During the next 10 days, IGN will walk through the of maps shipping with Halo 4 this November. Multiplayer map lead designer Kyan Pearson sat down with IGN to walk through the maps, beginning in alphabetical order with "Abandon."

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Abandon is an asymmetrical map, designed for modes including Team Slayer and Regicide, the new free-for-all mode in Halo 4. In the center is a central structure with multiple open ledges, a gravity lift in the middle, and a pathway leading to a base, with a gap between the center platform and said base.

Abandon is a science facility, now deserted, due to "unfortunate" circumstances, according to Pearson in the video (below). A quick flyby of incubated creatures reveals the abandoned research of scientists who may or may not be human, though the creatures' identities were not confirmed.

Teams will have slight advantages, but Abandon is tuned to work with Capture the Flag. The policy applies to all of Halo 4's map roster; developers 343 Industries said that it is building maps for specific gamemodes, though the developer seems to want to allow core gamemodes like Capture the Flag to work on all maps.

Much of the map flows into the center, with the tight pathways flowing through Abandon. Long lines of sight do feature but are confined and seem to force players to run forward. Routes on the outer edges provide cover from the sides while providing long sights for shooting enemies. While long-range paths are "controlled," higher ground provides opportunities to shoot from afar.

"Each of our maps allows our armor abilities to function in their own unique ways, and there are areas to support those. Something like this [Abandon] was always meant to be a small scale map to fit in with some of the other environments we have," Pearson added. Pearson perhaps referred to bigger maps like Longbow.

As IGN referenced, Abandon resembles Backwash from Halo 2. Backwash had a similar swamp-forest aesthetic, though was smaller.

Adrift seems to be the next map IGN will walk through, assuming the maps are covered in alphabetical order.

Halo 4 launches on Nov. 6 on Xbox 360.

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