Examining Halo's Most Up And Down Mission

Assault on the Control Room is the mission in Halo: Combat Evolved with perhaps the highest highs and the lowest lows out of any in Bungie's incredible Xbox and PC campaign.
On the one hand, Assault on the Control Room's outdoor, sandbox-heavy sections are quintessential Halo, on the other, its indoor sections often leave a lot to be desired, and I can't help but feel like a little editing from Bungie would have worked wonders on the fifth missions in Halo: Combat Evolved's campaign.
In this video, I analyse everything from Assault on the Control Room's level design and gameplay to its story, setting and atmosphere, to try and explain why this particular Halo: Combat Evolved mission is such an up and down experience, while also drawing comparisons to Halo 3's The Covenant, Halo Reach's Long Night Of Solace and other missions in the Halo trilogy.
If you enjoy the video, do consider subscribing, and thanks for watching!
#Halo #HaloCombatEvolved #Bungie
Contents:
00:00 - Intro
00:31 - Previously On Halo
01:28 - Sense Of Scale
03:56 - Outdoor Adventures
07:54 - Circular Rooms and Bridges
10:03 - Stealing Banshees
11:36 - End On A Twist

[@BenPlaysGames]

✅ Subscribe: kzbin.info 🖱 Support the channel: www.patreon.com/ben_plays_games Pleased to announce that I'm now the current world record holder for the most times someone has said 'circular rooms' in one video.

[@marsalesp2107]

Can u explain y there's a little bit of flood flood on silent cart.?

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@marsalesp2107 Where?

[@AircraftFTW]

I think something you have to remember is this video game was on a CD. They had to make sure that assets were reused to justify there use in the game to some extent. That's why they reused a lot of map set models to save on space. Two Betrayals for example uses the same map assets as Assault on the Control Room, The Pillar of Autumn used the same ones as The Maw, and Truth and Reconciliation used the same assets as Keyes. Other maps like 343 Guilty Spark and Halo would also share assets with Multiplayer maps. The long nature found in Assault on the Control Room probably allowed them to extend the map to be flipped and reversed for Two Betrayals to create a different feel when playing it backwards, swarmed by flood in close proximity.

[@sierra0066]

Fun fact: the number of hunters in this mission changes based on the difficulty you're playing on

[@NotSoChattyYT]

Confirmed.

[@BenPlaysGames]

I knew that and should have mentioned that really, forgot how many of them there are even on normal difficulty!

[@CoffeeLover42045]

I was on heroic and I was about to flip my fucking desk over cause the amount of hunters.

[@lukeanderson5482]

This is my favourite Halo: CE mission. I love how suddenly unsettling the game becomes in the final cutscene. Also, it may be worth pointing out in the beginning when Cortana draws attention to the fact it’s snowing. Something we later know is to slow down the Flood.

[@BenPlaysGames]

The ending cutscene is probably my favourite in the entire game, it throws in such a curveball and really helps build tension for 343 Guilty Spark after.

[@burge117]

Did not know that about the snow, makes sense though.

[@lukeanderson5482]

@@burge117 well through later LORE it’s revealed the Forerunners would alter weather systems to hinder the Flood

[@ryanparker4996]

​@@burge117 thats why the Forerunners kept specimens in cold storage (See Halo 3 map "Cold Storage")

[@burge117]

@@ryanparker4996 Oh yeah and Lockout. Literal cold storage.

[@rockstormv3911]

i feel so bad for that poor grunt at the start, imagine just chilling and then from the depths of an abyss rises a giant ship with master chief on board, must be absolutely terrifying lmao

[@dualwielders1221]

😂👍🏾

[@BenPlaysGames]

I’d have noped out of there so quickly and not looked back 😂

[@tring-aling-ahim-bahoo-lah6378]

If given the chance, that grunt would kill you and your entire family and have fun doing it. Screw that guy lol

[@FinalPenance]

That would be an easy posting except for the super badass cyborg demon coming in the back door.. I always imagined the Elite that leads the squad as a rookie on his first assignment

[@heckrum]

@@BenPlaysGames so would the grunt

[@dorsenator]

When I was playing Halo CE as a kid, 20 years ago, Assault on the Control Room was the mission I played the most. To me, it is quintessential Halo. Vehicular mayhem, encounters in tight spaces, and lots and lots of repetition

[@devonlambert9131]

AOTCR was always my favorite CE mission, until I think i switched to Two Betrayals

[@darunia07]

@@devonlambert9131 Me too. I think it's interesting, given the obvious link between the two missions. I always hear people knocking Two Betrayals, and the second half of the game in general, for just being "the earlier levels in reverse". But it's a totally different experience. In Two Betrayals you have the shotgun, you're fighting the flood, and the sentinels, there's more banshee action, and its night time and snowing. Never understood the criticism, its a totally different level.

[@RobertEdwinHouse9]

​@@devonlambert9131 two betrayals is awful lmao

[@sturm9087]

@@RobertEdwinHouse9two betrayals is one of the best levels in the game. The 3 way battles are peak halo.

[@ia285]

The phrase 'circular rooms' is permanently burned into my brain.

[@BenPlaysGames]

It was my favourite section to write in the script, I'm very passionate about it 😂

[@daltonburroughs3811]

Assault on the Control Room is the peak of Halo gameplay. From tight corridors to open field vehicle combat, it has it all and I still love every second of it.

[@TheHaloHedgehog]

You know I never noticed the Flood theme playing at the end as Cortana finds out about them and sends Chief off to try and stop Keyes. Nice touch Bungie.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Such a good cutscene and really fills you with a sense of dread as what I consider the first half of Combat Evolved draws to a close.

