Half-Life 2, Overated?

[boomyak]

A story?

yeah i know! they totally gipped us! i mean walking running swimming practically breathing in an ultra-realistic desolate future landscape where otherworldly forces have invaded and forced all of humanity into submission, only to discover an underground railroad community who are trying to fight the occupation and ultimately lead them. pfft valve purposely chose to omit anything that could pass for a story. good thing the only thing i'll have to choose from will be cash or store credit.

 

[boomyak]

Well, what's explained, then?

ahahaha

no seriously, tell me where the good stuff is, TELL ME NOW!!!!

ahahaha

you remind me of a good friend of mine

do the world a favour and at least TRY figuring this business out on your own.

oh you have have you? the game was released 2 days ago, and i'm sure you've tried about as much as you're ever going to.

just toss the HL2 box next to your karate getup, your guitar, and your dictionary

PWNED!

 

[Spartan]

ahahaha

no seriously, tell me where the good stuff is, TELL ME NOW!!!!

ahahaha

you remind me of a good friend of mine

do the world a favour and at least TRY figuring this business out on your own.

oh you have have you? the game was released 2 days ago, and i'm sure you've tried about as much as you're ever going to.

just toss the HL2 box next to your karate getup, your guitar, and your dictionary

PWNED!

And the same bullshit goes on and on... you can't tell me because you don't know. Or, what you do know is so little that it's almost worthless.

 

[Gordons_nan]

HL2....Good variety in weapons (Not like Far Cry who had something like 3 assault rifles)

:S

This statement makes no sense. FarCry blatantly has more variety in weapons, you've even demonstrated that by saying it has 3 assault rifles, wtf are you on about?

 

[Sidd]

Overated?

Nope.

At the beginning I thought the pace was kind of slow, but after reaching Nova the game had already become so awesome that the 5-more-minutes syndrom had kicked in...

I played five more minutes... and five more... and five more... until I had beaten the game in a single sitting.

God, my back hurt after that

What HL2 is doing is taking your everyday puppet NPCs and turning them into fully animated cartoon characters with true charisma.

A huge step in the right direction and exactly what had made HL1 so outstanding.

Besides the sound bug I fail to see anything wrong with this game.

 

[Quickfingers]

A story?

There are so many things wrong with that comment that I can't be bothered to explain it all. All Im going to say is that the reason people find HL2 so immersive is not due to the graphics - It's due to the way Valve handled putting the story across. You finished the game feeling you never had a story? then your a total tit. If you consider walking off a train into a apocalyptic city and seeing the citizens react with fear and dread.. And being chased up a flight of stairs by combine cops and across rooftops as not a story then truthfully why are you playing interactive media? go watch a DVD movie.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

People saying HL2 has no plot - name another FPS with a "real" plot.

 

[Reaktor4]

Gotta admit, i was a bit disappointed in some ways. Up untill now (near the end), i didnt really feel like i had really gotten into the game. I mean for a long, long while it just feels a bit sparse or something, like the real meat of the game doesnt happen untill near the end of it. I was hoping for lots of big battles against striders and shit before the middle of the game, and throughout the rest of it.
It said in that thing about the making of the game that was on some site that they considering cutting loads of stuff out to release the game earlier but gabe said no. I find it hard to believe that they didnt cut much out. It feels like they did to me. And then theres gabe saying it was gonna be about 35-40 hours long ages ago and it turns out to be half that
But having said that, there are some truely excellent moments in the game. Quite possibly the best game ever (definitely the best fps imo) because when its good its really, really ****ing good, its just a shame that those moments arent more frequent. Either way its right up there with my other favourite games san andreas and pes4.

 

[Sidd]

Well, System Shock

But I disagree with what those people are saying. HL2 has a plot, it just doesn't smash it in your face every chance you get. It gives you just enough info, through dialog, through what you see, through old newspaper clips ... to fire up your own imagination.

I really dig that.

 

[Spartan]

You finished the game feeling you never had a story? then your a total tit. If you consider walking off a train into a apocalyptic city and seeing the citizens react with fear and dread.. And being chased up a flight of stairs by combine cops and across rooftops as not a story then truthfully why are you playing interactive media? go watch a DVD movie.

