u/IMPERATOR_63

I've been re-playing through Campaign Evolved the last couple of days, I have to admit that The Library is just hands down superior to the original and that's coming from someone who doesn't think the original Library is a bad level like most say. In fact, I don't think there's a single bad level in the entirety of the og CE. I even appreciate how they handled the backtracking.

What the Remake of The Library Does Better:

1. Seems simple, but the fact that you go down into the Library rather than up adds a sense of foreboding fear and tension. And the attention to detail, at the beginning of the level, if you look down into the abyss, you can see how each level downward gets more and more infected. On the bottom most level, it's completely full of haze and fog from the infection.
2. The infection form (popcorn flood) are a legit threat now. Try to avoid them and not shoot them, and you'll straight up die.
3. Infection form reanimating the dead flood keeps you on your feet.
4. The Flood brute forms are terrifying.
5. The level design is less monotonous. Again, like I said, I love the original Library, and I love the aesthetic and horror vibe of the endlessly identical library walls. But I can't deny the breaking up of the look of the levels with each floor you descend is a welcome touch for the better.
6. Lastly, the visuals are just insane on this mission. Mostly everyone can admit this is a damn beautiful game to look at. But this level, despite how "ugly" the infection is, is maybe the most beautiful level of the game. The juxtaposition of the perfectly harmonious Forerunner architecture with the hideous organic flood biomass. The lighting just brings it to a new level. I've always been an "aesthetics/artistic intent over graphics" guy, but this level gets the aesthetic, artistic intent of the library and nails both, while having insane graphics, as well.

While I'm here, I know a lot of people say 343 Guilty Spark is also superior in the remake, and I would agree if it weren't for the music. The music in the remake just doesn't hit at the right times nor is it loud enough. It was enough to still have the original as superior.

I'll start. I was in the 8th grade in 2001 (yeah I'm old), I went over to my best friend's house. He had an Xbox and I had a PS2. He had Halo. I played it for the first time and my young mind was blown, it was the best thing I had ever played. It became my all time favorite game and it still is.

As luck would have it, my friend wanted a game that was PS2 exclusive and I was fiending to own Halo as my own. We both asked our moms if we could do a console swap, they both said yes, and the rest is history!

Pictured are the original discs from back in the day. The Halo 2 was from the GameStop midnight release in 2004, what a time to be alive.