[@justsomehalofan4386]

Assault on the control room is still my favorite mission in combat evolved, next to the Halo and the Silent Cartographer. Unironically I never really minded the repetitive rooms, mainly because I knew what enemy variety I would encounter in them and what soundtrack would play. (Fun fact: in the last part of the level, I shoot the banshee off the bridge and walk through the last two rooms just here "A walk in the woods" play and then grab the banshee after) Also those hallway and rooms just have a strange feeling to me that just can't seem to describe. The outdoor sections is a blast too, and that tank section is my favorite section of the entire game (second is the warthog run). The one part I do not like about the level is how the loading/check points work (and CE as a whole is pretty wonky with checkpoint saves). It always was really annoying when you almost reach the next checkpoint just to die and be sent back to the last one quite a ways away and have to replay through a large section again. Other than that it is such a great level.

[@-THE_META]

Agree completely.

[@OrangeUtan1]

The repetitive rooms really give me a headache, there's just too many but each to their own I guess

[@sa-amirel-hayeed699]

I actually keep the sniper for that moment, I pop the elite that runs towards it quickly, steal the banshee and then splatter the zealot by the door to skip the end of the level lol

[@drunkdave5677]

You downplayed my favorite encounter of the mission at the end of the second chasm. Love how Perilous Journey plays while you and the marines assault the covenant position beneath the twin bridges. So long as you kill the elites, vehicles, and turret gunners as they appear or at least draw their fire, the marines are usually competent. Especially if you kept sniper Johnson alive from the beginning and have the new sniper. (Johnson or Stacker)

[@BenPlaysGames]

The marine snipers are absolute beasts! If you watch closely during the part where I talk about the indoor section with the bridge, one of them pops a hunter straight in the back from 100 yards.

[@alextullett5766]

Watching your videos always makes me want to replay halo, keep doing these videos they are very interesting and entertaining.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers Alex, much appreciated! To be honest, I also like doing them because it gives me an excuse to play through them again haha.

[@woodsyjones]

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE HALO MISSION!!!! Lots of nostalgia, so I tend to ignore the monotony of it. CE is such a great game

[@Mortablunt]

This mission bores me so much it sometimes ends entire runs.

[@BenPlaysGames]

My favourite Halo - such a stunning title considering the state of other console shooters at the time, was so far above anything else.

[@woodsyjones]

@@BenPlaysGames agreed! Thanks for all the great content!!

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@woodsyjones No worries Woodsy!

[@williamashbless7904]

Your opinion is valid and well presented. I reject it! I love AotCR for it’s glorious length and claustrophobic (Endless Circular rooms). I can mindlessly slay slimey aliens any number of ways and never get tired in doing so. The endless circular rooms have different enemies and figuring out strategy for each is endless fun. I reject the Scorpion and take the Warthog. It’s higher speed allows you to get into enemy spawns and mow them down in tight corridors where they can’t dodge. I’ve also found that the Sniper Rifle or Rocket launcher aren’t needed, even on Legendary. That’s how good weapon design is. There is also the oddity of sleeping Hunters that you can beat to death from behind on that last climb up the Ziggurat before the final battle. Nice job and, although I value your take on this level, I relish the hour plus time it takes to complete.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks William mate! I did expect a fair few people to disagree with me on this one. I'll let you in on a secret too - back in the day, when I first played Combat Evolved, it was one of my very favourite missions in the game.

[@Green_Eyed_Monster]

@@BenPlaysGames I think a really significant reason why a lot of people, myself included, enjoy Assault on the Control Room so much in spite of its tendency to repeat the notorious Circular Rooms™and bridge sections is that it can be easy to overlook flaws in gameplay due to how engaging the story is. The story that is told by the level of Master Chief's experiences is really engaging, and because you know that in this part of the tale, Chief is traveling through vast and hypnotically repeating corridors and rooms inside a giant alien megastructure, it does a lot to compensate for the lackluster gameplay.

[@zaymac117]

Assault on the control room is still one of my favorite mission in this game cause of the snowy atmosphere and because you have the option of customizable weapons and vehicles in MCC version you can use arctic vehicles like the warthog, scorpion, banshee, ghost to fit this mission winter atmosphere.

[@fredbyoutubing]

One important thing wasn't mentioned. It's the mission that (by design or not) allows players to skip sections entirely. You can jump from one bridge to the other. As mentioned, you cn grab a banshee but that section also allows you to jump down from the bridge to the control room spire without taking damage and either walk your way up and slide down, or walk down and climb the usual way.

[@kinghoodofmousekind2906]

Dunno why, the circular rooms and bridges never bored me too much; same even with the Library...dunno, maybe it's because I love the gunplay so much, and I can forgive the repetitiveness. I agree the last part of this mission is the connecting tissue between the sudden shift in gameplay that the flood will bear: when "Covenant Dance" starts playing once the doors open, it's a flood of enemies, but they are still Covenant. And the theme "Demons...Devils!" playing once Cortana realises that Keyes is about to fall from the frying pan into the fire, her tone and eyes, are perfect to match it all.

[@cfgref123de6]

I always felt like Assault on The Control Room feels like such a long, slow mission that I start to lose track of what I have done off the bat. The fact this mission takes so long makes me think that Two Betrayals will be really long but actually that mission is of reasonable length. Of course the mission is by no means bad, just slow.

[@marsalesp2107]

Rocket flood down the hallway😮‍💨

[@BenPlaysGames]

I actually plan to replay Two Betrayals in the next few days as a point of comparison, it’s another mission that has its good and bad points I reckon.

[@yamchow9905]

It's not slow if you're good at the game and two betrayals is about the same length

[@IsaardP]

I always thought they were trying to give you a sense of scale, like the Forerunner structure was so large the inside was a repetitive and endless labyrinth. Room after room after bridge after room all the same, using the level itself to emphasize the need for a map to navigate through to the control room.

[@IVOLUKE]

9:34 what a marvelous flip!

[@BenPlaysGames]

A little known fact about The Covenant is that most elites are parkour experts. And the grunts are great dancers.