In Doom, you walk into a military base where a catastrophe occured and is now infested with zombies and demons (Half-Life, anyone?). Yet, everyone always says that Doom has no story.

Being chased by enemies is not a story, it's an action sequence.

People saying HL2 has no plot - name another FPS with a "real" plot.

Halo had one.

 

[Quickfingers]

In Doom, you walk into a military base where a catastrophe occured and is now infested with zombies and demons (Half-Life, anyone?). Yet, everyone always says that Doom has no story.

Being chased by enemies is not a story, it's an action sequence.



Halo had one.

So if you consider being chased by an enemy not part of the story what did you want valve to do with the game? You expected them to what? to litter the game with cut scenes? You wanted FMV to explain what was happening? Halif Life was never about that and HL2 wasn't about that. I assume you played HL1 - you should of known the techniques Valve use to put across what is happening in the game.. They use NPC dialogue and "action sequences" as you put it to tell the story. That is what makes the game immersive... If they would of used any other techniques to explain what was happening the single player game would of lost all its charm.

 

[Spartan]

So if you consider being chased by an enemy not part of the story what did you want valve to do with the game?

Being chased by the combine only transports you to Alyx, who, for some peculiar reason, knows precisely where to look for you in City 17. They don't even know who you are before you teleport to Breen's office, so why are they chasing you? Makes no sense to me.

You expected them to what? to litter the game with cut scenes? You wanted FMV to explain what was happening?

I wanted something to explain what's going on, to Gordon. Now, this may come as shock to you, but you don't need FMVs to explain the story. Yes. You CAN do it with HL's method. And, as an even greater shock, the people who complain about a lack of story aren't necessarily crying for cutscenes and FMVs. But, fanboys can only think in 1s and 0s.

Halif Life was never about that and HL2 wasn't about that. I assume you played HL1 - you should of known the techniques Valve use to put across what is happening in the game.. They use NPC dialogue and "action sequences" as you put it to tell the story.

Ok, then. What does the rooftop chase tell me about the story?

 

[Mr-Fusion]

Ok, then. What does the rooftop chase tell me about the story?

It's the same style as Half-Life 1. What did the rail sequence in HL1 tell me about the story? What did the encounter with the giant sound sensitive tree thing tell me about the story?

Half-Life 1 was about experiencing things, it wasn't about telling a gripping story, it was about experiencing gripping events. Half-Life 2 is using that same method to propel you through the world which i absolutely love.

I play games like Soul Reaver and Metal Gear Solid when i want a gripping story TOLD to me.

Valve simply uses a different style of bringing the game world to you. Obviously, Spartan you dislike that method, which is fine. But knowing and having played Half-Life 1 you should have known Valve's style, you should have known what to expect.

 

[Sidd]

If you rush through the story without taking a look at the living and changing world around you, you just might miss these little tidbits,... like the 7 hour war that leads to the forming of the combine,... and of course you'll be dissapointed then.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

If you rush through the story without taking a look at the living and changing world around you, you just might miss these little tidbits,... like the 7 hour war that leads to the forming of the combine,... and of course you'll be dissapointed then.

That's exactly right.

I've spent a lot of time looking at the artwork on walls around the various locales. That combine soldier cradling a baby for example, is that pro-combine propaganda? Or resistance graffiti? Is it trying to portray the combine as a helper or an imprisoner?

It adds a lot of substance and feel to the world and really makes me think instead of just running off to the next bit to kill things. I stop and observe everything. It's like a visual book.

 

[oldfaq]

here,
I have a solution for yuo all, listen to what they say and bind a key to the crazy word in your options, mine is . the key is liek ?dh then that allows you too see all words for sounds, speaking. Then you will understand why they are chasing you.

