Finished Half-Life 2 Again...Still Not Impressed.

Moving on to the episodes, since I've never really played those yet. I'll just list the things I like and dislike about this game.

Pros:

- The game just oozes atmosphere. Everywhere you go in the game, you feel the weight of this post-apocalyptic world bearing down on you, and the air seems thick with dissent and suffering as humanity is cast as a second-class citizen.

- The art and level design are still top notch. Nothing is too difficult to navigate, and everything is pleasant to look at. Special mention to Ravenholm and its use of both standard weaponry and traps in order to navigate the level.

- Alyx Vance is one awesome AI companion. She doesn't get in the way, and she's always ready to help you kick some ass. Plus, she's the only character I actually like or remember.

- The gameplay is still functional, even if it still isn't the best (I don't think it ever was though). The weapon variety is great, and they all work really well.

- The chapter where you control ant-lion minions across the desert to rip apart Combine soldiers was too freaking awesome.

Cons:

- The events of the story, while having an interesting setup, are lost in vague sentences and too-subtle environmental cues. While it's a good storytelling method for games, I don't feel it was utilized well in this game, especially with cliched characters and villains.

- Deceptively linear level design. Why go through all the trouble of allowing you to find hidden rooms and travel open deserts if all you're going to reward me with is extra ammo or yet another empty room that serves no purpose other than not making an architect cry?

- Gordon Freeman. Why, if everyone is going to talk to him and mention events, must he always remain silent? If it was for immersion purposes, then why even bother giving him a backstory as a physicist (which very few people are) and an iconic appearance?

- The gravity gun, while fun when just goofing around, has some of the most gimmicky physics-based puzzles I've ever seen. Yes Valve, we know you have your own physics engine. Stop shoving it in my face, please.

- The vehicles in this game control like a lost helium balloon sliding across an icy lake, and turn like they're trying to push a rhino with their ass.

- The AI in this game has got to be some of the most idiotic AI ever. They run into the open, run towards walls, and sometimes they just stay still waiting for someone to get close enough to die. I know AI wasn't all that sophisticated back in 2004, but I know it could've been better than that.

I don't think Half-Life 2 is a terrible game by any means. I enjoyed the time I spent playing it, and I would replay it again one of these days. I just don't think it should be placed on a pedestal as the "greatest game in the universe" or so many people would have you believe. It's a competent shooter with an interesting story...and that's about it.

Hopefully Episodes One and Two improve the experience somehow.

It was really different ad revolutionary for its time but now yeah pretty standard. I never thought the story was really very good, just told in a halfway interesting way. It's a good game. I enjoy it. Definitely not GOAT though.

Half-Life 2 is not really post-apocalyptic, it's more of a spin on orwellian dystopia.

You don't have to absolutely love it because alot of others do... No big deal.

For the record, I think it's the best game ever made.

the way i see it .. if half life 2 didn't exist .. gamin wouldn't be in the shape we know now

Meh, calling any game the best game ever doesn't make any sense to me. But you can't deny the sincere experience people had, regardless of potential flaws. If HL2 granted people that one experience that remains with them and that still hasn't really been topped, then I can understand why people call it the best game ever. But that claim in itself is pretty meaningless.

Some of the cons (not all) seem pretty period related, though... and you seem to be judging those aspects using a more current context, which isn't entirely fair in my opinion. I'm not saying they're not valid, but those arguments would be more convincing if you could come up with examples of (genre related) games that came out before HL2 that did it better.

When I think of Half Life 2 all I think of is the over use of the gravity gun--as if valve was trying to sell other developers the engine.

Yassee this is where you are dead wrong. Half life and half life 2 were neither revolutionary nor different.

The first game anything they dumbed down games like terminator futureshock, system shock and unreal and the plot is more or less a variation on the original Doom.

The second was linear, so much so that games like the original Deus Ex and System Shock 2 which preceded it. Its much vaunted physics engine was worse than and less used than that of Far Cry.

The main thing HL2 had going for it was hype. Like everything Valve.

