The last of the long in-depth games...

[chriso20]

I felt kinda obliged to write this, as i love the gamin industry;

With games such as HL2 being a continuation on an on-going story, i can easily seeing this being one of the few last long-story games.
As people have already said, that the things we see in HL2 videos are things we've already seen in previous games such as Far Cry and Doom 3, story is the only true thing going for HL2 that's different to other titles.

Half-life 2 isn't going to be the ground-breaking shock it was anticipated to be when seen at e3 2003, as other, shorter, simpler games beat it. Features such as physics are now a standard feature in next-generation games, and incorporating newer features into games taking too much valuable time, i believe we'll see a wave of short, unintelligent (story-wise) repeats of what is basically an interactive example of a new technology.

I do hope games continue with long in-depth, continueing storylines, but i hate to say half-life 2 may have missed the boat for shock-surprises this time, with only the story to back it up.


Wha'y'all fink? :afro:

 

[FoB_Ed]

Features such as physics are now a standard feature in next-generation games, and incorporating newer features into games taking too much valuable time, i believe we'll see a wave of short, unintelligent (story-wise) repeats of what is basically an interactive example of a new technology.

Yes but the physics in HL2 are a major component of the gameplay, unlike previous titles

 

[spicoli420]

I felt kinda obliged to write this, as i love the gamin industry;

With games such as HL2 being a continuation on an on-going story, i can easily seeing this being one of the few last long-story games.
As people have already said, that the things we see in HL2 videos are things we've already seen in previous games such as Far Cry and Doom 3, story is the only true thing going for HL2 that's different to other titles.

Half-life 2 isn't going to be the ground-breaking shock it was anticipated to be when seen at e3 2003, as other, shorter, simpler games beat it. Features such as physics are now a standard feature in next-generation games, and incorporating newer features into games taking too much valuable time, i believe we'll see a wave of short, unintelligent (story-wise) repeats of what is basically an interactive example of a new technology.

I do hope games continue with long in-depth, continueing storylines, but i hate to say half-life 2 may have missed the boat for shock-surprises this time, with only the story to back it up.


Wha'y'all fink? :afro:

I personaly don't care one bit about the story. I still feel the physics will blow us away, and that's really the only reason I'm very very excited to play this game.
The one pc game that I thought had a wonderful story that hooked me from start to finish was Mafia.

 

[KagePrototype]

Wait until you've seen the whole game before saying "no big surpises here". To make that judgement, you'd need to know all of the planned surprises. But then they wouldn't be surprises now, would they? This is still a very important game, especially in the first person shooter genre. Personally I think HL2, while it might not neccessarily be the groundbreaking phenomenon it looked to be last summer, will certainly set standards in fps games for:

1. Character and world interaction, and the implementation of these features as actual gameplay elements, the manipulator being a great example of this.

2. Putting more effort into the narration of a deep and interesting storyline, using realistic characters and environments to portray it (like the first HL).

 

[Ruuustar]

It is true that HL2 has lost a lot of ground to other games. I still think however that it has enough in the bag to be groundbreaking and bar-raising.

 

[halflifeguy]

With games such as HL2 being a continuation on an on-going story, i can easily seeing this being one of the few last long-story games.

wut are you thinking? Half-life 2 might not as revolutionary as it was last year because other games might have used physics, but it still has its graphics(might not be as good as doom3's but who cares,they're still kick ass) and it has the gameplay which really takes you into the game and makes you feel like your part of the story, and it has one of the best stories i have ever heard! Way better than Doom3's and Far Crys. So either your messed up in the head or ur just not a fan of halflife, but HL2 will definatly be revoltionary! More so than Doom3

 

[Adrien C]

Half-Life 2 is not a video-game to me anymore, I would consider it as an " Ineractive-Story"

 

[Blitzy]

To me a game just needs to be fun. What does it matter if there arn't groundbreaking components, as long as it is a great game is all that matter to me.
Tis why I love Doom 3 so much.

I believe people have lost the true meaning of games, at least here on this forum. There ment to be fun not technological breakthrough 'omgwtfbbq tas terh awesome omg lag computer but c00l'.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

The physics and the story will win if you ask me.

HL took an admittedly weak premise and used layered audio-visual storytelling to make it into a really kickass plot.

And the physics will kick other game in the face. The only other game that actually makes use of physics as a part of gameplay is Farcry's knocking barrels down hills. Whee.

 

[SubKamran]

I think the part where HL2 will win is an immersive story, no, wait, world.

And secondly, FarCry and especially DOOM3 weren't very fun...so I hope HL2 fills the void. The only games so far that I played this year that were fun were Thief 3, Beyond Good & Evil, and Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow.

 

[Adrien C]

I just hope that HL2 will be a mixed of RPG and Action, but a good mix that is.

 

[DrJones]

I felt kinda obliged to write this, as i love the gamin industry;

With games such as HL2 being a continuation on an on-going story, i can easily seeing this being one of the few last long-story games.
As people have already said, that the things we see in HL2 videos are things we've already seen in previous games such as Far Cry and Doom 3, story is the only true thing going for HL2 that's different to other titles.

