Half Life 2 vs F.E.A.R?

Hey folks,

I'm looking for a polite discussion here regarding the popularity of HL2 against F.E.A.R,

I'd like to state that I have played and completed both so I'm not biased in any way possible and I'm a huge FPS fan by all accounts and indeed I'm aware of the years difference between release, however;

Graphically

Half Life 2

Now anyone who played or currently plays Half Life 2 will realise the graphics advancements the game made and this isn't a statement limited just to PC users, the game was also regarded as a graphical marvel across all consoles for its time period.

The physics engine was so many years ahead of its time and really defined what the power of a well built PC could handle, the clever design choice by including the GG to really show off the physics was ingenious. No game has ever matched it in terms of gameplay via the use of Physics in the FPS category imo, I'm only really aware of Timeshift giving it a semi decent crack *Lol*

The game also downscales fairly well with most out dated Pc's, not so much now of course but on release allowing a large player base was essential.

F.E.A.R

Of course Half Life had a larger scope of terrain to travel across, ranging from sewers/mountains/beaches and so on however it lacked detail in alot of areas and in my honest opinion made some areas a bit of a drag to shoot through where as - F.E.A.Rs more linear release of corridors/facilities also beheld some truly outstanding graphics.

F.E.A.R stood out on its combat which I'll address to later but I also believe the graphics played a large part in the success of the shooting element, from dismemberment being an almost mind boggling feature with blood spraying everywhere with 10 limbs covering your screen and a frag grenade exploding causing a satisfying ripple when in Slow Mo for some truly spectacular graphics.

Main problem is the game didn't scale very well on release and still to this date needs a fairly decent rig to handle on max settings. *But who here doesn't have a Pc capable of handling it now eh?*

Storyline

Half Life 2

This is more so opened to personal opinion but I found the story in HL2 to be fairly poor with little narrative guiding the way and with most of the voice acting leading to a fight involving rockets or a new vehicle of some description.

Also I never cared much for freeman, the lack of voice acting was a disappointment and no other character really drew me in to think "Dear lord, this is what's going to happen if I don't stop this" etc

F.E.A.R

This is where F.E.A.R really had the edge imo, the story was second to none with a gruesome history which constantly pulled you in wanting to know the reason behind Alma and the story was cleverly weaved into the game through flashbacks/vision about Paxton Fettel etc.

The lack of Voice acting was once again a huge disappointment which felt like an opportunity missed.

I also felt the story really dragged you in since it was you vs the unknown, you didn't have people helping in intense gunfights and the fact you didn't know what Alma was capable of really helped pull you into the story the games atmosphere created.

Gameplay

Half Life 2

Gravity Gun, enough said amirite?

Half Lifes combat was incredibly enjoyable and frantic helped along by the outstanding gravity gun which created so many awe-inspiring kills and not to mention hilarious moments, the driving sequences were great fun although felt unpolished.

Sadly straight out shooting is where the game became lack luster in my opinion, with no gun really feeling as if it packed a punch other then hitting people with explosives from the GG, sure the shotgun knocked people of there feet and face down into the ground but you never get that satisfaction of "Awwww yeah biiiiiitch!!!".

The game always managed to keep you on your toes and keeps you wanting to push forward wondering what the next section might include not for story however but more for the use of your Gravity Gun, Oh I'm heading to a warehouse thousands of barrels and crates? Nomnom thanks!

All in all HL2 was an awe-inspiring game with some awesome set pieces and a gun to die for, zee GG packed so much fun and tactical combat elements into one gun, outstanding.

F.E.A.R

Atmosphere is really where F.E.A.R took full control and raped HL2 into a thousand pieces, no game that I've played to date has ever sent shivers down my spine via the cute giggle of one terrifying girl, from blood trails on the wall from air vents filled with shadows and mysterious laughter. The game has never been matched and not even by its own sequel in my honest opinion.

Gunplay, Sadly the lack of the GG is missing in some places but thankfully the games incredible Gun slinging makes up for it with weapons feeling just perfect and thanks to the dismemberment feature the weapons felt... Oh so sweet, with a shotgun literally obliterating someone into a thousand pieces and coating the walls in red made even more spectacular via the Slow mo.

