Is Half life2 worth it ?

M

MikeJYoung

Guest
I consider myself an old fps gamer at the age of 47 I guess I am :E Doom, Duke, Quake, Unreal, UT, Unreal2, UT2003, Halo etc etc.

I haven't seen or played hl2 yet and was wondering is it going to be worth all the expense and time installing it.

Is it true that once you get the DVD rom installed (I don't have a DVD rom yet either and only have Win98SE on a AMD3000+ 512mb Geforce FX 5900XT 128 system so I will have to buy a DVD rom, but what I read about DVD writers they all require Win200 or XP for the drivers), you have to register on-line and get a 800mb download of patches from the steam system ? 800mb on my 300k cable modem is going to be a pain.

Is the 800mb upgrade from steam true ?

I have read the min and max requirements for hl2 does anyone out there have a same'ish system to me and could tell me what the game would run like (sorry if that is a lame question).

So basically I am looking at an upgrade to WinXP to get a DVD drive to work properly, install the game and then get 800mb of patches for the game ?

If anybody can be bothered to help or advise an old timer I would be interested in their view.

Regards Mike.

Retired UT mod Infiltration level designer :farmer:
 
Not at the moment.
Once the novelty of the sp wears off...
CS:S...I personally don't like...
HL2DM is fun for like 2 weeks...
Personally, I'd wait a few more months.
Buy something like Warhammer 40k : Dawn of War...
Or Sid Meier's Pirates!...
But, You could probably listen to what others say.
I loved the first HL.
But, Really, The mods are what makes HL so popular imo.
 
Your asking on an hl2 forum, so the answer from most people will probably be yes. Anyways hell yes it is!
 
Uhh, yeah it is definately worth it. You don't need a DVD drive for HL2, get the CD-ROM version (5 CDs). I don't know who told you about the 800mb of patches, it's definately not that much. I did a full re-install of HL2/CS:S/HL2DM about a week and a half ago and it didn't take long to download all the updates (including HL2 DM).
 
If Half Life 2 cost me all my money, I would still buy it, and it would seem like a bargain.

Does that answer your question?
 
I'd say get those upgrades, you'll need them anyway, only going to benefit your computer for future games or things you wanna do on it. The updates arent that meaty, there are quite a few though, which you can do anytime you want. Online games must always be updated prior to playing though.
Your system is good, and could run HL2 on Medium/leaning more towards high settings.
With the two multiplayers and great looking SP, and mods for the future, if you are looking for something with alot of content, and a great community then, step forward.
 
I think it is only worth it if you get a graphics card that has DirectX 9. Now I dont know anything about that graphics card or processor but as long as you have 512mb, id say at least 1.6ghz processor, and DX 9, the game would be worth it for you. Just let the patches download over night, leave the comp. on.
 
Yep!

I got more for my money out of this game than any other game i have ever played. this game is worth more than every penny. the graphics and phisics are insane. never seen anything lik um. :afro:
 
I completely agree with you on the mods xlucidx, I worked on the Infiltration for UT that was fun and oddly enough the team is still going and are swapping to the Source engine so I hear, my eyes are too messed up for level editing, but I can still play.

babyheadcrab I guess yes is good enough :).

Oh I forgot to ask has hl2 got a coop mode where two or more human players on a LAN can go kill bot enemies ?

I really like coop LAN games I play them with one of my daugthers, she is good, dm is not fun anymore, doesn't seem right running around killing your children in a game :)
 
There is no official co-op mode as of now, but mod's are in the works.
 
Theres a mod being released called Sven co-op 2 , like the original for HL1, where you play the half-life 2 missions online. Basically you could set up a server and both connect to it and play the missions online together. Just another example of the mods around the corner. Do a search on these forums to find out more about it, and their website.
 
MikeJYoung said:
I completely agree with you on the mods xlucidx, I worked on the Infiltration for UT that was fun and oddly enough the team is still going and are swapping to the Source engine so I hear, my eyes are too messed up for level editing, but I can still play.

babyheadcrab I guess yes is good enough :).

Oh I forgot to ask has hl2 got a coop mode where two or more human players on a LAN can go kill bot enemies ?

I really like coop LAN games I play them with one of my daugthers, she is good, dm is not fun anymore, doesn't seem right running around killing your children in a game :)
Click to expand...
The Sven Co-Op team are doing a sequel. Not only will it be possible to play against your daughter through the full single player episode, but also through specially designed custom levels where you both have to kill AI players and complete certain objectives.

