Very disappointed in EP1

[mutant_llama]

I purchased EP1 with a very neutral attitude, after not being overly happy with HL2 (Great engine but such a short game, very little in the way of changed weapons and no where near as atmospheric as halflife)....

How disappointed I was

**SPOILER**

After about an hour and a bit of playing (what could have well been the original HL2....If you played HL2 then left it a month, was then dropped into EP1 I would be hard pressed to tell which one of the two I was playing!) I jumped onto a train with Alyx and thought 'Cool, now it will start to improve and be different'....the tower explodes and I pause, ready to get the most out of my cash, then the frickin' credits roll?!

Valve/steam or whoever it is, when you release EP2 add something new and more of it, not just zombine and some weird bug who disappears after 2 minutes....

Example of a decent expansion? C & C Red alert 2 - Yuris revenge, Baldurs gate 2 - Throne of Bhaal, Morrowind - red moon....all these were prime examples but this reminds me of some spotty nerd doing a mod for HL....

The money I paid does not warrant thisshort lived insult to the halflife universe....

 

[Mr Stabby]

theres really no need for a new thread, there is plenty of opinion threads

 

[Hypnosos]

It's an expansion. It isn't supposed to add much more then what was in the original game, Half-Life 2. From your text I guess the length of it was the most disappointing part of it for you.

If you read the official page, it says the game will give you 4-6 hours of gameplay, which it does if you aren't playing on easy/medium and having god mode turned on.

 

[mutant_llama]

Stabby, just joined another thread for that same reason.

Hypnosos, does it not bother you that they have released a game that has not added much to it, then had to pay again? Why not include this in the original to justify the full price I paid for it, it would have changed my opinion in favour of it had HL2 and EP1 been one game....

This gives valve/steam a licence to get $20 for a small step in the life of Gordon and make some decent money, with little in the way of effort....

Go back to releases a one off game I say....

 

[Hypnosos]

Stabby, just joined another thread for that same reason.

Hypnosos, does it not bother you that they have released a game that has not added much to it, then had to pay again? Why not include this in the original to justify the full price I paid for it, it would have changed my opinion in favour of it had HL2 and EP1 been one game....

This gives valve/steam a licence to get $20 for a small step in the life of Gordon and make some decent money, with little in the way of effort....

Go back to releases a one off game I say....

Not really. They have added enough to make me happy. I don't feel disappointed at all except for the fact that there is 5-6 months to Episode 2.

 

[VippiN]

I jumped onto a train with Alyx and thought 'Cool, now it will start to improve and be different'....the tower explodes and I pause, ready to get the most out of my cash, then the frickin' credits roll?!

I was the same. I was really looking forward to some game time outside.

 

[kupocake]

the tower explodes and I pause, ready to get the most out of my cash, then the frickin' credits roll?!

I'm almost inclined to think that you didn't actually pay money for this, because you should have paid a third of the price you pay for a game that is three times longer. If you're complaining, you either neither did the maths or you didn't pay for it full-stop.

They're called "Episodes" for a reason you know.

 

[A True Canadian]

The whole point of episodic content is to get gameplay out to the customer faster. Valve have stated that they are planning to do 3 episodes set on the Aftermath of Half-Life 2 for $20 each.

New video games these days cost around $50-$60, so the $20 pice tag, for what is essentially 1/3 of a full game is fair price. Episode One was to close the cliffhanger left at the end of Half-Life 2 and open the door for a new take on the story for the next 2 episodes.

If length is what you didn't like, then you might be better off waiting until the next two episodes are released and play both together at the same time.

Valve/steam or whoever it is, when you release EP2 add something new and more of it, not just zombine and some weird bug who disappears after 2 minutes....

Rest assured, the next episode will offer some new content. You can watch the teaser trailer located in Episode One by going to "New Game" and selecting the 6th option (provided you've beaten the episode, and it sounds like you have).