[@The4j1123]

I never minded the repetitive rooms because while the structure was always the same, the enemies and the type of encounter never was. Every room was fresh, and I can actually tell you from memory which rooms house which encounters. I never found myself lost or confused. Not to mention that while, yes, the indoor section seems to repeat its structure, you are always graced with vast unique outdoor sections when ever the indoor sections begin to feel stale. AoTCR is easily my favorite CE level, with Two Betrayals a close second.

[@torb-no]

I think this level represents CE entirely: engagements in CE are so great so we gave you a whole lot of them. I actually really like the circular rooms, even more than the outside areas. All of the engagements are so great. Small combat puzzles, all different from the other. Might be my favorite mission from CE honestly. Anyway, always great to hear your analysis. I’ve been a lot sick lately and your videos have been great to watch, so thanks for making them. EDIT: Cool to see others in the comment section liking the encounters in the repeating rooms.

[@BenPlaysGames]

I think it's fair to say there's definitely plenty of people who don't share my opinion of those rooms! I'm perhaps the opposite of you, in that I love the outdoor sequences but really struggle with the indoor stuff. It's still a great mission, but I can't help but wonder how good it could have been if the two had been better mixed together, rather than it featuring long stretches of both. Also, no problem at all dude, I always appreciate you checking them out. I hope you're not too poorly? Get well soon mate!

[@yamchow9905]

@@BenPlaysGames its really not slow if your decent at the game but on your first playthrough it is pretty bad

[@edux54]

glad to see other like me. I love this level

[@torb-no]

@@BenPlaysGames I certainly agree more variety could help. It's not the repeating environments as much as the engagements (each a bit different from the other) that I like. As for me: let's just say I feel very lucky that I'm boosted. 😅

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@torb-no Ah shoot, that sucks man. I'm jabbed and still had it pretty hard over Christmas, really messed me up for a good ten days. Hope you feel better soon!

[@ThinsofWheat]

Really love your in-depth mission reviews. Always want to make me jump back on.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks Wheat my man, anything that encourages people to play more Halo is good in my book!

[@whiteasian3636]

Lets gooo… and then go back! Loving the in-depth reviews, I honestly never thought about some of the points you made but always had them in the far back of my head. Great stuff as usual💯💯💯 Also at 9:25, there’s so much going on lmao. You throw a grenade and hit a wall then do it again and five seconds later an elite launches off of the bridge😂😂😂

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks dude, always appreciate you checking them out! The reason for the mad grenade throws is I changed the controls to match Infinite, but I'm so used to using the right bumper to reload from past experience that I often hit the wrong button and chuck nades at the wrong time or slightly later than intended.

[@whiteasian3636]

@@BenPlaysGames Lmao I got that when I first installed MCC. I didn't know how to change the controls at first so I kept punching when I wanted to crouch and stuff. I got a bit used to it but then I found out how to change the controls and then I had to relearn everything again lol

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@whiteasian3636 I just forget stuff so easily. Every time I load it up, I have to get used to everything all over again haha.

[@whiteasian3636]

@@BenPlaysGames Haha yh I understand. I get that all the time

[@michaelguernsey1206]

“Tank with pin point accuracy” laughed out loud lol. Good video. This mission, and two betrayals gave me the WORST trouble on mythic (I’ve beaten the whole game on mythic). Very frustrating. I had to break for weeks on a time cause I got so mad. Didn’t help when my saves got erased multiple times. Also Covenant dance, the tea cool that plays when you open the door before the control room and you are met with all those enemies, is one of my favorite tracks in all of halo.

[@waede116]

AotCR was my favorite level when I was a kid. While the indoor sections were pretty repetitive, the use of Covenant Dance gave it such an sneaky infiltration feeling... Learning the level inside and out and knowing the best routes and tricks was super rewarding and made 9-year-old me feel like a FPS genius. Maybe not Halo's best level (I'd argue 343 Guilty Spark), but definitely a memorable one!

[@Vaquilbreaker]

Yes! I played this with my dad as a kid and this was one of the ones I remembered most

[@Tomn8er]

Guilty Spark may be the best from a storytelling perspective. But gameplay-wise it's probably the least enjoyable mission in the game.

[@BigBadBalrog]

9:30 Wow, that Elite REALLY wanted to get away from that plasma 'nade

[@BenPlaysGames]

You know what they say about desperate times...

[@song6771]

Ben: Yeah, this Mission is too long and repetitive Me, someone who likes repetition, and whose favorite mission is The Library: I guess I'm just built incorrectly

[@BenPlaysGames]

😂

[@song6771]

@@BenPlaysGames I'm just built wrong

[@matthewwhite3967]

I like The Library too. Not my favorite level by any means, but it's a great endurance test. I honestly think I like it more than AOTCR because even though it's repetitive it's not nearly as long.

[@slodogian5958]

Honestly, I usually divide this mission into 2 parts because its so god damn long and repetitive. Basically I play until the beginning of the 2nd long indoor section. Then take a break and continue either later in the day or some other day. But yes, the 2nd indoor section is frustratingly long. Luckily the gameplay itself is so solid and that the encounters are unique and varied.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Best place to stop I reckon! Everything up to that point is decent, but man alive does that long indoor section drag. Fortunately, it picks up towards the end at least and finishes strong.

[@darlig.ulv.bakhjerne]

Great video man but the circular rooms are Assault of the Control Room's best feature imo. It's such a great space to move around in, there's multiple levels that you can jump to, you can use the little notches that the Grunts hide on top of to flank the enemy and surprise them, some of the rooms have a second floor that you can clear out with grenades and then hide in, the rooms have great ambience, it might be the nostalgia talking but I'll never get tired of fighting in those circular rooms, one of the reasons why AotCR and Two Betrayals are two of my favourite levels of any Halo

[@Fi_Sci_]

Always thought that large group of covenant near the control room entrance was a consequence of using the banshee to skip past the repetitive sections. Either way this was a good vid. Some aspects of CE do show its age, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying it as I do every other Halo game that I own.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers mate! And I can confirm that large group appears whether you do the banshee skip or not, as I did it both ways when recording footage for this video.

