SniperHunter
Banned
by far the best single player fps i have ever played
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lttp: Half-Life 2
- Thread starter MoonsaultSlayer
- Start date
I agree, even if I hated Ravenholm and liked the prison. Back then, I played the game almost until the end, and just left it behind. I couldn't tell what was wrong (or what wasn't good enough) about the game, but it didn't blow my mind as I hoped to. Replayed it (and finished) years later and still I can't fall in love with HL2. It feels so disjointed, like they threw every idea they had into the game and ended up with many little segments you may like or not. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's just good and sometimes it's bad.
Midnight Phoenix
Member
TheVoidDragon
Member
The backstory to the Half-life games is amazing, especially how Portal 1 and 2 is part of it. The Half-Life universe is one of my favorite. I still replay the games fairly often (at least once a year) and i think the game still looks nice despite it being almost 10 years old.
I actually haven't ever finished either of the Half Life games, despite claiming them to be favourites and owning them across several platforms. I just got a cute Gordon action figure for christmas.
I am in love with everything in the universe, it has such a gorgeous atmosphere!
My last HL2 playthrough was on the 360 and I got a weird bug where one of the enemies exploded into some kind of little rainbow pixel texture. As I moved onward, suddenly everything was made out of little rainbow pixels, and I turned the game off.
I am in love with everything in the universe, it has such a gorgeous atmosphere!
My last HL2 playthrough was on the 360 and I got a weird bug where one of the enemies exploded into some kind of little rainbow pixel texture. As I moved onward, suddenly everything was made out of little rainbow pixels, and I turned the game off.
To use another metric:
Number of days between the announcement of Half-Life 2 and its release: 575
Number of days between the announcement of Episode Three and today: 2441
Even if Half-Life 3 is announced at E3 this year, I don't see it releasing any sooner than November, and it's already sitting behind only Team Fortress 2 as the longest-gestating Valve game.
Edit: Team Fortress 2 was announced on June 1st, 1998, and released on October 9th, 2007: a total of 9 years, 4 months and 8 days. If not released prior, Half-Life 3 will hit that mark on October 2nd, 2015.
Edit edit: Derp, forgot the months. Fixed.
Woody Invincible
Banned
Valve simply makes god-tier games. HL2 is tied with FFX for my favorite game ever.
I expect to see the game 1-2 years after the next-gen consoles launch. So Fall 14 earliest - fall 15.
Probably about as close to perfect that a game will ever come close to achieving. Everything about it's pacing and level design is also impeccable, not to mention it's probably the best example of interactive storytelling. If anyone has the time I highly encourage you to sit down and watch this review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT9xRq0m9oM
It's an almost two hour long break down and analysis of what makes Half Life 2 so fantastic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT9xRq0m9oM
It's an almost two hour long break down and analysis of what makes Half Life 2 so fantastic.
If it skips this year, I'm putting all bets on November 16th, 2014 -- exactly a decade after Half-Life 2.
Well Valve should probably launch their flagship Source 2 title fairly early next gen. This will help license out their engine, but will also free up resources for them to finally explore some new single-player IPs.
Pretty sure he uses the hovercraft sequence as an example of something "epic" in the op. So no need to warn him, he loved it.
Stallion Free
Cock Encumbered
The hovercraft sequence is awesome, why would anyone need to be warned about it?
MoonsaultSlayer
Member
No, I was describing a scene when you're stuck in water with no way out until they start throwing down flaming barrels. Bobbing in and out of the water and firing at the guys above was such a "cinematic" scene without feeling forced. Haven't touched a vehicle yet but the jet ski segments in Uncharted didn't bother me so I should be safe.
Oh, I thought you were referring to a specific hovercraft scene which could be described exactly like you wrote. Personally I really like that sequence, I have no idea why it's seemingly so unpopular.
For single player SP campaigns? Not sure I'd agree - I'd say most SP campaigns still pale next to Half Life 2. Sure their graphics and gunplay might be sharper here and there - but they tend to have a fraction of the mechanics in Half Life 2.
I'm hoping Stars of Blood was put on the backburner so it can be reborn as a Source 2 title. A Valve-developed space epic would be quite something.
I'm really hoping. I know HL3 will be glorious, but I'm equally excited for whatever else is being birthed deep within their confines. SOB looked pretty cool from what I've seen of the concepts.
MoonsaultSlayer
Member
Playing HL2, I get the same vibes I did Resistance 3, which I love. I felt part of that living world and loved soaking in the npc banter and actions.
Stallion Free
Cock Encumbered
Yeah, Resistance 3 was far and away my favorite of that trilogy because of the incredibly blatant Half-Life 2 influence. I would double dip so hard if they ever gave us a PC version with an FOV slider.
Sentenza
Member
I used to share this opinion (with the exception of mood and atmosphere, which were better in HL2) until I played Episode 2.
