Half life 2 overrated?

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

Meaning your just asbad as a console kiddy.. People who only play mindless FPS's.. Nothing beyond that while hating anything that is non stop action, requires thought, or deviates from the simple equations/designs.

Nigel_Tufnel

I AM TEH CONFUSD!!!

Are you calling me stupid because I prefer FPS games? lol

I am in grad school and my brain is constantly being rocked, so I prefer the so-called mindless FPS games. However, I should clarify - I hate most FPS games. Games like HL2, Halo 2, Prey, Call of Duty, etc., are BORING and MINDLESS. Games like Far Cry require cunning and skill. Further, games like Max Payne 2 and Chronicles of Riddick are artistic master pieces. Games like Deus Ex, HL1, FEAR, and Doom 3 are also pretty good to great.

So no, I am not looking for non stop action, I HATE arcade-style shooters (Duke Nukem and Seriuous Sam are two of the biggest offenders). But I also hate pretentious B.S. with pseudo-deep (truly non-existant) storylines, boring, half-baked "action", depressing 1984-wannabe environments, with cliff-hanger endings providing absolutely ZERO payoff - in otherwords, Half Life 2: Gabe's Abortion.

[QUOTE="Pedro"]The story telling is bad. I don't understand how and why folks think that the story telling in the game is great when the game tries its best not to tell the story. Nigel_Tufnel

I will let you in on a little secret: it's dangerously uncool to not "get" Half Life 2. Sure, you and I know that Valve didn't tell a story in HL2 because they had NO STORY TO TELL. But the game received nearly flawless reviews, sold millions of copies, and you'd DAMN WELL BETTER LIKE IT (or you risk thinking for yourself).

Anyone who claims that HL:2 is story-driven and brilliant is a fool or a follower, and I detest them in either case.

Yeah yeah, it's not as bad as you make it out to be. They're very talented devs the game is better than 95% of the FPSes out there regardless if you liked it or not, and it can be overrated and really good at the same time. It's not a godsent which the hype might lead you to believe, but it's still excellent.

lol everyone knows that england has the ugliest girls ;Pkyrieee

No your back water country has the ugliest people, UK Girls are great thanx

HL2 overated.... Perhaps but not by much thats all i have to say after reading this guys dig at our woman:evil:

After reading to majority of the posts here, I've come to this conclusion:

1 - People who like the game appreciate the simple yet intriguing story, amazing physics, solid gameplay, interesting NPCs, and the fact that the game doesn't focus on killing stuff.

2 - People who don't like the game think the story is boring and not detailed enough, don't care about the physics, are bored by the cinematic gameplay, are uninterested in the characters, and would rather have a game that focused more on action and gunplay then cinematics and problem solving.

I think a lot of people were expecting it to be as good as Half-Life 1. It wasn't. A lot of people expect games where the perspective is first-person to be solely focused on shooting stuff. They're not. A lot of people expected a huge amount of detail and options from the game. They're wasn't. A lot of people expected a continuation of HL1's story. It wasn't. I think a lot of peoples' opinions are marred by their expectations.

Do I think HL2 is overrated? Sort of. High profile games are always hyped up beyond believe in order to get people to buy them. Most of the time, the game can simply not live up to the amount of hype surrounding it. Half-Life 2 is an amazing game in many people's mind. Is the best game ever? No. Is it one of the best games ever? Yes.

If you want to talk about overrated, let's talk about Halo 3. It's a sweet game, but again, it just can't live up to the amount of hype that surrounds it.

3. Extreme linearity. I remember back in the Half Life 2 beta how different things were. The Half Life 2 beta of ages ago actually featured things like free roam. Where did it go? Whoops! We lost it! Why waste time balancing when you can just ditch it?

CaptHawkeye

Free roam, free roam...jesus I am so sick of the free roam fanatics. Free roam is code word for "the illusion that you're giving the player a choice when you're actually not." It also means "crappy story" and "directionless." A little bit of free roam is okay, I have no problem with that but to say a game is not any good because it lacks free roam is utterly stupid.

[QUOTE="kyrieee"]lol everyone knows that england has the ugliest girls ;Pjwsoul

No your back water country has the ugliest people, UK Girls are great thanx

HL2 overated.... Perhaps but not by much thats all i have to say after reading this guys dig at our woman:evil:

page 1: we discuss half life 2's position in the gaming world and how justly it holds it

page 2: the discussion becomes fairly heated

page 3: the discussion becomes an argument

page 4: the argument becomes flames

page 5: the flaming degenerates into mindless insults

page 6: we discuss which country has the hottest women

i love you, internet!

It dosent reguire broadband 2 work, i set it up wit my wonderful 56 kps dial-up, and it worked fine:lol::lol:

[QUOTE="kyrieee"]lol everyone knows that england has the ugliest girls ;Pjwsoul

No your back water country has the ugliest people, UK Girls are great thanx

HL2 overated.... Perhaps but not by much thats all i have to say after reading this guys dig at our woman:evil:

Last time I checked Sweden has pretty hot chicks, and FYI I wasn't serious hence the smiley

[QUOTE="Nigel_Tufnel"]

[QUOTE="Pedro"]The story telling is bad. I don't understand how and why folks think that the story telling in the game is great when the game tries its best not to tell the story. Gooeykat

I will let you in on a little secret: it's dangerously uncool to not "get" Half Life 2. Sure, you and I know that Valve didn't tell a story in HL2 because they had NO STORY TO TELL. But the game received nearly flawless reviews, sold millions of copies, and you'd DAMN WELL BETTER LIKE IT (or you risk thinking for yourself).