[@burge117]

Thanks for another great video, Ben. Could not agree more with everything you said, the repetition stops it from being one of best levels in the series. Plus, coming off the back of the Silent Cartographer it has a lot to live up to. I think this mission excels in coop, makes the repetitive areas less of a chore. And again as always, on point in regards to the new and old graphics. Always appreciate seeing you play in the original engine.

[@BenPlaysGames]

That's a good point regarding coop I didn't think to mention at all - it's one of the mission best set up for entertaining two player action I think, like its sibling Two Betrayals later in the game. And original engine always, especially with Combat Evolved!

[@burge117]

@@BenPlaysGames Yeah AOTCR and Two Betrayals seem built more for coop than single player. Obviously the Warthog, with no marine backup on Two Betrayals and me and my friends would play it, one would always have a Sniper and the other the Rocket. Then the round rooms and alternative paths make for great pincer attacks etc.

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@burge117 Gonna do a video on Two Betrayals soon - I'm slowly approaching finishing all of CE in terms of individual mission videos, so would be good to tick one game off the list!

[@burge117]

@@BenPlaysGames Awesome. Looking forward to it!

[@PrinceMuma]

As a late joiner to the Halo universe (I started playing when I was ~elementary school, which was around Reach-4 time, so I played the games without the nostalgia factor or a strong understanding of the storyline. I enjoyed it then because I was a big green dude in space with a gun being an action hero, and after I played Halo 5 I stopped playing Halo for a few years (it was around the time I got a PC and ditched consoles for the most part). When MCC came to Steam and then Infinite was announced I was pretty happy, and got back into Halo and began to care more about the storyline (long halopedia rabbit holes and reading books) and what truly made it great. Becuase of all this, and playing other games like COD and Half-Life I began to understand how good game design works. Before then I would eat anything served in front of me because it was new and exciting, but I was beginning to change. When I played Halo CE for the first times I would love things like the Library because it was easy to get into a cycle of repletion, and I liked the indoor sections of AotCR more than the outdoors. Being a slimy little SCP specimen of a kid, my developing brain preferred the repeating parts because it was easy to master. Now I have come to my senses and enjoy more different gameplay with varying parts. One of the best campaigns I played for the first time recently was Titanfall 2, I am playing the Metro series, and recently beat The New Order, all of which are good because of different gameplay mechanics that make them interesting. Now in hindsight, I still think the Bungee Halo franchise is my favorite, but Halo CE has been put down underneath Reach and 2. Most of the 2001 Halo players I met think its gross for Reach to top 3 and CE, but I was never there for the nostalgia, and I was too young to understand the way the flood came into play, and AotCR is still my favorite level in Halo CE because I want to be the green space man with a tank and gun like I was 10 years ago. What I just said made absolutely no sense, but I wrote it so I'm commenting it.

[@generalbuttnaked7637]

I must admit that assault on the control room is one of my favourite missions. I never get bored due to using the needler in the indoor areas. The panic and chaos that it causes is nothing short of hilarious, and once you factor in all the dropped grenades in a relatively confined space it creates absolute carnage! 😳

[@Blarsen780]

Needler stinks

[@LegataireS117]

When i was kid, this mission was by far my favourite, because of the scared grunt at the begining of it, because TONS of snipers an rockets, because the SCORPION and because the benshee at the end. Now 343 guilty spark is the top 1 cause it's a master piece of horror and introduction of a new foe (i was too affraid to do the floods missions when i was kid) but Assault of the control room is still my second favourite

[@m0urn1ng5tar5]

Haha the pinpoint accurate Scorpion turret crack made me laugh

[@CaradhrasAiguo49]

9:33 LOL at the major Elite back-flipping twice and to end up jumping off the bridge into the chasm!

[@BenPlaysGames]

He was terrified of my mad skills throwing the two grenades just moments earlier haha.

[@spacecraftcarrier4135]

Strongly disagree with you on certain points: #1 - The indoors were not repetitive. They vary a little by little by enemies, and Halo: CE's combat mechanics plus Covenant A.I. really made the firefights fun. If the indoors environment in this mission were "boring" like you said, I wondered how you managed to enjoy Firefight & Multiplayer, where you played the same group of Firefight maps over again and again. And same thing for the core Multiplayer maps (without considering Forge). #2 - The outdoor Scorpion section should be cut down a little? Whaout? I never heard anyone saying that they detest blasting even more Covenant with the tank lol. #3 - This mission being long in general, is actually what makes AotCR (Along with Two Betrayals) one of my top levels in Halo. It really makes you feel that you have to be a supersoldier and maw down a fuck ton of Covenant, while at the same time, the length gives you the scale that this area of Halo IS MASSIVE, and not just because of its outdoor sections. #4 - I am kind of sick of hearing people complaining about later Halo missions being repetitive, or "Bungie ran out of time" like you say. Has it occurred to you that revisiting those levels for Two Betrayals, Keyes & The Maw, were also part of environmental storytelling? Because when you as the player revisit those levels and witness the Flood in those levels, you get a sense of the scale at which the Flood is fucking things up on the Halo ring. Imagine an entirely new environment where you witness fighting the Flood; you won't ever feel that sense of atmosphere of the Flood fucking up the entire Halo ring. Why? Because you never encountered that environment in the first place, and you had no reference to compare to on what it was like before the Flood broke out. Whereas with Two Betrayals & Keyes, because you traveled those environments earlier in the game, you had a point of reference of how their environments should be. And now you get to witness how the Flood is transforming the overall environment after they broke out. And for The Maw, you got to witness how badly beaten up The Pillar of Autumn became after it crash-landed on Halo, and you're also now witnessing the Flood infections on-board. That was what made Halo: CE's overall story truly unique. Revisiting those areas that are now changed, allowed you as the player, to experience a story where you witness how a plot twist truly changed the story. It's the same thing if you compare a person you never met before where you heard he/she "has changed", but you don't know how. Whereas if you knew a person before and met him/her later in life, you get to witness yourself on how he/she has truly changed. The latter of which is the kind of witnessing you get when you revisit those last 3 missions in Halo: CE.