I purchased EP1 with a very neutral attitude, after not being overly happy with HL2 (Great engine but such a short game, very little in the way of changed weapons and no where near as atmospheric as halflife)....

Was Half-Life 2 really that short? It takes me longer to go through that game that it does to go through Half-Life.

As for the weapons, it is your standard arsenal. Grenades, a pistol, a shotgun, a machinegun, and a rocket launcher seem like the essentials in any shooter these days. The crossbow would act as your sniper rifle. While we didn't get the Tau Cannon or the Gaus Gun (it was on the buggy), we did get a refreshing weapon in the gravity gun, and the ablility to satisfyingly erradicate enemies with the Incediary Rifle. Would adding one or two new weapons really effect the gameplay? What new weapon can you think of that would do something different than the weapons that are already in the arsenal?

The atmosphere seems to be either hit or miss with people. I thought it was easily as atmospheric as Half-Life, if not more.

The money I paid does not warrant thisshort lived insult to the halflife universe....

Again, think of it as part one of a game. Similar to a television series, think of this a the first 5 episodes of a 15 episode season. The first 5 are meant to be an introduction to the story arc and introduce the plot mechanics that set the series in motion. The next 5 episodes work around those mechanics and generate the complications, while the last 5 episodes work to a climax and conclusion to the story arc.

As I said earlier, if you were disappointed by the length, then you might as well hold of on the next two episodes until you can play them back-to-back. The price isn't really a factor because your getting the same amount (if not more) content for the price of a regular game.

 

[PvtRyan]

I'm sorry, nothing new?

The first believable character (Alyx) ever created in an FPS is nothing new?

Not only that, but she was the first sidekick that was helpful and not obtrusive in any way. A sidekick that you don't have to babysit is nothing new?

Scenes in complete darkness where you have to rely on your sidekick are nothing new? The first proper use of darkness in a game is nothing new?

HDR that actually added a bit to gameplay (gunship battle) is nothing new? A boss that blows away the physically simulated surroundings is nothing new?

And I'd say Zombines were also actually something new. They werent just new models that hit you slightly harder, they added a new interesting bit of gameplay and tactics with the suicide bombing they did.

If the game had anything it's variety, wasn't repetitive in any way. You went from the Citadel where you were a god with the super gravity gun and solved a few puzzles to the underground where you fought zombies in total darkness with low ammo. Which was interrupted by some hectic antlion fights where you quickly had to plug up the holes. After that you went on the streets for some fairly straightforward Combine killing followed by fights in the hospital where you encountered different types of enemies (zombies and combine) at the same time and closed off that section with a very cool battle in the attic with a gunship. You then moved to the trainstation to escort citizens to the train (I agree that was kinda boring and repetitive) and closed it off with a Strider fight (and yeah, infinite rockets are no fun there, I agree) and an awesome end sequence of the Citdel blowing up.

And you really don't have any idea how much work making such a game actually is, do you? They should have added EP1 to HL2? Lol.

What exactly are you expecting for your 20 bucks? A second coming of Christ, or what?

 

[mutant_llama]

I would have expected more from even an episode, if $20 takes you from escaping the exploding tower to getting the train out where will it stop?

If I pay $20 and play for 4 hours, then compare this to HL which would have costed maybe $60 in it's time to play 20+ hours then do the math, releasing episodes is going to be more costly then doing a full game....

And I also question the value that $20 got for me, I could have had more enjoyment replaying HL2 or playing HL:source for free....

 

[mutant_llama]

For the second coming of Christ I would pay about $60-$70, for EP1 I would have rather they added it to the end of HL2....and I think that Doom3 made decent use of the dark (pointing a torch at something to get your sidekick to shoot at it does not prompt me to say wow!) and Alyx is much better, but I doubt she is the first char within a game that did not require constant care, and the amount of times she sodding blocked me from retreating was as annoying as anything else I have played...

