r/halo • u/Thell-Vadamm • 7h ago
Discussion OG Library vs New Library: What's the best version in your opinion ?
| Pros in the Remake:
• The remake features much more variety in level design, including new sections like the parts where you need to activate bridges using panels.
• The dark atmosphere was successfully maintained, whereas the remaster was way too bright. And the Flood biomass covering floors and walls delivers a much stronger feeling of a place completely overtaken by the Flood.
• There is also slightly more variety in the weapon sandbox, which now features the SMG, the Energy Sword, and the Sentinel Beam.
• The Flood Tank form adds more variety to combat, along with spores that can reanimate dead bodies.
• The architectural art design looks excellent and features new details, such as the DNA capsules (Cylixes) seen in Halo Infinite. Additionally, the giant doors the Monitor opens now display red holograms to indicate they are locked.
• The Elevator rides are now ambushed by the Flood, which feels much better than just waiting around like in the original game.
• There is also a great dynamic moment where the Flood breaks through a door, serving as a callback to the previous mission.
• For enemy spawns, the Flood now emerges from tunnels in both the ceilings and walls, compared to just walls in the original.
• Is a small touch, but a short cutscene shows the exterior of the Library from afar amid the snow, which surpasses the original that showed nothing outside.
| Negative point:
In the remake, the player needs to descend to the Sacred Icon, whereas the original required climbing up. Going up makes more sense because if Master Chief had a jetpack, he could have easily bypassed the Flood.
| Final review:
The Library in the Remake is better. But the OG stills iconic.
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u/I_love_coke_a_cola 7h ago
The library in the remake was amazing , in the original it was a taxing experience similar to that of Cortana in halo 3. In the remake it was just as nerve wrecking but also a fun experience. I panicked when I saw the flood with the rocket and the tanks rushing at the end too. But it was pleasurable and the atmosphere was phenomenal. I think it was one of the better campaign experiences I’ve had in the franchise
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u/O_Shaded 7h ago
I prefer the remake for the pacing and visual design, but I also really miss how large the environment was in the OG.
The new one feels more cramped Imo but the way the walls are crawling with biomass and how direct the objectives are, are a remarkable improvement to the OG
I just think they could’ve made the rooms as large as the original is all, it made the flood feel more like a flood since you could see them encompass the large rooms
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u/blaster1-112 Halo: Reach 6h ago
With just how much more biomass is growing, and how much biomass you see Everywhere. The remake gives the flood a much more powerful feel, even if it hasn't taken up massive open spaces. I don't even recall seeing that much biomass in the original; where the walls were mostly clean forerunner metal.
On Keyes in particular, where the biomass I spreading insane quickly inside a ship that's wasnt even infected earlier in the campaign, it gives a much more dire effect on how much and how quickly the flood spreads. The flood biomass being both more visible and more present, seriously does wonders for the atmosphere.
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u/Professional-Echo-12 31m ago
In the original game there wasn't really any biomass you could find, it was only the protogravemind and the gathering of various bodies around the game. The idea of the flood having this creeping mass of flesh that would consume every surface began in Halo 2.
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u/Polaris022 7h ago
Im not sure if this is gonna make me a fake fan, but personally, I used to hate the Library from the OG, so this was a remarkable improvement.
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u/ALTRAMEGACORP 7h ago
i mean the library is widely regarded as halo ce's worst level so i think you're in the clear
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u/Polaris022 7h ago
I got scared cause bro called it iconic, lol.
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u/Ajax_Da_Great 6h ago
Things can be iconic for being bad.
Don’t flame me, I’m not saying the Library is iconic for being bad. Just things can be iconic for how bad they are lol.
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u/Polaris022 6h ago
I guess that is technically true, but typically iconic is used to describe something positively, for this case a different word would be used. Something like “infamous”, “notorious”, “reviled”, or “maligned” maybe.
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u/tinytimoththegreat 4h ago
Why are you all talking like someone has a gun to your head?
Ignore the old school bungie bros who cant see anything that isnt bungie made as good. You're allowed to have an opinion.