Verdict

I would like to state I'm not biased to either one I play them both currently on a rig playing max settings on both and I'm a fairly experienced FPS player.

Personally I prefer F.E.A.R, reasons ranging from amazing story elements to awe-inspiring gun fights.

Half Life 2 though will forever be the creator of incredible physics and thanks to the awesome decision of including the GG the game really showed the power behind Pc gaming so I salute you for all you've done HL2!

I totally disagree that FEAR has a better story and atmosphere. I agree that it has a far different atmosphere, but not better. I have both games and love them both.. but HL2 is on a different level altogether in my opinion. FEAR was shooting (no pun intended) to be a blend of corridor shooter/horror game.. and it succeeded without a doubt.

Half-life 2 is a journey through a complete, separate world apart from our own. It has to create every element of it's world (except for human NPCs), whereas FEAR just spruced up the modern corridor shooter. The 2 games are trying to be very different things, and they both succeed in their own way. Think about how much more difficult it must be for a developer to create a truly great game that uses both indoor and vast outdoor environments, than to create a game that just has to guide you through nighmarish hallways and dark rooms.. really just one environment.

The graphics in FEAR were dark and gloomy with only passable geometric detail, and the special effects (explosions, flames, bullet-marks) were outstanding. The textures were only decent for the most part, nothing too notable... I think the game engine itself has aged very badly. I think the Source engine may be the most ingenious graphics engine ever created. It manages to convey the feeling of reality without completely eating your computer alive (especially GPU), and allowed the developers to create a world that was sometimes bright and colorful, and other times dark and foreboding.

All things considered, HL2 is a step or 2 above FEAR IMO.

For me Half life 2 is the better game. Graphically both games were great for their time but the areas visited in FEAR felt very empty. The world of HL2 on the other hand looks lived in. Storywise I liked the way HL2 didnt pull you out of the character into a cutscene to throw a bit of story elements at the player. I agree that FEAR had a great atmosphere mainly thanks to Alma and some amazing lighting effects, but the story itself while pretty original for an FPS was nothing special for a lover of horror such as myself.

I am going to receive flak for this but in my opinion Monolith is a better developer than Valve. No one ever seems to realize that Valve relies heavily on the indie developers scene to release good games(Outside of Half Life, every other commercial series Valve has in its arsenal was initially indie developed (Portal, Team Fortress, Counter-Strike, L4D, Day of Defeat). Monolith on the other hand, Blood, Shogo, No One Lives for Ever, FEAR, Condemned, all internally conceptualized and developed. As loyal and friendly Valve is to the indie community (portal, Team Fortress and L4D are all fantastic titles and deserve to be released commercially) I just can't see passed the fact that without them, Valve wouldn't be who they are. Monolith however would still have released everything they have to this point.

All that said, I think the FEAR is better than half Life 2, but I thought episode 2 was better than FEAR.

I am going to receive flak for this but in my opinion Monolith is a better developer than Valve. No one ever seems to realize that Valve relies heavily on the indie developers scene to release good games(Outside of Half Life, every other commercial series Valve has in its arsenal was initially indie developed (Portal, Team Fortress, Counter-Strike, L4D, Day of Defeat). Monolith on the other hand, Blood, Shogo, No One Lives for Ever, FEAR, Condemned, all internally conceptualized and developed. As loyal and friendly Valve is to the indie community (portal, Team Fortress and L4D are all fantastic titles and deserve to be released commercially) I just can't see passed the fact that without them, Valve wouldn't be who they are. Monolith however would still have released everything they have to this point.

gamer620

I agree with you 100%. Don't get me wrong though, I like Valve a lot and Steam has changed the face of PC game sales and digital distribution. I also agree that FEAR was a better game than Half-Life 2.

I am going to receive flak for this but in my opinion Monolith is a better developer than Valve. No one ever seems to realize that Valve relies heavily on the indie developers scene to release good games(Outside of Half Life, every other commercial series Valve has in its arsenal was initially indie developed (Portal, Team Fortress, Counter-Strike, L4D, Day of Defeat). Monolith on the other hand, Blood, Shogo, No One Lives for Ever, FEAR, Condemned, all internally conceptualized and developed. As loyal and friendly Valve is to the indie community (portal, Team Fortress and L4D are all fantastic titles and deserve to be released commercially) I just can't see passed the fact that without them, Valve wouldn't be who they are. Monolith however would still have released everything they have to this point.