Anyone who claims that HL:2 is story-driven and brilliant is a fool or a follower, and I detest them in either case.

You're a dork.

Garsh, thank-ems!!!

So which are you, Gooeykat... fool, or follower?

[QUOTE="1005"]

1.) If your talking about Black Mesa East then your wrong, there weren't badguys 100 feet away. The base was attacked because Judith Mossman tells the combine where they were, after they had managed to stay hidden and safe for a long time. If you had a base that no one knew existed for so long then suddenly out of the blue its attacked, wouldn't you be shocked or surprised?CaptHawkeye

If that base was barely a stones throw from an area of intense Combine activity? Especially considering the obvious network of resistance bases leading to it? No I wouldn't. Mossman didnt HAVE to tell Breen about the base. Any idiot would have known that the security of the base was compromised the moment Gordon walked into it. Gordon can't just be someplace, and then magically disappear. The Combine will ring the area out looking for him.

Also the planet has NO government, infrastructure etc at all as the combine and Wallace Breen controls everything

Think about what you are saying here.

and opresses the surviving populace through violence and procreation repression fields. People only rely on the combine because the water is drugged making them forget the atrocities the combine have done and because Breen makes broadcasts saying how wonderful life is under combine control.

And here again you admit the Combine arean entity of Government. Sorry, but any organization that enacts control and discipline upon a populace IS a government. And it doesn't matter what atrocities the Combineare responsible for at this point. They've already damaged the planet's ecosystem to irreparable levels. Humanity needs them now. They are the only source of food, shelter, and protection.

By destroying the citadel Gordon has given the people of City17 the chance to actually fight back against the combine and regain a small portion of their planet. Without the citadel the combine have no communication to other cities, no communication offworld, no factory to create extra vehicles or soldiers and more importantly the combine can no longer get onto Earth. Yes some people may die, but the resistance did they best they could getting people out of City17 considering they were out numbered and outgunned by the combine in the process.

Stop here. You mean to tell me you don't think it's monumentally stupid that the big bad Combine TOTALLY RELY UPON A SINGLE STRUCTURE TO CONTROL THE WHOLE PLANET? So once the Combine Citadel collapses. That's it! Woohoo! Way to Deus Ex Machina your way out of that one boys!

2.) Think you'll find this point is somewhat mute, its gameplay. No different to other FPS games where enemy units are stationed on platforms or near explosive barrels etc.

And those FPS games are **** too. But I can't seem to recall any of the games you claim to exist. Tell me, how many other games have enemies attacked youwhile manning a grav lift? Orbungieing down into your hovercraft's path the very moment you are driving by?

And you'll also notice that the situations you described only happens during early stages of gameplay when the player doesnt have much of an arsenal at their disposal. Later on in the game the explosive barrels are randomly placed for the player to utilise with the gravity gun and there isn't many destructable platforms at all once your past the canals section of the game.

So? The game is still relying upon a totally contrived FPS concept that has been done to death. Using "lol trapz" to kill enemies when anyone with a spinal cord could see them. A barrel marked "Explosive" or "Flammable" isn't good to stand next to. If they are present, and the man you are trying to kill is wielding a god damn TELEKINESIS GUN, maybe you should, I don't know, get rid of them?

3.) What are you talking about? most FPS games are linear to some degree and i won't say HalfLife2 isn't. But the enviroments are still open to be explored, for instance the sections of the game where your in the hovercraft or beach buggy allow the player to roam free while also sticking to a path. And even when inside buildings the player can still enter multiple rooms out of curiosity, although usually there is nothing of interest in them.

Sorry, that's still a linear level. And nothing close to what was promised to us early in the game's development.

The points you've made are found in most if not all FPS games, so really you can't hold them as exclusive to HalfLife2 since many FPS games have them.

Oh but you see I CAN hold them exclusive to Half Life 2.When thefans walk around trying to covince everyone that Half Life 2 was the ultimate "uber shotz" and that I should buy it or i'm a big stupid head, I tend to get far more suspicious over the quality of a game than excited. And should you confront these fanboys that you didn't like the game? God have mercy on your unrighteous soul for challenging the fanboy's status quo!

When the fanboys and developers hype a game as if it is capable of happily rapturing us all up into heaven for an eternal existence of peace and pleasure, I tend to get more suspicious than excited.

Wow. With 14000 posts, I would think CaptHawkeye would know better than to waste that much time using... REASON to debate sheep.

SHEEP FTL!!!

rofl

[QUOTE="CaptHawkeye"]

3. Extreme linearity. I remember back in the Half Life 2 beta how different things were. The Half Life 2 beta of ages ago actually featured things like free roam. Where did it go? Whoops! We lost it! Why waste time balancing when you can just ditch it?

Gooeykat

Free roam, free roam...jesus I am so sick of the free roam fanatics. Free roam is code word for "the illusion that you're giving the player a choice when you're actually not." It also means "crappy story" and "directionless." A little bit of free roam is okay, I have no problem with that but to say a game is not any good because it lacks free roam is utterly stupid.

i agree with you that for a fps being free roaming is not everything. half-ife is linear because it was supposed to be so. if you only want free roaming games go ahead play ony those games, but saying that every game should be free raoming or it sucks, it plain ignorance imo.