 

[A True Canadian]

If I pay $20 and play for 4 hours, then compare this to HL which would have costed maybe $60 in it's time to play 20+ hours then do the math, releasing episodes is going to be more costly then doing a full game....

Half-life did not take longer than 20 hours to beat. If it took you that long, then Half-Life 2 should have taken you about that long too (at your pace).

We also can't properly judge how long these episodes are going to take us to beat altogether, because rumors state that Episode 2 is going to be longer than Episode 1.

 

[mutant_llama]

Going to have to agree to disagree

Just going to have to agree to disagree with some people here, I still fail to see what has made some people call this the best FPS ever, F.E.A.R had me gripped (and crapping myself) with some excellent destructable scenery and what was for me possible the best end scene ever, the underground nuclear explosion...not to mention me spilling my drink as the helicopter took off and the little girl jumped on....

I still feel like I have not had my fill monies worth and can see nothing different from HL2 and this EP1, the premise and scenary etc all seem the same and feels almost rushed.

As for ideas for a new gun, I think a Groin locking on boot shooter would work, or a mobile headcrab launcher (host bodies still attached)..seriously if I could think up new guns I would not be doing what I am doing, I would be sitting around at valve pushing my ideas...

 

[Asknoone]

Rushed? Hardly. EP1 is probably one of, if not the most polished FPS's out there.

 

[mutant_llama]

Hmmm, starting to think I should have chosen a more neutral forum =)

I fail to see what is distinguishing it from a multitude of other FPS out there, already said that I love the engine, and if it isn't trying to be distinguished and Ep1 is just supposed to be a straight continuation of HL2 then I missed the point and I would not have paid money for what feels to me as being decent a mod.

To call it one of the most polished FPS out is a big statement, I think a game needs to have more for me to agree with anything like that....

 

[xirow]

Rushed? Hardly. EP1 is probably one of, if not the most polished FPS's out there.

Episode One polished?
I expected Episode One to be one of the most polished games, but it definitely wasn’t. Some part where polished, others weren’t. Sometimes I had the feeling I was playing a mod. In some part of the game (especially the streets of City 17 parts) the leveldesign was really weak.

 

[A True Canadian]

To call it one of the most polished FPS out is a big statement, I think a game needs to have more for me to agree with anything like that....

Fluid character animations, industry-leading voice animations, implementation of bloom and high-dynamic range lighting effects, hollywood style voice acting, hollywood style writing (just listen to Kleiner's speech on the monitors, easily as amazing as Breen's propaganda), balanced gameplay, responsive controls, heavily detailed levels...


It doesn't seem like that big a statement to me.

Some part where polished, others weren’t. Sometimes I had the feeling I was playing a mod. In some part of the game (especially the outside City 17 parts) the leveldesign was really weak.

Please elaborate. The only section of the game outside City 17 is on the train.

 

[Asknoone]

Episode One polished?
I expected Episode One to be one of the most polished games, but it definitely wasn’t. Some part where polished, others weren’t. Sometimes I had the feeling I was playing a mod. In some part of the game (especially the outside City 17 parts) the leveldesign was really weak.

I couldn't disagree more. But it's one of the best shooters out there.

 

[L. Duke]

I expected it to be short, but I was still amazed when the credits started rolling. An 'episode' really needs to be about twice as long or cost half as much.

Except for the improved coding on Alyx, a small mod team could have put episode 1 together in a fairly short time. Basically no new content except new maps. (The longest part of modifying the existing zombies into zombines was probably creating the model, not modifying the code.)

