What's so great about Half Life 2

1.) Compelling story and characters. You need to keep playing and then play through Episode 1 & 2.

2.) The characters help make the game. They are believable, human, and you care for them.

3.) G-Man.

4.) The driving controls are standard for a PC game. And the driving is never complex enough to get out of hand. Is drives the same as Driver, GTA or virtually any other PC car game.

5.) Environmental puzzles are love and hate. Zelda, Metroid & Half-Life have them. You either like them or you don't. Why are they there? Because Gordon Freeman is on the run, he can't just walk through City 17. He needs to use the environment to his advantage as well as get access to a variety of things.

6.) Gordon Freeman is virtually non-existent.. actually, he is completely there. Sure he doesn't say anything (which is good) but the way the dialogue and story are constructed, you learn a lot of Freeman and his role.

7.) Great production values.

8.) Varied environments.

9.) Weapons. The crossbow, guided missile launcher, and for god's sakes the crowbar are some of the highlights. Then you have the ant lion ball that brings ant lions.

10.) Excellent physics engine.

11.) The AI is easy on standard difficulty. Turn up that bad boy to difficult. The AI will improve.

It's true. You need to "get" Half-life. You will understand as time goes on, but stick with it. You'll appreciate it more after the fact.

I agree with you that aside from the gravity gun, the weapons are all feel weak and unsatisfying. That's my biggest gripe with the game.

form my experience with it the only great aspects are: -G-man

- super gravity gun in last level

-Alyx is hot

-the ending to episode 2 was out of left field awesome.

Aside form those things it's just a competent shooter

As far as "getting" it goes, that means you just aren't pretentious enough to like it.:D

I keep trying to play this game but it bores me beyond tears. There is little that is good in this game and honestly I've put it off for so long because so many other games look better but now that I'm finally playing it what the hell was the hype about.

Goods:

- Looks Nice
- Controls alright except for...
- Neat characters like Alyx
- Decent Envrionments

Bads:

- Controls in driving are weak, driving sequences weak overall
- Gordon Freeman is as stale as yesterdays oatmeal, worst character I've seen in a long time
- Apart from the gravity gun the weapons are uninteresting
- Enemy is stupid on the standard difficulty
- Anti-climactic
- Poor story in every shape or form, I have no care for it at all even though I get what's going on. None of the plot twists have even impacted me one bit
- Derivitive, I know it's an FPS but it feels so repetitive.
- There are some annoying platforming and puzzling like that sequence with the crane, what was the point?


So tell me hermits, what was so great about this. I've played up to the end of the prison and at this moment I give it a 5.0 out of 10

Does it get better or is this game just a dud

EDIT: Yes I played Half Life 1 when it came out 10 years agoToriko42

OMG I agree 100%. SOOO overrated. but to the last part, yes it gets better. The "modified" grav gun is awesome. But 5/10? cmon. It's atleast 8/10

Best FPS ever.

But I will admit something. When I first played it I didn't like it so much. The hovercraft parts I found to be tiresome particularly. I'm not sure what changed my mind, but the second time I played it I enjoyed it a lot more. Perhaps it needed it to grow on me. The second two chapters were also great.

I keep trying to play this game but it bores me beyond tears. There is little that is good in this game and honestly I've put it off for so long because so many other games look better but now that I'm finally playing it what the hell was the hype about.

Goods:

- Looks Nice
- Controls alright except for...
- Neat characters like Alyx
- Decent Envrionments

Bads:

- Controls in driving are weak, driving sequences weak overall
- Gordon Freeman is as stale as yesterdays oatmeal, worst character I've seen in a long time
- Apart from the gravity gun the weapons are uninteresting
- Enemy is stupid on the standard difficulty
- Anti-climactic
- Poor story in every shape or form, I have no care for it at all even though I get what's going on. None of the plot twists have even impacted me one bit
- Derivitive, I know it's an FPS but it feels so repetitive.
- There are some annoying platforming and puzzling like that sequence with the crane, what was the point?


So tell me hermits, what was so great about this. I've played up to the end of the prison and at this moment I give it a 5.0 out of 10

Does it get better or is this game just a dud

EDIT: Yes I played Half Life 1 when it came out 10 years agoToriko42

LOL back up for a second. You're calling it anti-climactic without having been past the prison segment? Man oh man, failure. Oh and that applies to your judgement of the storyline too.

Did you play EP1 and EP2? Because they really enhance the experience. And HL2 was just plain better than all the other FPS's in every category back in 2004 in the eyes of most gamers/reviewers(except maybe graphics, although farcry and doom3 haven't aged nearly as well as HL2). The reason it doesn't seem so special anymore is that most new shooters have some qualities which are clearly inspired by it. It also depends on if you played the game on the 360 or the PC. The PC version was much more immersive( I don't even know why though :S ). Else, maybe it's just not your type of game.

