively. Based on the way the city is presented in ODST, the aforementioned landmarks would be located to the north and northwest of the Uplift Reserve and thus the map's playable area.