What if Half-Life 2 would be released in THIS year's November...

[iMMuNiTy]

Now, now, I'm not ranting about delays, nor am I stating this could happen with Valve being so careless about ETAs. I should pray to Valve every morning, facing West, for bringing me Half-Life 1 and Half-Life 2. Okay, I'm exaggerating. Still.

Anyway, on with the topic (note to self: be less annoying).

Let's imagine Half-Life 1 has been released two years after 1998. Not much has been revolutionary during those two years, so it's very likely Half-Life would be as revolutionary in 2000 as it was in 1998.

However, it's a big difference (in graphics mostly) whether a game has been released in '03 or '05. HDR and other DX9 goodies (Far Cry) extremely hi-res' textures (F.E.A.R.), Pixel Shaders 3.0 (Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory)... Now imagine after all these games, Half-Life 2 has been released (without DoD, HDR... as bare as it was in 2003). Would you like the game? Or would you start complaining how outdated it looks compared to other games?

This will help your imagination: remember your first playthrough. Now imagine that today is your first playthrough.

Discuss how HL2 would stand out in the crowd amongst other games if it was released this year and what aspects of the game you would like the most; your favorite features of the game with others do not have (might be an SDK feature).

Here's my opinion: I perfectly remember my first playthrough as if it were yesterday. I wish I could lose my memory with a push of a button so I could replay Half-Life 2 without knowing what is going to happen next. It is an unforgettable experience, and I truly would prefer Half-Life 2 to other games released this year. :imu: (I just couldn't resist)

P.S. Sorry for my grammar mistakes.

 

[Insano]

I couldn't care less about the graphics. I play with Directx 7 and I <3 it

 

[fez]

Game content > Graphics

And im not just saying that because im a fanboy, I pld counterstrike for 4 years even when better looking games were being released

 

[iMMuNiTy]

Well, F.E.A.R. gameplay is somewhat exceptional. I don't mean graphics only.

 

[Solaris]

What ruined hl2 for me was the loading between levels.

 

[Max35]

Well, I still consider the characters in Half-Life 2 to be the most detailed ever in a game. So, in that aspect of the graphics, HL2 is still number one. Physics-wise the game is still echelons above any game, even over a year after it's release. The environments are massively detailed, unlike games such as FEAR (still a great game though). I think the strength of HL2 is that it excels in all areas, rather than just one.

As for outdated graphics in HL2, we can only hope that talented mod teams will update the greatness of HL2, such as the BM: Source team is doing.

 

[Beerdude26]

What ruined hl2 for me was the loading between levels.

Didn't ruin it, but sure made me pissed

 

[taroq]

What I love about HL2 is that its graphics are pretty much irrelevant. They've established a clear visual style that works well withing the confines of the available technology. The HL2 universe is distinct; you'd be able to tell whether you were playing Half Life or... some other game with roughly the same visual capabilities. It's all about atmosphere.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

The game would still do as well I think. The gameplay would still be as fantastic, the striders would be called ripoffs of WOTW instead of vice versa. The graphics would no longer be astonishing but very good, but no game would be able to contend with the physics engine even today.

 

[Vegeta897]

But HL2 wasn't released in 2003... It was released in 2004, one year ago... So that would make HL1's release 1999, not 2000. Or am I not following your logic?

But anyway, I think the game would do pretty good, but not as good. Physics wouldn't be "new and awesome" anymore, as FEAR used them pretty extensively (As in, applied every little object).

Graphics would be fine. I think... The gameplay would definitely be just as welcome as it was in 2004 though, that's for sure.

 

[giant384]

if hl2 was released this year there would be hdr in it

 

[Eejit]

The striders were ripoffs of WotW anyway, it's just that now people who haven't read the 19th century book think that it was the other way around... *sigh*

 

[Ennui]

Uh, what the hell?

Half-Life 2 is still pretty much the best looking game out there as far as I'm concerned.

 

[melat0nin]

Yeah if HL2 was released today, I would be able to play it on max settings as opposed to the medium settings I played it on when it was in fact released. At max, I'd say HL2 holds its own against most of today's games. So the graphics certainly wouldn't be an issue.

It's the gameplay and immersion factor that did set and continue to set HL2 apart.

 

[Beerdude26]

The gravity gun would still be hawtness, though.

 

[The Brick]

The gravity gun would still be hawtness, though.

No. Then we'd all go like "OMG DOOM 3 EXPANSION RIPOFF!@"

 

[iMMuNiTy]

No. Then we'd all go like "OMG DOOM 3 EXPANSION RIPOFF!@"

You, Sir, are teh winnar.

 

[Max35]

I don't think it's the graphics (while impressive) are what people are going to remember about HL2, but the gameplay/story. Gameplay is why BM: Source are revamping the HL experience.

 

[iMMuNiTy]

Far Cry's story was good (until those mutants appeared). FEAR's storyline was okay.

Okay, I'm out of ideas. I love Half-Life 2 too much.

 

[Beerdude26]

No. Then we'd all go like "OMG DOOM 3 EXPANSION RIPOFF!@"

But that is a paradox, because everyone knows DooM 3 ripped off the gravity gun off HL2 (no other things were ripped off HL2 IIRC).

 

[Solver]

I am always a gameplay above all kind of guy. I would love HL1 if my first playthrough was today, despite the difference between HL1 graphics and those of Quake4 or FEAR.

I'm sure reviewers would react a bit differently to HL2 today, though. "The three last huge FPS releases - Doom3, FEAR and Quake 4 - featured dynamic lighting and shadowing that Half-Life 2 lacks". "Half-Life 2's gravity gun operates on the same basic principle that the Grabber from Resurrection of Evil, but is much more fun because you can throw nearly anything around".

BTW, I think that stating Doom3 ripped off the HL2 gravity gun is nonsense. Similar behaviour was possible to activate in the Doom3 console before HL2 even was out. Then, both guns have a different purpose and style in the game. With physics engines becoming very good now, we're going to see more gravity guns in games, and what, say that each of them ripped HL2 off? HL1 ripped off Doom, then, because you have a pistol, and it's even activated by the '2' key in both games.

 

[carrera]

Uh, what the hell?

Half-Life 2 is still pretty much the best looking game out there as far as I'm concerned.

zactly

 

[nutcrackr]

I'd probably be in the nut house if Valve delayed the game another year
But on the off chance I wasn't I'd still be amazed by the content and the graphics are still certainly hot enough for me.

 

[Steven]

If it was delayed another year I would copy it and spend my one hundred dollars on something else.

 

[iMMuNiTy]

Not delayed, released.

 

[The Brick]

I would've tried the leaked alpha for sure..