Halo 2 Cut Level - Alpha Moon

[@charmanderichooseyou2726]

halo 2 dlc 20 yrs later

[@lukezeiolf6977]

shoulda been on your 2024 bingo card

[@ray.u6404]

No console dlc though

[@spartanjohn149]

@@ray.u6404’cause it’s a no canon DLC, but still good to play

[@coolcamcraft]

It must have been called "alpha moon" as an unofficial name because it is the closest moon to the Alpha Halo ring, most likely orbiting the gas giant that began to suck in broken pieces of Alpha Halo. It's interesting to find out that this was originally meant for the campaign, because there is a Halo 2 multiplayer map called "Burial Mounds" which takes place on the same moon (officially named "Basis") and was used as a heretic base. It also has exactly the same visuals. We had a piece of a Halo 2 cut campaign level this whole time and never knew. Makes you wonder if this applies to every Halo 2 multiplayer map, because some of them take place in areas or types of locations we don't see in the campaign.

[@RANDOMPEPSIBOTTLES]

Dang 😮

[@sslingo]

Considering how tight of a schedule they had to develop the game, there is a pretty decent chance this isn't the only one

[@RedthegamingZoroark]

Actually cool I kinda have to burst your bubble but that was pretty well known in the Halo 2 modding community for literally like forever at this point 😂😂 Also Burials Mounds was never originally apart of what was once Alpha Moon, Burial Mounds was just made after the original Alpha Moon level was scrapped and so Bungie created the Multiplayer map based on it in the final version :v

[@lordmartinofleithandcuddy6541]

People didn’t know this? I have long understood that Burial Mounds was the leftover of a cut mission aesthetic.

[@ChouRaiyuki]

The presence of a CE Shade and Spirit is the coolest thing to me. I remember being bummed that those were gone in H2 initially and then kinda got used to it but seeing them actually in use here is awesome.

[@RedthegamingZoroark]

Actually fun fact the CE shade turret, Spirit, and also the Fuel Rod from CE too was actually a old idea Bungie had for the level cause the Heretic faction is basically what remained of the Covenant forces after CE so it would make since for them to still have it

[@jesusswagi5960]

It's easy to see how similar the scale is to CE before they ran into performance and time issues to design the levels/encounters. By the way, the level is incredible. The introduction of the heretics, landing pods, destructible environment and their inclusion in the gameplay as protection for enemies and yourself, the anti-aircraft cannons and their use against you, especially in the last part where you have to surround them or you're practically dead.

[@KOSMOS1701A]

i loved that the "final battle" took place in the remains of 04's control room.

[@shatterpoint23]

really ?

[@KOSMOS1701A]

@@shatterpoint23 yeah the lack of fine detail was a bit "eh" but if you look around you can tell.

[@protocetid]

What’s silly is that this was partly cut because the environments were deemed repetitive, as if a bunch of corridors in a cramped gas mine would have greater variety. Alpha Moon had greater potential, parts of the final’s The Arbiter could’ve fit in here as a random Forerunner facility. There could’ve been more eye catching wreckage on the surface, what if you stumbled upon a famous H1 beacon upside down? Or even a segment of the ring, containing one of its Earth like environments sitting randomly on a moon. Imagine looking up and seeing the ring you destroyed in the prequel, and additional rubble raining down in the sky creating a meteor shower of sorts. Lots of opportunities for spectacle and fun level design.

[@KOSMOS1701A]

@@protocetid i think the map so being as large as it was also played a part in it getting cut, not sure if they put waypoints on the guns or not either so i bet more than 1 playtester got lost.

[@Telic]

so cool that we finally get to see these

[@brenton-_-9588]

Nice dude I love these cut levels.

[@Hankjwimbleton20]

The part around 2:12 reminded me a ton to The Package mission in Reach were you destroy the anti air turrets too (can't remember the proper name), I like that they managed to fit old ideas in Reach at least, really neat.

[@Comando52Colton]

you are right. it is on the mission the package. you also do it on tip of the spear.

[@--mr4yo]

They did it in Halo 3 first

[@Loch_Ness_Lachster]

So it’s basically Burial Mounds but BIGGER.

[@tuhin94]

Man, it would be incredible to see a non-canon full version of Halo 2, with all the content Bungie was forced to leave out of the final release.

[@conswan57]

If halo ever does get remade which I hope it doesn’t, I’d be cool with them using all the cut contents, even the original campaigns to see what the full vision was gonna be

[@Stormbringer02]

@@conswan57if it got remade, it would be for a “modern audience”

[@blackdragonborn6902]

Yeah, we wish Halo Mod will be in xbox.

[@lordscorpuis246]

Me too 😢

[@rm25088]

yeah. sucks. They could just take them and set them up like the campaign. A list of different mods to play.

[@spideyseth]

Halo MCC doesn't require that good of a system to run my advice would be to just buy a cheap rig and mod the game. Don't hope for something that could easily not happen.

[@tobbeborislyba]

​@@spideyseth yeah.. But there's still many on series x or series S.. They/we deserve a chance on trying mods as well..