In terms of games that pull off minimalistic storytelling better within the FPS genre, I'd nominate Metroid Prime as a far better game than Half-Life 2 in terms of story, level design, and gameplay. Yes, it's still technically a Metroid game, but it's also an FPS by basic design. Even Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, released the same year as Half-Life 2, was superior in my opinion. That said, I still think Half-Life 2 is a good game. Just not godlike.

I still play the first one and 2 and episodes from time to time. I love them.

it was good for 2004, but still no Halo 2

How many 60 year old former science administrators have been villains in games?

Whats subtle about a city that starts off in a totalitarian environment, re-visited and changed to full out rebellion and practically leveled?

How many Asain/African female leads do you know of you actually wear cloths and look vaguely credible a character?

Or a 60 year old one legged black father and a security guard hick?

Halflife 2 is a first class lesson in FPS. People comparing Halo and Metroid? Really?

Trolling or people who started gaming recently?

That's cool. The status of this game is based on personal experiences. I think TLOU is very similar in that regard. I doubt it is as godlike as a lot of people claim. And even then, that godlike experience is probably not an overall experience, but one caused by a few elements.

@uninspiredcup: Scientists can and have been villains in games before. And besides, Dr. Breen isn't even the main villain. He's just a pawn for the Combine.

That change of pace happens in the blink of an eye because they time traveled, which is basically a hand wave explanation for such an occurrence. No amount of backstory explanation can justify that poor excuse for a wild pacing change in my book.

One of my pros was my praise of Alyx Vance as a good character in the game, so please read all of what I wrote before you speak.

Doesn't matter what they are ethnically or otherwise. I don't find them compelling characters because their personalities don't appeal to me.

That's your opinion if you find Half-Life 2 a good example of game design. I did praise the level design in my pros section, so again: read before you say anything. And what's wrong with comparing Halo and Metroid Prime? They're both FPS games that serve different functions. Halo focuses on linear set pieces with an emphasis on story, and Metroid Prime focuses on non-linear exploration with a minimalistic story emphasis. Functionally, they're still FPS games, but both can be compared with one another on any level.

Funny that you think I'm trolling simply because I don't share the same opinion on a game as you. I didn't think the game was that spectacular, you obviously do. Big deal. Why must you be so offended by my mixed opinion of a game you happen to like? I'm not looking to change anybody's opinion on the game. I'm just saying what I liked and didn't like.

And not that it's really any of your business, but I'm 21 and I've been playing video games since I was 5, so I'm nowhere near being a noob in the gaming circle.

Half-Life 2 has one of the most cathartic and satisfying ending sequences of any piece of entertainment I've experienced. That and the unique (for the time) storytelling method are what I remember that game for.

Well I take the overall experience into account whenever I talk about a video game. And as for The Last of Us, I thought it was a powerful gameplay and story experience. So much that it's my new all-time favorite game. Half-Life 2 just didn't do it for me, even though it's still a very solid (if very flawed) experience that I'd recommend to many FPS fans out there.

great job ! you have an opinion !

Well, that's the thing: I can only speak from second hand experience here having watched a playthrough of TLOU, but I watched it some time after the game came out and to be honest, the story disappointed me a little. The characters were convincing, but the story and the characters themselves didn't really seem to be that special (at least not as special as people made it out to be). Also, the gameplay looked quite repetitive and the enemy variety seemed to be lacking. I certainly wouldn't deem it 'godlike'. That said, I can understand why people would have a very strong experience, being that the acting is strong and the setting is (visually) convincing. But as a game it didn't really look that special. But I'm not going to question the experience of so many people. And well, my experience was already strongly influenced by expectations...