[@BenPlaysGames]

I can definitely see where you're coming from but, for me, the pacing of the mission is really off. There needed to be a better mix of indoor and outdoor areas rather than large chunks of both in one go - it would have really helped minimise the feeling of it dragging on too long. As I say in the video, I actually really like the mission, but I can't help but feel like it could have done with an editor, as it loses some of the 'narrow to open' design that Bungie usually executes on so brilliantly. With regards to the latter stages of the game being repetitive on purpose, to a certain degree I do agree with you as I always think horror media, or similar, is at its best when it spend an appropriate amount of time getting you comfortable with the normal before transitioning to the abnormal for maximum impact. However, good intent doesn't necessarily make for an entertaining videogame and Halo: Combat Evolved really suffers from a feeling of repetition due to introducing an enemy which is less nuanced than The Covenant on top of forcing the player to revisit past areas. In my view, while there's plenty of moments in the second half that are enjoyable, it can't hold a candle to its first, which is one of the best first halves in any videogame full stop.

[@physical_insanity]

I think it's better that Cortana doesn't give the player all that much information at the end of the mission. Keeping details light and making her seem panicked puts a sense of urgency on you and effectively makes you want to see what she was so worried about with your own eyes, and by making it so urgent it divorces you from her and forces you to go it alone for once. I get why there's a desire for more in the scene, but at the same time, that's the point. I remember playing the scene for the first time and being confused but feeling excited to find out what's going to happen next, because knowing Bungie it was obviously going to be a banger. Whether it was what I expected is a different story, but I still remember wondering what was coming next.

[@BenPlaysGames]

You're definitely correct mate. I just always find it hilarious that she couldn't have at least said: "Chief my dude, make sure you watch out for the all-consuming space zombies too."

[@edux54]

great video as always. loving the in depth reviews. just add that this is my favorite level in the game but you still have my thumb up

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers dude, appreciate you checking my videos out!

[@SniperKing029]

Personal favorite of mine! Great memories of Sniping in the snow. Unstoppable force tearing through the covenant defenses leaving a wake of destruction behind. What a masterpiece

[@Wasted117.]

as a wise hokiebird once said, if you enjoy the gameplay, long missions are epic.

[@SuprousOxide]

The worst part is later having to retread the whole thing in reverse, with the addition of the flood

[@strambo4386]

As a kid this was my favourite mission felt so big and epic especially when you come across the marines getting shelled by the wraith

[@justasplanned8023]

The combination of complete carnage and eerie moments of inactivity in Two Betrayals makes for the superior level

[@vinniemumma7508]

You can take that banshee to one of the triangular pillars above the control room, where it will play the Siege of Madrigal track. Quite a beautiful moment.

[@guglielmogiambelli9794]

Assault on the Control Room for me is really a great level. I have played it so many times in Halo CE since the Original Xbox. I agree with you with all the ups and downs of the level. It is great because in this level you feel a huge scale of the combat; you go through the canyons and you see the ongoing battles between Marines and Covies; just like the level Halo but with more focus on the size of the war that is going on. As you mentioned it, the environment storytelling is great and i love it; in Halo infinite they have done an amazing job about that but I'll tell you more in the dedicated videos you have made about infinite. The options you have in AotCR are so many: using only Warthog, Scorpion, every vehicle, by foot, etc... One of my favorite aspect is the presence of stealth sections ( i love them in Halo ): on the bridges and circular rooms. Every time I play the level I try to kill every enemy in those sections without alerting the others and that is very rewarding and satisfy. You are right about the repetitions of bridges and circular rooms but i think Bungie succeeded to vary the enemies types and positions so you can face those section without being annoyed so much. The last canyon is a masterpiece of level design. The fact you can steal the Banshee without the game telling you is brilliant. You really feel that you are fighting a battle in a sandbox and you can enjoy it with a lot of tools and options. Some fun facts: - In one of the latest circular rooms ( last canyon, after the rock bridge ) the music "A walk in the Woods" starts playing. Marty O'Donnell stated that the music was chosen in contrast with the classic halo firefight ongoing, slaughtering enemies with an AR. At that point of the level, you have already faced so many identical rooms and so many enemies that win the combat in that section is easy, just like "A Walk in the Woods". - During the level you fight along the Marines of team Zulu. You leave them at the base of the structure with the twin bridges and enter a circular room. In that circular room, during Two Betrayals, you can find only human infected flood. That's because they are the Team Zulu you have left before. So sad. It is one of the moment you realize Halo CE is cruel ( another pros for me and a point in common with Robocop movie ); despite you efforts, Marines die and you can do nothing about it. - in an early version of the game this level was named Fortress World. About that, I strongly recommend the video about the Beta version of Halo CE. P.S. Siege of Madrigal Easter Egg: Magnificent.

[@jackmb9760]

Been watching your videos a ton lately, one of my favorite Halo channels on KZbin. I love your videos I can tell you spend a lot of time and put a lot of work into them. Hope your channel blows up, keep up the good work man! Also, not sure if you’ve done a video like this yet but I would love to see a tier list video ranking all the missions throughout all the Halo games and what you think about all of them!

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks so much jack, feedback like this always means a lot mate as, as you say, these videos take hours and hours to make during my evenings/weekends. Will definitely do a ranking video for every mission in the game in the future, as it's something I've had in mind for a while. What I want to do first is get one done for each game to help me organise my thoughts, as otherwise I'll get myself in a muddle trying to do it!