[QUOTE="Gooeykat"][QUOTE="CaptHawkeye"]

3. Extreme linearity. I remember back in the Half Life 2 beta how different things were. The Half Life 2 beta of ages ago actually featured things like free roam. Where did it go? Whoops! We lost it! Why waste time balancing when you can just ditch it?

naval

Free roam, free roam...jesus I am so sick of the free roam fanatics. Free roam is code word for "the illusion that you're giving the player a choice when you're actually not." It also means "crappy story" and "directionless." A little bit of free roam is okay, I have no problem with that but to say a game is not any good because it lacks free roam is utterly stupid.

i agree with you that for a fps being free roaming is not everything. half-ife is linear because it was supposed to be so. if you only want free roaming games go ahead play ony those games, but saying that every game should be free raoming or it sucks, it plain ignorance imo.

Every game can't be free roaming but it should still try not to be on a rail because then you could just make it on a rail anyway and be done with it. The problem with extremely linear games with heavy scripting is that when you do something in a way you weren't meant to, the illusion totally breaks. The linearity needs to be more dynamic ;P I don't really think HL2 improved over HL1 in that regard, it was just more more more scripted scenes and locations that were meant to play out a certain way.

Half life 2 overrated?

NO

NO

NO

NO

half life is pc's halo. but you don't see the media creaming all over half life like they do halo. at least halo is a trilogy and won't be run into the ground. i think valve is doing good by releasing the episodes rather than a half life 3. but then half life sells itself, and was around some 3 odd years before halo 1. valve doesn't need the media to sell half life.

no, half life 2 is not over rated.

Every game can't be free roaming but it should still try not to be on a rail because then you could just make it on a rail anyway and be done with it. The problem with extremely linear games with heavy scripting is that when you do something in a way you weren't meant to, the illusion totally breaks.

kyrieee

exteremly linear by its very nature means you can't avoid the scripted sequences. this is precisley the problems with few of the open ended games, that its very difficlut to the the story going. once again, hl 2 wasn't meant to be open ended

The linearity needs to be more dynamic ;P I don't really think HL2 improved over HL1 in that regard, it was just more more more scripted scenes and locations that were meant to play out a certain way.

kyrieee

scripted sequences as hl 1's formula and hl 2 builded mre upon that. the sequences for more engrossing and fun. there was so much vriety in those and that' what hl 2 is precisely famous for.

IMHO,one's impressions of Half-Life 2 can be tied directly to how long that individual has been playing FPS games, and in what Era of Gaming that person began playing the genre.

If one has only been playing for a few years, they'll likely think Halo is among the all-time greats. If you're an old-school gamer, (prior to the original Half-Life in 1998) you'll likely think Halo is instead among the most over-hyped, over-rated games of all-time. Halo, or any 2000 era game owes all it's hype (and goodness) to the original HL, as that is the game that showed the FPS world how to tell a story from the protagonist's perspective (rather than through in-game text), program an enemy AI's actions, script events, create a truly immersive game-world, and create all things NPC related (facial expressions, actions, lips synched to dialogue, etc)

That said, HL-2 was over-rated to a degree. Poor AI being reason at the top of the list. Ease of combat 2nd, especially if you've played the original and were familiar with the weapons. Placing the most powerful weapon from HL-1, the Tau Cannon, which fires through walls, on the Buggy made the Hwy-17 section of the game a breeze. The mounted Tau, combined with the suit-zoom feature,made for EASYlong-distance sniping from the Dune Buggy throughout the mission. Personally, I could have done with a bit less of the "Boy and his Ant-Lions" section of the game, for it was also too easy.

HL-2 was a faithful, worthy follow-up to HL-1, but it in NO WAY surpasses the original in ANY area. Again, you'd have had to been gaming back in 1998 to fully understand and appreciate this statement. No offense to the new-school gamers here... that's just a fact. Ask some of your older gaming friends for their opinion, and I'd bet anything that they'll agree. Having played HL-1 a month after it's release, I was expecting SO MUCH MORE from HL-2, and was expecting it to be as ground-breaking in more areas. Instead, all I got was the Gravity Gun.

I'd put HL-2 on my Top-10 Best-ever FPS List, maybe. But nowhere near the top 5 FPS games ever produced. That list is occupied by HL-1, MOHAA, COD, System Shock 2, and Deus Ex.

IMHO,one's impressions of Half-Life 2 can be tied directly to how long that individual has been playing FPS games, and in what Era of Gaming that person began playing the genre.

If one has only been playing for a few years, they'll likely think Halo is among the all-time greats. If you're an old-school gamer, (prior to the original Half-Life in 1998) you'll likely think Halo is instead among the most over-hyped, over-rated games of all-time. Halo, or any 2000 era game owes all it's hype (and goodness) to the original HL, as that is the game that showed the FPS world how to tell a story from the protagonist's perspective (rather than through in-game text), program an enemy AI's actions, script events, create a truly immersive game-world, and create all things NPC related (facial expressions, actions, lips synched to dialogue, etc)

That said, HL-2 was over-rated to a degree. Poor AI being reason at the top of the list. Ease of combat 2nd, especially if you've played the original and were familiar with the weapons. Placing the most powerful weapon from HL-1, the Tau Cannon, which fires through walls, on the Buggy made the Hwy-17 section of the game a breeze. The mounted Tau, combined with the suit-zoom feature,made for EASYlong-distance sniping from the Dune Buggy throughout the mission. Personally, I could have done with a bit less of the "Boy and his Ant-Lions" section of the game, for it was also too easy.

HL-2 was a faithful, worthy follow-up to HL-1, but it in NO WAY surpasses the original in ANY area. Again, you'd have had to been gaming back in 1998 to fully understand and appreciate this statement. No offense to the new-school gamers here... that's just a fact. Ask some of your older gaming friends for their opinion, and I'd bet anything that they'll agree. Having played HL-1 a month after it's release, I was expecting SO MUCH MORE from HL-2, and was expecting it to be as ground-breaking in more areas. Instead, all I got was the Gravity Gun.

