Half-Life 2 Scores Best Ever PC Zone (UK) Review

[Chris D]

This week is the week that subscribers to PC Zone magazine in the UK will start to receive their copies of the mag containing their Half-Life 2 review. It's the best scoring Half-Life 2 review yet, and indeed also the best scoring game ever to be reviewed by PC Zone.[br]
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The guys over at PC Zone, now being published by Future, have scored Half-Life 2 at a whopping 97%, improving on the Half-Life's score of 95%.[br]
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This brings up the average Half-Life 2 review score up to around 95%.[br]
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Our forum member, Dedalus, is to be thanked for this scoop.[br]As for a summary of the review, I think you'll agree that this sums it up rather well:

Play it, enjoy it, savour it. Games may never get this good again.

PC Zone has recently updated their site with the shots originally found on the PC Gamer UK DVD. They are in a higher resolution than those originally released over at PC Gamer's website:[br]

<span align="center"></span>​

[br]You can find the rest of the screenshots in their screenshot archive, here.

 

[Gunner]

97%!!!

Para gives a standing ovation!

 

[Loke]

Impressive!!

 

[switch]

Wow

Was hoping to get PC Zone through the post today aswell, but only got a letter saying how they had recently changed pubishers.

 

[Methias]

Wahahaaaaaa!!!! Give Me This Game!!

 

[scully]

you do realise this game being released is going to cause a massive surge in graphic card sales and upgrades lol


thats impressive stuff

 

[Loke]

Actually, I wouldn't doubt that Half-Life 2 will be GOTY.

 

[neva]

Nice I want to read that review :/

 

[willz]

Actually, I wouldn't doubt that Half-Life 2 will be GOTY.

well as long as the much hyped "doom 3" doesnt

 

[Chris D]

Nice I want to read that review :/

Don't you guys get CVG over there on the continent? I think they mirror PC Zone's reviews but I'm not sure.

 

[RoyaleWithCheese]

Great score!

I love those in-game tv screens with Dr. Breen and in this particular screen, Eli!

 

[Zodak]

You do realise this review is published by the same parent corporation as the PC Gamer review?

 

[Orgonomist]

By the Gods, I'm even getting a little bit hyped.

 

[Dux]

PCZone are always over the top with their scores.

 

[Warlock]

Ah, good, I was waiting to see what PC Zone had to say about Half Life 2. Great to hear.

Now, just have to wait for it to get down here... Hopefully it'll be quick like last time.

 

[madca7`]

omg.. too nice

 

[A True Canadian]

PCZone are always over the top with their scores.

97% as their best score ever. These reviews appear to be scoring better and better.

 

[Paappa]

97% as their best score ever. These reviews appear to be scoring better and better.

And better and better and better...... so long that when we end up 101%

 

[Gorgon]

Awsome news,

HL2 experience will be unforgotable. :thumbs:

 

[rammstein]

Damnit, I'm waiting for the Aussie mags to start coming out with HL2 reviews!!

 

[Glo-Boy]

Alyx looks like her name should be "Bruiser" in that one picture.

 

[Alig]

PCZone are always over the top with their scores.

But if all there review's are always over the top then it makes no difference. If hl2's review was over the top then it would make a difference. Anyway its the highest scored game they've ever reviewed so if the highest score before this 97% was 96% then it means all the review's are over the top as most magazines have scored at least one game 96% in there life time.

 

[Rupertvdb]

i am going to have to buy a strip of rubber or something so that i don't gnaw my teeth in anticipation too much

 

[spinkitten]

Indeed Alyx looks likes she's having a little hissy-fit, mainly two things struck me about the pics (well the ones i could access without subscribing) -

a) that bloody huge headcrab, I knew there was going to be like a Tank class headcrab, but that thing could rip your head clean off. Has anyone seen an in-game pic of the new tongue monster thing, the artwork for that beast looks awesome - hopefully if it can move around more than it's central position it would prove a great challenge. A lot of HL1 puzzles were often static based (ie. move around hanging tongues, move boxes over static pool of electrified water. Maybe with HL2's extra dynamic zing, the puzzles will be more dynamically challenging too.)

b) the facial detail and presumably animations look awesome, the way so much emotion is pouring into them just amazes me. I'm aware of the way that the lips auto sync to the audio, but i presume there must be a way Valve have simplified face emotion, maybe adding tags to specific wav files, as the amount of effort to recreate those faces would take forever.

Well Done, Valve.

Personally, PC Zone are there or there abouts on reviews IMO, second to PC Gamer who are normally are bang on, while PC Gamer US seem to praise anything with high scores. Though by the average scores seen, it's pretty clear it's not going to disappoint people.

 

[MadGuy]

well as long as the much hyped "doom 3" doesnt

you gotta be kiddin me.
No way this crap is getting GOTY :stare:

 

[nutcrackr]

Wow that isn't a very good score, could be higher.

Just kidding

Good work, very pleased :cheers:

 

[satch919]

Very nice.

Now where's the US reviews? :|

 

[jackytreehornn]

British people kick ass

 

[Asuka]

Good Stuff.

 

[Ecthe|ioN]

Holy crap. 97%! :cheers:

 

[liPillON]

Has anyone seen an in-game pic of the new tongue monster thing

in this screenshot: http://www.halflife2.net/news//1096653015_HL2oct3.jpg

look at the tunnel's ceiling

 

[X-Vector]

It's the best scoring Half-Life 2 review yet, and indeed also the best scoring game ever to be reviewed by PC Zone.

Joint highest score at best, Quake 2 also received a 97% from PCZ UK (just goes to show how little that score could be worth).

 

[[Matt]]

Joint highest score at best, Quake 2 also received a 97% from PCZ UK (just goes to show how little that score could be worth).

At the time Quake 2 very much deserved that score!

 

[X-Vector]

No. it very much did not.

Dead boring and regressive singleplayer, compromised multiplayer, bland visuals, awful soundtrack; it was scored about 25% too high.

 

[Burning Fish]

The screens on that website are not in a higher resolution then the previously released ones. They are both 800x600.

But, great score!!!!

 

[CatBOne]

Great score! I take back everything bad I have ever said about PCZ! (well, almost everything lol)

 

[mbrithoms]

bring on the scans! (obviously not here)

 

[rrm]

jesus

hype machine just exploded with nuclear strenght

 

[Kirkburn]

You keep saying PC Zone is being published by Futre now? Where did this news come from? Why on earth would they buy PC Zone anyway? They alreayd have PC Gamer and PC Format! Also, the PC Zone and Future websites have connection at present. Indeed, the PC Zone website still says Dennis publishing ...

Or have I missed something major?

 

[Chris D]

You keep saying PC Zone is being published by Futre now? Where did this news come from? Why on earth would they buy PC Zone anyway? They alreayd have PC Gamer and PC Format! Also, the PC Zone and Future websites have connection at present. Indeed, the PC Zone website still says Dennis publishing ...

Or have I missed something major?

Nothing major. I e-mailed PC Zone last week and they replied from a "futurenet" domain name. I asked and Dennis have just been bought out by Future. I believe they've moved into their new offices last week so the next issue will be published by Future.

I haven't seen it myself yet, but I believe the HL2 issue is still published by Dennis.