[@jackmb9760]

@@BenPlaysGames totally makes sense I would get lost trying to do all of them at the same time too it’s a ton of missions to keep track of haha😂 looking forward to it and the rest of the content you put out!

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@jackmb9760 Cheers jack, plenty more in the pipeline!

[@oddball9266]

I loved it! Honestly I agree as well, the whole repetition makes me want to jump off one of the bridges but the open sections make me want to keep going. Great video, Ben, keep up the good work!

[@matthewwhite3967]

This is the first level I played through with a buddy of mine way back when the game first came out. So it always stands out to me more than most missions. I think the size and scope were impressive to me back then as I hadn't played a shooter with as many options as this one. However, as much as I do have fond memories of this mission, it is quite a slog. I remember Legendary runs taking hours to complete, and honestly I feel the banshee skip on the bridge is a must. They really should have cut some of those bridge/circular room sections because in hindsight they aren't only repetitive, but they just make the latter half of the mission a chore.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Similar story with me Matthew, I played through the game for the first time at a friend's house and it was The Silent Cartographer and Assault on the Control Room particularly that made me really sit up and pay attention. Rest of the game leading up to those two missions is, of course, excellent, but I owned a PlayStation 2 at the time and there was nothing on that which came close to matching the scale of those two missions, especially with two people playing/in vehicles at the same time etc. Was absolutely jaw dropping.

[@adamcrockford483]

Love the deep dives Ben, great as always! My favourite part was definitely watching you throw more grenades at yourself than the covenant. 😂👍

[@BenPlaysGames]

Cheers Adam! I actually have an excuse for this too - I changed the controls on MCC to match Infinite to standardise everything, but now get muddled up when I play the older games and hit throw grenade thinking it’s reload 🙈

[@gurufungoo9313]

There certainly as not been a mission like this in any other halo game. Love this mission. Remember being young and getting lost many times on this particular mission.

[@lucass-posting]

Great vid! Although for me personally I don't mind the repetitive level design due to how tight and refined the core gameplay is.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Appreciate that Lucas! And yeh, the core gameplay is still some of the best in the series for me. Later games may add more complexity, but I always find there to be something comforting about Combat Evolved's relative simplicity.

[@lebendigesgespenst7669]

Yeah I agree I have very mixed feelings whenever this levels boots up Edit: I also always try to do the banshee skip because I refuse to do any more indoor sections by that point

[@BenPlaysGames]

What, you mean you don't want to go through more of the same circular rooms?! 😉

[@lebendigesgespenst7669]

Always happy to see this on my feed

[@BenPlaysGames]

Happy to have you here too mate!

[@lysanderxx1664]

This is, by far, my favorite stage in CE. I played this stage daily for weeks back in the day, occasionally combined with Assault on Control Room. I drew a map of the stage with all pickups, too!

[@HipiO7]

The only right way of getting off that bridge with the banshee is either getting the banshee or jumping onto the spine of the Control Room structure and then sliding down. Those last two rooms to get to the surface might as well not exist

[@TimsGamesDoneHard]

We can only guess what occurred during the Halo CE crunch period, but I can imagine that if the devs did feel that Assault on the Control Room was too long, they were out of time to redesign the map to make it shorter. Cutting things can be just as much work as adding things. That being said, it's still a great level. The last long indoor section doesn't bring it down for me too much. Also I think I've always grabbed the banshee and flew to the end. If I was too slow, I'd load a checkpoint

[@BenPlaysGames]

That's a fair point, I'd imagine it's really tricky to cut something down once it's already been mapped out. In the fantasy land which exists only in my head, there wouldn't even necessarily need to be any cuts, just a better mix of the indoor and outdoor sections, so you're not doing one or the other for too long, to help pace things a bit better.

[@JackJonValois]

I had so many weird dreams in my childhood flying the pelican on this mission, probably the motivation for me building my first PC out of old mac parts at 7 years old and learning to use the gorilla editor.

[@uriahl2331]

Oh my God… I didn’t realize you were supposed to cross the bridge and go back into the installation if you miss the banshee.. I just jumped onto the big metal ridge running down the length of the control room as used that to finish the mission. I didn’t even know those extra rooms existed!!

[@Trentonious]

My favorite part about this mission is managing to get a ghost into the interior sections. makes them way more interesting after going through a dozen of the same rooms.

[@dalekbumps]

I'm in two minds about this mission because on the one hand using the same cut-and-paste grey hallways and rooms to make not one, but two levels in a 10-level game is probably one of the laziest things Bungie ever did, and yet at the same time they created one of the most liminal, nostalgic areas in the entire Halo series. Granted, this is primarily due to the incredible sound design and music, which are two of Halo: Combat Evolved's greatest strengths. Tracks like the Lost Muse and Perchance to Dream immediately take me back to those hallways, and the eerie howling and grating of distant winds and unknowable machines create a really immersive atmosphere. You really feel like you're exploring the honeycombed inner workings of an ancient fortress world.

[@intuitionedits2.032]

"I don't understan-" I love how she interrupts him mid-sentence

[@BenPlaysGames]

No time to waste with space zombies on the loose!

[@Cheerybelle]

As soon as I got into a parked Ghost on this level for the first time, it was love at first pew-pew nyoooom, and I tried to bring it as far as possible. I managed to fit it through circular rooms and increasingly tight corridors that looked impossible but were barely an inconvenience, but I had to let it go because the upward lift was so fast, the Ghost consistently clipped through the floor of it. I mean, Ghosts are decently quick, can strafe, and have infinite ammo; they're perfect. ...Also, I totally blanked on there being a Scorpion tank in the level... and the campaign... and the game. Also also, I skipped the last chunk of the level by jumping off of the natural bridge onto a piece of jutting architecture and skipped the entire fight up to the control room. I'm assuming there was a trigger in the "intended" path to get enemies to spawn on the tiered structure outside of the control room, but I got in there before the Covenant could fortify the exterior and get into position. Haha, rip bozos; ur too slow; gottem. But yeah, I didn't mind the repetition in this level too much, but I think it is the first time in the campaign that I really stopped and said "Man, Bungie really must've been lacking in time/ideas with all of these copy-pasted areas." Very, um, "economical" with their level-geometry-design efforts.

