Yesterday the first Halo 3 download content came out which consists of three new multiplayer maps: Standoff, Rat's Nest and Foundry.  This content is available on Xbox Live for 800 points ($10).  The Standoff map is a fairly large map with two bases on each side of the map.  The map has a few huge satellite dishes in the background that looks really cool. This looks to be the real replacement for Blood Gulch.  The Rat's Nest map is a modification of the level Crow's Nest from the single player game.  The defining feature of this map is the long corridors that surrounds the map.  This corridor can be used to drive vehicle's from one base to the other and is probably best for big team capture the flag and assault.  The final map is Foundry, a large empty room that you can use Forge to setup.  The online version I played was a lot of fun that felt a bit like a maze.  It was a crazy 8v8 team slayer match that didn't have a dull moment.

I played a few rounds on each of the maps and have come to the conclusion that these maps are best for big team battle matches.  They are all very large maps that you can get lost in easy if you with a small group of friends.  Standoff could be a fun capture the flag map that a smaller group could play but is better suited for Team Slayer.  Rat's Nest is a map I would never play with my friends.  It is just too big for anything fun.  I think Foundry might be fun to play but it all depends on how good you are at creating maps.  If I manage to create anything worth while I'll be sure to upload it to my profile.

This content is going to sell to the Halo 3 die hards that are only playing Halo 3 and are probably a little bored with the maps.  They will download the maps and give them a try and maybe eventually you will see them show up in a ranked match.  The cost of $10 for three maps feels a bit steep considering they are all large maps.  In Halo 2 they would provide a small map, medium map and a large map.  My friends almost never played the large maps.  I also don't recall them costing so much either.  The good thing is they will be free some time next spring when the next set of maps are available.  Hopefully those maps will be smaller.  Lets also hope we don;t have to wait three years for the best maps from the prior game come to the new game like High'em High and Wizard did for Halo 2.