Small details that make this game superior

[Tim F]

Not sure whether this thread has come and gone before, but I want to pay a minute of tribute to the little things that make Half Life 2 a superior, immersive experience. For me, two things stand out that I haven't heard mentioned yet.

First, early in Route Kanal you look around a corner to see a crow picking at a corpse. The crow sees you, takes off and gets snagged by a barnacle. That was unspeakably cool.

Second, when I was a lot younger I had a paralyzing fear of heights. Fifteen years of rock climbing (lead, trad and mountaineering) have pretty well cleared that up for me here in the analog world, but the first time I stepped out under the bridge I felt twelve again. My palms sweated and I could barely look at the screen. I've done plenty of platform gaming in my life, but that scene was the first time I've ever had my old phobia reawakened.

Was that a good thing? He** yeah. The last time I jumped out of a plane I didn't feel that nervous. Thanks VALVe for making my palms sweat for the first time in years.

 

[kevinb4567]

yea its just the small details that make this game so good. like when you shoot something in the distance (like an explosive barrel) the sound actually arrives a second or so later, as you would expect in real life. also the bullet effects when you're underwater are mindblowing. the sound is distorted just as you would expect it to be, it actually sounds like youre underwater and the bullets whizz past you leaving a trail of bubbles.

valve are so far ahead of everyone else, they should almost be given a handicap to make it fairer.

 

[Alix Mcdean]

<3 Valve.

-Alix

 

[Sniper156]

The Combine soldiers radio chatter is the best
"Sweeper up."
--Soldier with shotgun comes in first
"its hot. bearing 127. range 20 meters"
--When they see you after losing track

I also thought it was funny when i was on the coast, near some big house down on a ledge escaping the combine when a headcrab jumped out of a crack to attack me only to completely clear my body and fall off the cliff. I was like awwwww nice try though.

 

[Raz]

This isn't really relevant to the gameplay or anything, but you can actually see Ravenholm in the distance at the end of Water Hazard right after you blow up the chopper.

 

[Tim F]

Kevin reminds me: the echo effects kick serious ass. Pay attention when shooting the mag in Follow Freeman - in some courtyards you can hear three or four distinct echoes.

Can anybody tell me whether echoes are statically modeled like lighting, or dynamic features of the physics engine?

 

[Sniper156]

I think the game uses its own sound physics engine, on every machine ive seen this game on the sound system works the same. Hell, I dont know if it even uses EAX. (Not sure)
If thats the case, thats pretty damn awesome.

 

[don_johnson]

valve has created a game so amazingly great, that i find myself becoming attached to some charachers. in the graveyard, i was compelled to stay behind and make sure that father grigory made it safely back to the church. i also had a soft spot for lamaar

 

[Sniper156]

Yeah i know what you mean, when he locked the gate I stayed there to help him fend off some zombies..... then he laughed and ran off into the fire. That was my queue to leave Ravenholm.

 

[OddOne]

So far ONE of the things that make this great is when I got to the area after blowing up the chopper in the water area.

I was walking outside the area and about 6 black birds flew away..............I had my trusty 9mm pistol and picked a bird out of mid-flight from about 30yrds away.

It fell to the ground with a thump!!! and the dust rose up around it....
I was able to shot it and it would wiggle a little

I was like ........ Damn that was cool !!!!!

 

[Raz]

I loved the way the chopper actually crashed and not just vaporized like for example the helicopters from HL1.

 

[iced-earth]

the most memorable bit for me in the game was under that bridge.. felt like i was actually at the beach looking down at the water and the gulls flying around..good shit.

 

[ShinRa]

One specific detail that stood out for me...the water ripples when your underwater and the bullets plow through it. It just looks so amazing. I wanna see some mods utilizing that feature more.

