Halo 4 brings back a fan-favorite mode: Forge. This time around, the mode will feature three exclusive maps, each offering some much-need variety. Ravine is a lush green environment, similar in appearance to Halo 3's Valhalla. Erosion is a cavernous area located within a desert terrain, and Impact is set in an abandoned area in deep space filled with asteroids, craters, and UNSC facilities.

Dynamic lighting is a new addition to Forge that helps create a greater sense of immersion. Objects that are placed in outdoor areas will create realistic shadow effects. Shadows will appear in real-time through the map's natural light sources and also from the various artificial light pieces available.

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Halo 4's Forge mode is getting some serious upgrades. Community manager Jessica Shea has outlined some more of the features and improvements we can expect from this new version of the popular map editor.

For one thing, this Forge mode will actually let you chose from various environments based on the main game. "The difference is that we'll use more than one environment - an aesthetic - rather than a giant contiguous space like Forge World," Shea said.

Read more: Environmental objects and lighting options »