Something missing for me...

[Nobby_mills]

Before I begin I'd like to say that Half-Life 2 is one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played (although I haven't completed it yet... ...so I don't feel completely qualified to talk on the subject), but soon after getting over the fact I'm still in the hazard suit and the game's run-through uninterupted interactive storyline with lots of puzzles, I began to feel as if I wasn't playing Half-Life anymore...

I mean what happened to all the aliens? Were the masters of Xen so enviromentally minded that they cleaned our planet of nasties for us? I don't think so!

I was expecting to see aliens jumping from every corner... and a nice variety of them! I thought, on the boat level, 'wouldn't it be cool if I find myself in a swamp infested with Bull-squids!', and later, 'mmm, I wonder when I'm gonna see some Sound-dogs'. And what about the Ichthyosaur? An the Gargs? A Gonarch and babies? I'd love to see the Pit-drones from Opposing Force again... there wasn't even a Voltigore in any subterranien tunnel! And imagine my disappointment when a friend of mine told me, 'don't expect to see and tentacles!'. No tentacles! And surely,if Earth is now 'owned' if you like by the Aliens, shouldn't I expect some Alien Masters, Alien Grunts or Alien Shock-Troopers (from Opposing Force) teleporting in to thwart my attempts to down the regime? And personally I would have liked to see how the female assassins would look in all their leather loveliness with the new engine...

There seems to be such a reliance on Headcrabs now that alot of fun from the original seems to have been lost for me. And replaced im my mind with complete terror (I will not ever be doing the Ravenholme mission EVER again).

I'm also disappointed with the weapons. Ok, so we still have our Crowbar, 9mm, Magnum, Assault shotgun, SMG, Frag grenades, RPG, and Crossbow... but what about satchel charges or trip mines? or at least equivelents. And the only 'experimental weapon' we have is the Gravity gun. I like the gravity gun, but I use it for EVERYTHING and I am thoroughly bored with it now! Remember the Guass Cannon and the Gluon gun? What about the Displacer from Opposing Force? And no alien weapons? No Hive-hand, Snarks, Shock Roaches, Barnacle guns, Spore Launchers?!

Last of all... I really enjoyed going backs and fowards to Xen in the first... not anymore? You might as well call it 'George Orwells - Escape from 1984'.

I loved it really and these are only minor things to me, but I'd love to hear your opinions.

 

[Is This Tea]

And surely,if Earth is now 'owned' if you like by the Aliens, shouldn't I expect some Alien Masters, Alien Grunts or Alien Shock-Troopers (from Opposing Force) teleporting in to thwart my attempts to down the regime?

Just for the record earth is not owned by the xen aliens but a new force called the combine...

 

[Nobby_mills]

I got the impression that the combine was simply the authorative pressence on Earth sponsored by the Aliens who were now in charge. There are references all over referring the 'Earth's' surrender. And their machinery certainly looks alien inspired to me (eg, gunship, tripod).

 

[Is This Tea]

I don’t doubt for a second that the combine (universal union) is alien. Just not from xen…well not directly….

 

[Nobby_mills]

But you still see the point I'm making I'm sure... Don't you miss the variety present in the original the doesn't exist in the second?

 

[Is This Tea]

But you still see the point I'm making I'm sure... Don't you miss the variety present in the original the doesn't exist in the second?

I understand your position but feel completely opposite actually. In raising the bar Ted Backman states, “Eventually it was decided to avoid any direct representations of human scale alien enemies and instead visually depict the combine as more transparent force.”
I really think that paid off for them… Frankly the Combine as an impersonal menace that can hardly be seen but is omnipresent anyway was really freaky for me. It seems more sophisticated too. But that’s only my opinion… You’re not the first person with the not enough aliens complaints.

 

[dogboy73]

I can sort of see where your coming from. I missed a lot of things from black Mesa also. Saying that, That was HL1 & this is HL2. I like the fact that Valve have moved on. you can have to much of a good thing & the 2 offical mission packs for HL1 (Opposing Force & Blue Shift) were more than enough if you ask me. In fact, Blue shift only got fairly average reviews for this very reason.

