Ok so we all know that the second-to-last map pack for Halo 3 is coming out 3-3-09 right? With the maps, Sandbox, Orbital, and Assembly right? But now Bungie has shown us how they continue to innovate and raise the bar higher and higher for other developers. Orbital and Assembly are going to be your standard run-of-mill Halo 3 levels, but not Sandbox, oh no.
Sandbox is going to be very unique and extend the life of Halo 3 even more. How you ask? First off, Sandbox has three different "planes" to it. The middle plane (pictured above) is more or less your typical level, a box canyon with two bases and objects for cover. The cool thing about this plane is that everything can be removed leaving you a blank canvas to work with, create whatever you want, a la the level Foundry.
Now for the good stuff. Sandbox has a second plane that is in the air high above the first plane I talked about.
You can basically make a floating level high in the stratosphere of Sandbox, the blue grid serves as a marker and also a "net" to set your level on.
The sky is truly the limit here, the possibility are endless for people to make a Halo 3 level as they see fit. These photos and levels are courtesy of my friends over at Tied The Leader, who got a sneak peak at playing on Sandbox.
Now the third plane, as you may have guessed, is underground in a Crypt. In the center of the map is this tiny hole in the ground and it is the only way in or out of the Crypt, and I assure you it's quiet a drop.
Once inside the Crypt is basically just a big empty room, perfect for you Forging needs or say a match of Grifball!
So, as you can see, Sandbox is shaping up to be quiet the Halo 3 experience. To top it off I'll end this with a new Forge item to play with: Killballs. Killballs (as seen above) are big orange balls of electricity that kill anything that enters them... Spartans, Warthogs, Tanks, etc... So be on the look out for Killballs, make sure to steer clear if you see them.
Be sure to check out more on Mythic Maps and Sandbox here:
