The biggest disappointment of Half-Life 2

[Musey]

I guess that the more you enjoy a game, the more you want it to be even better.

That's the key. I think we all agree that there were many negatives to the game, but we only go on about them because the game was so DAMN GOOD.

 

[Ecthe|ioN]

I missed some of the bink locations. The container falling on the combines. I missed that ..

 

[ScRaTcH-A-HoLiC]

I missed some of the bink locations. The container falling on the combines. I missed that ..

I hope the release those maps for us..

All the binks in playable form would be sweet, even if it is all scripted..

 

[Asus]

...was not enough music.
I loved the music btw.

 

[Mr.Wotsit]

I voted for the ending because that last level was absolutely sensationally amazingly one of the best experiences I have ever had with a PC for many reasons.
Plenty of coolness with you being trapped in the metal box and having to see the inside of the Combine's headquarters = TENSION!
Then, taking away all your weapons except seemingly the gravity gun... then finding out that it's not just the same old gravity gun... Fantastic.
Best ending level ever.... but then followed by a very anticlimatic sequence with Mr.G despite his cool affect on time.

If there had been more game following that sequence, I would have loved it even more, it was a great point to continue the game but instead it ended...

 

[Loke]

"Missing enemies that were shown"

Why oh why didn't they have Bullsquid, Gargantua (mostly Garg, as he is my favourite enemy in Half-Life), Houndeyes and Ichthyosaur (yes, you see him in Dr. Kleiner teleport but that's the only area you see him. You never actually fight him later in the game) in the game???

I would just loved to see a fight between Garg and a Strider, would be so awesome.

 

[Fishlore]

Oh boy, where to start. Here are a couple things from the top of my head.

-- The below average enemy AI.
-- The miserable friendly AI.
-- Extremely linear.
-- I thought I was playing Starship Troopers for a bit there.
-- Dark Energy seemed like it was put together in an hour.
-- The puzzles were few and far between and pathetically simplistic.
-- The game was way too easy on hard. I couldn't imagine playing it on medium or easy.

 

[Ruefus]

This isn't directed at anyone in particular or anyone in this thread. I think this thread has a fair amount of validity. Most can be classified as nitpicks, with the glaring exception of things like the stuttering.

For me, the biggest disappointment by far hasn't been the game, but the incessant bitching and arguing on ALL the forums about the game.

 

[NachoMan]

This isn't directed at anyone in particular or anyone in this thread. I think this thread has a fair amount of validity. Most can be classified as nitpicks, with the glaring exception of things like the stuttering.

For me, the biggest disappointment by far hasn't been the game, but the incessant bitching and arguing on ALL the forums about the game.

To be honest, I think most of the bitching has been coming from people who object to others criticising the game. If someone doesn't like the game, why shouldn't they be able to come online and complain about it? no-one is forced to read their threads.

Granted, some people are attention whores, but the majority of people who complained were disappointed about something or other, and wanted to see whether anyone agreed with them.

 

[Dead-Inside]

The fact that you could see shadows of people from the floor above you.

If you play CSS and play on cbble, you can get that in the map to your advantage, as T. The CT sniperbridgethingy (With the 2 [4] windows out to the big crate yard) allows shadows to go through, oddly enough. With a little luck you can spot if someone's up there, I did.

 

[Ruefus]

To be honest, I think most of the bitching has been coming from people who object to others criticising the game. If someone doesn't like the game, why shouldn't they be able to come online and complain about it? no-one is forced to read their threads.

Granted, some people are attention whores, but the majority of people who complained were disappointed about something or other, and wanted to see whether anyone agreed with them.

Sure - I get that. My only point is that it's constant, incessant and in many cases takes on a 'pile on' or 'me too' mentality.

Absolutely nothing wrong with having issues. Can't please them all. Some of this (on BOTH sides) is just pathetic. I'm not casting a vote for or against the game - just the mob mentality that takes over far too often.

 

[Asus]

To be honest, I think most of the bitching has been coming from people who object to others criticising the game. If someone doesn't like the game, why shouldn't they be able to come online and complain about it? no-one is forced to read their threads.

Granted, some people are attention whores, but the majority of people who complained were disappointed about something or other, and wanted to see whether anyone agreed with them.

People have a right to their opinion but I personally think that if someone bought HL2 and didn't like it and they want to complain that much then they would go to Valve's forums since they are the ones who made the game. (AKA steam forums)

I would like to think of this place as a positive place for HL2 discussion/info etc. If someone has been in the community for a while I don't apply this too much to them but it's more for those who just signed up. Just my opinion.

 

[Esquire]

I havent completed the game yet, i should be coming up to the end of "Follow Freeman!" soon. Here are my dislikes so far...

Lack of more alien enemies (i voted missing enemies that were shown). I was looking forward to fighting the 'prowler' and the 'cremator' and also the combine elite (yes it's in the game but it's not as femine as in the concept art). These baddies would have added more kick to the combine army.

The combine elite wasnt very elite at all. Just another guy to be killed. Combine elite should definately have been female, more slender. Then we would see a use for human women in the combine army.