I'd put HL-2 on my Top-10 Best-ever FPS List, maybe. But nowhere near the top 5 FPS games ever produced. That list is occupied by HL-1, MOHAA, COD, System Shock 2, and Deus Ex.

JackBurton

i would agree what you said about hl2 and hl1, but imo its the other way round. More than HL 2 being overrated, its HL 1 that is very underrated, very few people give it as much credit as they give to other games.

[QUOTE="Gooeykat"][QUOTE="Nigel_Tufnel"]

[QUOTE="Pedro"]The story telling is bad. I don't understand how and why folks think that the story telling in the game is great when the game tries its best not to tell the story. Nigel_Tufnel

I will let you in on a little secret: it's dangerously uncool to not "get" Half Life 2. Sure, you and I know that Valve didn't tell a story in HL2 because they had NO STORY TO TELL. But the game received nearly flawless reviews, sold millions of copies, and you'd DAMN WELL BETTER LIKE IT (or you risk thinking for yourself).

Anyone who claims that HL:2 is story-driven and brilliant is a fool or a follower, and I detest them in either case.

You're a dork.

Garsh, thank-ems!!!

So which are you, Gooeykat... fool, or follower?

Well gee willickers you're welcome Nigel and unlike you I am neither just an objective observer who doesn't have an axe to grind. HL2 isn't even one my favorite games. Also, you may want to get a thicker skin if you're going to report harmless posts.

[QUOTE="kyrieee"]

Every game can't be free roaming but it should still try not to be on a rail because then you could just make it on a rail anyway and be done with it. The problem with extremely linear games with heavy scripting is that when you do something in a way you weren't meant to, the illusion totally breaks.

naval

exteremly linear by its very nature means you can't avoid the scripted sequences. this is precisley the problems with few of the open ended games, that its very difficlut to the the story going. once again, hl 2 wasn't meant to be open ended

The linearity needs to be more dynamic ;P I don't really think HL2 improved over HL1 in that regard, it was just more more more scripted scenes and locations that were meant to play out a certain way.

kyrieee

scripted sequences as hl 1's formula and hl 2 builded mre upon that. the sequences for more engrossing and fun. there was so much vriety in those and that' what hl 2 is precisely famous for.

The point I'm trying to make is that currently scripted sequenzes are TOTALLY static. In all computer games you're allowed a measure of freedom and if you weren't you might as well be watching a movie. The freedom the player is allowed can break the scripted scenes. The next evolution of scripted scenes would IMO be ones that are adaptable to the little degree of freedom the player actaully has in a game such as HL2 so you wont end up with scripted stuff thats totally out of place because you did something unexpected and the scene is 100% static.

Regarding HL2 though, leading up to the game they showed scripted sequences that they stated were AI driven. That was cheap. HL2 didn't have to be a script fest, I don't think their goal is to have that, but they want a cinematic experience and atm that's the only way they can do it. Someday I believe emergent gameplay will take over.

@ JackBurton, it all really depends on what you mean by game so and so being 'better' than another game. Do you judge the subjective experience when you first played it? Different people have varying amounts of knowledge about the game prior to playing. If you never watch a trailer to a game you will probably enjoy it more. Factors like that make such judgement unreliable, not to mention the fact that people tend to glorify the past (that's just the way it is). HL2 IS a better game technically, but it's nowhere near as groundbreaking.

A game like Deus Ex though, I think it's still pretty much unrivalled in many areas while it's dated in many, but that's more due to the limitations the devs had at the time. Their creative vision remains fenomenal. There are so many conceiveable ways to define which game is 'better' that you can't make any sense of it all. It's like "which sports team is better". If one team goes undefeated for 100 games and then lose one is the team that beat them better? People always toss around expressions without thoroughly thinking through what they mean with them.

[QUOTE="Nigel_Tufnel"][QUOTE="Gooeykat"][QUOTE="Nigel_Tufnel"]

[QUOTE="Pedro"]The story telling is bad. I don't understand how and why folks think that the story telling in the game is great when the game tries its best not to tell the story. Gooeykat

I will let you in on a little secret: it's dangerously uncool to not "get" Half Life 2. Sure, you and I know that Valve didn't tell a story in HL2 because they had NO STORY TO TELL. But the game received nearly flawless reviews, sold millions of copies, and you'd DAMN WELL BETTER LIKE IT (or you risk thinking for yourself).

Anyone who claims that HL:2 is story-driven and brilliant is a fool or a follower, and I detest them in either case.

You're a dork.

Garsh, thank-ems!!!

So which are you, Gooeykat... fool, or follower?

Well gee willickers you're welcome Nigel and unlike you I am neither just an objective observer who doesn't have an axe to grind. HL2 isn't even one my favorite games. Also, you may want to get a thicker skin if you're going to report harmless posts.

Silly Gooey, being called a dork doesn't hurt my feelings. I am not 4 years old FTL. But you said nothing, just made a silly little comment. Boooo to silly comments!!!

[QUOTE="Gooeykat"][QUOTE="Nigel_Tufnel"][QUOTE="Gooeykat"][QUOTE="Nigel_Tufnel"]

[QUOTE="Pedro"]The story telling is bad. I don't understand how and why folks think that the story telling in the game is great when the game tries its best not to tell the story. Nigel_Tufnel

I will let you in on a little secret: it's dangerously uncool to not "get" Half Life 2. Sure, you and I know that Valve didn't tell a story in HL2 because they had NO STORY TO TELL. But the game received nearly flawless reviews, sold millions of copies, and you'd DAMN WELL BETTER LIKE IT (or you risk thinking for yourself).