I feel if you rushed through HL2 you didn't get the picture, but I also thought it was a bit rushes *especially for a 6 year project* I had expected a lot more... *DM multiplayer full support* anyone play MP on HL2 yet? lol, you can't even hit te fake gordon! lol

I don't know, but Valve has a way of telling stories, but I feel they failed to do what they did in the first, first one you got to explore, tlak to scientists and everything, to find out what was going on! this one you couldn't really interact with people around you, they were always saying, just normal tlak, even though they have been trapped in this city? and I didn't enjoy fighting the combine the whole time, they could've atleast brought more monsters

Ichi did something I don't think anoyne else would do, bring this up on a HL2 forum? lol, I feel some things were cut out too, but I enjoyed the game overall, not worth a 10... that means teh game is perfect.. MP would've added atleast .5 but now these days, I don't purchase SP games.. but I had bought my gfx card not knowing it came without mp , Max Payne had a great story, don't get me wrong there.. .loved the style of the way they told it also

but just be happy that HL2 is out , I was getting sick of Doom 3's dark worlds and laggy ass multiplayer...

oldfaq

 

[Quickfingers]

Here are some of the examples of interactive story telling leading up to that scene.

Train scene - NPC reaction "where did you come from" - That's a major immersion factor right there. You

You leave the train - a spy bot comes and takes a photo of you... What does that say? "quaruntine"(sp?).. No freedom is allowed in this city...

Your off the train. Video footage of a unknown person who seems to have total leadership over the city

Lady on the fence- Worried that her husband is lost.. - reports from various citizens that people are not arriving off the trains. People reporting poison in the water = paranoia.

Combine cop asks you to pick up litter which means they seem to be overly agressive and abusive and seem to be bullys. which = the city if not safe

Various scnese (too many to mention) of citizens being abused worry and fear in the citizens

You arrive on a block and the combine cops appear to be doing a block to blcok search and beating up/killing citizens. You are chased onto the rooftops and then saved by Alyx.


Now what does this tell you about the story. It tells you that youve just entered a city which appears to be rife with corruption. The dictator shown on the videos is obviously corrupt and something has to be done about it. Now this is just the first 30 mins of the game and that is a prime example of why HL2 is the best single player FPS ever made. Personally I don't understand how people can say there is no story in this game. There might be no closure in HL2 but there is a story.

 

[Linki]

Games will never be perfect, your opinion of a game is never fact.

Deal with it.

 

[Spartan]

Train scene - NPC reaction "where did you come from" - That's a major immersion factor right there.

You leave the train - a spy bot comes and takes a photo of you... What does that say? "quaruntine"(sp?).. No freedom is allowed in this city...

Your off the train. Video footage of a unknown person who seems to have total leadership over the city

Lady on the fence- Worried that her husband is lost.. - reports from various citizens that people are not arriving off the trains. People reporting poison in the water = paranoia.

Combine cop asks you to pick up litter which means they seem to be overly agressive and abusive and seem to be bullys. which = the city if not safe

Various scnese (too many to mention) of citizens being abused worry and fear in the citizens

You arrive on a block and the combine cops appear to be doing a block to blcok search and beating up/killing citizens. You are chased onto the rooftops and then saved by Alyx.

Now what does this tell you about the story.

Nothing. It just describes the enviroment I'm in. It answers no questions. You are pretty desperate, aren't you? If that's all the story you can find....

Your example can be applied to almost any game.

 

[destrukt]

quickfingers: when you explain it that way, it sounds sooo much better.

linki: i don't think he is claiming his opinion to be fact, he's just saying why he doesn't like it.

 

[Spartan]

Valve simply uses a different style of bringing the game world to you. Obviously, Spartan you dislike that method, which is fine. But knowing and having played Half-Life 1 you should have known Valve's style, you should have known what to expect.

For ****ing ****'s sake, ****ing already. I have no trouble with Valve's METHOD, I have trouble with the fact that the method is not USED FOR ANYTHING.

God, what the **** does it take to get these fanboys to have a ****ing clue. Whenever someone has a problem with HL2, any kind of problem, fanboys instantly attribute it to the poster himself.

 

[Linki]

quickfingers: when you explain it that way, it sounds sooo much better.

linki: i don't think he is claiming his opinion to be fact, he's just saying why he doesn't like it.