[@shinichi6235]

No

[@shatterpoint23]

I have read the steam workshop description for Alpha Moon. I know that they encountered lighting and map issues of the mission and difficulty getting the boss room to work right, but still this mission should have been in the game, would have blown everyone's pants off. Crazy that we got Halo 2 DLC after 2 decades. Feeling sorry that the original platform of HALO can't experience it due to no mod support.

[@Bountyhunter108]

No way that mission would have ran on the original xbox

[@koto7551]

The storyboard ending is crazy. very rare

[@potatokilr7789]

Spirit dropship makes an appearance in Halo 2? Interesting

[@ChadCawleyYT]

Now it makes me think why Bungie made Burial mounds map 👀 its inspired by this level! 👀

[@conswan57]

One of the coolest maps also imo, the vibe is so eerie and liminal

[@Propane_Acccessories]

One of the greatest asymmetrical maps ever.

[@alaskamark4562]

Thanks for the update, Generalkidd. Your detractors won't be able to whine that this is "nOt Ackchyually A cUt lEveL" with this one.

[@Tuxedo512]

FORERUNNER TANK

[@averymccuaig8984]

The mission looks like the landscape of the infamous “halo 4 leak”

[@selzzaW]

This was very interesting to play through. The mission design was overall closer to CE, but with a lot of stealth elements that were initially planned for 2. I also felt like the wraith is not nearly as good for this type of mission as the scorpion is, as in a power trip vehicle mission. I played it on normal and was frequently overwhelmed with how many enemy vehicles there were. The art was excellent though, especially the Spirit and Shade. Overall very cool, but I wished they would have called the Arbiter Dervish.

[@rm25088]

I hate skipping fights. 100% the game every single time.

[@VaeVictis7]

This looks like those Sandy multi-player levels from Halo 3 and that one Halo 2 Multiplayer map combined.

[@ethantejedor2241]

this dude is casually in the credits

[@Hell_0115]

I hope Halo studios brings more of these

[@SoldierGryphon]

Come on 343/HS, bring this to Xbox!

[@Testify087]

Cant wait to play it!

[@georgescdoodle]

"hey guys it's gernal HHHHHHHHid 'ere!"

[@Robitron2084]

Is that spirit model the original halo ce model or a unique one made for halo 2 that was never used

[@irpwellyn]

Oof imagine the pacing

[@ButteredToast81]

#bringhalomodstoxbox

[@Leftysrev3nge]

Presumably this may have been intended as a demo level before the game released?

[@GoBuckeyes216]

Damn maybe I missed it but are there no allies in this mission? The friendly elites in halo 2 were dope !!

[@tylerellis9097]

There are they just struggle to follow you

[@rustywilson7966]

There are supposed to be, but they're currently bugged and don't really work like they should

[@jngobngo]

Cut level 👀

[@SoliceX3]

Kinda sounds a little muffled bro

[@Brebrough-c]

Wish I could play on xbox

[@HenryMyth]

This level seems like it's nearly finished. Why did they cut it?

[@SoulbentAnime]

The digsite team did a lot of work to get it in this state so it wasn't nearly finished back then..

[@_MaZTeR_]

Performance issues, the og Xbox really struggled to run Halo 2 in its true vision. I crave for a Halo 2 some day with the content that was cut, as running the game is child's play these days.

[@CokSoku]

In all honestly, it looks like it would have been an extremely dull mission.

[@tylerellis9097]

Nah playing it I’d say it’s the best Vehicle segment in H2

[@CokSoku]

@tylerellis9097 it just seems so bland. Open, empty map with half assed enemy placement. It was clear they didn't know how to make it more engaging.

[@YukiARVR]

6 minutes ago is crazy

[@SoulbentAnime]

Why doesn't the digsite team just fix all of MCC?

[@spyfoxguy]

They are not being paid

[@SoulbentAnime]

@spyfoxguy so? They do digsite stuff for free too. Plenty of modders fix games for free that devs don't fix like most of the rockstar games on PC. At this point, MCC won't get fixed unless modders step in.

[@alaskamark4562]

@@SoulbentAnime I'd rather Digsite focus on the cut content than do "Halo Studios" work for them. MCC is a ultimately a collection of games that we can play elsewhere, stuff like this cut level are things we haven't gotten to see until now.

[@RedthegamingZoroark]

@@SoulbentAnimeDigsite is a preservation and content restoration group, they’re not a developer team for MCC

[@SoulbentAnime]

@@alaskamark4562 bad take. Sentiment like this is why MCC will never get finished. It's up to the fans to fix it now.

[@steventsicolas4950]

Didn’t switch to remastered graphics for even one time, rookie showcase video

[@Ghoulsocool]

Is this a bit?

[@slightlyamusedblackkidfrom9153]

Classic gfx > remastered gfx

[@RedthegamingZoroark]

Bruh Anniversary graphics don’t work with Halo 2 mods outside of a few unique ones 😂😂

[@horrorpleb249]

This is clearly rage bait.

[@FragileLense]

bring mods to console already smh

[@generalofg3377]

Just buy like a 300 dollar pc it can run this game fine