"In our haste to secure the future, we met our end."

Soulrift is a 4v4 core map inspired by the classic Forerunner architecture and design. Drawing inspiration from a multitude of different places, Soulrift throws people into combat in the shadow of a mysterious Forerunner Slip Space Gate. Players battle it out in and around this long forgotten Forerunner installation. If it stood the challenge of time, can you?

Ode to the Past

The classic Halos have a softspot in the heart of any Halo fan. Part of the awe and wonder behind it all came from the blend of powerful geometry and the grandiose scale of anything the Forerunner built. I wanted players to be able to tap into those things in-game. I wanted to blend the styles of classic maps such as Epitaph and Construct in a way that was familiar but also unique.

One of my favorite things about the classic maps is how the skyboxes always typically included an interesting piece of art or focal point to make the player feel rooted in a much larger space.

Shadow of the Gate

What's in the sky? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? The large piece in the sky is actually a concept design for what I call a Forerunner Slip Space Gate. These large ring shaped machines would allow spacecraft incapable of slip pace travel to make jumps from one spot to another. This would prove just as useful for ships damaged beyond the ability to make jumps or for wayward travelers.

Many Ways to Play

When building the layout, I wanted to try to create a variety of not just interesting sight lines, but interesting map to map interactions as well. Certain parts of the map have one way interactions in the sense that pathing wise, they are direct but different paths intersect and overlap with each other to allow for a variety of engagements and scenarios.

I hope that each time a player tries out the map, they get to attempt a new interaction and find themselves in interesting engagements.

Long Forgotten Story

Slip Space Gates were easy to construct and often spent most of they're time floating out in the stars. Several were used as connection points for key systems. As the Forerunner - Flood war reached it's peak, the gates were taken out of service, with several being destroyed in place to prevent use by the Flood.

Installations like these were built as return points for the ancient machines. It is here were this gate has waited for so long. It is here were it has awaited it's masters return.

--------------------------------------------------------

I wanna hear YOUR thoughts! My ears are open to feedback and ideas! Don't be shy.

Thanks for reading!

Like - Bookmark - Comment