Is Half Life 2 the best single player FPS ever made?

I'd say HL1 is the better game. It invoked in me a very unique feeling of alienation that HL2 did not. Also, while HL2 was absolutely mind-blowing in numerous ways, HL1 was even more revolutionary because of its scripted sequences and immersiveness. Another thing to mention is that HL1 had better gunplay. The weapons were better implemented, all around. What saved HL2 from ruination due to lame weapons, however, was the gravity gun. It was simply the ultimate weapon - the best, most versatile weapon of any game, IMO.

Honestly, I don't care if people prefer HL1 or HL2, as long as they recognize their godliness :D

half life 2 was realllly boring... i liked F.E.A.R.

half life 2 was realllly boring... i liked F.E.A.R.

england2010

I love how you back up your opinions with well-formed arguments :?

Anyway, I really like F.E.A.R. too, but it really isn't quite the same caliber as the HL series. I'd go so far as to say that F.E.A.R. had more satisfying gunplay, and yes, we're talking about FPSs here, but IMO, you have to look at many more things besides just the "killing with bullets" part.

[QUOTE="england2010"]

half life 2 was realllly boring... i liked F.E.A.R.

giant11

I love how you back up your opinions with well-formed arguments :?

Anyway, I really like F.E.A.R. too, but it really isn't quite the same caliber as the HL series. I'd go so far as to say that F.E.A.R. had more satisfying gunplay, and yes, we're talking about FPSs here, but IMO, you have to look at many more things besides just the "killing with bullets" part.

Really, everything you're saying is just going right through my head because I enjoyed it so much. lol

Animatronic64

[QUOTE="england2010"]

half life 2 was realllly boring... i liked F.E.A.R.

giant11

I love how you back up your opinions with well-formed arguments :?

For some reason I didn't like HL2 single player not at all I just couldn't get into the game. But I have to admit it was quite good anyway

I played Half-Life last year and I didn't like it. That could be because it was five after launch though.

In my opinion, yes it is.

But... if you ask this on the Xbox forum the answer will be Halo, on PS3 forum probably Killzone and on System Wars... well that would be pretty complicated to sort out. :)

Although it is probably the best SINGLE-PLAYER FPS at the moment, that's only part of the reason why its such a great game. The levels are beautifully constructed and they have a great pace to them. The art direction is top notch, making the game not only look amazing to this day, but highly distinguishable from others. The physics engine is a huge aspect of the game, and the gravity gun allows you to connect with it, and the levels. The game set the bar for having such believable characters - subtle gestures, varied facial expressions. Then there is the large modding scene behind the Source engine: Garry's Mod, Day of Defeat, Minerva, Portal: Prelude and hundreds more. As for the game itself, while not being particularly groundbreaking, is as close to perfection as I've ever seen.kdawg88

well it is a timeless classic, I cant decide if I like the first or second better. I cant recall playing a straight fps any better than the first two half life games though.

I preferred halo actually, just a better level of polish .also guns that felt powerful and a game where shooting felt fun,whereas the gunplay in half life was not fun. Also better driving sections, with better control that justfelt smoother. I found halo to just be more fun to play.Same_Jeans_On

halo more polished? we are talking about half life 2, one of the most polished games ever vs a very simplified yet fun fps. Some of the level design in halo is just cooy and paste and uninspired, it will always be remembered for making fps playable on console though. B

TerrorRizzing

Halo is quite similar to Far Cry and Crysis. A large part of the game consists of big sandbox areas where you choose your approach. I remember that Crytek hyped their squad AI for Far Cry, yet Halo did it much better before.

The Library level tarnished the game's reputation...

I'm going to have to say that it was as will remain a classic of single player FPS forever.

1. Unreal Tournament 2004

2. Half Life

3. Far Cry

4. Half Life 2

5. Crysis

6. Halo

No, it has many great elements but one bit flaw which is the actual shooting just isn't that much fun, to me anyway, it always always felt a bit too much like a jack of all trades, master of none, there's shooting, platforming, puzzles and driving sections. Still a great game overall though, just not my favourite for those reasons.bobbetybob

I would say so. Yeah it is the jack of all trades but at least it's pretty damn solid in all compartments, it's very rare for a game to nail everything to near perfection. Also why do people always do this in forums, you say XX is not the best game yet you don't tell us what you think IS the best game which is irritating.

[QUOTE="kdawg88"][QUOTE="saruman354"]

Furthermore, there are games out now like Crysis that make the shooting mechanics in HL2 seem almost archaic.

saruman354

You act like the gunplay was satisfying in Crysis.. because i found it to be quite dull, kinda like Killzone 2. Both games are pretty to look at but dull to play.

Anyways OT:

The one thing that HL2 has that is extremely rare in the FPS genre is variety. Start off walking through an incredibly immersive city, chased across rooftops, battling combine through sewers, boat chases and combat broken up with physics puzzles and combine/rebel checkpoints, zombie infested town, antlions and car driving, assaulting combine prison with antlion allies etc etc

You play a lot of FPS games today and it's like played one level... played them all. It loses the excitement that HL2 had of constantly wondering what you're going to be doing next, or what's up ahead besides another room full of baddies to shoot.

Indeed both crysis and killzone 2 had very unstatysfing gunplay, in crysis you cant hit crap, and in killzone 2 you can hit all the crap but it takes a million bullets to the head before you kill someon.dakan45

Sounds like you need a new mouse, the shooting in Crysis was perfect. That, or you didn't know that going into strength mode, took away the recoil from your weapons, allowing you to snipe with the korean assualt rifle even.