From what ive got from the story so far, the combine travel around the universe or whatever and take over worlds, taking what they want from them (kind of like the borg in star trek). Based on that, it would have made more sense if the combine used technology and enemies from different worlds in their assault on earth. These alien combine enemies wouldnt even have had to be known as part of the combine until the end of the game. we would have just thought they were random aliens ended up on earth. The cremator and prowler could have been encountered in ravenholme. they would have fit in good there.

Another disappointment was the lack of inventive weapons. I was disappointed when i got rid of my vehicle and couldnt even take along the Tau?/Gauss?.

Oh yeah, where are the kids?!!?

As i said earlier, i havent completed the game yet so forgive me if some things are present that ive said are not.

 

[ImJacksAmygdala]

Steam was actually the part if HL2 that negatively effected my HL2 experience. I won't be buying HL3 if steam is required for a retail single player game. I'm voting with my wallet.

 

[colson]

To short, 7 years in the making, plus not as many weapons as Hl1.

We could say that Valve scammed us, they promised a lot of stuff, and all of it got cut out...

Ya no shit! I commend valve for making such an awesome game but I'm tired of hearing all there lies about how everything is so amazing. I think they could've added to it after all how many years have they been working on it?

 

[Neutrino]

Hmm, my disappointment with HL2 isn't on the list. It's the lack of story and the reliance on basic arcade style gameplay.

 

[DrunkPanda]

People have a right to their opinion but I personally think that if someone bought HL2 and didn't like it and they want to complain that much then they would go to Valve's forums since they are the ones who made the game. (AKA steam forums)

I would like to think of this place as a positive place for HL2 discussion/info etc. If someone has been in the community for a while I don't apply this too much to them but it's more for those who just signed up. Just my opinion.

this place is extremely negative. people always flame others for saying bad things about hl2

 

[Neutrino]

this place is extremely negative. people always flame others for saying bad things about hl2

Well offtopic and the other forums are pretty nice, but ya the hl2 discussion forum is pretty bad because of that kind of thing.

 

[Nexx]

... i used to remember the days when I had to upgrade CS. It was great trying to find the right patch... but now, I just sit there and let steam update everything for me. =[ I so sad.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

The combine elite wasnt very elite at all. Just another guy to be killed. Combine elite should definately have been female, more slender. Then we would see a use for human women in the combine army.

I agree, I do miss the sniper women. Here's hoping they get into an expansion pack.

Based on that, it would have made more sense if the combine used technology and enemies from different worlds in their assault on earth.

They did use aliens from different worlds. That's what the striders, gunships, dropships, type-2 scanners and headcrab bombs were.

Their technology is also based on multiple species's knowledge. The combine portal that ends 'entanglement' is human tech combined with, well, combine tech. So are the choppers, APCs and other stuff. It's safe to assume the rest of the technology like the manhacks were equally borrowed from other races.

Oh yeah, where are the kids?!!?

The lack of kids is an intentional plot point. The combine set up some sort of field over the world that stops procreation. Having children again is one of the main things the resistance is fighting for.

 

[X-FacToR]

THe collectors edition was put together really weak & cheap. Only gripe from me I think we should get something worth our extra $, the shirt only fits a midget with a mullet anyways. I'd be happy with DOD:source included (heck even happy with a upgrade to buy DOD:source extra)

 

[stanr]

What happened to the AI? Why is there no reaction to my gunfire?

What happened to the plot? Why must you castrate it so much?

What happened to intelligent level design? Why is everything so linear?

Sigh... So much work, so much skill, so utterly wasted... Poor Valve, and poor us fans

 

[Apos]

I felt that the major problem was that they obviously had an engine and a game concept that they could have taken even farther than they did, and they even TRIED to take it farther, but then deadlines meant that they had to cut a bunch of stuff out in the end. The result is a phenomenal game that ends up being a little sparse on enemy/weapon content, or even physics creativity.

What dissapointed me most? The lack of any enemies that we hadn't already seen or heard about publically before the release of the game. Actually, that's not quite true: the huge zombie that throws headcrabs at you was one, but it was pretty much the only one. This left the game feeling a little repetative and sparse, and the tactics of many of the enemies and friends was sort of limited: especially the combine.

They just didn't have many interesting tactics to throw at you in the end (the bouncy mines were just sort of silly), and you didn't have much to throw at them in terms of neat new weaponry.

Most disappointing, I thought, were the striders. I was already tired of fighting gunships (since the only way to kill them was with a single weapon and single strategy) and striders proved to just be, in gameplay terms, gunships on stilts. I don't want to say that they were bad: they were a phenomeal achievement. But killing them with rockets: cover, jump out, fire, take cover, just wasn't as fun as I expected in terms of real gameplay.

All in all the game was also too easy, even on hard. Turning up the damage rates is not a solution: I wanted the rollermines to be faster and more persistent. I wanted the gunships to have more tricks up their sleeves than just the one primary cannon after fighting them for the first few times (that got repetative too fast: by the time I got to the bridge gunships, I was like: didn't I just do this same game experience twice already?).