 

[Para]

While playing HL2 thru second time (just finished it 3rd time ) I noticed a resupply spot in the other end of a ladder. Got the stuff, started climbing back and just stopped looking at what I saw there...at that point I felt "enlightened". Here's a pic of what I'm talking about:
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~stupid/HL2/d3_c17_080000.jpg
That also happens with normal windows, when you're far away from them they'll be pure white but when you get closer, you start to see what's outside...stunning yet simple.

 

[smsKONG]

First off, allthough it's not exactly a nice touch- the poison headcrabs.....I played thru doom3, and allthough I was scared in places, it was more of a fear of dying than anything else.....but everytime I heard that noise when you disturb a poison headcrab- a little shiver ran down my back (a big shiver if I couldn't see the little bugger). Oh and the howler zombies- scary as hell anyway- added to which they were smarter than the combine..

Secondly I really loved the way the antlions would gradually get braver and braver where the thumpers were- the longer you stood there, the closer they would rush before darting back. I remember on hard they would even attack you if you let them creep close enough!

Another really good bit was just after you get given the bugbait, you walk thru the small encampment and there are two vortigaunts chanting away- if you went upto them and talked to one of them, he would say something along the lines of(can't remember the exact quote)- This is our native tongue, but we usually speak in your language out of respect, however when we wish to cast disparaging remarks about you; this, is how we speak! Then they go back to speaking in their native vortigaunt The bstards were talking about me and even had the nerve to tell me so!

I suppose the nicest "touch" of the whole game was just how damn real it felt first time round, I've never, ever, felt like that after playing any other game- ever. I think the closest that came to it was the original Deus Ex, but even that was no where near the dizzy heights of HL2

 

[DogStarMan]

While playing HL2 thru second time (just finished it 3rd time ) I noticed a resupply spot in the other end of a ladder. Got the stuff, started climbing back and just stopped looking at what I saw there...at that point I felt "enlightened". Here's a pic of what I'm talking about:
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~stupid/HL2/d3_c17_080000.jpg
That also happens with normal windows, when you're far away from them they'll be pure white but when you get closer, you start to see what's outside...stunning yet simple.

In that same area, I was using the crossbow and when the scope zoomed in on the Combine soldiers, I also saw little dust motes drifiting through the air.

 

[Sniper156]

I liked how Ant Lions drowned when you stood in water, gave me a sense of security. AND I LIKE THAT!

 

[Flyingdebris]

one of the things i liked is that if antlions try to chase you into the water they suddenly realize they can't swim

another thing is that some enemies seem to have moral.

I remember i was messing around with spawning npcs and i spawned a poison zombie in front of a firing squad of combine soldiers. This was in the cluster of houses next to the big bridge.

anyway the P-zombie gets wasted and the remaining P-hcrabs jump off. All of them get wasted save for one. The combine start shooting at that one. Instead of jumping at one of the combine troops like i expected it to, the little bugger freaks out at all the incoming bullets and makes a break for the traintracks uphill, scuttling like mad while bullets kicked up dirt all around it.

 

[baron insig]

Dues ex was a lboody good game almost as immersive as hl2

 

[jonnyapps]

when the combine police chase u across the rooftop at the start and u climb through a window go down the stairs and suddenly cops burst in from both doors - if you wheel round and run back up the stairs they break under your weight. SO damn good

 

[scootertgm]

When the down wash from the dropships and choppers makes teh power lines move and sway...

 

[TheCorps]

I also thought that the sound was done very nice. All the hype was on the graphics and physics engine. It was niec to see that the sound was on par with the graphics and physics. I thought the sound lag when shooting something far away was really cool.

 

[Dead-Inside]

I think the game uses its own sound physics engine, on every machine ive seen this game on the sound system works the same. Hell, I dont know if it even uses EAX. (Not sure)
If thats the case, thats pretty damn awesome.

No EAX, it has it's own EAX. The sound engine owns, even though noone seems to mention it (It doesn't really matter though, I mean it'll come out eventually, right now people are talking about storytelling, graphics and the VALVe renouned details we all love them for).