1. Unreal Tournament 2004

2. Half Life

3. Far Cry

4. Half Life 2

5. Crysis

6. Halo

somegtalover

[QUOTE="dakan45"]Indeed both crysis and killzone 2 had very unstatysfing gunplay, in crysis you cant hit crap, and in killzone 2 you can hit all the crap but it takes a million bullets to the head before you kill someon.TheGrayEye

Sounds like you need a new mouse, the shooting in Crysis was perfect. That, or you didn't know that going into strength mode, took away the recoil from your weapons, allowing you to snipe with the korean assualt rifle even.

Also i never like the cheap power usages such as the one you pointed. Switching to strength to be close to the accuracy you got in other fps everytime you wanna engange someone in a gunfighst is pathetic (Just increase the accuracy and get it over with) but what is more pathetic is that even then, you are not even close to accuracy in all the other fps, so yeah there is a problem allright.

I am so glad they are fixing it in crysis 2 and the gunplay will actually be good because thats what matters in a fps, the freaking shooting. (Athough admitedly, they overdoing it since the scar seemed to have no recoil)

I agree. Crysis shooting did seem a little stranged.. You need to be really close up to them or non of your shots do jack crap. I know I'm hitting them cause I see them when the shot impacts and the fall back a bit. SLUSHiNaToR

I'm more in favor of Half-Life 1, HL: Opposing Force or Red Faction. All are great games -- but Half-Life 2 didn't have the unknown and adventurous feel as the first. I remember picking the game up at nine years old and I enjoyed it. And the deaths of the security guards and scientists effected me greatly. :(

But HL2: Ep2 was superior to Ep1 and HL2. Freakin' launching a missile into orbit?! That's rivaled by the feeling inthe first game when you launch the satellite and that relaxing music plays.

It is on my top 5 list for sure.

1 is better

I'm more in favor of Half-Life 1, HL: Opposing Force or Red Faction. All are great games -- but Half-Life 2 didn't have the unknown and adventurous feel as the first. I remember picking the game up at nine years old and I enjoyed it. And the deaths of the security guards and scientists effected me greatly. :(

But HL2: Ep2 was superior to Ep1 and HL2. Freakin' launching a missile into orbit?! That's rivaled by the feeling inthe first game when you launch the satellite and that relaxing music plays.

Sheppard212

[QUOTE="Sheppard212"]

I'm more in favor of Half-Life 1, HL: Opposing Force or Red Faction. All are great games -- but Half-Life 2 didn't have the unknown and adventurous feel as the first. I remember picking the game up at nine years old and I enjoyed it. And the deaths of the security guards and scientists effected me greatly. :(

But HL2: Ep2 was superior to Ep1 and HL2. Freakin' launching a missile into orbit?! That's rivaled by the feeling inthe first game when you launch the satellite and that relaxing music plays.

kdawg88

I liked the game, the use of electronic tracks was fantastic and the general idea what great. A fun shooter. I added it to the list because it's just fun to play. :)

Either way you cut the cake, HL1 was an adventure, but HL2 kind of veered aware from where HL1 went. Was it a good idea? Probably. Look how successful it is.

Crysis is the best.

Obviously not.

Its either Half-Life 1 or No One Lives Forever=)

[QUOTE="TheGrayEye"]

[QUOTE="dakan45"]Indeed both crysis and killzone 2 had very unstatysfing gunplay, in crysis you cant hit crap, and in killzone 2 you can hit all the crap but it takes a million bullets to the head before you kill someon.dakan45

Sounds like you need a new mouse, the shooting in Crysis was perfect. That, or you didn't know that going into strength mode, took away the recoil from your weapons, allowing you to snipe with the korean assualt rifle even.

Also i never like the cheap power usages such as the one you pointed. Switching to strength to be close to the accuracy you got in other fps everytime you wanna engange someone in a gunfighst is pathetic (Just increase the accuracy and get it over with) but what is more pathetic is that even then, you are not even close to accuracy in all the other fps, so yeah there is a problem allright.

I am so glad they are fixing it in crysis 2 and the gunplay will actually be good because thats what matters in a fps, the freaking shooting. (Athough admitedly, they overdoing it since the scar seemed to have no recoil)

Who is everyone? I'm pretty sure if Crysis had bad shooting, it wouldn't have gotten a 9.5 on here, be hailed as "easily one of the greatest shooters of all time", and recieve the shooter of the year award. Also, by other fps games, do you mean Call of Duty, the game where every gun shoots in a perfect straight line, and with no recoil?

The weapons aren't inaccurate- it's realistic, you can't run around like CoD and have perfect accuracy for everything you hit, no matter the range. In Crysis if you want to hit a target far away, you need to lay down, goto strength mode (the equivalent here of holding your breath in other shooters), and aim for the head. It isn't that hard really, it just takes a bit of patience, it's realistic, but I guess everything has to be simplified down for people these days.

The Half Life story is mediocre, the story telling however... is incredibly immersing and excellent.

Is Half Life 2 the best single player FPS ever made?saruman354

[QUOTE="dakan45"]Indeed both crysis and killzone 2 had very unstatysfing gunplay, in crysis you cant hit crap, and in killzone 2 you can hit all the crap but it takes a million bullets to the head before you kill someon.TheGrayEye

Sounds like you need a new mouse, the shooting in Crysis was perfect. That, or you didn't know that going into strength mode, took away the recoil from your weapons, allowing you to snipe with the korean assualt rifle even.