All that said, I think the FEAR is better than half Life 2, but I thought episode 2 was better than FEAR.

gamer620

I think Monolith is the best FPS dev out there.

Look at all the IPs they have made.

Shogo, Blood, No One Lives Forever, Condemned, and don't forget Alien vs. Predator 2.

They never seem to stick to one franchise, which I like.

FEAR 1 blew me away. There wasn't anything like it for me. I love horror and I also love games that get my adrenaline pumping.

FEAR did that.

I think FEAR was top notch on its atmosphere. It creeped me out, and I have only been scared by one game, System Shock 2.

The story is also sweeeeeeeet. It leaves some plot holes on purpose to make the whole thing more creepy and mysterious.

FEAR gets my vote....for best game of all time :P

I like FEAR, but Half-Life 2 just utterly destroys it. The only area which FEAR beats Half-Life 2 in is the A.I.

The main issue I have with FEAR is that there is little to no variation in the environments, which results in very boring and uninspired level design. It's just dark office corridors and vents from start to finish.

I never understood what people see in FEAR. I guess It has a better immersion factor because of the full body(instead of floaty head) and the graphics/gore. The gun play is average, with the exception of slowmo. The AI is good, but it could have been better if the game wasn't entirely a corridor shooter. The storyline was so fragmented and mysterious that it just wasn't worth paying attention to. You spend 99% of the time looking for one person. Every time you get close, he disappears... I also hated that you never played in a squad or had supporting AI. I guess they were trying to make a 'horror' game, but that was a joke. It's hard to create an atmosphere of fear when your character is a nearly invincible. As with most horror games, it came straight down to 'jump scares.' As far as I'm concerned, System Shock 2 is the only successful game in creating an actual 'atmosphere' of fear.

As for Half-life, the world is very interesting. Since you appear in an unknown area, there's a natural instinct to learn more. As the storyline progresses, you gradually learn more and more. While the gun play is definitely 'average,' it makes up for it with great characters/story and a world you want to participate in/change. The enemies change throughout the game along with the environment. The environment might not be graphically superior, but it's much more artistically superior to FEAR.

FEAR might have good graphics, but what does it show with those graphics? Desks, chairs, telephones, soda machines, business offices, etc. Nothing interesting. The same **** that I see everyday. Seriously, when they were developing FEAR... did they just look around the office for level designs? Have some freaking imagination monolith! I'm not saying the game is bad, but it certainly doesn't compare to Half-life.

I like FEAR, but Half-Life 2 just utterly destroys it. The only area which FEAR beats Half-Life 2 in is the A.I.

The main issue I have with FEAR is that there is little to no variation in the environments, which results in very boring and uninspired level design. It's just dark office corridors and vents from start to finish.

broken_bass_bin

AI and Sound are top notch in FEAR

Both games are amazing, and i would place both in my top ten games of all time. While i'd say FEAR is the better shooter, the gameplay in Half-Life 2 is far more dynamic; each mission feels unique and generally has a new element introduced. Unfortunately the gunplay and enemy AI wasn't great, but overall i'd say Half-Life 2 is the better game simply because of how dynamic the gameplay is.

FEAR has, arguably, the best combat in any FPS to date, with insane blood and gore, showers of sparks, weapons that feel powerful, and a oh-so-effective slow motion mechanic. The enemy AI was amazing, but unfortunately the game lacked varied environments and significant change throughout its duration.

my vote goes to Half-Life 2, but i'd say i like both games equally well.

I agree that FEAR storyline >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Half life 2 storyline

The same **** that I see everyday. Seriously, when they were developing FEAR... did they just look around the office for level designs? Have some freaking imagination monolith! I'm not saying the game is bad, but it certainly doesn't compare to Half-life.

Swiftstrike5

The fact that these "ordinary" unimaginative places that you are traversing are so eerie and atmosphericgamer620

To put it short, have you played System Shock 2? Or Bioshock? Or Dead Space? Or Penumbra? Those games have atmosphere, some better than others.