I wanted the combine to move around the map more aggressively: jumping down from heights dynamically where useful instead of only where scripted, retreating farther, sprinting (like I can). Kicking open doors when shut when they are closed/blocked (instead of just opening them). Maybe rolling or proning or something to make me feel like they were more complex and capable of transversing the environment like I was. The only enemy that ever really made me feel scared, like they could get me anywhere I ran, were the fast zombines.

But still, it was better than anything before, and so much fun that it's crazy! I'm really only wishing to make the best even better.

 

[Varsity]

I'd like an option for "the number of spoilt brats whining about it".

 

[alehm]

I really, really enjoyed this game.

I played it on hard so it would take me longer to finish it.. and I still took my time in playing it...

I judged this game on.. was I having a good time playing? And yes I was.

Was it a linear game? Yes.. but it was fun.
Was it shorter than I expected? Yes... but it was a fun experience
Were there less enemies than I would have wanted? Yes.. but I had fun fighting the ones in the game.
Did the AI do some stupid stuff in the game? Yes.. but I see that in every game

I didn't load up the game and start staring at the sky to see if the clouds or sun moved and complain when it didn't... I didn't load up the game and complain about textures not being as good as games that are coming out in 2006... I noticed the stuttering when the level loads.. I didn't like it but I didn't tear my clothes and burn my wrists and go online cursing about it...

I remembered this was a game... and enjoyed it.

In the end, the only I really missed was how in HL and OP the NPCs in your squad would talk to each other. There was some really funny one liners. But in HL2 the only time they would talk is if you hit the E key and then it was only to you most of the time.

And you know, that is such a small thing compared to other complaints.

 

[Mountain Man]

I can't vote in this poll given the absence of a "None of the above" option.

 

[Milkman]

I still miss the OICW.

 

[Parabolart]

Holy shit, traptown is missing? ****.. I didn't finish the game, but I was totally looking forward to that level. As for docks.. I kind of realised that they removed it when I played the first level of hl2.

 

[dis]

I missed the exploratory type areas that were in Half Life 1. Things tended to be more slow paced and puzzle oriented in these areas. Half Life 2 seemed to be way too much action oriented. it was fun playing it, but I guess I just expected more. I may get trashed for saying this, but I think I got mor enjoyment from playing Doom 3. There just weren't many surprises from Half Life 2. I felt like they had shown us the whole game in the bink videos so it kind of ruined it. I remember Gabe saying that they wanted to keep some surprises, but honestly they didn't hold much back. Either that or a lot of stuff must have been cut to make the release deadline. Having played HL1 through multiple times, this game just didn't really feel the same, but I don't know if it really could have.

 

[Narcolepsy]

But still, it was better than anything before, and so much fun that it's crazy! I'm really only wishing to make the best even better.

This is a great way to put how I feel as well.

 

[Ownzed]

I wish I could have played Traptown..

 

[Andy018]

I dont miss the OICW .. I see it in real life as a completely flawed weapon just like I saw it in the game as such.

I agree with the majority of people I miss the areas. there were a few spots in the leak that I was really looking forward to seeing fully textured and looking spick and span. and they wernt there... those missing areas made baby jesus cry

 

[Ghost Freeman]

The lack of a real solution to the stuttering.

 

[peryklex]

well... i like the game and all, so far but what i don't like it's the enemies, same ones over and over. Even more repetitive than the Imps in Doom III. Wayy too many combines and zombies. I did not see cool enemies such as the hydra, which was shown in the binks. I don't know if the stryders throw that cool shit that explodes. I also missed that flamegun which was also show on the binks. Lack of weapons, also, the MP5 doesn't zoom, as a matter of fact none of the weapons can zoom in except for the arrow thingy. AI was too damned overrated before this game came out!!!!.

 

[HeadCrabMolester]

I always liked the part at the beginning of the traptown bink...where Gordon barracades the door with a dryer and a bunch of other crap...and then the combine soldier tries opening it and eventally kicks it in...man that was cool...oh and after that...when he's going up the stairs (right before it starts raining soda cans..so to speak)...and a combine outside starts shooting through the window...making the blinds bounce at every bullet...sheesh...had to change my undies after that

my question is...where are the damn blinds? and why dont the combine in the finished hl2 kick open the doors I barricade?

that irks me...but ah well

 

[Spoonoop]

Wish there were more/new aliens to fight, but thats probably something to look forward to in HL3.

 

[tuemmykids]

Well, I played the leak, so I kinda knew what to expect. Lucky me, I wasn't disappointed at all .

 

[SlimJim]

The thing I miss the most is the impossibility of killing fellow AI's, I loved setting up traps in HL with the laser-explosive and getting Barney or some other schmuck to walk thru it and go boom *evil*, or simply just beat 'em to death with the crowbar when I was stuck/bored.

 

[NeLi]

I wasn't dissapointed at all. HL2 totally blew away all my expectations. I like it better than HL, and it's by far, the best PC game I have ever played. (HL used to be nr 1)

I only found minor bugs to be annoying, but nothing that I could call a "dissapointment".

 

[Crispe]

Missing weapons and maps where what dissapointed me the most, I was so hoping to play traptown so I could block the door with the table, throw a nade under the steel dumpster and make it topel over, ect