Half Life 2 appreciation thread

[Kire]

I'm playing through this now that I picked it up for $20 for X-Box on my 360. The emulation is a bit shoddy and some frames are dropped because of that, but DAMN it's still a great game. I'm not a graphics whore either, so it doesn't effect me that much. I like playing a game on my Lovesack rather than sitting in a chair in front of a 'puter, since I do that 8 hours a day anyway.

There's so much done right about this game it's staggering. It really takes the FPS genre and expands upon it on every level, from the physics puzzles, to the way you feel like you're really "in" the story because there really are no cutscenes. The way everyone looks at you in the source engine is still uncanny to me..and awesome.

It does what every masterpiece does right...throw new situations at you at every turn, whether it be different enemies, a chase, a new vehicle, or a new weapon to use. The gravity gun is insane.

If you haven't played it yet, PLEASE, you owe it to yourself to play it in some way shape or form. The same goes for God of War as well, since it's now $20, and is the greatest Playstation game I've ever played.

[Magus]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

My problems with God of War are well-documented but Half-Life 2 is GOLD. I am also replaying it and it's every bit the masterpiece you say it is. SOOOOO much fun.

Y'know the sequel episode comes out at the end of the month right?

[DK]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

For some reason I actually liked Doom 3 a whole lot more than Half Life 2.

Maybe I'm just put off by the fact that HL2 switches genres about 20 times (which a lot of people like about it).

[Kefka Jr.]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

I definitely have some Half Life 2 appreciatin' to do. I started it back during Christmas...

[OmegaD3k]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

Played Doom 3 at least 4 times already.
Played HL2 once and put it down. Just wasn't impressed with it.
HL1 was more enjoyable.

[Kire]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

That surprises me because Doom 3 is just the same thing over and over again, minus the intro...pretty much all the enemies are gay because they all keep coming out of the closet...around corners too.

[Vonwert]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

I really love Half Life 2. I made a cannon out of beds, cabnets, and barrels.

I really enjoy looking at the great scenery and getting that feeling of being in a massive world. You really feel like you are inside the game.

While the lack of good zoom weapons kinda sucks in some ways, it is still fun blasting way those badguys. I also loved the character models. They are very good.

And those deserted houses make you feel like your in a little horror movie. Very fun

[Thief of Dreams]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

pretty much all the enemies are gay because they all keep coming out of the closet

[marcus]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

Even though I own every valve game released through Steam (and even their 3rd party games like Space Empires IV and the excellently quirky Darwinia), I always questioned the appeal to Half-Life. When HL1 came out, System Shock 2 (my favorite first person game) and SiN did the same thing HL did, but better and yet HL1 outsold both games combined. Let's face it, HL2 didn't do anything new either except give you the ability to play with the modified physics engine in the form of picking up boxes and crates. Wow...

I can't put my finger on it because both games are stupidly simple (run from point A to point B and shoot monsters) but unlike the truckload of other FPS games that boast more advanced features than HL, the HL games are just fun. I don't know if it's the action-packed scripted sequences, the onslaught of alien enemies, or the 1984-esque modern alternate dictatorship atmosphere, but there's something appealing about Half-Life that I can't put my finger on. There's so many better FPS games in my opinion but none of them have hooked me the way HL has.

I think Valve put hypno-drugs in the gameworld. Yea, that's it.

[tjoris9]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

So far my favorite FPS's are HL2, FEAR, and DOOM 3. I thought FEAR was a little lame plotwise, because it seemed like it was just a police story with a couple supernatural elements, I really wanted to see more of the "spooky" side of the game. DOOM 3 has one problem. They should have sued the **** out of the guy who set up the lighting for the Mars base. Even before all Hell broke loose, you couldn't see ****. Other than that, I can only play for 30-60 minutes at a time because every encounter with enemies is designed specifically to make you jump at least three feet in the air.

[AbstractOrigin]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

I've played God of War, it's good.

I want to play HL2, but I need to get a better PC.

"But why don't you get the X-Box version, Kumo?"

I don't want the X-Box version because I suck aiming with the joysticks.

They should have sued the **** out of the guy who set up the lighting for the Mars base. Even before all Hell broke loose, you couldn't see ****.

Didn't they design it that way to make you use the flashlight to add to the "scary" theme?

[Magus]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

I can't put my finger on it because both games are stupidly simple (run from point A to point B and shoot monsters) but unlike the truckload of other FPS games that boast more advanced features than HL, the HL games are just fun. I don't know if it's the action-packed scripted sequences, the onslaught of alien enemies, or the 1984-esque modern alternate dictatorship atmosphere, but there's something appealing about Half-Life that I can't put my finger on. There's so many better FPS games in my opinion but none of them have hooked me the way HL has.

I think it's because they're so simple and fun and stylish. HL2 is genius because you get to use the environment as your weapon, the vehicle stuff is FUN and not a chore, and there's SOOOO much variety to the single-player adventure. I had no idea from the get-go that I'd be building my own bridges across treacherous alien terrain, aiming missiles with the mouse, setting up my own defenses against never-ending enemy onslaughts.

It's so TENSE.

[hitogoroshi]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

Yeah, I could've picked up God of War, but to be honest, I can't stand anything with more action then say, Budokai Tenkaichi. More of a stategy guy myself. Seriously, I hate high paced action to the point where I can't play game like KH.

[DK]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

Man, Doom 3 was all about the atmosphere, the monster closets were a homage to the originals.

HL2 on the other hand, I didn't really find much spectacular about the AI in that either.

[Magus]

Re: Half Life 2 appreciation thread

The AI is standard "try to kill you." But I'm still surprised as hell when a head crab zombie actually flips a table or a steel drum at me.

Kire, which part you up to?