EDIT

Just noticed how you are only at the prison section. That is sort of a turning point in the gameplay mechanics, and IMO it gets much better and more intense afterwards, although nova prospekt was pretty cool too.

when it came out it hadgreat visuals and physics but not much else. the guns are boring with the exception of the gravity gun of course, the a.i. is dreadfull....far worse than the original. the original is still one of my favorites but i was so dissapointed with hl2....more so than halo 2.

Someone tell me something nice about GORDON FREEMAN, the "Greatest Video Game Character of All Time"

so far I have gathered,

the game play is bad

the story is good.

If I wanted a good sci-fi story I would read a book or watch a movie.

"What's so great about Half-Life 2?" Pretty much everything. Pacing, atmosphere, design, graphics, sound, story, shooting, weapons, AI, multiplayer, characters, etc.enterawesome

even in 04 the a.i. was horrible andthe weopens were bland with the excepion of the gravity gun.

Someone tell me something nice about GORDON FREEMAN, the "Greatest Video Game Character of All Time"

muzik_mafia

[QUOTE="enterawesome"]"What's so great about Half-Life 2?" Pretty much everything. Pacing, atmosphere, design, graphics, sound, story, shooting, weapons, AI, multiplayer, characters, etc.crushed25

even in 04 the a.i. was horrible andthe weopens were bland with the excepion of the gravity gun.

Someone tell me something nice about GORDON FREEMAN, the "Greatest Video Game Character of All Time"

muzik_mafia

Someone tell me something nice about GORDON FREEMAN, the "Greatest Video Game Character of All Time"

For me it was the great characters, story and atmosphere

Someone tell me something nice about GORDON FREEMAN, the "Greatest Video Game Character of All Time"

Someone tell me something nice about GORDON FREEMAN, the "Greatest Video Game Character of All Time"

muzik_mafia

Here's the thing... the game puts you in a position that you think you are Gordon Freeman. You always see everything through his eyes only. The camera never pans away to face him. So it's more about the story than anything.

A lot has happened since I made this thread namely I actually completed the game. I still feel the same way about a lot of things but I think I was a bit harsh with the 5/10

8/10 tops.

Read my reviews for all the Half Life 2 games, it's easier to just post them then argue:

Half Life 2

Episode 1

Episode 2

I thought Episode 2 was the best one, its' everything Half Life 2 should have been

[QUOTE="enterawesome"][QUOTE="tagyhag"] He's the epitome of a character that a developer would want in order to immerse yourself to the fullest.tagyhag

[QUOTE="tagyhag"][QUOTE="enterawesome"]What? He's a nerd with a beard and glasses who you never see and never says anything! I understand why they chose that route of a character, but c'mon, he isn't even a hero! He's the one who unleashed the aliens on humanity!enterawesome

[QUOTE="muzik_mafia"]

Someone tell me something nice about GORDON FREEMAN, the "Greatest Video Game Character of All Time"

tagyhag

Quoted for truth.

>: This topic is Blasphemy!! Blasphemy, I tell you!! How dare you doubt the mighty crowbar!!?

.

[QUOTE="tagyhag"][QUOTE="enterawesome"]What? He's a nerd with a beard and glasses who you never see and never says anything! I understand why they chose that route of a character, but c'mon, he isn't even a hero! He's the one who unleashed the aliens on humanity!enterawesome

I actually think you offer good points. Or at least points I agree with. With some of those problems I would add: annoying squad based gameplay, and the loading times(at least when I played it) were definitely a detriment in my mind.

Ohh, appart from the gravity gun, I also liked the pheromone pod. But the shooter elements of the Half Life 2 series were never its highlights, too many shooters out there who are better in this department.

Still, with all that, I enjoyed the game quite a bit. Half life 2 series are one of my favorite linear shooters to date. It may not be spectacular in every single thing, but it does some things well, especially for the time it was released.

[QUOTE="enterawesome"][QUOTE="tagyhag"] I don't agree that he should have won, (Come on, the Nameless One should have won, anybody who was played Planescape knows that) though if you understand why they chose that route, then you should not have a problem with not being able to see him or hearing him talk.Toriko42

I understand what you guys are trying to say, but character does not just have 1 definition.

The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another.

A distinguishing feature or attribute, as of an individual, group, or category.

A person portrayed in an artistic piece, such as a drama or novel.

Characterization in fiction or drama

All in all, he's still a character in every sense of the word, he has his own name, what distinguishes him from the pool of generic characters like Marcus or Nathan is that he's the closest you'll ever get to immersiveness.

Still, with all that, I enjoyed the game quite a bit. Half life 2 series are one of my favorite linear shooters to date. It may not be spectacular in every single thing, but it does some things well, especially for the time it was released.