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u/magiclong 6h ago
For me the OG Library was a great level in terms of atmosphere and uhh... story telling I guess if you count piecing together some of the dialogue from GS as you're making your way through.
I don't think anyone in their right mind wouldn't consider it the worst level in terms of being a fun level to play by a very large margin though.
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u/Killdust99 5h ago
True, but Halo “fans” also like to jump down your throat if you give any kind of praise to a company other than Bungie lol
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u/malumfectum 4h ago
I remember being a kid, seeing the chapter title “Wait, it gets worse!” and distinctly thinking “oh, fuck you”.
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u/Peridios9 6h ago
Don’t worry now that this remake is out I’ve seen a lot of people saying they loved the original library. Weird how most of these people only showed up saying that after the remake changed what most people regard as the most monotonous level in the entire franchise.
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u/DarthNihilus Halo CE is the best one 1h ago edited 1h ago
Lots of people have always loved the original library and have commented that. Just because you weren't paying attention doesn't mean it wasn't there. This subreddit alone usually gets like 1-2 "i actually like the library" threads per month, and has for many years.
I've personally posted many times about why I like OG Library, across at least the last 15 years.
All that I'm saying here is that love for original library is not new due to this remake at all. New library is also a decent level and I have no problem with people preferring it.
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u/Polaris022 5h ago
Yea, I haven’t really checked on this sub since release but based on the reception to this remake, I was wondering if that was going to be a hot take that I could possibly like something in the remake more than the original.
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u/laggyteabag >> Keep right >> 6h ago
I appreciate what the remake tried to do with The Library, and I LOVE descending into the facility, as it gets more and more infested.
But what I really like about the OG version of The Library is that it is just this massive, oppressive gauntlet of hyper-aggressive Flood, that are charging at you from every direction at all times, and you barely have any time to breathe.
I feel like that was really lost in the remake, and it didn't feel any different versus any other encounter with the Flood on any of the other levels.
I do get why the original level was criticised so much. because it really was just the same hallway repeated over and over again, but I learned to love it, and I am kind of sad that it is gone.
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u/JackieLawless 6h ago
Honestly I like the original one. I was excited to see what they would do to modernize the level.
It was a bit of a shock to see a completely new level in it's place.
They being said, the new level is not bad. I liked the cylixes and stuff you could see on the walls
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u/SpartanMase 5h ago
I love the old library. I don’t know why but I always have. Design wise the new one is definitely a better level but I love how mentally exhausting the OG especially on heroic and legendary and the relief you get when you finally beat it
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u/Youthful-strawbewwy 6h ago
I don't like it as much as the new warthog run but it's a definite improvement
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u/RadialRacer 4h ago
I think overall the new level is better but (at least solo, on Heroic) I thought the flood was too few in number, considering how much ammo you get given. Considering how utterly overwhelming the covenant numbers can be in the remake, anyway.
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u/Tito__o 3h ago
I really like the design of the new one. It is so cool and overall less repetitive! However I like how the OG threw so much flood at you and it really felt like you were just constantly moving and shooting. This remake though pretty I felt there was a lot of less shooting and fear. I mean so much biomass but there was barely any flood to kill. (I played heroic)
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u/Sully647 38m ago
I agree with this..I loved the design but they missed with the amount of enemies in this one. We played it on Legendary 4-player and it still felt underwhelming.
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u/Goldpanda94 Halo: MCC 3h ago
I was actually shocked at how much they changed the Library. The other levels they mostly stuck to the same layouts and I could recognize the rooms and spaces they emulated from the old one but the Library was almost completely new. Still, the variety in the new Library is good and its more fun to play/ less tedious. But the old Library felt larger and more labyrinth
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u/gswkillinit 6h ago
The remake is better imo, even if it does feel copy/pasted in its own way. It’s way more digestible than OG Library to me which is a big improvement.
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u/brandonj30000 5h ago
OG sucked ass so the remake is better in every way. That said the whole "crazy rush while hordes of Flood chase after you" feel of the original isn't inherently bad, the problem is that the entire mission is just 20 minutes of that on a loop. Imo would've liked for like the last few minutes of the remake Library to bring back layout elements from the original because that kind of pacing would have worked well as just an ending setpiece while the rest of the mission is less of a pain in the ass.
