Just finished this game. (Bought the orange box with portal 1 and everything, but never bothered to play hl2 until now)
Spent like 10 hours to finish it.
There were some parts that took wayy too long to get rid of it. I mean, sure this game is beautiful, the gameplay is really nice, but come on do we really need to drive that sea car for like 1 hour ? The story was just pretty boring tbh if not empty. Half way of this car's gameplay, i got really bored of it, but what bothers me more is to have another unfinished game and i did not want to leave until i've finished it at least once. The map is way too big, there were many times where i couldn't stand to play anymore like "go to another piece, kill soldier/alien, open a door" rinse and repeat.
And the story ? What can i say ? I was pretty disappointed. But maybe that was because english wasn't my native language ? Or maybe cauz i've never finished the first one ? Either way, i was feeling really frustrated at the end.
The IA was kinda retarded aswell but we couldn't expect it more since it's the same for every game. But still there were too many narrow paths were i couldn't get back because they were blocking me (gotta give them props though to have them say "excuse me" when they were in our way).
Kind of hoped they'd have given us a more accurate way to throw the object with the gravitic gun, or grenades since i had to send them multiple times before it got to where i wanted it to.
At the end, it was like i was playing a Final fantasy game where you get to an endless tower in order to gain experience / get more challenge. Expect that it was mandatory in hl2. I was like, "when will it end seriously?" I really couldn't stand it anymore. If i had saved and went to sleep, i know i'd have never finished it because i'd have never played it again...
It's like watching old movies. After your attention span has been whittled away by playing too many games that have non-stop action, you can't deal with something deeper. My god, you should try playing classic adventure games like monkey island, you wouldn't last 5 minutes.
Half life 2 was ground breaking for it's time, but there is no doubt that game development has got better, so the graphics look old and the controls aren't as good as some new games. I can't agree with you about the pacing though. One of the genius things about the game's design is how it moves from close confined spaces to open wide areas, and action packed areas to more chilled out breaks in the action.
It sounds like you don't get yourself immersed very much, which is a huge mistake when playing a seamless FPS like HL2. To me, all your gripes sound absolutely crazy, and I don't think you would have had them if you allowed yourself to just become Gordon Freeman.
On June 23 2011 19:48 deathly rat wrote: It's like watching old movies. After your attention span has been whittled away by playing too many games that have non-stop action, you can't deal with something deeper. My god, you should try playing classic adventure games like monkey island, you wouldn't last 5 minutes.
Half life 2 was ground breaking for it's time, but there is no doubt that game development has got better, so the graphics look old and the controls aren't as good as some new games. I can't agree with you about the pacing though. One of the genius things about the game's design is how it moves from close confined spaces to open wide areas, and action packed areas to more chilled out breaks in the action.
Sorry but i've already played way older games and i really enjoyed some of them (PoP, Out of this world) and also enjoyed some old movies that i've never watched before (Event Horizon, Contact) So i really don't care about graphics. Funny thing is, i haven't played any game beside cs, doom, q3 and DoD when it comes to FPS really... (gunz too but played like 1hour ?) Meh. I guess i'm too biased with hl2 maybe... :/
I have to agree OP, HL2 isn't really what I'd call amazing. Couldn't get myself to finish Episode 2. It's not bad by any means, but really it doesn't stand out to me in any special way. But I was late to the party myself, only starting in like 2007 or 2008.
But on second thought, with the word 'deep' flying around twice in this thread already, I might have to go play through it again and twist it into some ridiculous hipster metaphor.
Well for the this game was all about the looks and the story. And I wasn't bored of it at all through the game and two episodes. And I did finish it a few times.
Played HL 2 last year and was blown away. Loved the story, and the game is beautiful, even today. Damn it's deep. Guess we all have differing opinions.
I liked the "wide" spaces... Many Egoshooters feel way to cramped, not HL2... If you have to drive a Buggy down the coast highway, there is a reason for it: It would take ages by feet.
And the Bach were you control the Sandlions is the best thing in any RTS ever, i had such a blast .
Half-Life 2 isn't a game, it's an adventure that happens to take place in a world someone else put together; Gordon Freeman is just empty enough for you to project whatever you like onto him and enjoy your own character.
I played HL2 terrified, some weak willed little scientist with greatness thrust upon him, desperate to survive and trying hard to do the right thing. I always figured that everyone else saw the same thing, until I saw my brother play.