Anyone who claims that HL:2 is story-driven and brilliant is a fool or a follower, and I detest them in either case.

So which are you, Gooeykat... fool, or follower?

Well gee willickers you're welcome Nigel and unlike you I am neither just an objective observer who doesn't have an axe to grind. HL2 isn't even one my favorite games. Also, you may want to get a thicker skin if you're going to report harmless posts.

Silly Gooey, being called a dork doesn't hurt my feelings. I am not 4 years old FTL. But you said nothing, just made a silly little comment. Boooo to silly comments!!!

Wait, let me get this straight. Nigel reports Gooey for calling him a dork, yet Nigel's first post was basically a flame insulting anyone who may infact like a game that is extremely likeable (based on the fact that a whole lot of people find it to be an enjoyable, entertaining game).

Let's just think about this. Replace Half-Life 2 with pizza. A lot of people like pizza because it tastes good. A lot of people enjoy the flavor, so it's a popular food that ranks among the top foods eaten by Americans. Yet, Nigel doesn't like it, cause he's not a fan of tomato sauce. In Nigel's genius mind, this means that anyone who actually likes pizza, because they think it tastes good, is a fool or a follower.

You're brilliant dude. Way to pigeonhole people who disagree with you. I think you're the one who should be reported, but I'm not that much of a chode. Reporting is for sissies.

being called a dork doesn't hurt my feelings.

Of course it hurts your feelings otherwise you wouldn't of responded and you wouldn't of reported it and you wouldn't be responding to me again. So grow up my friend, mmkay. You're the one who came into this forum claiming anyone who things HL2 is great game is a "fool or a follower" and that is offensive and you are the one that should be reported.

The point I'm trying to make is that currently scripted sequenzes are TOTALLY static. In all computer games you're allowed a measure of freedom and if you weren't you might as well be watching a movie. The freedom the player is allowed can break the scripted scenes. The next evolution of scripted scenes would IMO be ones that are adaptable to the little degree of freedom the player actaully has in a game such as HL2 so you wont end up with scripted stuff thats totally out of place because you did something unexpected and the scene is 100% static.

Regarding HL2 though, leading up to the game they showed scripted sequences that they stated were AI driven. That was cheap. HL2 didn't have to be a script fest, I don't think their goal is to have that, but they want a cinematic experience and atm that's the only way they can do it. Someday I believe emergent gameplay will take over.

kyrieee

taking hl2 as example can you tell me what you meant by scripted sequences being totally static ?? in hl2 the scripted sequences were just a way to change the way you are playing the game or what are you doing in the game, and the mostly linear path was to ensure you go through them.so basically greatness of HL 2 was in the constantly changing gameplay experience one has. what's your problem with it, i still couldn't get it

being called a dork doesn't hurt my feelings.

Of course it hurts your feelings otherwise you wouldn't of responded and you wouldn't of reported it and you wouldn't be responding to me again.Gooeykat

Really? I thought I was just looking for a fight. But believe what you want.

So grow up my friend, mmkay. You're the one who came into this forum claiming anyone who things HL2 is great game is a "fool or a follower" and that is offensive and you are the one that should be reported.

Gooeykat

I meant "fool or follower" to be offensive - those are lame ways to be.

Jeez, I can almost hear you sobbing at your keyboard, could you be anymore pathetic?

Why don't people respond to me when I point out the flaws in the logic!?Either tell me I'm an A-hole or admit I'm right!

:evil:

...hehehe...

Jeez, I can almost hear you sobbing at your keyboard, could you be anymore pathetic?

Gooeykat

I heard a quote whoose modified version i would like to tell you : 'Don't argue with a troll, he will bring you down to his level and beat you down with this experience'

HL-2 was a faithful, worthy follow-up to HL-1, but it in NO WAY surpasses the original in ANY area. Again, you'd have had to been gaming back in 1998 to fully understand and appreciate this statement.

JackBurton

I've been gaming since '85 and I thought HL2 was just a slightly better game than HL1...but then again the first time I played through HL1 it was on a laptop with a PII-233mhz proc, no 3d acceleration (software rendering), no mouse, and laptop speakers. It took me the better part of 5 months to get through it but I did.

[QUOTE="JackBurton"]

HL-2 was a faithful, worthy follow-up to HL-1, but it in NO WAY surpasses the original in ANY area. Again, you'd have had to been gaming back in 1998 to fully understand and appreciate this statement.

D9-THC

I've been gaming since '85 and I thought HL2 was just a slightly better game than HL1...but then again the first time I played through HL1 it was on a laptop with a PII-233mhz proc, no 3d acceleration (software rendering), no mouse, and laptop speakers. It took me the better part of 5 months to get through it but I did.

Dude, that's like trying to watch Lord of the Rings in a mirror reflection of a 4" black and white TV with blown out headphone speakers while sitting on a couch made of nails and broken glass!

Okay...that's an exageration...but...that's no way to play one of the best games ever made (IMO of course)!

[QUOTE="CaptHawkeye"]

3. Extreme linearity. I remember back in the Half Life 2 beta how different things were. The Half Life 2 beta of ages ago actually featured things like free roam. Where did it go? Whoops! We lost it! Why waste time balancing when you can just ditch it?

Gooeykat

Free roam, free roam...jesus I am so sick of the free roam fanatics.