You're right. Sorry.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

For ****ing ****'s sake, ****ing already. I have no trouble with Valve's METHOD, I have trouble with the fact that the method is not USED FOR ANYTHING.

God, what the **** does it take to get these fanboys to have a ****ing clue. Whenever someone has a problem with HL2, any kind of problem, fanboys instantly attribute it to the poster himself.

 

[razorblade kiss]

Hey, I have been playing Half-Life 2 (Obviasly) and In My Opinion! its very overated. I'm only 1/2 way through the game so its a little judgmental to say. But I was wondering if anyone else felt the same? What flaws and gameplay issues do you think Half-Life 2 has? Here are my thoughts.

First of all, don't get me wrong. The game is pritty good. Its one of the best games I have played in a long time (thats not very hard though). But if I had to critise the game it would be the fact that its beyond linear. I mean, I do not mind linear games. But Half-Life 2 is a little over the top. You have one line straight line that you must follow. Its impossible to even come off that line for a second and jump back onto it. A good example (Not spoiler) would be if a person needed to gain access to an underground passage. They could do it in 2 ways, use a ladder or a lift. Half-Life 2 fails to do this kind of thing which is somewhat boring.

Some of the music is miss timed and used in completely the wrong situation, its also chesse at times (when someone dies). But I think its made up by the fact that the music is very nice.

Ok, I will be flamed for this. But how the **** has Half-Life 2 got a good storyline? WTF! I am so confused how people seem to rate it as been good. Your basic storyline consists of someone telling you to get somewhere for a reason, then you go... Thats all I have seemed to do throughout the whole game. Don't get me wrong the storyline is alright compared to most. But its definatly not good enough to be nearly perfect.

Before you start criting me remember, Half-Life 2 has been rated a 10/10 game. I just fail to see why. I am not saying the game sucks, so make sure you remember that. I just don't think its good enough to get 92/98%. You make your own choice.

All you have said is your own fault. You let your immature self hype the game into oblivion! How could any game live up to that? It cant. I think no game has felt as polished and finished as this one. It's absolutely amazing. No scale can go as high as half life 2 deserves to be scored. Your fault. Next time dont anticipate it so much, dont watch every video, read every interview, analyze every screenshot. I didnt and the game was a blast! I love it. Poo on you.

 

[Quickfingers]

Nothing. It just describes the enviroment I'm in. It answers no questions. You are pretty desperate, aren't you? If that's all the story you can find....

Your example can be applied to almost any game.

Well honestly I recommend you don't play FPS games. because HL2 is as good as it gets for now. To me it sounds like your looking for a RPG in a first person shooter. And Im not desperate Im just trying to explain what the Half Life games are about.If you don't dig the way Valve uses narrative to put across what is happening then that is fair enough. Each to their own. Just don't make point blank statements which are incorrect.

 

[Xenome]

HL2= Best game ever period.

ALL other games are jokes compared to this.

No discussion even POSSIBLE..

 

[Spartan]

Well honestly I recommend you don't play FPS games.

Yeah, obviously - if someone claims that HL2 isn't perfect, he should stop playing at once.

Go **** yourself, will you?

To me it sounds like your looking for a RPG in a first person shooter.

What I'm trying to tell you is that HL2's story is not on par with HL1. It's not even on par with Doom 3. You're the one who's all excited about HL2's amazing story.

 

[Spartan]

Next time dont anticipate it so much, dont watch every video, read every interview, analyze every screenshot. I didnt and the game was a blast! I love it. Poo on you.

Most people here have seen all the shots and videos. Your point is completely moot.

 

[Sidd]

Go **** yourself, will you?

Is that kind of language really necessary?

 

[Falcon(Nate)]

Spartan... We aren't fanboys. At least I'm not.

You're just like the ultimate anti-fanboy, if there is such a thing. For some reason you can't let yourself like the story in HL2.

2 of my friends that haven't followed the development of HL2 have played it and have pretty much the same opinion I do about the story. They aren't fanboys, even if you must think that I am. One of those friends is an aspiring author trying to get books published, and just today he told me that he loved the story.