[@Sup3rNo7a]

I love Control Room's tank section as much as the next guy, but that thing's turret is anything but "pinpoint accurate". lol

[@sgtsnokeem1139]

My favourite mission in Halo CE. IF they do this for the show in Season 2 I'd dedicate an entire episode to it. I'd include a one take scene where the chief exits that door into the outside facing the snow, takes out that turret to the left, snipes the turret to the right in the distance, then sprints to the ghosts. Love that mission.

[@WhatAreColors]

10:16 you can pick up active camo in the last long hallway before this. It lasts just long enough to bypass every enemy and get the banshee.

[@Luke_H98]

Another great video Ben! I always go into this level Gung Ho that I'll enjoy it, only to find myself feeling that it's dragging on too long. Still not my least favorite and is part of the great 1st half, but I always feel the excitement wind down in this one.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Nice one Luke! And agree entirely, mission’s got plenty of good parts but could have really done with an editor.

[@TheGrizzledAncient]

This is my favorite mission in Combat Evolved. I love the that you start off by going underground through a giant hole in the middle of a tropical island, play through this huge underground Forerunner structure and then come out into this huge snow covered forest area. So much diversity in this mission. Also a cool little secret is that where you are in the mission at the 5:36 mark it’s possible to get a Banshee from one of the high up ledges and use it to fly over most of the level past that point.

[@CocuyOfPenca]

After 20 years of playing halo. First time ever I see what happens if you don't use the banshee at the end. Always asume there was a way to continue without it but never bother to know. I just reset to last checkpoint if I miss the Banshee

[@TheJamie229]

Same, first played the level at a friend’s house and he grabbed the Banshee, flew over to the ziggurat and then teleported me over there. When I then played through I always made sure to then get the Banshee and fly myself over.

[@BenPlaysGames]

You didn't miss much honestly Agustin, it's the same rooms you've seen about 20 times by that point 😂

[@TruePacifist201]

@@BenPlaysGames But you do miss out on hearing one of the most iconic pieces of music in the entire franchise: A Walk in the Woods. One thing I think everyone can agree on regarding the Halo original trilogy is that the music is some of the best in the history of video games.

[@gabethebabe3337]

I was confused when I found out people didn’t like this mission because of how long it was. I get that it’s repetitive, but as a kid it was my favorite because it had snow, a tank, and I loved the combat so much that I enjoyed playing it. Also there are some nice easy skips like the glass on the two bridges or the camo that allows you to steal the banshee. This level just has a lot of neat stuff and rewards you for exploring and experimenting.

[@Headless_Bill]

6:50 - ah the eternal frustration of never being able to shoot down a Spirit dropship.dropping. Edit: 7:41 - 30 to 45 minutes? My brother this is easily a 1 to 2 hour adventure minimum, especially on higher difficulties. Super Edit: 9:35 (Elite in the background) - "My planet needs me! I must go!"

[@BenPlaysGames]

The Poochie reference is on point 😂

[@justinnyugen7015]

Personally, while I find the vanilla version repetitive, it's still fun to revisit for nostalgia purposes around the holidays. In SPV3 though, AotC and Two Betrayals are probably my least favorite levels due to how much more they're expanded, making the initial slog even more painful to push through.

[@PrinceMuma]

if SPV3 AotCR didn't have the dual bridges section and switched up some of the indoor rooms, it would be my favorite mission in the game. It doesn't sit at my least favorite mission as is though. I saved that spot for Library. It hasn't been changed in a map aspect to work better and the flood just feel weirder to fight.

[@BenPlaysGames]

I still need to give SPV3 a try, been meaning to for ages - would you say it's worth it?

[@PrinceMuma]

@@BenPlaysGames completely. It feels a little funky in most aspects and is completely non-canon, but the guns, enemies, level design, and gameplay feel like a whole different game. Not many people make good reviews (quality-wise), and it would be cool if you did what you do with the official titles here to those games as well. Just a suggestion tho.

[@kennethherrick4760]

🎉

[@BenPlaysGames]

@@PrinceMuma Okay cool, will try and get it working soon and give it a go.

[@Nethseaar]

It'd be nifty if someone made a modded version of the level that cuts down on the repetitive indoor segments. I have no concept of how difficult that'd be to do, but it'd be nifty.

[@professorrubickmagusgrandi7909]

I just finished my first full Playthrough of Combat Evolved. I've played all the missions before, but not in order like this. What i noticed is that symmetry in missions. You start of in the Pillar of Autumn, where you escape and have to go rescue Captain Keyes from a covenant ship. Then you go and Assault the Control room, then the flood happens. After that, you work backwards through the Assault on the Control room, then have to rescue Captain Keyes from a ship, and then go back to where it all started, The Pillar of Autumn. It could be either symbolic of the "ring". The story literally comes full circle. Or it's as you said, Bungie ran out of time in the last few missions and just reused a lot of assets and mission design.

[@captainmarvelwilson508]

I still love this mission. It might not be as good as Halo, The Silent Cartographer or 343 Guilty Spark in my opinion, but there is enough variety of encounters and great outdoor settings to keep it going, even with those circular rooms being reused a lot. Also, I absolutely agree with you on the Anniversary edition, where so many of the rooms are so over designed and ugly to look at. I am glad I am not the only one who thought that.

[@BenPlaysGames]

A lot of the outdoor stuff goes pretty hard - that first section after you take the lift down through to heading back inside after taking down the hunter with the Scorpion is one of my favourites in the entire series. The indoor stuff I'm iffy on honestly but it's still an entertaining time, especially coop.