[QUOTE="gamer620"]The fact that these "ordinary" unimaginative places that you are traversing are so eerie and atmosphericSwiftstrike5

To put it short, have you played System Shock 2? Or Bioshock? Or Dead Space? Or Penumbra? Those games have atmosphere, some better than others.

And I am pretty sure FEAR was pretty well regarded for its sound design as well.

I like FEAR, but Half-Life 2 just utterly destroys it.

broken_bass_bin

agreed

HL2 is better in every facet, to the point where you can't even compare them.

Visuals: HL2 still has the best facial animations, but at the time it was buoyed by water effects, beautiful textures, variation. FEAR was not an attractive game. I don't care how good the textures were, the game had many deliberately ugly environments, like desolate buildings and sewers. As pointed out the engine has aged very poorly. Source is still going.

Game play: I love the feel of all the guns in HL2. They feel extremely solid and powerful to me. And apart from niggles with the NPC AI, the enemies are mostly tightly scripted and most importantly there are a lot of DIFFERENT enemies. FEAR has about 90% of the same soldiers. These guys are very smart yes, but the game throws them at you in the most predictable, boring ways. They can jump throw windows yes, but they're locked down in these corridors and most of the time you are just attacking them while they are patrolling. FEAR is repetitious to the point of tedium. Not enough variety in FEAR for my liking: too many warehouses and slums. Not good enough.HL2: what can you say? No FPS has as much diversity as this: cities, haunted towns, mines, citadels, prison facilities.

Story: I don't know why people think FEAR has a good story. It uses a technique like SS2 and BS to have pieces of the puzzle, but so many of the answering machines are useless in what they tell you. I didn't the silent protagonist thing worked at all in this. The exposition of the text on screen - the "briefing" was embarrassing really. HL2 is said not to have a great story.

I beg to differ: its an archetype of a story usually found in games and because it plays to a formula with more likable characters, it actually works: it has heroes, villains, development through these people and the uprising, a mystery, ambiguity, weird spiritual alien forces. And we haven't seen it all yet! So I don't appreciate it when someone says it has a poor story. Its certainly not poorly written like Crysis. And it is still a game remember. Having said that it is also far more emotional than most games too.

FEAR can't touch HL2: its a pure shooter and not even a very good one at that. I think the reason it scored so well on GS is because my ol' pal one J. Ocampo is a lover of ballistics.

But are you going to sit their behind your monitor and tell me that FEAR isn't atmosphericgamer620

I'll give you gunplay and AI but how can you say FEAR has better story, setting and atmosphere than HL2.

Puh-lease.

I'll give you gunplay and AI but how can you say FEAR has better story, setting and atmosphere than HL2.

Puh-lease.

MrWednesday14

Maybe because not everyone is the same...

Some great replies so far, good to see a thread which hasn't turned into a flame war.

However I would say ' Swift you seem to have either been blind or playing Fear with a terrible sound system, A lot of Fears atmosphere comes from the combination of sound and imagery...Hearing Paxton fettel whisper in the air as you walk through a patch of murky sewer water whilst seeing shadowy figures enter the deep water you're approaching is incredible.

Also it's not Fears fault that you decided to ignore the puzzles of the story, personally I pieced it together and the result is incredible, everything slots so perfectly together to lead to a satisfying storyline.

I never felt connected to Freeman and still don't, frankly he could die at the end of the game and I wouldn't care less. *Flame on?*

Some great replies so far, good to see a thread which hasn't turned into a flame war.

However I would say ' Swift you seem to have either been blind or playing Fear with a terrible sound system, A lot of Fears atmosphere comes from the combination of sound and imagery...Hearing Paxton fettel whisper in the air as you walk through a patch of murky sewer water whilst seeing shadowy figures enter the deep water you're approaching is incredible.

Also it's not Fears fault that you decided to ignore the puzzles of the story, personally I pieced it together and the result is incredible, everything slots so perfectly together to lead to a satisfying storyline.

I never felt connected to Freeman and still don't, frankly he could die at the end of the game and I wouldn't care less. *Flame on?*

stevenspall

I never felt connected to Freeman and still don't, frankly he could die at the end of the game and I wouldn't care less. *Flame on?*

stevenspall