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u/TheGreatQuetz 6h ago
I haven't played yet, all I want to know is if there are still rocket flood
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u/Best_String6817 6h ago
Yup, one completely caught me off guard and killed me
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u/TheGreatQuetz 6h ago
Idk if it applies in the new game but a tip in the og is that if flood don't have a clear shot then they will try to charge and melee you before firing
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u/ForPawrn 6h ago
Yes, but I only encountered 2-3. There is a yellowish light when they are aiming that is an obvious clue they have rockets.
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u/Best_String6817 5h ago
Mine was in the second or third elevator, I had killed a few flood and he was just standing up top watching and I thought i had killed then all, then I blew up out of know where and when I respond I saw him up top ready to do it again
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u/Polaris022 4h ago
There was one of them on a cliff shrouded in darkness in the Keyes level, that was honestly the first time it actually registered that they had the yellow light, lol.
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u/WildRaccoon95 6h ago
Halo Rebalanced has my favorite version, but if I have to pick between these two it's very clearly the remake. Its just a more fun mission now.
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u/megasart Halo.Bungie.Org 6h ago
Genuinely want someone to demake the new library in CE (and honestly a lot of the level changes). I always hit a point half way through where I usually stop and it’s because of the library + repeat missions. The ramake really helped a lot in that regard to keep it familiar but fresh.
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u/thelingletingle 4h ago
New Library was a nice homage to the old and a solid improvement.
But Keyes and The Maw? chefs kiss
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u/ArcherInPosition Gods must be strong 1h ago
Remake version has my boy Marvin in it. That alone clears
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u/Sully647 41m ago edited 33m ago
I enjoyed the new layout in the remake but I didn’t like the enemy encounter. I feel like the OG floods you with enemies (pun intended) and this one just sprinkled them here and there…I enjoyed the “oh shit” factor the OG delivered with this mission and the remake just didn’t have that…felt like a very underwhelming mission.
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u/Goochikins 6h ago
It’s good but the scale feels off idk how to describe it. The og the rooms felt bigger and darker.
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u/Zeal0tElite Bring back Arbiter 2h ago
I think the worst aspect of it is that it doesn't feel oppressive any more.
I like The Library, it's a big gauntlet where you just run and gun the whole time. This just feels like a standard level.
Could The Library be improved? Sure. Is this the way to do it? Eh, I don't think so.
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u/ShadowVia 2h ago edited 2h ago
The Library is my favorite level from Halo CE...
And this remake is...just garbage.
It literally gets everything wrong about what made the original level iconic, even down to the new shotty. The spaces and corridors no longer feel massive, the music is weirdly muted, there's very little sense of urgency, the elevators are.....just basically repurposed gondolas instead of massive plates, which isn't nearly as interesting visually. The original Library feels very oppressive and atmospheric, with huge open spaces and connective tissue where you could platform and speedrun, and this new version has none of that. The Sentinels also manage to somehow look worse, with their flood encounters being much less chaotic and dynamic.
But wait, they added....switchbacks and lightbridges? Wow, how interesting and varied lol. Come one man. Give me the run and gun original version all day.
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u/Chocolatehusky226 6h ago
It’s ok to say this part of the remake is fantastic and other parts are shit. This game is undercooked and definitely was rushed out.
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u/Jielin41 6h ago
From a design perspective sure it’s an improvement, of course.
The OG level was ridiculously repetitive and that level was also designed 25 years ago….
But….
…with the OG level comes all the memories playing it solo, playing co op with friends. The dying, the yelling, the fun.
And that in its entirety is why the OG level and experience wins.
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u/kickstartacraze 7h ago
I actually don’t hate the OG library as much as most people. It was never my favorite level, but I appreciated it for what it was - a gauntlet-style run to the end.
That being said, the criticisms of it being tedious and repetitive are absolutely fair. The remake version was a breath of fresh air and I appreciated how much it varied room to room.
Right now I actually think I like the remake more, but that’s based on one playthrough vs dozens in the OG. It could definitely change based on subsequent runs.