Nice to see the whole point of my argument went right over your head. Half Life 2 was ADVERTISED for years with Free Roam, did we get it? Nope.

Free roam is code word for "the illusion that you're giving the player a choice when you're actually not."

That's a problem with story telling and plot direction, not gameplay. It's sad that FPS have become so reliant on their story presentation it's THE ONLY THING that keeps people coming back for more.

It also means "crappy story" and "directionless."

Funny you should mention crappy story. At least with a free roam game, you have SLIGHT control over the story. And that is far superior to the interactive movie that you seem to enjoy.

A little bit of free roam is okay, I have no problem with that but to say a game is not any good because it lacks free roam is utterly stupid.

And to say that's it's perfectly fine for developers to keep ramming the same contrived game down your throat over and over again is also utterly stupid. I don't mind an FPS that doesn't pretend to be "shooter 2.0" what I DO mind is a game that's touted as the second coming and it does literally NOTHING to distinguish itself from other video games. But, zomg, Half Life 2 has got a telekinesis gun! Zomg revoltionary!!1!!!

[QUOTE="Gooeykat"][QUOTE="CaptHawkeye"]

3. Extreme linearity. I remember back in the Half Life 2 beta how different things were. The Half Life 2 beta of ages ago actually featured things like free roam. Where did it go? Whoops! We lost it! Why waste time balancing when you can just ditch it?

CaptHawkeye

Free roam, free roam...jesus I am so sick of the free roam fanatics.

Nice to see the whole point of my argument went right over your head. Half Life 2 was ADVERTISED for years with Free Roam, did we get it? Nope.

Free roam is code word for "the illusion that you're giving the player a choice when you're actually not."

That's a problem with story telling and plot direction, not gameplay. It's sad that FPS have become so reliant on their story presentation it's THE ONLY THING that keeps people coming back for more.

It also means "crappy story" and "directionless."

Funny you should mention crappy story. At least with a free roam game, you have SLIGHT control over the story. And that is far superior to the interactive movie that you seem to enjoy.

A little bit of free roam is okay, I have no problem with that but to say a game is not any good because it lacks free roam is utterly stupid.

And to say that's it's perfectly fine for developers to keep ramming the same contrived game down your throat over and over again is also utterly stupid. I don't mind an FPS that doesn't pretend to be "shooter 2.0" what I DO mind is a game that's touted as the second coming and it does literally NOTHING to distinguish itself from other video games. But, zomg, Half Life 2 has got a telekinesis gun! Zomg revoltionary!!1!!!

Half-Life 2 is revolutionary in the same way Half-Life 1 is. I bet next you'd say "OMG WOW HALFLIFE HAS CROSSBOW" or some dumb comment. Half-Life 2 is revolutionary due to how immersive and real the world is. No one gives a crap about free-roam. If it has it, goodie, if it doesn't, who cares. I couldn't care less about "controlling the story". Normally games where you can control the story don't have a good story in the first place.

[QUOTE="kyrieee"]I hated the combat and I hated how scripted it was when they promised otherwise, but you can't rate games on expectations. It has the best storytelling in an FPS ever, it's really immersive and it pretty much sets the bar for digital characters. It probably scored a little bit higher than it deserved just because of all the hype, but it's not the first game in history to do so *cough* halo-series *cough*. I don't think it's "overrated" though, it's really polished and excellent in most ways. And I hate Valve.lithuania_pride

1. The story was way different in feel, and the game less scary, but especially, it wasnt tense at all.

2. The game was too easy on all settings, and the weapons were terrible except for the gravity gun.

The problem with that is that those are both 100% opinions. A reviewer doesn't review a game based on opinion, they use facts. And also, "wasn't tense at all"?? Did you even get to Ravenholm?

[QUOTE="CaptHawkeye"][QUOTE="Gooeykat"][QUOTE="CaptHawkeye"]

3. Extreme linearity. I remember back in the Half Life 2 beta how different things were. The Half Life 2 beta of ages ago actually featured things like free roam. Where did it go? Whoops! We lost it! Why waste time balancing when you can just ditch it?

GodLovesDead

Free roam, free roam...jesus I am so sick of the free roam fanatics.

Nice to see the whole point of my argument went right over your head. Half Life 2 was ADVERTISED for years with Free Roam, did we get it? Nope.

Free roam is code word for "the illusion that you're giving the player a choice when you're actually not."

That's a problem with story telling and plot direction, not gameplay. It's sad that FPS have become so reliant on their story presentation it's THE ONLY THING that keeps people coming back for more.

It also means "crappy story" and "directionless."

Funny you should mention crappy story. At least with a free roam game, you have SLIGHT control over the story. And that is far superior to the interactive movie that you seem to enjoy.

A little bit of free roam is okay, I have no problem with that but to say a game is not any good because it lacks free roam is utterly stupid.

And to say that's it's perfectly fine for developers to keep ramming the same contrived game down your throat over and over again is also utterly stupid. I don't mind an FPS that doesn't pretend to be "shooter 2.0" what I DO mind is a game that's touted as the second coming and it does literally NOTHING to distinguish itself from other video games. But, zomg, Half Life 2 has got a telekinesis gun! Zomg revoltionary!!1!!!

Half-Life 2 is revolutionary in the same way Half-Life 1 is. I bet next you'd say "OMG WOW HALFLIFE HAS CROSSBOW" or some dumb comment. Half-Life 2 is revolutionary due to how immersive and real the world is. No one gives a crap about free-roam. If it has it, goodie, if it doesn't, who cares. I couldn't care less about "controlling the story". Normally games where you can control the story don't have a good story in the first place.