Half-life 2 isn't going to be the ground-breaking shock it was anticipated to be when seen at e3 2003, as other, shorter, simpler games beat it. Features such as physics are now a standard feature in next-generation games, and incorporating newer features into games taking too much valuable time, i believe we'll see a wave of short, unintelligent (story-wise) repeats of what is basically an interactive example of a new technology.

I do hope games continue with long in-depth, continueing storylines, but i hate to say half-life 2 may have missed the boat for shock-surprises this time, with only the story to back it up.


Wha'y'all fink? :afro:

Last of long in depth games??? Have you never played a good Japanese RPG? Now those are long and in depth and usually have very good plots.

 

[Wesisapie]

yeah but they are usually "fight monsters" "fight monsters again" "OMG I AM SICK OF FIGHTING THESE DAMN MONSTERS TO GAIN A STUPID LEVEL" "fight monster again!!!!!"

i agree about mafia, that game was 100% golden. everything GTA3 should have been.

 

[seed007]

Last of long in depth games??? Have you never played a good Japanese RPG? Now those are long and in depth and usually have very good plots.

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA......oh boy...sorry that made me laugh....Ya, real depth in linear gameplay, crappy dialogue, and cliche plots...really fun...oh boy...

 

[chimpmunk]

I personaly don't care one bit about the story. I still feel the physics will blow us away, and that's really the only reason I'm very very excited to play this game.
The one pc game that I thought had a wonderful story that hooked me from start to finish was Mafia.

i think this guy could use a book, someone give him one...

WTF, how could you ignore the story? it's the HALF LIFE world we're talking about...

 

[Foegel]

I just hope that HL2 will be a mixed of RPG and Action, but a good mix that is.

I haven't seen 'Gordon reached level 5' on the screen yet

 

[The Mullinator]

I think the fact that Valve has put so much work into the facial technology which allows characters to appear much more realistic when talking means that they intend for HL2 to have a much more interactive story and far more RPG elements than HL1 or any other standard first person shooter.

Heh, who knows, maybe Gordon will at some point get his +5 assault rifle and start destroying beholders.

 

[kaf11]

i played parts of farcry and im playing through doom 3 now, and even though people keep saying it, i dont feel one bit that HL2 has "lost" to them already. everyone keeps saying it just because they were pretty and came out first. to me, graphics do not make the game. they help to set the atmosphere, and nothing ive seen in actual gameplay comes close to what ive seen in HL2 videos. HL1 was groundbreaking not only for what it achieved in graphics, but more importantly in what it achieved in storytelling. i believe HL2 will give us an even better, more in depth feel for their game, and set the standard for the industry again.

oh yeah, HL1 is still a better game than farcry and doom 3 imo.

 

[chriso20]

I haven't seen 'Gordon reached level 5' on the screen yet

lmao i hate that.

 

[el Chi]

I personaly don't care one bit about the story.

That shocks me in a big way as the story seems as though it will be superbly engaging, not to mention one of the main associating factors between all the other elements (the other one is gameplay). One of the reasons HL1 was so good was the plot - even if it was a tad B-movie-esque, but in a good way - and this plot seems a bit more mature and refined (refined as in tweaked not refined as in fine arts).

Regards to the first post - I see what you mean in a way; most sequels' plots have nothing to do with the first one. As with movies and books this is a double-edged sword; it means that the overall plot can be grander, tenser and more involving (in terms of character development and the universe in which events take place, etc.) On the other hand, these kinds of sequels can exclude those who have not played/read/seen the original - The Lord Of The Rings, or His Dark Materials are two fine examples.
However I see no reason why HL2 should be the "last" of the plot-driven games...

 

[subtlesnake]

[Rant]

If HL2 lives up to it's potential I think it will blow every other game out of the water. Everyone talks about graphics and physics as if these are the sole ingredients necessary to make a great game. And in the tech cantered world we live in perhaps thats not so surprising.

But think for a moment, when was the last time you felt something for a character in a game. When was the last time that you believed what you were doing actually had some greater purpose.

In relating the plot to a world of cheap 3rd person cutscenes, developers destroy whatever meaning and relevance their world has. All the player has to do is muddle his way through a level, then watch some poorly acted cutscene where his avatar does all the talking. As a result the story feels disconnected and loses it's emotional impact. But in HL2 you will be Gordon freeman. When characters greet you they'll be saying hi to you personally, not some fictional creation. The story will evolve in real time and you'll have to deal with the consequences.

For instance note the kleiner’s lab scene. How much less exciting would it have been were it to have occurred within a third person cutscene where you had no control?

It's all about creating a real, evolving world where the player is put directly in control. Like being in your own personal action movie. Would you enjoy an action movie where you didn’t care about any of the characters, where the actual plot didn’t interest you. Continuing on from the movie theme another thing HL2 will provide that all other games have ignored is pacing.

Where combat is balanced by exploration. And where combat itself is varied and interesting. Doom 3 provided arcade like gameplay, Far cry provided tense, tactical gameplay. Hl2 will provide both – and more. When was the last time you got to fight a strider in an fps? An alien gunship? A mech?

.[/rant]