Episode 2 for me it's the pinnacle of the HL saga even in terms of gameplay and encounter design.
sacrificengineer
Member
I'm absolutely in love with this game. The best FPS I've ever played.
I rerun it once in a while too.
I rerun it once in a while too.
Frankly because people have nothing else to do. Linearity has falsly become a negative word.
As you should, I have no idea why we have to live in age of absolutes all of a sudden.
I H8 Memes
Member
There is nothing wrong with games having a linear design. But you better be damned good at making games if you are going to pull it off. It's definitely more challenging to design close narrow levels that still feel natural than it is to make a more wide open level. Most game companies can't pull it off and their linear levels feel more like you are walking through a movie set than a real place.
Stallion Free
Cock Encumbered
Linearity becomes an issue when the gameplay is rigidly scripted. That chase in UC3 is rigidly scripted and it falls apart easily which breaks the illusion.
Yah while rougher around the edges Resistance 1 and in particular 3 had a nice vibe going that reminded me of HL approach. 3 in particular was a better than average SP campaign in these MP dominated times.
Pity they messed up with Resistance 2 - I really thought that (despite the aforementioned rough edges) RFOM was going to become a really strong franchise once Insomniac didn't have the pressure of pushing it out for a launch release. Instead they seemed to put themselves under even more pressure to get 2 out with a huge feature set in ridiculously short time (compared to other big FPS titles).
I had no issue with it.
Stallion Free
Cock Encumbered
Well many people did?
GoddyofAus
Banned
Much of how far the industry has progressed was kicked off by Half Life 2.
Masterpiece. Plain and simple. There are very few games I would give that description to.
Many people need to alter their expectations and be aware of what they are buying. ND always sold it as an "Interactive Cinematic Experience" which translates very well into playable movie. That is what I wanted, that is what I got. Hell, it sold five of my friends on the notion too.
Edit: Also, is that a question?
Stallion Free
Cock Encumbered
No, people are fine with rigid scripting so long as it feels natural. No one is complaining about the airplane sequence, the ocean liner, or the desert stuff because the scripting is slick enough that players almost never acknowledge it. The chases in the game are nowhere near as slickly executed and many players had that movie bubble burst.
Are you refeering to the kid Drake jump parts? Because I nor anyone I know had issue with Talbot.
Rickenslacker
Banned
HL2 really blew me away when it released, mostly because physics implementations were a new novelty in games with only Psi-Ops before it actually implementing it as a gameplay mechanic, but also because its presentation was completely unreal. It might not have had the shadows of Doom 3 or the scale of Far Cry, but it placed me into a world like no other game had done before it. City 17 felt real like no other game world did.
My appreciation for the game nowadays is as more of an adventure game than a shooter, because the shooting elements of it are pretty weak. The arsenal is smaller than Half-Life's, and the actual gunplay itself isn't satisfying; the enemies have a flinching animation when they don't get killed by something but otherwise have no reaction. The weight of the grenades tied with the new physics made them unreliable to use, I could never place them properly as they'd bounce somewhere else. Not to mention that the combat itself never really gets challenging, even on the hard. I also wish that they went a bit further with the gravity gun than making it a prop launcher, but damn if
My appreciation for the game nowadays is as more of an adventure game than a shooter, because the shooting elements of it are pretty weak. The arsenal is smaller than Half-Life's, and the actual gunplay itself isn't satisfying; the enemies have a flinching animation when they don't get killed by something but otherwise have no reaction. The weight of the grenades tied with the new physics made them unreliable to use, I could never place them properly as they'd bounce somewhere else. Not to mention that the combat itself never really gets challenging, even on the hard. I also wish that they went a bit further with the gravity gun than making it a prop launcher, but damn if
using the super gravity gun isn't the best feeling the first time you get it. Having a weaker version of enemy manipulation would've been great on the regular one.
The one thing I just can't forgive Ep 2 on is the 10 minute antlion arena. It's soooo bad. They take the dumbest most paper-thin enemy in the game and lock you into fighting them for 10 minutes. They don't even mix it up with the acid lions introduced in that very episode, just regular antlions.
ashbash159
Member
I always have trouble explaining to other people why Half-Life 2 has remained my favourite game ever.
OP, you should also check out the Half-Life remake: Black Mesa. It's not quite finished yet, but you can still download it now and it comes close to HL2. I think it's better than the original version.
OP, you should also check out the Half-Life remake: Black Mesa. It's not quite finished yet, but you can still download it now and it comes close to HL2. I think it's better than the original version.
Stallion Free
Cock Encumbered
I refuse to believe that Black Mesa is superior to the original after the sheer amount of AI bitching I read.
I don't like FPSes and I loved the series. Definitely give it a try. Oh and don't skip the first one. And while we're at it, don't skip Opposing Force either. Blue Shift is mediocre though.