 

[pomegranate]

Whether or not you think the Episode is short, saying that you didn't get your money's worth is plain retarded. I don't know what $20 buys you, but here in Britain Ep 1 cost a little over £10 on Steam.
A movie ticket costs about £4-6, a new DVD release is about £15 in shops, a round of drinks for you and 3-4 friends costs £10, - the point being, £10/$20 is a pretty reasonable price for up to five hours (essentially, an evening) of high-quality entertainment, especially when you consider you can play it as many times as you like. Just because you expected the experience to last longer, doesn't diminish what you get for your money. That's your fault for not researching what you're buying.
My opinion on the length is that I would've started getting bored if it went on much longer. It's variation, and rythm, of experience that is important, in my opinion. If you think they could've 'easily made it longer', or that a bunch of modders could've made it, you really ought to play through with the commentary on to see how much work they put into their games.
I enjoyed Ep1 more than HL2. That's not to say it's better, just that aspects of it appealed to me more than HL2.

 

[xirow]

Please elaborate. The only section of the game outside City 17 is on the train.

I mean the streets of City 17. I didn’t have the feeling I was walking inside a city. It all felt empty. Just a couple of buildings in a skybox. There were hardly any buildings in the background.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

I mean the streets of City 17. I didn’t have the feeling I was walking inside a city. It all felt empty. Just a couple of buildings in a skybox. There were hardly any buildings in the background.

That's the point. It is empty. Most buildings have been torn down by rampaging striders and most of the citizens are dead or have already evacuated.

 

[A True Canadian]

That's the point. It is empty. Most buildings have been torn down by rampaging striders and most of the citizens are dead or have already evacuated.

Exactly. The only real thing remaining is the section of the city where the resistance was defending (the trainstation). The whole point was to make the city feel empty. It's meant as a shock factor to demonstrate how much has been destroyed, that the place went to hell.

 

[Hypnosos]

I don't think Episode 1 was rushed, but in the commentary track someone mentions they wanted to do more things on some particular area, but they didn't have the time.

If my memory serves me correctly.

 

[mutant_llama]

OK, to wrap this up for me (I don't want to post forever):

1) Too short
2) Felt more like a mod and don't like paying for a mod (Day of Defeat started as a mod and that game is excellent for a mod, better than this is compareable as a paid for game)
3) If no one had hardly said a word and Dr.Sphincter (or whatever his name was) was not on the large viewers I most likely would not have noticed
4) The outside levels were small and far between, HL2 gave a decent notion of ground being covered but this felt like running through a neighbours house and garden to get to a train. Some of it was predictable (zombies stuck behind a hospital door, guess what will happen the minute my back is turned)
5) The final end fight is against a strider, but in a confined space with unlimited ammo

I really hope that EP2 does something more because I want to play it to the bitter end as HL had such a positive effect on me. I would pay £50 if valve could capture the essence of halflife in ep2 etc.

 

[A True Canadian]

I really hope that EP2 does something more because I want to play it to the bitter end as HL had such a positive effect on me. I would pay £50 if valve could capture the essence of halflife in ep2 etc.

You're probably going to be disappointed in the next episodes then. Valve appears to be taking the series into a new direction (jungle combat and more non-linear exploration) and moving away from claustrophobic interiors.

You mentioned you were disappointed in the immersion of Half-Life 2. Therefore I'm not sure if you'll find the type of immersion you're looking for. Although being stuck in a forest infested with Stalkers, Hunters, Antlions, and possible other baddies sounds like it has the makings of an immersive experience. I thought Half-Life 2, and by extenstion Episode 1, were very immersive, but in different ways.

In Half-Life you were escaping your invaders.
In Half-Life 2 you were the invader.
In Episode 1 you went back to escaping.

The only real recommendation I have is to hold off on buying Episode 2 until Episode 3 is released. That way you can experience an extended gameplay session and feel like you're getting more for your money.

Or if you truely are as disappointed as you mentioned in your thread title, then you should simply end your Half-Life experience here and refrain from buying another game in the series. If you're not getting what you want, then it would make sense to stop investing.

Whatever you decide, I hope you make the right choice. :E

 

[xirow]

Exactly. The only real thing remaining is the section of the city where the resistance was defending (the trainstation). The whole point was to make the city feel empty. It's meant as a shock factor to demonstrate how much has been destroyed, that the place went to hell.

