Half-Life 2: Six Months After

[trizzm]

the world seems to be slowly regaining from the massive impact Valve is responsible of when they released the game 183 days ago. people in offices and students everywhere are starting to work again, families finding back their balance- and such.

what are your impressions, how different are your lives after these six months than before them, how many times did you play through it, what kind of impact did it have on your surroundings.

 

[Defpotec22]

i've played through 3 times (working on 4th), i try to use the Force as my grav gun to get objects that are across the room now, and all my other games graphics seem to suck in comparrison. thanks valve

 

[kupocake]

I find it difficult to enjoy any other FPS game. I played halfway through Far Cry and wondered what the hell all the fuss was about - I suspect that if I'd played it pre-November 17th, I may have quite liked it.

 

[J_Tweedy]

Every game other than HL2 looks like crap graphically. Other than that not a whole helluva lot. Pretty similar effect to having seen a really good movie- life goes on.

 

[Sparta]

I find it difficult to enjoy any other FPS game. I played halfway through Far Cry and wondered what the hell all the fuss was about - I suspect that if I'd played it pre-November 17th, I may have quite liked it.

Played it before then and didn't see what all the fuss was about either. Far Cry's just crap.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Played it twice, now I find I cannot bring myself to playing it again until I get a new computer. The game is just not worthy of being played with only medium quality on the textures...

 

[G-Dub]

Well, I bought HL2 Silver Package when I had a crappy DX7 graphics card, 256 DDR RAM, and a 2400+ XP CPU...


In 2 weeks I'm ordering a 3500+, 1 GIG RAM, 6800 GT 256MB DDR3 PCI-Express GFX Card...


It's gonna be like playing the game for the first time again... I've never played on high specs/settings!



Thank god I'll finally be able to do the game justice...

 

[Mr-Fusion]

I won't be able to enjoy any single player games for a long time. It'll take other developers at least another 1-2 years to catch up with what Valve did with Half-Life 2.

 

[GonzoBabbleshit]

I want more already...

 

[Qwert93]

Imagine the shock that Aftermath will cause...

 

[AIDisabled]

It's like the way I felt after reading Fight Club the first time. Nothing is really the same. Nothing's good enough. I haven't played any other game since. It's just... it's a mind job, really.

 

[Laivasse]

Eiieh, I only bought it a few months back and I'm still not done with it. I'm in the middle of my 4th go through the game, and it keep calling me to play it even though I have 2 essays due very soon, ones that I haven't started. Other games I received at Xmas go sorely neglected. Sims 2 is unopened! Perhaps one day I will be free.

 

[ríomhaire]

I stoped playing C&C and Black & White.

 

[Thadius Dean]

I'm stuck at the beginning of Water Hazard...

because of my computer, It'll crash due to the speed of the boat

.787 PIII Processor
TNT2 Graphics Card
512 MB of RAM

I'm going to build my first computer this summer and enjoy Half-Life at it's full potential

 

[Cypher19]

I'm stuck at the beginning of Water Hazard...

because of my computer, It'll crash due to the speed of the boat

.787 PIII Processor
TNT2 Graphics Card
512 MB of RAM

I'm going to build my first computer this summer and enjoy Half-Life at it's full potential

You mean Half Life ONE

 

[Pesmerga]

I played Half-Life 2 all the way through on the lowest settings possible due to my video card and specs (got a decent 30 fps). I was simply amazed at how awesome HL2 looks and plays even on these settings, never experienced it any other way. I'm building my computer hopefully by June.

After playing Half-Life 2, all the other games feel sub-standard, like they were made solely for the purpose of making me want to play Half-Life 2 again. It's like, every game that isn't Half-Life 2 is just an elaborate marketting scheme to get me playing HL2 again.

 

[trizzm]

i have yet to play it in surround 5,1 but my z2300s do the job well enough, i suppose it will be much better once i get surround headphones though

the next step is getting a r480 or r520 with a dell widescreen. i was able to experience hl2 in full kick ass graphics mode despite my old vid card thanks to my system but I could use a few more fps. plus my stupid ass sceptre 19"er came with three annoying dead pixels, for which they have absolutely no warranty and I paid 700 bucks for it.

i agree about far cry being utter crap, i regret spending 20$ on it to see how nice it would look on my shiny new box.

 

[Greatgat]

Yeah, every other 1st person shooter seems, not like crap, but nowhere near as fun as good ol' HL2. It's just not the same place anymore.

 

[Narcolepsy]

Half-Life 2 has the strange quality about it that makes it just not get old. I can't put my finger on it. It doesn't have anything to do with the graphics - it's just the overall feel of the game. The weapons, the gravity gun, the story, the level design - it's all superb.

With that said, I've been enjoying playing other games as well, but every now and then I still load up Ravenholm for some good saw blade action.