[@Apfelseft]

Love your videos, especially because CE is my fav game

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thanks Apfelsaft! It's my favourite too, absolutely love it to death.

[@emperorconstantinexipalaio4121]

9:35: That elite made quite the sprawl to escape that plasma grenade… Didn’t seem to pay off much in the end.

[@Hyper_Drud]

You know one detail that always bugged me is why is there a turret and barriers at the beginning of the level? At the end of the previous level Cortana says the thing the Covenant expects is an aerial insertion from underground, but the presence of the turret and barriers leads me to believe otherwise.

[@Heliossoileh]

I’ve always thought the loading screen summary of this mission is strange. It’s something like ‘defend the control room from wave after wave of Covenant forces’. But you never do this, or anything like it.

[@Temmie321]

Your videos are awesome! I think I pretty much agree with the video, but wouldn’t want the level shorter, that has mean less Halo lol. If you are looking to do an examination of another have, I would love your take on Perfect Dark (N64/XBLA);-) in many ways its one of the best FPS’ released today!

[@dingobell7290]

I remember completely ignoring the scorpion in this level 😅

[@BenPlaysGames]

Tell me you used another vehicle at least? Running through the larger areas would take forever!

[@dingobell7290]

nope just run and gun tactics 😉

[@salmanmahyuddin8384]

This is the only mission with a Scorpion? I can't remember vividly but I thought Two Betrayals had Scorpions too. These tanks really are a treat to drive around and blast enemies with.

[@salmanmahyuddin8384]

lmao no

[@Wesley_H]

9:25 “That. Was the worst throw. Ever. Of all time.” “Not my fault. Someone put a wall in my way.” 10:25 How in the hell did you manage to get the Banshee with that many covenant left alive without being immediately sticky bombed out of the sky? I have tried literally hundreds of times, and every damn time, it’s like my button press to enter the vehicle is the trigger for somebody to throw their grenade.

[@BenPlaysGames]

The ridiculous followed by the sublime haha. The first is a lack of talent and the second is an abundance of luck! Can actually nail the banshee trick pretty consistently using the approach in the video, I'd say 2/3 times.

[@ABoxIsMyHome]

Sooo good low key only reason I subbed is for this halo content 😄

[@BenPlaysGames]

Ha there’s gonna be a few Resident Evil videos coming up, but will always come back to Halo. Gotta give the people what they want!

[@ABoxIsMyHome]

@@BenPlaysGames I’ll still watch for support :)

[@jarlwhiterun7478]

The Silent But Deadly Fartographer

[@marsalesp2107]

The only mission I run back to is the library idky something about that mission I like more then the other's.

[@BenPlaysGames]

Oof maybe don’t watch my video on it then 😂

[@bobbyleslie3547]

9:26 *caboose moment*

[@BenPlaysGames]

Great reference! Man, I've not watched Red Vs Blue in years, used to be hooked on it back in the day.

[@e1ectricfee1]

Assault of the control room is one best missions in Halo. Honestly all the missions in CE are amazing. I don’t get the hate of all missions in reverse…. ( two betrayals) CE is a perfect game. It was 2001….what console game at that time was as good as Halo? This game is a 10/10.

[@yapflipthegrunt4687]

Mans paralyzed and dumbstruck rn Game's a 9.5/10 due to the Library and two betrayals.

[@yapflipthegrunt4687]

But yeah, still a masterpiece and way better than 2.

[@transitclubomg]

anyone else see the elite do a summersault and then go flying at 9:34 ? 😂

[@JuiceboxCE]

9:25 "That was the worst throw ever. Of all time." "Not my fault. Someone put a wall in my way." Also fun fact, 10:56 this is the only time in the franchise you are able to find sleeping hunters, and they only spawn in after taking the lift down, not performing the banshee skip

[@BenPlaysGames]

Thought about not including that clip but figured people have seen enough of my videos that they're probably expecting some low quality gameplay every now and then! Did not realise about the hunters either, that's pretty cool...

[@THEINTERNETANOMALY]

What you've never used the scorpion to take them out on the other side? I've been doing that since I was 7

[@HYDRAdude]

I absolutely love this level, and it's my most replayed level. I can't understand the complaints about it at all, it just sounds like impotent whining to me, sorry.

[@amateurtouring]

This has always been the level that defines Halo for me.

[@jgarb1]

Everybody talks about AOTCR, but no one ever talks about Two Betrayals….

[@BenPlaysGames]

I will be talking about it soon 😉

[@straightfax_]

As someone who has beaten the whole campaign on legendary I agree with you this level can be a massive slog with the indoor sections

[@BenPlaysGames]

I actually did it on legendary on stream a few weeks back, and yeh, it's pretty brutal. It's already way too long without the added difficulty too.

[@wildtom]

Useing the banchie (i think that's how it's spelled) you can kill the cutseen chief and see a dead chief teleporting forward; it is hilarious.

[@BenPlaysGames]

@text me on telegram@BenPlaysGames I see you.

[@michielwerring5846]

This level broke on my Xbox and those of my friends. It would load, the light moving across the screen, then backtrack, try to read that same portion again, then fail completely. It means that the few times I got to play this mission were awesome, and I didn't get tired of the repetition back then. If anything, we wanted more of it and could rarely get it. With the MCC... Yeah, it's not my favourite by a long shot. Still trying to figure out how to get the banshee so I can skip most of it.

[@Ramona_93]

I'd be interested to see what your take is on the levels the library and cortana, popularly considered the weakest levels on the seris

[@samtheweebo]

I think the mission's long and repetitive nature was made to make it feel like quite a grind to go through. It's an assault. There's a lot of ground to cover, and in a way during a first play through it really feels like a final level. This is it, you are going to the control room to take control of the ring that the aliens want. It's the end. But surprise it's not.

[@tacticalginger9623]

"Pinpoint accurate turret" Wait. The Scorpion? Are you sure?