As for Half Life 2, I'd only seen some graphics footage before release and I thought it looked absolutely amazing, unlike anything I'd ever seen so far. The realism, the mood, the setting; it was everything I wanted. I never experienced the gravity gun as some engine seller. It was just sheer joy blasting enemies with blades, rocks and exploding barrels. And the levels constantly changed; urban, rural, beach, futuristic, while you were also constantly introduced to new things. There I was having fun with the gravity gun, then all of a sudden I'm racing around in a buggy driving over antlions. Sure the buggy drove pretty terribly, but this wasn't a racing game. I wasn't even bound to the thing, I could get out whenever I wanted. And then I got to control the antlions I was killing just moments ago, followed by kicking ass with an OP gravity gun in the citadel. Alyx was cool and the story was compelling (as compelling as you wanted to make it; you could blast through it or you could take your time and look around, filling in pieces of the story as you went). It was a pretty amazing experience. I never noticed the simplistic AI (though it obviously was); to me the experience was never about challenging enemies. But hey, I can see your points.

@loafofgame: well as for TLoU, I'd highly suggest playing it yourself instead of watching vids of it. But hey, it's all opinion. I just thought HL2 was an average shooter with great environments and one cool character. Everything else just didn't jump at me and grab me by the feels like TLoU did for me.

no other 10yr+ old classic game gets as passionately debated as half life 2 still does

@Macutchi: Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy Vii say hello.

You had to play it when it was new, because it was all about the physics and gravity gun. Today, it's just shit.

@Renegade_Fury: And I hear so much about how well the game has aged too. It really hasn't aged all that well. I can see why people would go nuts over the game at the time, but now it just doesn't hold up as well.

@turtlethetaffer: no other 10yr+ old classic (pc) game gets as passionately debated as half life 2 still does ;)

i'd personally say those two you mention are more universally praised so they're not really passionately debated. hl2 seems to generate a fair bit of negativity

Thats probably why most modern FPS ape it still.

FPS push father than what Half life 2 offer. Most of its shootouts staging in it is as old as Doom and is no longer seen as the norm. In fact many times I find it to be the worse parts of current shooters. Even bad shooter today have better shootout than it.

By that you mean, walking in a line for 5 hours playing wack-a-mole with Russians/arabs popping up with on-the-rails, press X barely interactive scripted events?

If that's progression (and it isn't) count me out.

The fact that you are here, a decade after it was released, convinced that not liking the game will somehow make you special or unique to us, only proves how much of a timeless classic it actually is.

I will buy you a beer one day.

Truer words have never been spoken. The game is timeless.

hehe spot on Randolph

The Gravity Gun at the time was a revolution and while the pacing of some levels was terrible and the gunplay was only serviceable, it was an extraordinary game. Playing the game this distant into the future is going to be a diminished experience.

Episode 1 and 2 definitely improve on almost every problem HL2 had. Ep2 especially.

All it proves is that the game has a lot of hype and a ton of fans. He tried the game again because of that. I know I've given a game another chance after having decided that I wouldn't play it, all because of word of mouth. I'm sure most of us has. I'm just saying that playing an old game awhile after it came out doesn't make the game a classic. It just means you haven't played it yet, or it was before ones time.

All in all Half life 1 was way more revolutionary than 2. I played 1 after 2 and couldn't believe it. It was like 2 with worse graphics. Everyone had always told me that 2 was the game that changed everything but it wasn't.

Your loss buddy .

This guy gets it.

Too bad. I hope you can one day. It really is a great feeling.

Joy.

I like half life 2 it's one of my fav shooters on last gen consoles i would love another half life game on next gen.

No mention of the enemy waves that are supposed to make for dramatic set-pieces yet ultimately fail totally in that regard because the level design?

DISAPPOINT!

EDIT: HL1 has aged FAR better than HL2. There were waves of enemies, but the levels were designed so you were encouraged to move and move quickly at that. In HL2 you're almost always stationary when these events trigger and held in tight spots so it boils down to a ducking and diving exercise, no doubt intentional, but flawed in its conception. It kills the flow of the game. Also, HL1 is much more atmospheric. There is a stupid amount of empty space in HL2. The original was a tightly-knit corridor shooter and that made for tense action. HL2 has none of that. They tried to 'develop' the plot when it didn't need much added to it and even then it's just so uneven in pace and forgettable. Half Life had an err of mystique about it. Mystique is good. HL2 is probably one of the worst games I've ever played. I'll happily go back and play HL Source/Black Mesa, but I will never play HL2 again.