 

[azumi]

I played the game almost without any pause, my friends though I was a nutcase. Luckely my boyfriend is as crazy bout hl2 as I am (if not even more) so it didn't cause any troubles there

I think the thing that really got to me was the fact that I just won't settle with the game, I want everything around the game. Mods, books, posters, forums, pictures, you name it. I'm kind of hooked.

Yeah can u imagine what chaos aftermath will create? People will close their windows and doors and probably won't come out in a week or so. Ain't it wonderful?

 

[Mechagodzilla]

I've played through enough times now to have found every possible thing. So now I play Deathmatch and/or learn to use Hammer on a semi-regular basis.

Can't say it's gotten old or boring at all despite the constant play. And I have a strong feeling that Aftermath will be better.

 

[kupocake]

Half-Life 2 has the strange quality about it that makes it just not get old. I can't put my finger on it. It doesn't have anything to do with the graphics - it's just the overall feel of the game. The weapons, the gravity gun, the story, the level design - it's all superb.

I think it's especially the gravity gun and the implementation of physics. Other games feel so dead now when I play them - like, I instinctively try to shoot enemy grenades away from me, but only HL2 pushes them to a safe distance or even at all. I've found new ways to play FPSs that just aren't catered for by 99.9% of the games on the market...

 

[Plug]

It really does do what alot of you said, makes every other game just seem not worth it.
I bought the doom 3 expansion pack, which is pretty cool... but it just makes me want to get back into hl2 and finish my third trip through.
Also, my brother is playing through for the first time.. and he tells me where he's up to whenever he plays it, makes me want to play again and again

And i'm also gearing up to make a mod with him and some friends, we should be going public fairly soon heheheh
Years of planning gone into it, can't wait to get a beta out.

:afro:

 

[el Chi]

I think it's especially the gravity gun and the implementation of physics. Other games feel so dead now when I play them - like, I instinctively try to shoot enemy grenades away from me, but only HL2 pushes them to a safe distance or even at all. I've found new ways to play FPSs that just aren't catered for by 99.9% of the games on the market...

Exactly! It's weird, I played Max Payne 1 the other day for the first time in ages and I just thought: "Why isn't that barrel moving? Oh, wait..."

 

[NÜk]

I made the mistake of buying Doom 3 after completing Half Life 2. It was a brilliant game in every aspect... just not after playing HL2. I still haven't finished it, but throughout the game I just find myself thinking dissappointedly: "Hmm, HL2 had better level design..." "HL2 had better pacing..." "HL2 was more immersive..." "HL2 is on my hard drive..." *Esc* *Quit* *Start Menu* *Half-Life 2*

 

[Warbie]

I enjoyed HL2, but don't think it's as great as the first. I've also enjoyed quite a few other recent titles a good deal more (Resident Evil 4, WoW etc)

It's an excellent game, but I found it a bit too easy, and the combat rather dull.

 

[Jintor]

To be honest, the only real (commercial) game that has stopped me playing HL2 was Halo2. And that was because of Co-Op.

If i was playing by myself i would have burnt my Xbox at the stake.

 

[el Chi]

I find it difficult to enjoy any other FPS game. I played halfway through Far Cry and wondered what the hell all the fuss was about - I suspect that if I'd played it pre-November 17th, I may have quite liked it.

Nope, that's just Far Cry for you. Quite good for the first half, and then very rubbish.

 

[MiccyNarc]

I'm playing it through again...Holy cow. It just keeps getting better

 

[AIDisabled]

All right. I've just installed another game after six whole months of playing nothing but Half Life 2.

It's System Shock 2, the only game I consider to be Half Life 2's equal. You may not agree with me, but both games immerse me in their world, and System Shock 2 still terrifies the shit out of me sometimes (cause I still play it with lights turned out and headphones).

 

[Mith']

Nope, that's just Far Cry for you. Quite good for the first half, and then very rubbish.

Fun, until... Treehouse?

 

[Cons Himself]

treehouse is the bit where the monkeys break out? that was shit hard i couldnt do it...specially with no save feature

 

[tinyxipe]

As a general rule, I don't replay FPSs, but HL2 just keeps pulling me back. I haven't replayed the whole thing yet, just favorite parts. We put some more memory in a few weeks ago and now I can play with nearly everything maxed out.

The best thing for me though, has been that it inspired me to start writing. I've almost finished my fanfic Desperate Measures and I'm pretty proud of it. If you like something that's a little more character driven, give it a read. It's weird that a computer game finally got me started on something that I should have been doing years ago.

 

[kupocake]

All right. I've just installed another game after six whole months of playing nothing but Half Life 2.

It's System Shock 2, the only game I consider to be Half Life 2's equal. You may not agree with me, but both games immerse me in their world, and System Shock 2 still terrifies the shit out of me sometimes (cause I still play it with lights turned out and headphones).