It's very popular for HL1 and pretty damn good :)

As for me, yes, I'd definitely say HL2 is worth it. The updates probably wouldn't take you beyond another 100MB of downloading so don't worry :)
 
Thanks diluted, Excellent news about the 5 CD version, I will definately go buy that version of hl2 if I can find somewhere that sells it :).

Thanks guys for your honest and sensible comments, great forum.
 
MikeJYoung said:
Excellent news about the 5 CD version, I will definately go buy that version of hl2 if I can find somewhere that sells it
Click to expand...


I got mine at Best Buy -- $60.

G-Man box.
 
Yeah this forum is great, go check out the Political and General Off Topic threads!
 
Glad to help. I will quickly attempt to clear up the DVD and 5 CD issue. In America the game was released as 5 CDs, but everywhere else has a single DVD. So it depends on your location and whats available to you. Good luck! :thumbs:
 
Installation isn't as bad as many people make it out to be either.
With a decent internet connection, you can install all five CDs, steam and download HL2DM in about 40 minutes.
 
CS:S, HL2DM, 100's of upcoming mods, SP is kickarse! Of course its worth it.
 
I hope the mods come out soon. I was actually dissapointed when I picked up HL2 last week and there really weren't any good mods out yet.
 
MikeJYoung said:
Oh I forgot to ask has hl2 got a coop mode where two or more human players on a LAN can go kill bot enemies ?

I really like coop LAN games I play them with one of my daugthers, she is good, dm is not fun anymore, doesn't seem right running around killing your children in a game :)
Click to expand...
Yes, if you count CounterStrike Source. As others have stated, you will eventually be able to play the full HL2 Single Player game Co-Op using Sven's mod.

HL2 is definitly worth it. Not only is it the most detailed, advanced FPS made, but with two strikingly different multiplayer modes and a ton of mods on the way, it really is an insane value.
 
f|uke said:
HL2 is definitly worth it. Not only is it the most detailed, advanced FPS made, but with two strikingly different multiplayer modes and a ton of mods on the way, it really is an insane value.
Click to expand...
I'd agree (although personally I got bored of SP after finishing it, and CS:S is too hard) - but considering the mods are 'on the way', I'd probably advise people to wait until those mods come out. The game will get cheaper, computers will get better, and if you're not already dying to play it there's no real reason to buy right now.
 
i think its worth it...Custom maps and mods will also definately help the game...But yeah, i know where you are coming from cos a few of my friends got it and had HUGE problems with it. One of my mates has a 56k modem -> NIGHTMARE!!!!
 
Its most definetly worth it.

I too had to buy a DVD drive to play it. Plus I didn't have to download the 800MB files off Steam to play it (I just installed it from the DVD) and the patches were about 30 or 40MB or something. The single player is fantastic. HL2DM is sweet too. The real beauty of a game like HL2 is like the original there are going to loads of great mods coming out over the next 2 or 3 years. I mean the already released HL2:Substance is much better than the original game and its fun as hell.

Definetly worth the price of the DVD drive (I paid €30 for mine) and the price of the game.
 
I love my half-life 2! And even though the CS:s part is buggy I play it all the time, get it get it!!!
 
Can't find CDROM version anywhere on earth !

Well I have spend maybe 4hrs scanning the net for Half Life 2 CDROM 5 disk version, and I can't find any site that has that version.

Anybody know a place ?

I live in England that may be an issue regards purchasing !
Are the U.S. & U.K. versions of Half life 2 the same ?

Any help would be great.

Have money just no where to purchase :)

Regards Mike.
 
100% worth it. The mp is great and the single player is insanely amazing.
 
If you are an old shooter fan, then it is totally worth it to see the pinnacle of the genre. But let's look at it in depth, shall we?
-HL2 singleplayer is around 20 hrs long, and has superb replay value
-CS:S, if you get into it, could keep you playing until you die, especially with so many community map releases, bot options, and the thousands of servers
-HL2DM, while not terribly exciting, is a nice bonus
-the community is amazing, and there are countless SP & MP mods coming soon, not to mention individual maps already released (antlion troopers=mad fun) PLUS, things like Gary's mod are a riot if you like ragdoll physics and low brow humor.

I run HL2 on a pretty nice rig (2.4 P4 (o/c'd to 2.8, 1gb Ram, 9800 Pro), but i played the demo on my parents plain ol' dell (2.8 p4, 512 Ram, 5200 FX), and I was surprised at how good it still looked and how well it ran. So, don't worry about it running on your machine, Source is some awesome stuff.