For him, Gordon was some untouchable monstrosity, the ultimate action hero. The HEV suit protects him from radiation and poison, while he chews the bullets fired into him and spits them out. For him, the time spent in stasis had been because they KNEW Gordon was special, saved for some noble purpose.
On June 23 2011 19:48 deathly rat wrote: I can't agree with you about the pacing though. One of the genius things about the game's design is how it moves from close confined spaces to open wide areas, and action packed areas to more chilled out breaks in the action.
I couldn't agree more. My experience playing the game was that as soon after I started getting bored with a gameplay mode/type things changed up. Also, for its time the full physics engine was a pretty huge attraction.
It might have been because you tried to play through the game too fast instead of enjoying it. I thought the pacing was pretty good. For example, when you ride in the boat or the near the seacoast, there's always places you stop by to do something like shoot down rocket ships from towers or infiltrate bases. It's really hard to get bored unless you think of the game in levels and just want to reach the end. Rather than think about it like that, just think of it as (like someone else mentioned) an adventure and take each thing as it comes.
Personally I was just excited every time I got to a new place to explore/invade. Loved HL2.
I was quite disappointed by HL2. Opposed to HL1 it's an extremely slow paced, linear shooter with some simple puzzle elements mixed in... it's not bad but not great either. Recently got episode 1 because i wanted to play a shooter again and stopped playing after about an hour (didn't even bother to save).
I don't care about the graphics (which are imho good enough - some of the games i play a lot recently have far worse graphics), it's just... boring.
I wish someone would produce another Quake/Quake2 style game :-/
I suggest you to try playing through episode 2. I tried playing original HL2, but it just was plain boring. Then a friend suggested to try out HL2:ep2, and I was not dissapointed. It was alot shorter, but also it felt faster, more action packed. So try out episode 2, it's way better than HL2/Ep1.
Half life isn't that story focused, it's valve's platform to display their new engine and for a game that's main purpose was that to play it 7 years later isn't doing it much justice. It was amazing at the release. However I must say that halflife always has been a bit disturbing to me. Because there's so much more room for story but it's never used ./
On June 23 2011 19:41 RaiZ wrote: Just finished this game. (Bought the orange box with portal 1 and everything, but never bothered to play hl2 until now)
Spent like 10 hours to finish it.
There were some parts that took wayy too long to get rid of it. I mean, sure this game is beautiful, the gameplay is really nice, but come on do we really need to drive that sea car for like 1 hour ? The story was just pretty boring tbh if not empty. Half way of this car's gameplay, i got really bored of it, but what bothers me more is to have another unfinished game and i did not want to leave until i've finished it at least once. The map is way too big, there were many times where i couldn't stand to play anymore like "go to another piece, kill soldier/alien, open a door" rinse and repeat.
I loved the big map and the long travel distances in HL2. For me it created a much more immersive world compared to any other FPS game. I wish more games did the same. It never felt tedious. Driving through all the small outposts and towns was really enjoyable experience for me.
And the story ? What can i say ? I was pretty disappointed. But maybe that was because english wasn't my native language ? Or maybe cauz i've never finished the first one ? Either way, i was feeling really frustrated at the end.
You should've probably finished the first one, but even then the story isn't something that's slammed into your face with a bunch of cut scenes.
The IA was kinda retarded aswell but we couldn't expect it more since it's the same for every game. But still there were too many narrow paths were i couldn't get back because they were blocking me (gotta give them props though to have them say "excuse me" when they were in our way).
I didn't have any problems with this. Sure they blocked you a little bit, but you could easily walk past them anyway.
Kind of hoped they'd have given us a more accurate way to throw the object with the gravitic gun, or grenades since i had to send them multiple times before it got to where i wanted it to.
Gravity gun fired deadly objects in almost a straight line, what more can you want. Grenades were easy to use if you bounced them off walls. I mean really does the game have to hold your hand through everything?
At the end, it was like i was playing a Final fantasy game where you get to an endless tower in order to gain experience / get more challenge. Expect that it was mandatory in hl2. I was like, "when will it end seriously?" I really couldn't stand it anymore. If i had saved and went to sleep, i know i'd have never finished it because i'd have never played it again...
This game is definitely overated.
I thought it was nice to see stuff inside the citadel and fight your way to the top to kill the final boss, but I guess people expect a modern warfare #587 when they play a FPS game.
EPT
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