 

[phuket101]

probably playing catch with huge chunks of junk with a ten foot bulky robot named 'dog'.

also there was this one part where a guy warns you about some enemies outside then he walks infront of a window and instantly gets capped in the head. i remember jumping and saying 'daaaamn, that sucks buddy'.

 

[ascii]

Yeah, everyone always compliments LucasArts games on the sound, but i have to say HL2 blows anything out of the water as far as the overall soundscape goes. It really wraps your head in a blanket of immersion (tm).

The little things like the gunning car engine and screeching tires in the early stage (Route Kanal) really add a nice exciting touch. All of the radio chatter and the weapons sounds are all dead-on great.

 

[OddOne]

The sound IS great..
I have a SB Audigy and I play with 5.1 Surround sound Headphones

Very nice place to get away.

 

[Intamin]

I loved the part right before you get the airboat when you start to get into the radioactive sludge and two of the headcrab steel pods come down from the sky and blow those two people away.

But that's not the part: in that area, when you cross a small board over radioactive sludge, a zombie raises out of the water really fast and lunges at you--that scared me like crazy.

Also, I LOVE the ride on that track through the citadel and also how you can choose your path: go on the right track and you get vaporized, go left and you live. (I did the right first, just for fun )

I remember wondering, "Can I kill those birds?!" Then I shoot it outta the sky and it splashes in the water and I'm freaking out! "You can kill the birds! How cool is that?!"

The premise of not stepping on the sand was so cool and (for me) original. "Don't step on the sand, it attracts antlions!"

I could go on...but I won't.

 

[Tim F]

Does EAX generate echoes dynamically based on the surroundings? I've never seen a game do that.

 

[The Monkey]

This isn't really relevant to the gameplay or anything, but you can actually see Ravenholm in the distance at the end of Water Hazard right after you blow up the chopper.

Really? Do you got a screenshot?

 

[Asuka]

Not sure whether this thread has come and gone before, but I want to pay a minute of tribute to the little things that make Half Life 2 a superior, immersive experience. For me, two things stand out that I haven't heard mentioned yet.

First, early in Route Kanal you look around a corner to see a crow picking at a corpse. The crow sees you, takes off and gets snagged by a barnacle. That was unspeakably cool.

Second, when I was a lot younger I had a paralyzing fear of heights. Fifteen years of rock climbing (lead, trad and mountaineering) have pretty well cleared that up for me here in the analog world, but the first time I stepped out under the bridge I felt twelve again. My palms sweated and I could barely look at the screen. I've done plenty of platform gaming in my life, but that scene was the first time I've ever had my old phobia reawakened.

Was that a good thing? He** yeah. The last time I jumped out of a plane I didn't feel that nervous. Thanks VALVe for making my palms sweat for the first time in years.

Nice to hear you loved the game. Im with you so many little things that made the game even better.

 

[MajorPayne]

There are simply too many things about this game that absolutely made it the best EVER for me. I will list a few hilights though.

1) Character involvement -- everything about the main characters was perfect -- lip syncing was amazing (I just watched barney's face the whole time thinking "I cannot possibly be seeing this". And the little touches about the characters were perfect -- I remember noticing Eli's false leg (a really bad one too) and then looking at the picture of his family as he mentions that while Alyx and he survived black mesa, his wife did not (it really made me think how much everyone has gone through, and that I (Gordon) have actually had the easy ride, not having to deal with years of war, portal storms, opression, etc.). No other game has ever made me think about the people in it like this.

2) The sound.... Everything about the sound, from the echoes of the bullets (again, I cannot believe that they were able to do the echoes and sounds this well, but I can hear it), the wind on the bridge, far away booms and shots... Everthing just sound right.

3) Physics -- This is absolutely OVERDUE to be done in a game (and trespasser does not count, because very few enjoyed that implementation of over hyped physics). I have never had as much fun as the gravity gun gave me, and I love how physics makes you re-think game mentality to more like what would I do in the real world.

