Thanks to the Halo series, Bungie has garnered a reputation as a developer that knows how to build stellar multiplayer maps. As a matter of fact, many Master Chief fans would argue that Blood Gulch, Boneyard, and Lockout are some of the best battle zones in the history of PvP combat. However, a lot of gamers would attest that Bungie is set to outdo themselves when it comes to the upcoming maps being added to their action-RPG expansion Destiny: The Taken King.

Recently, Bungie announced the inclusion of eight new Crucible maps in which would-be Guardians can soon duke it out amongst their friends. Not to mention, next month's DLC will have a couple of fresh multiplayer modes known as Rift and Mayhem. Now, thanks to the good folks working over at Game Informer, Bungie sent two of their developers – senior multiplayer designer Andrew Weldon and Crucible level artist Adam Williams – to the publication in order to explain the process behind the creation of Destiny's Mercury map, Vertigo.

Set high above the first rock from the sun, Vertigo is a floating Vex fortress with a bunch of Cabal architecture ham-fistedly fused to pieces of the primeval cyborg species' architecture. Basically, the map offers up three main sections for combat, all of which are connected by some dog-legged tunnels. While its design is uniform for the most part, the developers had some hurdles to overcome when putting the level together. Regarding the matter, Weldon explains:

“One of the big things that we realized in development was how the symmetrical layout of this map led players to having a more difficult time determining precisely which side of the map they were on . . . [what] helped us determine how to break the map apart into different areas [was] very heavy directional sunlight bathing one half of the map entirely . . . [with] the other side cast in shadow, lit with the artificial lighting of the Cabal.”

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Vertigo's aesthetics are quite lovely, as they are reminiscent of ancient Egyptian constructions tinged with futuristic technology like portals and laser beams. For a closer look, we've compiled a set of screenshots for perusal above. Additionally, the map ought to offer up some frenzied gunfights with its multiple zones to be covered. As for which mode the area would work best with, senior multiplayer designer Andrew Weldon says, “I would say that this map would definitely work best with Control.”

Should folks be into video game design, Destiny's in-depth mythology, or if they're simply trying to get a jump on planning their gameplay strategy before The Taken King is released, Game Informer's video run-down of Vertigo is certainly worth a watch. Fans of the sci-fi MMO should also keep their ears open and their eyes peeled, as Bungie ought to reveal some more surprises with a couple more Year 2 streams scheduled for the weeks ahead.

Destiny: The Taken King is set to release on September 15, 2015, for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

Source: Game Informer