Am I Cheating Myself.

[aerumna]

Hi there everyone.

I just wanted some input from experienced players. I'm pretty new to FPSs, but I enjoy them quite a bit. I've played through Bioshock, Portal and both Mods, and now am slugging through Half Life 2. Because I don't have the most free time in the world, and I'm not super great at the Genre, I've been playing hl2 starting with the Water Hazard level in God mode. I did this about halfway through BioShock as well, just to really save time.

The question I have is whether you guys think I am cheating myself out of a grander experience? I still enjoy the story and the art and everything, but I wonder if I really am missing some of the best parts of the game by skipping through. So far I haven't even finished the Water Hazard yet so it's not too late, I just fear If I play it straight all the way through It's going to take me another 30 hrs or more.

Really appreciate any feedback/response. Half-Life 2 is amazing.

Thanks.

 

[Schall]

Well, its your decision but I would feel that I was cheating myself if i went through in god mode. Honestly it ruins the gameplay.(searching for medkits, having to run from combine, etc.)

 

[Kyzr]

i totally agree with schall. a massive part of fps's is staying alive, and if you suddenly take out that part, fps's, including half life 2, aren't as fun.
If you want, just put on buddha instead of god mode (after typing sv_cheats 1 in the console type buddha) or even bind a key to spawn healthkits so when you're about to die you can just spawn one.

 

[Shasta86]

Thats how I play.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

KYZR is right. If you want to cheat use 'Buddha' instead. You'll still take damage but your health will never drop below zero, that way you can try and play normally trying to keep your health above 1 but if fail you won't die. Trust me you lose alot for fun playing though with god mode.

 

[Link]

Don't forget, you only get one "first play" of a game. If you don't have much spare time, do it in lots of sittings. You don't have anything better or more important to play than your first run through of HL2. Trust me. Spend as long as it takes.

 

[Otto-Grainer]

I don't even think it's worth debating whether or not the game is spoiled when played in 'GOD MODE'.
Really, just use the Easiest setting and you'll complete it in hours.

 

[gFrohman]

I agree - take your time with the game, your skills will improve over time. Trust me; I felt like a total n00b when I first played through HL2 (and I started on Hard, which was dumb on my part). Rule of thumb for me is that when I start a new FPS, I always start on Easy mode to get comfortable with the game/controls/graphics/etc. (and some games have their Hard mode set to being nearly impossible).

 

[kupocake]

For Half-Life 2, especially.

1) The game isn't very hard on its easy mode (and not hard enough on harder modes). Of all FPS games, it's engineered to be one of the most forgiving to players, for instance, it will give you masses of health when you need it most. Even for newer players, you won't die all that often, especially if you use Quick Save / Load like the evil-cheat feature that it truly is. Also, God mode doesn't help you solve puzzles, which seem to generate the most 'help I'm stuck!' threads.

2) The beauty of the early levels of Half-Life 2 is the thrill of the escape from insurmountable odds, at least the first time round. I don't believe I've played anything before or since that just rolled out so beautifully on first playthrough, constantly pushing you onwards until you're finally safe and sound. You really don't need godmode on to make you want to keep playing those bits, and you won't get the same effect with it on either.

At the end of it all, Godmode is there to make it possible for you to progress when you might end up quitting and never coming back. You should not play any game with the command enabled from the start, but no-one should look down on you for turning it on when you've just had enough of dying in a particularly hard area, and you're sick of the game drumming a certain part of itself into your skull. If you're thinking "Yeah, if I could do it, I would do it like this. I GET IT.", or you simply want to throw the machine out of the nearest window, it's time to switch cheats on for a bit, progress, and turn them off again.

Oh, and if anyone knows of an FPS game that takes anyone 30 hours to complete, I would really love to know about it.

 

[Hades]

It's your choice but some of my best Half-Life moments are the ones where I'm near death.

Those times where I survive a firefight with nothing but five life or where I have to sprint for cover to avoid a Strider's laser beam (sometimes leaning forward in my chair)...those are the moments where I feel like I actually am Gordon Freeman.

With God mode you'll lose so much immersion and that's one of the greatest strengths of HL.

 

[ríomhaire]

Playing through BioShock on God mode just seems silly when there's next to no penalty for dying in that game.

 

[gFrohman]

I agree. The whole Vita-chamber thing in Bioshock seemed kinda silly to me.

 

[DonHessu]

Even if you dont have all the freetime in world, you shouldn't cheat. You should play it with normal and without cheating. It gives you challenge, its way more fun and even if your not having much freetime you can play it next time when you have, right?

 

[aerumna]

Thanks you guys! I really appreciate your advice. Giving it a go with no helps and you're right it is a lot more fun and way more stressful (in the best half-life sense). And I haven't died once either.

Thanks again!