Highlands

Highlands
Map overview
Game:	Halo: Reach Defiant Map Pack;
Lore information
Location:	Military Wilderness Training Preserve, Highland Mountains, Viery Territory, Reach
Gameplay overview
Terrain:	Mountain forest, UNSC training facility
Recommended number of players:	8-16

“

A training facility located in the Highland Mountains, where Spartans are born.

”

Highlands is one of three maps in the Defiant Map Pack designed for Halo: Reach.^[1]

Universe and lore[edit]

Main article: Military Wilderness Training Preserve

Highlands is set in the Military Wilderness Training Preserve in the aptly named Highland Mountains on Reach. From 2517 to 2525, the SPARTAN-II program used this area for training the super soldiers on wilderness survival. Outside the map, the Big Horn River dominates the valley floor and in the distance, several CCS-class battlecruisers can be seen glassing Reach.

The middle of the map plays host to a D77-TC Pelican dropship, Bravo 001. During the Fall of Reach, members of SPARTAN-II Red Team deployed to the surface of Reach in Bravo 001 to defend the planet's orbital defense generators from Covenant assault. The Pelican was shot down and crash-landed in the Highland Mountains.^[2]

Overview[edit]

Locations[edit]

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

Operations
Motor Pool
Waterfall
Communications
Rock Arch
Red Base
Red Tower
West Cave
Underpass
Pond
Rappelling Towers
Blue Base
Blue Tower
Big Horn River
Radio Tower
Crash Site
East Cave
Cliffs
Out of bounds...

Production notes[edit]

During development Highlands was known as Training Preserve. Current files on Bungie.net are even labelled as Training Preserve instead of the map's final name.^{[citation needed]}

Trivia[edit]

This is one of two maps to feature locations previously described in the novel Halo: The Fall of Reach, the other being Condemned.
In the ringed section of The Big Horn river closest to the downed pelican, there are Koi fish. These fish can be shot and killed.

Easter eggs[edit]

Main article: Easter egg

The crashed Pelican's cockpit emits a radio conversation.

Gallery[edit]

Highlands Map.
Concept art of the map, showing a more lush art direction than in the final map.
A concept art piece depicting Covenant ships glassing the surrounding landscape.
An overhead image of Highlands.
A general view of the map.
The east cave.
A battle on the map.
A Spartan Laser shot destroying a Falcon.
A Spartan destroying a Banshee.
The Covenant cruisers in the background of the map.