^This guy gets me.

Yeah, I've had a lot of my friends telling me I had to try HL2 one more time. So I got the Orange Box and tried again. I'm still working my way through Episode 1 (my gaming backlog is a nightmare), but I've played the main game to completion. I just don't think it's aged all that well. A true gaming classic will always feel fresh and exciting no matter how many years it's been since release. IMO, Half-Life 2 just has not aged as well as people think it has.

For what it's worth, it's not a bad game by any means. I enjoyed it for the level design and fun shooting mechanics, as well as goofing off with the gravity gun every now and then. But even then, all the cons I listed still irk me to no end. Whomever enjoyed the game, kudos to you. You saw something in the game that I just didn't see. I'm not here to change your love of the game. I'm just expressing my own feelings towards it.

I played it some time after release, and yes, it was pure shock and awe even then. Beyond the novelty factor, I felt HL2 fell short compared to the original, in every possible way.

A classic is something else than 'the best game ever made'. I think everybody agrees the original Doom is a classic in gaming, but it certainly doesn't feel fresh and exciting anymore. Half Life 2 is a classic, regardless of its perceived quality. Reception made sure of that and there really is very little anyone can do about that, no matter how well people structure their arguments. In this case the past cannot be undone. The fact that people still go out of their way to praise or criticise that game says it all.

You should play the episodes as well. It wasn't just HL2 by itself that I loved. It was HL2 and it's episodes.

@intotheminx: In the middle of Episode One right now. So far, it corrects the pacing issues the first game had, as well as giving you more meaningful puzzles with the gravity gun instead of gimmicky ones.

It's funny how I can't remember much about the episodes' save for this one part with the gravity gun in episode 2 (which you'll notice when you get there). I'm in the same boat though. I just beat HL 1 and now I want to play 2 again all the way through.

Played HL2 when it was released, played it years later and remained just as unimpressed. Dumb AI, shit gunplay. Two killer blows for a FPS, regardless of how well told the story is, level design, or how the atmosphere is executed. The first was a far better game, and I'll never understand the praise its sequel gets.

I am with you for the most part, OP. The game is good, not great.

Alyx is indeed a good companion, I always remember her for that awesome gun that she carries.

I disagree about the hidden rooms or ammo. I've always enjoyed finding hidden things since, I guess, DOOM. As a side note to that though, I'm of course biased to RE, and it's always bothered me how easy it is to find ammo for even the considerably rare weapons in the game like the Colt, but it's still nonetheless fun to find them, especially the hidden caches in the game. Ravenholm in particular bothered me because even though you're supposed to use the gravity gun to defeat enemies due to ammo being "rarer" it's still very easy to play through it without ever using the gravity gun, or the traps. If there wasn't any ammo of any kind on that level, it would have been much better/scarier, but maybe Valve wasn't going for that kind of feel to the level. It's still a very fun level as is though.

For Freeman speaking, I'm not sure why you are just noticing this now considering he was completely silent in the first game as well. As for him being silent, though, I really like it when your character doesn't speak and, I think I've mentioned this before in another thread, but Dead Space, Half-Life, Legend of Zelda, etc., will always be some of the most engaging games for me personally because I think it's so much better for the player to feel like he/she is the one being spoken to, and not the in-game character.

The vehicle levels are freaking sweet so I have to disagree with you about those. The first vehicle level was really well done, except when you have to dodge those mines or perform difficult jumps because it shows the flaws of the sub-par vehicle controls, but to be fair, the controls are like that so you can still look around (and later shoot) while in the vehicles.

Pretty much these are my thoughts especially that the episodes greatly improved everything. Ep2 was fantastic, and in particular, had fantastic visuals that, I think, still look damn good even if you played it today.

You just described Half Life 2 and what is wrong with it compared to more current FPS.