Have you not got to the parts with the new Aliens? IMO they are better than anything that was in the first HL game & the 2 mission packs. As for the Striders - Has there ever been a better in game enemy? They are a site to behold & an amazing enemy to fight. Not to mention the alien gunships.

For me this still felt like HL all day long. In that respect I think Valve have done a great job of updating the series while retaining the feel & also 1 or 2 touches from the original - Some of the sounds have been retained which I kind of like.

 

[Nobby_mills]

I understand your position but feel completely opposite actually. In raising the bar Ted Backman states, “Eventually it was decided to avoid any direct representations of human scale alien enemies and instead visually depict the combine as more transparent force.”
I really think that paid off for them… Frankly the Combine as an impersonal menace that can hardly be seen but is omnipresent anyway was really freaky for me. It seems more sophisticated too. But that’s only my opinion… You’re not the first person with the not enough aliens complaints.

I wouldn't really call them complaints as such. The game stands very well without my input, but it did come as a surprise to me not to have what I've outlined above.

Have you not got to the parts with the new Aliens? IMO they are better than anything that was in the first HL game & the 2 mission packs. As for the Striders - Has there ever been a better in game enemy? They are a site to behold & an amazing enemy to fight. Not to mention the alien gunships.

I'm currently in the room with all the laser beams in the CP control centre on 'Follow Freeman' - wont be playing the game for a little while... my computer with Half-Life is some 200 miles away and I wont be going back home until sometime in March. So yeah I have seen the gunships and the Strider (although I am yet to battle the Strider). But they are certainly mechaniod. They both have guns and appear to me to be 'cockpit' driven...

The only aliens in Half-Life 2 are the three varieties of Headcrabs, the Antlions, the Antlion Guard and the barnacles. You also have the slaves working for you this time and you do see and Ichthyasaur very breifly in the first teleport you take, but that's all. Thus, I felt that the 'Half-life' trade marks were missing.

What about the weaponry... I think that is alittle boring. Any views?

 

[Vulture]

Once you get back to your computer I dont think it will be long before your fighting a strider or three.
As far as I'm aware striders, gunships etc. are all living creatures that have been combined with technology.

 

[Nobby_mills]

Once you get back to your computer I dont think it will be long before your fighting a strider or three.
As far as I'm aware striders, gunships etc. are all living creatures that have been combined with technology.

I haven't looked at a Strider up close and personal... and from what I've seen of it so far... I'm not sure I really do (has any one else seen 'War of the Worlds'?). But the gunships are definately mechinery. It has rotorblades to keep it aloft, and explodes on destruction. Although it does look like a flying manatee I was sure of it being a piloted craft.

 

[MiccyNarc]

I haven't looked at a Strider up close and personal... and from what I've seen of it so far... I'm not sure I really do (has any one else seen 'War of the Worlds'?). But the gunships are definately mechinery. It has rotorblades to keep it aloft, and explodes on destruction. Although it does look like a flying manatee I was sure of it being a piloted craft.

It's a mix of mechanical and biological material.

A "Synth".
Almost all Combine forces are like this.

I wouldn't mind more aliens though..I was expecting at least a bullsquid.

 

[Is This Tea]

Speaking of the rotors and synth technology… They are insect wing rotors... which I think is really awesome.

 

[major5013]

i liked how they kept the combine soldiers kind of a mystery. It made the game a little creepier, not knowing exactly what you have been killing, and not knowing what actually had the guts to hit you with a baton

In my opinion i liked how they changed the enemy, while keeping alot of the feel of the first half-life. That feel that always keeps you wondering.

Halflife = Where are these aliens coming from, what are they, why are they here

Halflife 2= Where are these (aliens?)combine coming from, what are they, why are they here

 

[Sid Burn]

Hmm... it seems to me that all except the combine APC and copter is alive.

 

[Danimal]

What about DOG? He isn't alive, just... Very, very fun to watch :E

 

[Asknoone]

You wont be seeing anything from opposing force anymore, valve arn't interested in the enemies that gearbox developed, the entire of race X for that matter.

Also, for alot of the game your are within area's that are in the saftey of a combine city, not out in the wastelands which are flooded with xen aliens.

Also, like others have stated, earth isnt under the control of xen, but the combine, of which there arnt any on earth.