OMG... I forgot System Shock in my sweeping statements! Half-Life 2 makes every game unplayble... except the Shock games (and possibly Deus Ex 1). UT2004 suffices for when I need shallow shooting. The reason for that is because they're not really comparable... Half-Life 2 is (so far) the top of the evolutionary pyramid for straight-down-the-middle FPS, but Shock 1, 2 and Deus Ex were little, amazing revolutions that no-one really went out of their way to better. Sure they lack certain things that HL2 has... but they still made advances in aspects that HL2 simply doesn't cover.

Would I like a System Shock 3 in a post Source Engine world? Yes. Yes I would.

 

[Narcolepsy]

OMG... I forgot System Shock in my sweeping statements! Half-Life 2 makes every game unplayble... except the Shock games (and possibly Deus Ex 1). UT2004 suffices for when I need shallow shooting. The reason for that is because they're not really comparable... Half-Life 2 is (so far) the top of the evolutionary pyramid for straight-down-the-middle FPS, but Shock 1, 2 and Deus Ex were little, amazing revolutions that no-one really went out of their way to better. Sure they lack certain things that HL2 has... but they still made advances in aspects that HL2 simply doesn't cover.

Would I like a System Shock 3 in a post Source Engine world? Yes. Yes I would.

I consider Deus Ex to be the only computer game superior to Half-Life 2 for the record.

 

[AmishSlayer]

I enjoyed HL2, but don't think it's as great as the first. I've also enjoyed quite a few other recent titles a good deal more (Resident Evil 4, WoW etc)

It's an excellent game, but I found it a bit too easy, and the combat rather dull.

Same. I've been playing a lot of WC3 (DOTA), DMC3, R&C:UYA, etc. I played through HL2 once then 1/2way through with substance. Substance made it a little more difficult and more interesting to look around in, but I still didn't finish the game. It's too bad that a mod made HL2 to what I wanted it to be.

I don't even have Steam installed on my computer right now. I'm waiting for some good mods and DOD:S.

 

[NÜk]

Actually I found vanilla hl2's difficulty just right; On hard it keeps you on your toes enough to be exhilirating and require concentration, but doesn't kill you enough to break up the flow of the game. Call me crap, but in Substance, I feel like I'm awkwardly and disjointedly crawling through the game while spending most of my time looking at a red screen with a flatline noise in my ears. It seems that many people who disliked hl2 are power gamers who can take out a room full of Overwatch in 3 seconds with perfect magnum headshots.

 

[Pesmerga]

I played the game almost without any pause, my friends though I was a nutcase. Luckely my boyfriend is as crazy bout hl2 as I am (if not even more) so it didn't cause any troubles there

OMGOMG PIXS?

Kidding aside, I agree with some of the above posts, talking about the "feel" of half-life2. I think it's credited largely to the graphics. It's very odd in a sense where you almost believe you're actually there. Take your mind off the game for a split second and you know it's a game, but back in the deep parts of your mind, you're actually doing something in the game itself, your body is a part of it. I recognized this attribute when I first walked outside in hl2, the sun in my eyes, birds flying overhead, combine police walking around, a constant pressense of tiny things you don't even think or notice, but it adds to the effect. I was smiling the entire time, it was just so overwhelming to experience it. HL2 has affect that I don't think any game has touched on before, besides Call of Duty's cinematic experiences (which, in terms of cinemanology, comes very close to hl2) that takes the player for a joy ride. You're no longer yourself when you're deep into playing, you're Gordon Freeman, leader of the resistance, fighting the combine and Xen aliens as you go.

 

[knut]

Can't say it affected me much at all. Got it for my birthday on December 6th, played pretty much each day, had a long break from it just after Ravenholm or during Ravenholm, played some more, etc. I was very pleased with myself that I went through it slowly and not top-speed. I enjoyed it muchly. Once I... um, well I've no idea how I'm going to get it to working again, but once I do I can't wait to play again.

 

[Draculas_Guest]

There were a few things I was dissapointed in with HL2, but its a million times better than most of the other commercial stuff thats out there at the moment.
I mean I tried playing the demo of Doom 3, and couldnt get into it at all. The opening was like the opening of the first Half Life, but without the sense of humour or general immersiveness. Oh look I'm a generic Marine on some Mars base. BORING. The problem with a number of FPS's is that they're characterless drivel

One of the things I like with Valve is that they have a grasp of storytelling. There were a couple of issues I had with the story of HL2, but generally the way the action unfolded had me gripped. Characters like Barney, Dr Kleiner, Dr Vance, Alyx, D.O.G, were memorable, and its those sort things that can lift a game above and beyond the usual fodder. I mean Barney alone had some of the greatest moments in the scripted sequences, and its MOMENTS that last, whether its the train ride through the citadel, or watching a combine dropship explode after you've whacked it with an RPG from the lighthouse. Its things like that makes a connection with people.

Put it this way, I actually CARE about Gordon, Barney and Alyx. I want to play HL3 and discover more about the Combine, Vortigerns and the HL universe I've been inhabiting for the past few years.
Does anyone really give a toss about Unreal 6 or Quake 23? I sure as hell dont.