Well, they’ve done a poor job. It just didn’t feel like a destroyed city. It needed more destroyed buildings in the background. In Episode One you see streets with intact buildings and nothing behind those buildings. It felt empty, but not in the way you mean. Like I said before, it felt like a couple of buildings in a skybox.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of the Half-Life series. But Episode One disappointed me, especially the level design of some parts of City 17 (the trainstation ). Maybe Valve did need more time to polish the game.

 

[alehm]

OK, to wrap this up for me (I don't want to post forever):

1) Too short
2) Felt more like a mod and don't like paying for a mod (Day of Defeat started as a mod and that game is excellent for a mod, better than this is compareable as a paid for game)
3) If no one had hardly said a word and Dr.Sphincter (or whatever his name was) was not on the large viewers I most likely would not have noticed
4) The outside levels were small and far between, HL2 gave a decent notion of ground being covered but this felt like running through a neighbours house and garden to get to a train. Some of it was predictable (zombies stuck behind a hospital door, guess what will happen the minute my back is turned)
5) The final end fight is against a strider, but in a confined space with unlimited ammo

I really hope that EP2 does something more because I want to play it to the bitter end as HL had such a positive effect on me. I would pay £50 if valve could capture the essence of halflife in ep2 etc.

Well, you best not play anymore of the episodic content. Valve already stated they are going to push out shorter episodes to get game content out quicker. If you are going to buy a game knowing it is short and then complain that it is short then the fact is there is nobody on this planet that can console you and make you feel better except other people just like you.

I admit,I knew this was going to be short and it was over before I would have liked it to be over. But I am going to wait until the next episode comes out before I make a final opinion on Episodic content.

It was 6 years between HL1 and HL2. I will take 8-10 months between episodes for now over waiting another 6 years for a complete game.

 

[pomegranate]

Well, they’ve done a poor job. It just didn’t feel like a destroyed city. It needed more destroyed buildings in the background. In Episode One you see streets with intact buildings and nothing behind those buildings. It felt empty, but not in the way you mean. Like I said before, it felt like a couple of buildings in a skybox.

Eh, the reason you can't see many destroyed buildings is because, ah, they're destroyed. As in dust. The scenes in the streets conveyed to me an idea that this place is now a wasteland. Listen to what Alyx says when you finally reach the street surface.

 

[alehm]

Eh, the reason you can't see many destroyed buildings is because, ah, they're destroyed. As in dust. The scenes in the streets conveyed to me an idea that this place is now a wasteland. Listen to what Alyx says when you finally reach the street surface.

No, don't listen to what Alyx says. Just keep on being upset.

 

[Hyperion2010]

I really want to know why people think that in order for an expansion to be good it has to have more weapons. I mean for ****s sake, how many ways do you need to kill someone? I would rather have features like leaning than new weapons because it lets me employ new tactics and opens up gameplay. Weapons dont do that.

 

[kupocake]

Yeah, the way you were encouraged to use the existing weapons and the environment was better than any one weapon could have managed IMO.

 

[xirow]

Eh, the reason you can't see many destroyed buildings is because, ah, they're destroyed. As in dust. The scenes in the streets conveyed to me an idea that this place is now a wasteland. Listen to what Alyx says when you finally reach the street surface.

So one building is dust and the building right next to it is completely intact? And I did listen to what Alyx said and I always knew it was supposed to be a destroyed city, a wasteland. I love destroyed city (… in games and movies). But in Episode One it didn’t feel like a destroyed city.

It needed more scenes like this one:

 

[pomegranate]

So... that scene did what you want? But some scenes weren't exactly up to scratch, not looking exactly the same? Wouldn't that get a bit monotonous?

 

[bigburpco]

Episode One polished?
I expected Episode One to be one of the most polished games, but it definitely wasn’t. Some part where polished, others weren’t. Sometimes I had the feeling I was playing a mod. In some part of the game (especially the streets of City 17 parts) the leveldesign was really weak.