I'm not going to waste any more time trying to show you where the story is, because you aren't listening. You have your mind made up already. People have given examples of plot and you just throw them away and say "No that's not story." What the heck is story then?

Does one of us need to write a plot summary and hand it to you just for you to say "No, that's not story"? Good gosh.

 

[Spartan]

You're just like the ultimate anti-fanboy, if there is such a thing. For some reason you can't let yourself like the story in HL2.

Once again the blame is placed on the person, because the game is considered to be absolutely 100% flawless in every possible and impossible way.

I don't like HL2's story because it sucks ass. Give me one good reason to intentionally dislike HL2's story (if that's even possible).

I'm not going to waste any more time trying to show you where the story is, because you aren't listening.

No one has showed me anything about the story. Everyone just rants and raves on and on about HL2's fabulous story. And when you ask them about it, they either start insulting you, say nothing or talk about irrelevant things.

 

[Kaini Industries]

I for one did not have very high expectations on Half-Life2. Lately I haven't really enjoyed computer games as much as what I did when I was younger but I have to hand it to the guys at valve, HL2 is awesome. I agree, it is extremly linear, and you get kind of sick of driving that bloody speedboat after half an hour, but what HL2 sets out to do, it does in a great way.

So no, since I didn't have any expectations I don't feel let down in any way.

 

[HunterSeeker]

:S

This statement makes no sense. FarCry blatantly has more variety in weapons, you've even demonstrated that by saying it has 3 assault rifles, wtf are you on about?

I mean the weapons are more varying, Far Cry had 3 assault rifles, 3 weapons with the same purpose. HL2 has few of those, if any at all.

 

[j1mmmy]

They don't even know who you are before you teleport to Breen's office, so why are they chasing you? Makes no sense to me.

In the beginning of the game as you come of the train and enter City 17 the Combine do not know who you are. This can be seen in the way you are treated as a common citizen. After the various events which conspire afterwards (no spoilers here) the combine realise who you are. This happens in the Tenements level, when the Combine asks you to stop and assumedly after you refuse to stop, he tells his friends in the street (I.E. he radios to the rest of the combine) that there is a fugitive on the loose. Now you are being chased. I believe the Overwatch also mentions a miscount in Tenements, the Combine know someone is here who shouldn't be there.

Why does Alyx find you? Remember someone went and told Gordon's friends that he had returned and they probably communicated it amongst themselves. It makes sense they'd send someone to get to you before the combine does. Kleiner and Barney recognise your importance to their cause and don't want you to end up dead.

 

[Spartan]

This happens in the Tenements level, when the Combine asks you to stop and assumedly after you refuse to stop, he tells his friends in the street (I.E. he radios to the rest of the combine) that there is a fugitive on the loose. Now you are being chased.

I don't recall being told to stop.

I believe the Overwatch also mentions a miscount in Tenements, the Combine know someone is here who shouldn't be there.

Fair enough.

Why does Alyx find you? Remember someone went and told Gordon's friends that he had returned and they probably communicated it amongst themselves. It makes sense they'd send someone to get to you before the combine does. Kleiner and Barney recognise your importance to their cause and don't want you to end up dead.

Not "why" but "how." How does she know precisely which route you will take? How is your route so conviniently close to the secret entrance, even though you have no idea where you're going?

 

[CR0M]

Story impact is subjective. If some people are like me and have already lived through this same 'invading force/religion dictatorship with pockets of resistance' storyline countless times (war of the worlds, 'V', 1984, Tripods to name but a few examples) then HL2's storyline is going to seem old hat, and, although competent, not particularly original - which is more than enough to dull the impact.

If however you are somewhat younger and/or haven't yet experienced similar storylines, then yes - it is going to be a damn good story, and in the case of HL2 it is well executed.

Just take into account everyone has different experiences to compare and so different expectations.

 

[sharp]

HL2 is awesome. The storyline is good, at least it got a better story then HL2. The gfx are awesome and soundeffects are very good. The AI is one of the best I saw so far in FPS gaming. This is my opinion

It's a job well done Valve!