FINALLY, Steam, while at times perturbing and slow, is, overall, a pretty awesome way to keep games patched and updated without you having to log into fileplanet and download stuff and then install it yourself. It's not a big deal, and I actually downloaded the entire game from online (pre-ordered), so I don't want to hear any whining about download times.

Verdict: if you like shooters, it's worth the investment. If you like PC games, it's worth the investment. It's a sweet package, and a sweet game, and worth any trouble Steam may cause (which is not much)
 
MikeJYoung said:
Well I have spend maybe 4hrs scanning the net for Half Life 2 CDROM 5 disk version, and I can't find any site that has that version.

Anybody know a place ?

I live in England that may be an issue regards purchasing !
Are the U.S. & U.K. versions of Half life 2 the same ?

Any help would be great.

Have money just no where to purchase :)

Regards Mike.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the local stores in your area will only sell the DVD version. Only in the U.S. and Canada will you find the CD versions readily avaliable.

There were some links to some online distributers that were posted by WySiWyG to help you with your search.

Or, if you're really up to it, you can pay and download the game online through the Steam program. Go to --> www.steampowered.com <-- for full details.

And to reiterate what countless others have said before me, yes Half-Life 2 is worth it's price. I have noticed that you did not name the original on your list of games that you've played. It may be a good idea to visit that aswell. In fact many still believe that it is still the best shooter ever. You can't go wrong with either title.
 
Buy it on steam. No need for a DVD in the drive and you can burn a backup of the .GCF (or use someone else's for initial installation).
 
Thanks again.

Me again, success I hope, I managed to find a UK site well it stated delivery in the UK 5 - 7 days rest of the world 7 - 10 days, so I assume it's here some where.

http://www2.cd-wow.com/detail_results_3.php?product_code=13052&subcat=pc

The funny thing was that I found the link a second after I posted my pathetic "Can't find a site message" :), and the link was from the forum link to buy Half life 2, dooh...

Anyway I shall shut-up now and wait by my letter box for the box of CD's to arrive... I am normally an optimist but I have a strange feeling that when it arrives it will be a DVD... You know how a small detail like media type gets forgotten when someone is packing stuff in an paper bag.

If anyone is interested in my past level editing efforts please visit the below url, remembering that I did these maybe 5 years ago.

http://www.planetunreal.com/realworld/

Who knows if this source engine is as good as I hear maybe I should stick my head under the hood and have a look see, I am a professional systems programmer by trade (financial applications boring as hell) of some 30 years exp, but as you guys can guess things have changed rather a lot in that time, even though I do try to keep up with all the new techo tools and stuff.

Regards Mike.
 
I say it is due to the fact that the mods are huge in numbers. From the day HL1 came out, till the day I could pre-order HL2 via Steam...I was playing HL1/CS/various mods....all for the 80 bux i sp ent on hl1/op4/blueshift/etc. Great steal imo...I feel i'll be stuck with hl2 for another 5 years :D
 
i thought that it was better than halo 2, especially when you go back and try the same level 20 times. by the time ur done with that, garrysmad v 12 should be out, so u can have fun with that too. when that gets boring, play hl deathmatch and cs:s. after that, just play the 10000000 mods that will be out.
 
i dont know if u played the original Half-life, HL2 isnt as good as the original , but yea its stilll worth buying, it is itself an excellent game in many other ways.

and yeas i say its worth buying a whole new system for, also i think its better to have the game in a solid form on DVD than gamble and taking the time to download it.
 
One of my mates has a 56k modem -> NIGHTMARE!!!!
Click to expand...
I have a 56k.. havn't had any problems with steam...(after the first few months it came out of course), HL2 installed like a charm.... Cs:s\Cs play great...
Must say... Nightmare is REALLY PUSHING it.
 
NO. Dont do it! You'll end up disappointed like me, because my game freezes every 5 seconds, and my computer has the TOP-OF-THE-LINE equipment, so its not my pc thats causing the problems.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Krynn72
You guys, what the **** is up.
Replies
11
Views
2K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
BabyHeadCrab
Black Mesa is probably the best Half-Life game.
Replies
3
Views
1K
Shem
Shem
Tollbooth Willie
HL2.NET HORROR SLAP
Replies
7
Views
2K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
TechnoHippyChic
Star Citizen
Replies
3
Views
1K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
Chris D
Forum update
Replies
8
Views
2K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
Back
Top