I was much more immersed into doom 3 and far cry, i felt like i could reach out and touch the things in doom 3, never had that feeling in hl2.The things i had most fun with in hl2 and that will stick to me in memory was the physics. That stuff was a lot of fun, to trow stuff and people. Thats also why im having so much more fun in hl2 deathmatch then counter strike or day of defeat.

And if im not mistaken the physics thing engine was not even made by valve :)

Nice to see the whole point of my argument went right over your head. Half Life 2 was ADVERTISED for years with Free Roam, did we get it? Nope.CaptHawkeye

Since when was Half-Life 2 advertised with any more free roam than it had? I enjoyed running around the area exploring before moving on with the story, because there was usually some cool stuff you could find if you did. That's all the free roam you need in a game that's as heavily story driven as HL. Any more free roaming would have detracted from the story and the flow of the game (which was amazing).

Free roam is code word for "the illusion that you're giving the player a choice when you're actually not."

That's a problem with story telling and plot direction, not gameplay. It's sad that FPS have become so reliant on their story presentation it's THE ONLY THING that keeps people coming back for more.CaptHawkeye

That happens when games start getting great stories. Half-Life 2, F.E.A.R., Condemned, Bioshock. Those games have such great story presentation that anyone who doesn't want to come back for more wasn't paying enough attention.

It also means "crappy story" and "directionless."

Funny you should mention crappy story. At least with a free roam game, you have SLIGHT control over the story. And that is far superior to the interactive movie that you seem to enjoy.CaptHawkeye

That, my friend, is what we call an opinion. And as far as rational-thinking intelligent people are concerned, it holds no value whatsoever in an argument.

A little bit of free roam is okay, I have no problem with that but to say a game is not any good because it lacks free roam is utterly stupid.

And to say that's it's perfectly fine for developers to keep ramming the same contrived game down your throat over and over again is also utterly stupid. I don't mind an FPS that doesn't pretend to be "shooter 2.0" what I DO mind is a game that's touted as the second coming and it does literally NOTHING to distinguish itself from other video games. But, zomg, Half Life 2 has got a telekinesis gun! Zomg revoltionary!!1!!!

CaptHawkeye

New guns don't make a game revolutionary. See how that worked out with Resistence? Exactly. Half-Life 2 is revolutionary because of it's realism, amazing story, great writing, believable characters (something that hadn't been seen in SOO long), and groundbreaking use of physics in gameplay. I think the real problem here is that you just personally didn't find Half-Life 2 to be that enjoyable (which is perfectly fine), and now, for reasons that rational-thinking people (you know, the ones who don't give a crap opinions in arguments) can't comprehend, you have your panties in a bunch because other people did enjoy it.

half life2 is a brilliant game

overrated? pssch, i'd say it's misunderstood

i find the genius of half life 2 to be in the way that it is frankly contrary to the standard of first person shooters - in a typical fps, the focus is on the gunplay, and the environments are - by and large - incidental... you'll play through level x then level y and level z, and while the locations may change from factories to offices to ocean liners, you're still doing the same thing: you're running from a to b while killing enemy c, over and over again

this is where half life 2 excels - the gunplay itself is pretty bad... you've got generic ai that is poor when placed beside its predecessor and the game was notoriously easy... but that's because, i think, the gunplay is incidental - it's there because it has to be... but what half life 2 is, is a game of changing scenario

you'll start with a cool warm up period where you're exploring a desolate, dystopic 1984-style world, then you're in a frantic unarmed escape as you try to evade the law, then you fall into a series of decent firefights as you arm up - you're speeding down a waterway in a hovercraft, you're exploring a creepy horror movie style ghost town, you're playing catch with a giant robot dog, you're leading a team of giant insectoids on a prison raid, you're speeding down a road in a mad max style buggy, you're in your very own version of the movie tremors, you're battling war of the worlds style walkers from rooftops

the focus of the gameplay is constantly shifting, and even the very best of the generic fps crowd tend to stagnate in those last few hours because you're just doing the same thing over and over and over - but with half life 2, every corner you turn brings a brand new focus for gameplay

i really don't think of half life 2 as a first person shooter - i think it transcends the genre - the label 'fps' doesn't do the game justice... i'd say calling it the best game ever made is hyperbole - but i'd say it's one of the finest achievements of the computer gaming industry so far, and its biggest flaw is probably how it made most of the rest of my gaming library feel so mediocre and stale after i'd experienced such awesomeness

overrated? nah

mfsa

Well put..... HL seriesis the best game series ever created, fact.

[QUOTE="mfsa"]

half life2 is a brilliant game

overrated? pssch, i'd say it's misunderstood

i find the genius of half life 2 to be in the way that it is frankly contrary to the standard of first person shooters - in a typical fps, the focus is on the gunplay, and the environments are - by and large - incidental... you'll play through level x then level y and level z, and while the locations may change from factories to offices to ocean liners, you're still doing the same thing: you're running from a to b while killing enemy c, over and over again

this is where half life 2 excels - the gunplay itself is pretty bad... you've got generic ai that is poor when placed beside its predecessorand the game was notoriously easy... but that's because, i think, the gunplay is incidental - it's there because it has to be... but what half life 2 is, is a game of changing scenario

you'll start with a cool warm upperiod where you're exploring a desolate, dystopic 1984-style world, then you're in a frantic unarmed escape as you try to evade the law, then you fall into a series of decent firefights as you arm up - you're speeding down a waterway in a hovercraft, you're exploring a creepy horror movie style ghost town, you're playing catch with a giant robot dog, you're leading a team of giant insectoids on a prison raid, you're speeding down a road in a mad max style buggy, you're in your very own version of the movie tremors, you're battling war of the worlds style walkers from rooftops

the focus of the gameplay is constantly shifting, and even the very best of the genericfps crowd tend to stagnate in those last few hours because you're just doing the same thing over and over and over - but with half life 2, every corner you turn brings a brand new focus for gameplay

i really don't think of half life 2 as a first person shooter - i think it transcends the genre - the label 'fps' doesn't do the game justice... i'd say calling it the best game ever made is hyperbole - but i'd say it's one ofthe finest achievements of the computer gaming industry so far, and its biggest flaw is probably how it made most of the rest of my gaming library feel so mediocre and stale after i'd experienced such awesomeness

overrated? nah

eliteking

Well put..... HL seriesis the best game series ever created, fact.

