What happened to revolutionary graphics?

[Absinthe]

The fact that the clouds are a STATIC SKYBOX (read pre Unreal one era games circa 97) on the first "AMAZING" city scene are enough to tell me this game is far from what it could have been, I'm sure a lot of people are saying it has the "best gfx ever" just because they have read it enough times in the plentyfull "trusted reviews"... they are not - they are good.. but..
Again I will repost this here from another thread which sums up my negativity towards this game, I am a 30 year old man, with a decent spec pc, have played many games, I code and Have worked in the games industry so don't assume Im some trolling retard teen with nothing better to do than bitch - this game has just made me that sick.

OH SHIT, THE CLOUDS DON'T MOVE. GOD DAMMIT, MAN. THIS GAME ****ING SUCKS. I KNOW IT SUCKS BECAUSE I'M A PROFESSIONAL AND I'VE BEEN WORKING IN THE GAME INDUSTRY FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS. STUPID ****ING CLOUDS.

Of course I don't expect ANYONE to dare be different from the crowd and agree with any of this, so flame if you like cos I'll just ignore you. The "Troll" card is played everytime someone has a different opinion than what is popular, and it's getting old now.

I disagree with you not because I fear alienation from the rest of the forum. I disagree with you because I think your reasoning is crud.

one thing I forgot to post before - and i think it is quite important and a wake up call to those that think this game is the best thing graphically since.. well , the last thing. notice the first city scene when you leave the station? the frickin sky box doesn't even move (rather the clouds) as static as the rest of the areas.. lifeless.. jebus H, can no-one else see how basic these things are? every doorway or tunnel is a complete squared off piece of BSP 98 style... there is virtually no trim (as in geoemtry) in any of the buildings - they are completely basic but with good textures, that is what I object to and Doom3 may have had low res textures but it tried to push the other areas where it counts .

City 17 is not a futuristic city with rounded buildings and abstract geometry. It's based on Earth. It was made by humans. And last I checked, most human architecture is squared and basic. Lifeless? Have you ever thought that maybe that's what Valve was trying to achieve in many of the City 17 areas? I mean, this is an oppressive police state.

For somebody who is supposedly so knowledgeable about gaming, you apparently can't seem to grasp some simple concepts. You're pushing for complex geometry for the sole reason of it being complex geometry, regardless of the fact that it serves no place in the game.

The physics are a novelty for the most part - apart from when need for in game puzzles - and they are not without their downsides - try this - the first block with the guy sat at the table - let go of the frying pan on his (place it on his head) it basically jumps up and down on his head, unaided, infinately... wow .. real ..

You complain about it being a novelty, but then go ahead and say that it's actually of importance on areas of the game.

...

Okay, dude. Sure. Never mind that many people found themselves using the manipulator again and again, either as a weapon or a way of clearing debris, or a method of getting items a ways off. Never mind that the last segment of the game has you using nothing but the gun. Never mind that physics puzzles appeared countless times throughout the game. Never mind that physics were actually far more than a mere novelty.

As for your frying pan example, I've never experienced anything like that. Even if I did, that's one minor thing that you've brought up in order to piss all over the physics. That's very weak.

sorry but I have gone back and restarted this game, with less stutter and tried to see what all the OVERHYPE is about - it is an 8/10 game for the gfx and in time others will see this too.. The trees don't move, the grass doesn't move, again - geometry is behind last year tech - the only area is excells in is using shaders, specular reflection, refraction etc (basically all the tricks) on virtually every texture it can - that is not "real" in the same way some of you say "doom is not real" ...

As I said before, the geometry is that way for a reason. One that you can't seem to comprehend.

Trees and grass don't move! DAMN! But a million different objects (thanks to wonderful physics) do! And wires react realistically to the wind generated by something such as an airship!

And I have never seen the kind of overkill you seem to be describing in regards to the shaders and specular effects. They existed, but they were placed appropriately. Nothing ever came off as overtly flashy and fake to me.

The story is shit

Thanks for explaining why, Mr. Professional.

The ending is shit

Thanks for explaining why, Mr. Professional.

The loading times are shit

While I do think that the loading times are a bit of an issue, I've found them to be much shorter than those of Doom 3 or Far Cry.

The Interaction (sans physics) is shit (dead ends/doors)

Well, Jesus. This is still a linear FPS. You are meant to travel from Point A to Point B. So of course there will be locked doors and dead ends (even though I've explored quite a few extraneous rooms to find items and enemies). At least they make sense (ie. combine door locks and unclimbable mounds of debris as opposed to mere unopenable doors and blank walls).

The path is linear with a couple of "cooL" set pieces per problem that show of the physics - all the time being forced from loaded section to next loaded section without a real feeling of freedom to even explore a little

Speak for yourself. Areas like Ravenholm and the opening introduction to City 17 flowed seamlessly for me, never feeling forced or overtly linear. They gave me a great illusion of freedom.

The so called voice transformers fitted to the ever present facist rod weilders are not there to be cool - wake up - they are there because each entity is the same - Valve didn't want to have to make 100 different voice wavs for each phrases so they just did one for all that is NOT a feature it is a limitation (understandable but why the hype?)

I don't recall any great deal of hype being put on the voices of the Combine soldiers. Straw men?

The Camera is completely wrong - feels more like a flight sim the way it cleanely glides as you walk (no bob)

I don't need a headbob in order to feel human. We're not going for uber-realism. Doom 3 also didn't have a headbob. Are you going to hold that against the game as well? In any case, the weapon sway more than makes up for it.

The "story" parts (such as the bit where you get your suit) are painfully dull and have no sense of the magic in the original

Thanks for explaining why, Mr. Professional.

The propoganda on all the screens is extremely irritating (maybe the point) but audio clashing is not good - when you get a headache from characters talking over that stuff.

I found the propoganda to be very interesting. I would always pause and listen intently to what Breen was saying, for even though his thoughts and ideas were disagreeable and twisted, you could clearly see where he was coming from with them. I guess that a game with a little substance just isn't your cup of tea?

And there were very few moments where I was struggling to hear Breen over the noises of others. I think the only time I had a real issue with it was in Nova Prospekt.

The HUD is as dull and workmanlike as dishwater.

Of course, because it would have made so much sense to completely revamp the HUD from the original Half-Life, regardless of the fact that you're wearing little more than a slightly updated HEV suit.

If you've worked in the gaming industry, then I shudder to think of what bastard product was of your doing.

The textures range from gritty realism to almost cartoon quality (the first town scene - the orange houses look like a completely different style to the white houses - yet the designers get praised to high heaven about it???)

Screenshots? I have no clue as to what cartoonish quality you are referring to, since I never saw it.

Then there are the Audio/Caching problems which are extremely widespread

One of the few points I'll give you.

I just people would get their minds in order and be realistic about this overhype product - without the stuttering problem I would give it maybe an 8/10 inline with similar products released.

Or maybe everybody else is just fine and you're the one that needs to get your "mind in order". Most of your complaints about this game are of the utmost triviality.

and though I will go on to play it all the way through...

Wait, so you haven't even finished the game yet?

...

Oh, look! I think your credibility just jumped out the window! Why don't you go after it?

 

[The Dark Elf]

HL2 looks fine, this thread doesn't *locked*