StealthSting

Exactly As a character? Gordon Freeman fails. He's not a hero, he's you Toriko42

...and I am pretty awesome, so as a character, he suceeds... :P

[QUOTE="muzik_mafia"]

Someone tell me something nice about GORDON FREEMAN, the "Greatest Video Game Character of All Time"

FamiBox

Here's the thing... the game puts you in a position that you think you are Gordon Freeman. You always see everything through his eyes only. The camera never pans away to face him. So it's more about the story than anything.

[QUOTE="StealthSting"]

Still, with all that, I enjoyed the game quite a bit. Half life 2 series are one of my favorite linear shooters to date. It may not be spectacular in every single thing, but it does some things well, especially for the time it was released.

Toriko42

I can agree. That's one of the main reasons of why, much like you, I liked the later episodes better(even though I'm having a few gripes with the series as it moves along). I didn't like the vehicle sections of Half Life 2 at all, it felt like a cheap means of adding extra gameplay time. But the one at the end of episode two for instance, while short, was better than anything portrayed by the original in this area imo, and it actually enhanced the overall experience of the game.

[QUOTE="FamiBox"]

[QUOTE="muzik_mafia"]

Someone tell me something nice about GORDON FREEMAN, the "Greatest Video Game Character of All Time"

VanHelsingBoA64

Here's the thing... the game puts you in a position that you think you are Gordon Freeman. You always see everything through his eyes only. The camera never pans away to face him. So it's more about the story than anything.

Ok sure, it's not a deep as Mass Effect (kind of unfair to compare a game with RPG elements to a FPS like this anyway.) But it's still there.

[QUOTE="Toriko42"][QUOTE="enterawesome"]It's not that he doesn't talk, it's just that he isn't really a character at all, he's you. Your thoughts, actions, speech, all are represented by just an avatar that is Gordan. He is your portal into the world of Half-Life, he is YOU. I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but I don't see him as a character nor a hero.tagyhag

I understand what you guys are trying to say, but character does not just have 1 definition.

The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another.

A distinguishing feature or attribute, as of an individual, group, or category.

A person portrayed in an artistic piece, such as a drama or novel.

Characterization in fiction or drama

All in all, he's still a character in every sense of the word, he has his own name, what distinguishes him from the pool of generic characters like Marcus or Nathan is that he's the closest you'll ever get to immersiveness.

HALF LIFE 2 SUCKS!!!!!

ITs outdated, overrated, and boring-ated

Half-life 2 is one of the most immersive games I have ever played. It's very well produced with great characters and set-pieces. It feels right and still looks great 5 years later.

[QUOTE="Toriko42"]

[QUOTE="StealthSting"]

Still, with all that, I enjoyed the game quite a bit. Half life 2 series are one of my favorite linear shooters to date. It may not be spectacular in every single thing, but it does some things well, especially for the time it was released.

StealthSting

I can agree. That's one of the main reasons of why, much like you, I liked the later episodes better(even though I'm having a few gripes with the series as it moves along). I didn't like the vehicle sections of Half Life 2 at all, it felt like a cheap means of adding extra gameplay time. But the one at the end of episode two for instance, while short, was better than anything portrayed by the original in this area imo, and it actually enhanced the overall experience of the game.

[QUOTE="StealthSting"]

[QUOTE="Toriko42"] It did it well but to be honest, I thought the original Call of Duty game was a far superior single player PC shooter. If it's going to be linear, at least make it tight. Half Life 2 tried to make it seem somewhat open but it really wasn't.

DragonfireXZ95

I can agree. That's one of the main reasons of why, much like you, I liked the later episodes better(even though I'm having a few gripes with the series as it moves along). I didn't like the vehicle sections of Half Life 2 at all, it felt like a cheap means of adding extra gameplay time. But the one at the end of episode two for instance, while short, was better than anything portrayed by the original in this area imo, and it actually enhanced the overall experience of the game.

[QUOTE="DragonfireXZ95"][QUOTE="StealthSting"]

I can agree. That's one of the main reasons of why, much like you, I liked the later episodes better(even though I'm having a few gripes with the series as it moves along). I didn't like the vehicle sections of Half Life 2 at all, it felt like a cheap means of adding extra gameplay time. But the one at the end of episode two for instance, while short, was better than anything portrayed by the original in this area imo, and it actually enhanced the overall experience of the game.

Toriko42

It's not about explosions but those vehicle sections were just boringToriko42

You had to be around and have a good PC in 2004 to truly understand why Half Life 2 is so legendary.

People who play it now for the first time will likely be disappointed, because the mechanics are stale and just old by now, but when it came out it was THE FPS, or just THE game in general period.

You had to be around and have a good PC in 2004 to truly understand why Half Life 2 is so legendary.

People who play it now for the first time will likely be disappointed, because the mechanics are stale and just old by now, but when it came out it was THE FPS, or just THE game in general period.

GiantMuffin