Hohoho, you're kidding.

That's the point. It is empty. Most buildings have been torn down by rampaging striders and most of the citizens are dead or have already evacuated.

I can't believe some people don't realise this. I mean, the first look you get at City 17 is just really large piles of rubble.

OK, to wrap this up for me (I don't want to post forever):

1) Too short It's an Episode for a reason.
2) Felt more like a mod and don't like paying for a mod (Day of Defeat started as a mod and that game is excellent for a mod, better than this is compareable as a paid for game) You are kidding, right? No? :|
3) If no one had hardly said a word and Dr.Sphincter (or whatever his name was) was not on the large viewers I most likely would not have noticed Okay, you fail at being a HL fan. If you... uh... strive to be one.
4) The outside levels were small and far between, HL2 gave a decent notion of ground being covered but this felt like running through a neighbours house and garden to get to a train. Some of it was predictable (zombies stuck behind a hospital door, guess what will happen the minute my back is turned) Why? Because City 17 has gone to hell! Doh! I mean, you prefer Halo? :upstare:
5) The final end fight is against a strider, but in a confined space with unlimited ammo There are noobs, you know...

I made the additions in bold.

So one building is dust and the building right next to it is completely intact? And I did listen to what Alyx said and I always knew it was supposed to be a destroyed city, a wasteland. I love destroyed city (… in games and movies). But in Episode One it didn’t feel like a destroyed city.

It needed more scenes like this one:

The intact buildings blocked it. The... 'city eaters' (sorry, they're those things on the right ) uh... 'eat' the rubble. If you know what I mean.



Sorry, I'm a bit crazy today...

 

[99.vikram]

I can't believe anybody could hate Ep 1. Even a diehard HL hater (Halo fan) recently told me Ep 1 was "tolerable". :|

 

[bigburpco]

Halo* shit, are you kidding?

EDIT: *Meant to type 'Holy' but it came out naturally.

 

[sk0aL]

Another gripe of mine is Valve advertised Ep. 1 as being 4-6 hours in length, when in reality anyone with any modicum of FPS experience shouldn't take more than 3-3.5 hours to complete it, tops.

HL2 took me a good 10+ hours to go through, as any decent fps should. I dunno, maybe I'm just not used to having a 3 hour FPS experience that I had to pay for. I'm not saying the game was bad, it's just that my expectations were different. I was expecting at least a good 5 hours of solid gameplay; not a return to the Citadel followed by a short excursion through the remnants of City 17, which was capped off with a rather repetitive escort mission through a trainyard. I'm not trying to downplay the genius that is Valve, but it just seemed like a half-assed effort in my opinion.

To each their own.

 

[Black Op]

Another gripe of mine is Valve advertised Ep. 1 as being 4-6 hours in length, when in reality anyone with any modicum of FPS experience shouldn't take more than 3-3.5 hours to complete it, tops.

It sounds like you just blasted through everything in some sort of speed run. The 5-6 hour length applies to gamers that bother being immersed in their enviroment as VALVe intended.

HL2 took me a good 10+ hours to go through, as any decent fps should. I dunno, maybe I'm just not used to having a 3 hour FPS experience that I had to pay for. I'm not saying the game was bad, it's just that my expectations were different. I was expecting at least a good 5 hours of solid gameplay; not a return to the Citadel followed by a short excursion through the remnants of City 17, which was capped off with a rather repetitive escort mission through a trainyard. I'm not trying to downplay the genius that is Valve, but it just seemed like a half-assed effort in my opinion.

Again it seems your incapable of enjoying a wider view of immersion other than blasting through in as little time as possible. Full appreciation of VALVe games will only come to those gamers that allow video games to become a more cinematic experience. Since I'm one of those people, my gripes are far less.

 

[99.vikram]

It EASILY lasts 5 hours if you listen to all dialogues and explore every room in the game.

On my second run I took 7 hours, because I tried to finish every challenge in at least two ways.