Half-Life 2 - Things That Valve Did Right (may contain small spoilers))

[Rarhok]

I've only played up to the beginning of that jail level, but I can't stop just truly admiring this game! So I've made these lists just to showoff my enthusiam. I really want this game to be better in a positive way, so hence the two lists. Be wary, there maybe spoilers for those who haven't played yet!

1) Mouse feel - They know what's good... considering that I've play a lot of FPS'es in the past. THANK-YOU VALVE THANK-YOU
2) Textures - Crisp and oh so detailed. The world feels alive more than ever... I thought Far Cry would be tough to beat!
3) Sound effects - ambience, vehicles, weapons
4) Menus design - Elegant simplicity in all its glory!
5) Fast and solid resolution switching - Gawd, this is truly icing on the cake!!
6) New ideas worth mentioning: Ant lions, teleport gun, crane, gravity gun, ability to hold and throw objects, materials system, laser guided rockets, electric balls
7) Fun madness with vehicles - The ones you drive, the enemy's, the flying ones... They're all fun to use and watch!
8) Voice acting - I imagine the real voice actors are really having fun and getting involved too
9) Character animations - Nothing to worry about here. Smooth and delicate.
10) Sense of humor - Icing + spatula
11) Sense of care for the NPC's - This is one of the most important points. The game surprised me.
12) Sense of adventure - It's a big world alright
13) Excellent architechtural concepts - There's no other way for me to put it... THIS IS MY KIND OF GAME!
14) Dialog - I even want more dialog, dammit! Make it a soap opera!
15) Jolts - Oh yeah, you'll feel them... with the headcrabs, almost falling off the bridge trusses, those advanced headcrab zombies in Ravenholm, shooting a frenzied pack of antlions, ETC.!
16)

Half-Life 2 - Things That Would've Been Nice To Add

1) All NPC's have something to say... some NPC's on the turrets do not
2) More NPC's and significant interaction with them
3) More than one key for each bind (Half-Life 1 allows 2)
4) NPC's that show you how to use all of a weapon's features by using their weapon to demonstrate
5) Friend and foe models having significant difference in physiques
6)

 

[Revenge]

More for the list!

Things they did right:
16) Attention to detail: Alyx hums really quietly to herself in Black Mesa when she's working on the control panel just before the jealous lady doctor in white shows up.
17) You aren't a god amongst the peons (except for the last 2 levels), your allies are quite lethal too, and you are just one man in a massive battle all around you. You make all the difference, but you aren't carrying the war on your own.

Things they could have added:
6) A quick stopsound followed by a fade to black with a "loading..." text displayed whenever you change video options, listening to 30 seconds of sound skipping while I wonder if HL2 is crashed every time I change any of the advanced settings is not my cup of tea.

 

[FangsFirst]

...........
teleport gun?

I agree with all your points except the NPCs. NPCs almost never work for me in games, unless they are vague (otherwise it gets too far into "I'm not reacting at all like the person you're talking to. I'm throwing soda cans in your face and you're talking to me like the hawt science man with a big crowbar you're scripted to talk to.")

But yes, absolutely. textures, menus (well..for all I like the living backgrounds, they're slow as crap to load :\...but I really DID like the actual MENUS), voice acting, humour, all of that stuff WAS quite good.

You know what would have been the best to add?
a "click to continue" screen after loading. I mean, the loading takes so long it's already broken up, right? It'd at least (probably) save SOME on the skipping audio...

 

[C-O-N-Spiracy]

I like how when youre being attacked by the gunship and you and all the NPCs are runnin around shooting and shouting.. especially when you finally shoot the damn thing down (Lol) and everyone looks exhausted and the sad music plays... thats awesome.. like a movie.
I think there were several instances like that. The whole game kinda had a sad feel to it. Great game!!

 

[Revenge]

I agree with all your points except the NPCs. NPCs almost never work for me in games, unless they are vague (otherwise it gets too far into "I'm not reacting at all like the person you're talking to. I'm throwing soda cans in your face and you're talking to me like the hawt science man with a big crowbar you're scripted to talk to.")

Ok sure, you might throw cans at people you meet who try to be nice to you, but Gordon Freeman isn't psychotic. I put "throwing cans at your best friend's head" in the same category as "hitting him in the head with the crowbar for some free ammo". We are supposed to believe that we really are Gordon Freeman, not some mad raving lunatic with a gun! It simply wouldn't make any sense to have them reacting to your abuse because it plain and simply doesn't make any sense that Gordon would be anything but a nice guy to them in return! He's RISKING HIS LIFE FOR THEM. WHY WOULD HE THROW EMPTY SODA CANS AT THEIR HEADS?

 

[bustya]

Notice how little replys this thread has recieved so far.

And there's a good reason why... well reasons:

1) AI was not sophistocated. Enemies will move along the same paths and execute the same events. This all but destroys the replay value of the game. Come to think of it, it's no wonder why Valve wanted to release the game all at once, since once the story on how this game ends gets out, no one would ever think of purchasing it! Hell, I wouldn't have if I know I would only be playing it once.

2) 2 vehicles? Come on... with games like BFV.

3) AI of the Striders was horrible. You can tell that it is running on a script. I played the same level twice, and both times, the striders did the exact same thing.

4) Ok, this game took me a while to complete. After all of that hard work, I finally make it to chapter 14. I'm ready for a "battle of epic proportions" and all I get is a dumb luck brain teaser that makes no sense to the story!

 

[we11er]

Striders aren't scripted. But this doesn't mean they are going to do radically different things in the same situation. It's bound to be pretty similar each time you play it because it's exactly the same situation each time, even if the AI is free/randomised.