That's not fact, its just an opinion.

Half-Life 2 is revolutionary in the same way Half-Life 1 is. I bet next you'd say "OMG WOW HALFLIFE HAS CROSSBOW" or some dumb comment. Half-Life 2 is revolutionary due to how immersive and real the world is.GodLovesDead

Are you joking? :lol: Operation Flashpoint had three times the interactivity in its world, and it came out 3 years before Half Life 2 did.

No one gives a crap about free-roam. If it has it, goodie, if it doesn't, who cares. I couldn't care less about "controlling the story". Normally games where you can control the story don't have a good story in the first place.

Jesus Christ, you still don't get it do you? Who CARES about the god damn story? I wanteda video game, not an interactive movie. Even a free roam game with a crappy story is far superior to Yet Another Shooter or RPG-#4356.

No gives a crap about free roam? Sure, meet my friend Oblivion.

Since when was Half-Life 2 advertised with any more free roam than it had? I enjoyed running around the area exploring before moving on with the story, because there was usually some cool stuff you could find if you did. That's all the free roam you need in a game that's as heavily story driven as HL. Any more free roaming would have detracted from the story and the flow of the game (which was amazing).

Sure thing dude, if your idea of a video game is an interactive movie. It's sad that games have changed so much that story telling has taken priority over gameplay.

That, my friend, is what we call an opinion. And as far as rational-thinking intelligent people are concerned, it holds no value whatsoever in an argument.

You might want to proofread your above responce then man. Or do you not like people challenging your status quo?

New guns don't make a game revolutionary.

Strawman. Where did I say or even imply anywhere in my argument I believed that?

See how that worked out with Resistence? Exactly. Half-Life 2 is revolutionary because of it's realism,

Yes, it is quite realistic that the Combine don't just nuke Gordon into oblivion. Nope, they chose instead to comit to an idiotic manhunt using glorified police forces. It's also quite realistic that they attack Gordon from precariously suspended wooden balconies with sub machine guns and shotguns. The man is wielding a ****ing telekinesis gun for christ sake. Let's not even get started on the complete ignorance towards conservation of momentum. I swear to god, i've heard a lot of crazy things in my time, but claiming that Half Life is anywhere near realistic is the absolute pinacle of insanity.

amazing story,

Good dude takes out evil corporate empire enslaving good dude's friends. Where have I seen this before?

great writing,

:roll: Yes indeed. Does it matter what kind of situation Gordon is going to put everyone into after the collapse of the Combine? Nope, Combine bad! Resistance good!

believable characters (something that hadn't been seen in SOO long),

Sorry, their utterly insipid stupidity is MIND NUMBING. Does Eli Vance have the slightest god damn clue just how screwed humanity is WITHOUT the Overwatch to feed them and protect them? You can keep trying to ram this "great story" nonsense down my throat all you want. It doesn't work. How can the Combine present themselves as powerful villians when they are clearly idiots? (Lol, stand next to the exploding barrels!)

What about the Resistance movement's utterly absurd political agenda and itsblatent manipulation of Gordon?In the end you are far more likely to AGREE with Breen about your pointless destruction. Not to mention your manipulation by Vance. But can he player CONTROL these aspects of the plot? Not at all. It's just another shooter with the same useless objectives all over again. Snore.

and groundbreaking use of physics in gameplay.

You get a telekinesis gun. Wow.

I think the real problem here is that you just personally didn't find Half-Life 2 to be that enjoyable (which is perfectly fine),

Apparently not to you.

and now, for reasons that rational-thinking people (you know, the ones who don't give a crap opinions in arguments)

How dare you imply you are a rational thinking person after this and the previous statement?

can't comprehend, you have your panties in a bunch because other people did enjoy it.

In case you haven't noticed, the topic of this thread is Half Life 2 Overrated? If anyone here has got their panties in a bunch, it's you.

CaptHawkeye i think its pretty obvious you just don't like HalfLife2 or anything related to it, which i can respect (i'm the same with Halo), but please come up with some decent arguments in a less aggressive manner mate. This is mean't to be a discussion about HL2, not ripping peoples posts apart and trying to make them look stupid.

Is it possible you could atleast post something in this topic without coming across so aggressive?

I enjoyed the experience of halflife alot more than halflife 2, halflife was in another league (for the time) Halflife 2 simply came across as, pretty good.

But saying that, halo, now dam, there's an overrated set of games if ever i seen them.

Greatest FPS game ever made by MANKIND.

HL2 haters....FO.

Greatest FPS game ever made by MANKIND.

HL2 haters....FO.

BLiTZv3

lol agreed :P

No really i mean the game has faults but its never been overrated like some FPS franchises have been. I mean you don't see Valve making special energy drinks for their games release like certain other developers have recently...