10 Most Unforgiving Checkpoints In Gaming History
9. The Library - Halo
You’ve probably heard this one before but the checkpointing system in Halo’s Library level can get onto a Covenant corvette and fly directly into the sun.
Unanimously agreed as the worst level in not just the first Halo game but also in the franchise’s 20-year history, The Library sees Master Chief attempting to traverse a large, winding stream of metallic hallways as he is constantly under attack from The Flood. It’s a painfully long level that basically stops the first Halo from being perfect.
The checkpoint system is the real issue because it causes this already long corridor to feel never-ending. The Flood are not just the infected monstrosities that come running at you, but there’s also some that are just irritating popcorn-shaped spores. These things can easily go amiss, lost in the dark and stuck in the geometry… and with an encounter not technically “over” if there’s one still out there, then a new autosave might not occur.
This is bad enough, but it gets worse because that’s not how every checkpoint in the stage works. Some only pop if the player reaches a certain point in the level, and Flood will spawn endlessly until they do.
It’s a damn mess. Do you want players to fight all of them or none of them, Halo? Pick one.