4) Frights -- DOOM3 made me jump exactly 1 time. And all it had was attempts to scare the player, so as soon as you realize how the levels are layed out, you were bored from there out. HalfLife 2 scared me more in 30 minutes than the entirety of any other game ever has -- Ravenhold especially. But also in places like on the cliffs when a headcrap jumps at you (I tried to get away, and wound up beating him down to the beach -- ouch), and later in follow freeman (I think that is the chapter) when the groups of zombies come out of the liquid radioactive gunk -- I ran from one zombie right into the arms of another, almost crapped my pants, and then he knocked me into the radioactive gunk!

5) The way the story was revealed slowly (and only if you look for it!). I love finding bits of the story as I play (for example, when Eli explains about his lost wife, but only if you look at the picture), rather than having it shoved down my throat. I know some have complained that there is too little story, but I have not felt underinformed -- Especially when you consider that you (gordon) have been in stasis for years, when everyone thinks you were just off fighting combine somewhere, and assumes you know already what has happened in the meantime.

I thank GOD that VALVe made this game... We have been overdue for a game that pushed the envelope, and once again, VALVe had to do it. Not only that, but they gave us a revolutionary delivery system (Steam), CS Source, HL2 MP, the SDK, HL:S, DOD:S, and on, and on. VAVLe, you have done the games of this world such a favor (twice over, if you count Half Life 1), that we are indebted to you.

Thanks VALVe -- Now, when does HalfLife 3 come out??

 

[The Brick]

There are simply too many things about this game that absolutely made it the best EVER for me. I will list a few hilights though.

1) Character involvement -- everything about the main characters was perfect -- lip syncing was amazing (I just watched barney's face the whole time thinking "I cannot possibly be seeing this". And the little touches about the characters were perfect -- I remember noticing Eli's false leg (a really bad one too) and then looking at the picture of his family as he mentions that while Alyx and he survived black mesa, his wife did not (it really made me think how much everyone has gone through, and that I (Gordon) have actually had the easy ride, not having to deal with years of war, portal storms, opression, etc.). No other game has ever made me think about the people in it like this.

2) The sound.... Everything about the sound, from the echoes of the bullets (again, I cannot believe that they were able to do the echoes and sounds this well, but I can hear it), the wind on the bridge, far away booms and shots... Everthing just sound right.

3) Physics -- This is absolutely OVERDUE to be done in a game (and trespasser does not count, because very few enjoyed that implementation of over hyped physics). I have never had as much fun as the gravity gun gave me, and I love how physics makes you re-think game mentality to more like what would I do in the real world.

4) Frights -- DOOM3 made me jump exactly 1 time. And all it had was attempts to scare the player, so as soon as you realize how the levels are layed out, you were bored from there out. HalfLife 2 scared me more in 30 minutes than the entirety of any other game ever has -- Ravenhold especially. But also in places like on the cliffs when a headcrap jumps at you (I tried to get away, and wound up beating him down to the beach -- ouch), and later in follow freeman (I think that is the chapter) when the groups of zombies come out of the liquid radioactive gunk -- I ran from one zombie right into the arms of another, almost crapped my pants, and then he knocked me into the radioactive gunk!

5) The way the story was revealed slowly (and only if you look for it!). I love finding bits of the story as I play (for example, when Eli explains about his lost wife, but only if you look at the picture), rather than having it shoved down my throat. I know some have complained that there is too little story, but I have not felt underinformed -- Especially when you consider that you (gordon) have been in stasis for years, when everyone thinks you were just off fighting combine somewhere, and assumes you know already what has happened in the meantime.

I thank GOD that VALVe made this game... We have been overdue for a game that pushed the envelope, and once again, VALVe had to do it. Not only that, but they gave us a revolutionary delivery system (Steam), CS Source, HL2 MP, the SDK, HL:S, DOD:S, and on, and on. VAVLe, you have done the games of this world such a favor (twice over, if you count Half Life 1), that we are indebted to you.

