So, I finished my first proper Halo: Reach map yesterday, my Headlong remix – I call it Headrush.
It’s not a straight up 1:1 scale port, oh no, it’s more of an inspiration-based creation. It has recognisable elements from Headlong, but also additions and revisions that make it play better with Halo: Reach. This is because of the differences in scale between Halo 2 and Reach, and Armour Abilities like Sprint and Jetpack also meant tweaks to the original formula were necessary. I mean, why give you a Jetpack and then tell you not to go flying on top of buildings? I think I’ve been more than generous with the leeway you have on this map with regards to Jetpacks.
The most iconic part of the map, the red base, is a several story high building which is mostly faithful to the original. Things have been changed slightly, such as there being no breakable glass by the bomb/flag spot, and the wall being more transparent on the floor above that. Those Colosseum Windows are great, they made for amazing walls, and their asymmetric design meant I could position them in a visually distinct fashion and use their nice angles for entry points. With the map being expanded out, I felt that walkways going all the way from red base to the outer buildings would be ridiculous, so I replaced them with incoming man-cannons. That way, it’s easy to get in and attack quickly, and the cover on the landing pads give an attacking team a chance to regroup, but the long run home with the flag is fraught with danger.