 

[j1mmmy]

I don't recall being told to stop.



Fair enough.



Not "why" but "how." How does she know precisely which route you will take? How is your route so conviniently close to the secret entrance, even though you have no idea where you're going?

I'm pretty sure, when you go near the stairs, the Combine comes out of the apartment that was raided at the beginning and says something along the lines of stop or halt. I'd have to check, I've only watched a friend play through up to the Third (I think) chapter.

I think the main explainations for the how Alyx finds you and also how you manage to be so close to Kleiners are more or less gameplay related. Most people would find it rather boring to search every house in City 17 for Kleiner unless Barney was to give Gordon directions but then you run into the problem of forgetful players...

Anyway the best other reasons I have are:

A) Coincidence

B) Luck.

And yeah, I know they are rather weak reasons but I think the main real reason is gameplay.

EDIT: New thought, the citizens in the building you escape from attempt to help you, so maybe they know you have to go to the lab and that the rooftops is the best way. Funnily enough, Alyx would then be in the same building as the lab she was visiting.

Anyway I think Alyx finding you is understandable if she was visiting the lab. When the Combine entered the building they would have made a fair bit of noise and so she went to investigate. Failing that there's Barney's job. You know that he can contact Kleiner from his job and maybe he can monitor the progress of other combine or use the flying cameras or Scanners.

That's a fair bit of conjecture though.

Then the only problem is how Gordon managed to find the lab (Maybe see reasons A & B) and I do know that's desperate but I think this is more of a story shaped to fit gameplay then anything else.

 

[Spartan]

Barney could have just given you instructions while still keeping the levels linear. You know where you're going, and there's only one way to go.

 

[Asuka]

Hey, I have been playing Half-Life 2 (Obviasly) and In My Opinion! its very overated. I'm only 1/2 way through the game so its a little judgmental to say. But I was wondering if anyone else felt the same? What flaws and gameplay issues do you think Half-Life 2 has? Here are my thoughts.

First of all, don't get me wrong. The game is pritty good. Its one of the best games I have played in a long time (thats not very hard though). But if I had to critise the game it would be the fact that its beyond linear. I mean, I do not mind linear games. But Half-Life 2 is a little over the top. You have one line straight line that you must follow. Its impossible to even come off that line for a second and jump back onto it. A good example (Not spoiler) would be if a person needed to gain access to an underground passage. They could do it in 2 ways, use a ladder or a lift. Half-Life 2 fails to do this kind of thing which is somewhat boring.

Some of the music is miss timed and used in completely the wrong situation, its also chesse at times (when someone dies). But I think its made up by the fact that the music is very nice.

Ok, I will be flamed for this. But how the **** has Half-Life 2 got a good storyline? WTF! I am so confused how people seem to rate it as been good. Your basic storyline consists of someone telling you to get somewhere for a reason, then you go... Thats all I have seemed to do throughout the whole game. Don't get me wrong the storyline is alright compared to most. But its definatly not good enough to be nearly perfect.

Before you start criting me remember, Half-Life 2 has been rated a 10/10 game. I just fail to see why. I am not saying the game sucks, so make sure you remember that. I just don't think its good enough to get 92/98%. You make your own choice.

1st of all you just proved to everyone you dont understand Hl2.
No game out there has done what hl2 did with: physics, facial expressions, etc. About the story. The 1st half-life was like the 1st fps to have a real story it was also the game that kicked off the modding community. About the half-life 2 story. Its the middle chapter they dont explain things for a reason its like the half-life style. What game shocks you as much as half-life 2 in the sense of scenery or character realism. hl2 has MOVIE quality effects and scenes. Not going to name any parts, dont want to spoil it for some people. If you take the story of the 1st half-life it was so simple but yet so complex you could dig so deap and find small details that explained alot. Then you play hl2 and you notice how much more complex the story has had. The way you follow or learn more about things in hl2 is by looking at whats around you. Reading the things on the walls, looking for small details. Well hope i change your mind about what you said because you were clearly misunderstanding the half-life universe.