Thanks VALVe -- Now, when does HalfLife 3 come out??

I totally agree with that. Personally I was most suprised by the quality of the sound effects, and the coolness of the end of the game.

 

[Mr.Wotsit]

I loved the game. Bloody brilliant.

But this thing about the characters, they were good and all but they just didn't seem to have an enormous amount of real character... Breen was fantastic though, absolutely perfect.

 

[miked4o7]

I've been waiting to tell a little hl2 story of my experience and this is just the right thread to do it in.

Highway 17:

I get to the road-block with all of the broken down cars where you fight the gunship. Fight and destroy gunship. Now I'm sitting there on that road, thinking "ok, just finished an awesome fight... and I have a cliff, a bunch of cars, and a gravity gun" (lightbulb in head lights up). So of course, I spend about 10 minutes flipping all of the car and debris I can find over the cliff. I call in my roomate to show him what I did... he sees it and laughs, saying he did exactly the same thing. I thought it was a pretty funny coincidence that we both tried the same exact thing on that part.... so anyways, I go back to play some more... I drive just about 30 yards up the road... and there's a little big of terrain on the other side of the railing right there, so I hop over to see if there's some extra health or something. There wasn't, but I look back towards where the roadblock was and all of the sudden I'm greeted with this perfect view of the car-graveyard I created in the ocean below... So like any good tourist, I take a bunch of screenshots. Then I also noticed that the ocean right below where the roadblock was has a much larger shallow area than most places along the cliff.

Then it hits me. The ledge I was standing on, the shallow water... it's intentional. It's there for the exact reason of letting players see the vehicle graveyard they created. Valve knew I would push those cars off of the edge and they actually designed it into the level for me to be able to view it optimally.

It might sound weird, but I think that was the defining moment in hl2 for me. That was the moment where I really realized how much better valve understands me as a player than any other game developer and how much detail and thought went into every aspect of the game.

Just so cool.

 

[rumblefish]

While playing HL2 thru second time (just finished it 3rd time ) I noticed a resupply spot in the other end of a ladder. Got the stuff, started climbing back and just stopped looking at what I saw there...at that point I felt "enlightened". Here's a pic of what I'm talking about:
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~stupid/HL2/d3_c17_080000.jpg
That also happens with normal windows, when you're far away from them they'll be pure white but when you get closer, you start to see what's outside...stunning yet simple.

dude, call me stupid, but what am i meant to look at?

rf

 

[Para]

dude, call me stupid, but what am i meant to look at?

rf

White blooming light that fades on/off based on what angle you look at it and from what distance

 

[AudioStar]

The premise of not stepping on the sand was so cool and (for me) original. "Don't step on the sand, it attracts antlions!"

Tremors comes to mind.

 

[zapperio]

White blooming light that fades on/off based on what angle you look at it and from what distance

more to the point, I think he was referring to the fact that the whiteout associated with viewing extreme light levels is simulated.
I.e look up into open day lit sky from a deep unlit stairwell and the details of the dark stairwell are washed out as well as the blue sky seems unnaturally bright to eyes that have come accustomed to the dark.

 

[Fury16]

Dont know if you guys noticed this but when you go to save barney from the snipers..when you reach the top floor that barney is on, you scare birds..if you watch the birds, they fly up and the snipers train their lasers on them and kill them like they are just having fun, or practicing.
That was really impressive to me.

 

[Tim F]

MajorPayne - In fact Eli's false leg is a classic example of the subtle way that VALVe does its homework. That design is used by amputee sprinters to give them stiffness, rebound and control at high speeds.

When you think about it, one thing that probably would matter a lot to Eli would be the ability to hastily GTFOD. Credit another easily-overlooked detail to VALVe.