What Was The Best Part of The Original HL?

[63]

What was it that made you a fan of the Original Half-Life? For me it was the story. I just hope that Half-Life 2 will live up to and surpass Half-Life.

 

[Fiddle]

please don't tell me.. I actually saw an option called realism....

 

[Cutey_Kaite]

i think HL was pretty realistic..for its time..but now with games like Americas Army I doubt HL2 will win any realism awards.

 

[crabcakes66]

gameplay gameplay gameplay.

 

[LoneDeranger]

I'm not sure how to describe it .. maybe "atmosphere" is the right word. You know, when you're on the train heading to the lab for the first time .. it's a weird feeling

 

[Non-Sequitur]

Atmosphere was definitley a part of it. The general feeling of "I've never seen anything like this before" was what really did it for most people I think. Aside from Duke 3D, HL was the first FPS with environments that people could truly relate to. It felt as if you were in Black Mesa, never knowing what was around the corner. The abundance of scripted sequences definitley added to the game's feeling of playing out a sci-fi movie. The fact that the game was one big flowing level made sure that the experience remained immersive throughout... It was a combination of things.

The solid Q1 engine's gameplay pulled everything together in the end. Valve just managed to put their own stamp on the "feel" of the gameplay which rounded out the package - ie crouch jumping, better moving style.... It just felt good to play.

Oh yeah, and the AI made for some interesting battles...

 

[dfc05]

Aside from Duke 3D, HL was the first FPS with environments that people could truly relate to. It felt as if you were in Black Mesa, never knowing what was around the corner. The abundance of scripted sequences definitley added to the game's feeling of playing out a sci-fi movie. The fact that the game was one big flowing level made sure that the experience remained immersive throughout... It was a combination of things.

Yeah, definitely. It was just neat going through Black Mesa and all the office rooms and stuff. I voted for story though--pretty amazing for me since things and events actually meant something and fit together so you didn't just feel like you were running around shooting random stuff.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

Definitely Atmosphere.

Scenes like the first time you encounter that giant plant that tries to stab you if you make too much noise. The first time i didn't realise that responded to noise and just ran from ladder to ladder, instead of walking. It got the adrenaline flowing for sure and i actually jolted in my chair when it killed me.

The first time i saw one of those sucker things on the roof drag up a marine then drop blood and entrails down after it was finished with im.

The first time you encounter the gargantuan in the railway area and you think to yourself "Holy testicle tuesday WHAT THE FUDGE IS THAT THING!"

The first time i was on the rail tracks moving along in the little train thing, i saw something off in the distance looked like movement. Then like a puff of something and an object came hurtling at me, i ducked at the right time to see a missle come flying overhead. A marine had launched it at me. And i was like "woh mah, this game ****ING ROCKSS!!!1111 lolazzao1!"

But that's just me

 

[Brian Damage]

I like the bit in OP4 when there's that problem in that room with the metal platform with the radioactive gunk under it. I started to panic when the lightning bolts started to destroy the platform bit by bit...

 

[Triggerhappy41]

I totally agree with the atmosphere. It feels as if you are there, and thats exactly what valve wanted to accomplish.

 

[Cunni]

Gameplay and atmosphere all the way baby. And by the looks of it, it will be the same thing making me love HL2!!!!!111111111

 

[Sp00fman]

The 4 legged robot in the intro got me all exited the first time i saw it..
the game didn't even start yet and i was like: WOW , OMG, this game rox!!!!

I still have a headcrab obsession. funnyest monster i ever saw

 

[iamaelephant]

Replace the "Realism" option with "Atmosphere"

Realism?
Yeah because cant think of anything more realistic than a man running around in a magic HEV suit, shooting aliens, single handedly taking down hundreds of trained Marines, then "recharging" his health and HEV suit.

 

[Styloid]

I voted for all but I I didn't really mean the graphics or the weapons (though they were good). The way I feel about it is that story and realism (which I took to mean believability) were major factors in gameplay. Basically how the game played was the best part of it.

 

[HybridM]

Yeah because cant think of anything more realistic than a man running around in a magic HEV suit, shooting aliens, single handedly taking down hundreds of trained Marines, then "recharging" his health and HEV suit.

I do that every tuesday.

 

[Flyingdebris]

testicle tuesday?




anyway i voted for the story, that why i'm waiting for hl2, i want closure goddammit

i loved when the guards and scientists had arguments, it really brought me in.

Listening to soldiers talk to each other. Trying to create a small army of barneys to follow me around and then get pissed cause they couldn't go into an air vent. Becoming sad that i could not move the barney in that level bast pit to safety (the one up the ladder who was standing next to the explosive boxes that blow up when you burninate the plant monster)

oh yeah and my favorite thing ever was to find a level with a wide open area like Power Up and using console binds to spawn an army of headcrabs to fight a few spawned marines and check out their AI at work while I'm invisibile. then using explosives i clean up the mess and try a different scenario

 

[jimbones]

The first time you encounter the gargantuan in the railway area and you think to yourself "Holy testicle tuesday WHAT THE FUDGE IS THAT THING!"

The first time i was on the rail tracks moving along in the little train thing, i saw something off in the distance looked like movement. Then like a puff of something and an object came hurtling at me, i ducked at the right time to see a missle come flying overhead. A marine had launched it at me. And i was like "woh mah, this game ****ING ROCKSS!!!1111 lolazzao1!"

I like how that game works ya up. It got really intense. When I realized that guy was firing missiles at me I was like:" You are gonna get it, punk!"
Same thing when those two soldiers talk while you sneak through vents and one goes to the other "dammit killing civillians is just no fun when they don't fight back.."

Second thing was when I realised that the rocketsilotentacle HEARS you..

 

[G-Dub]

I would have to say storyline involvement, and the intensity of the game really made it a favourite of mine. The graphics were pretty amazing at the time, and still aren't bad. :E

 

[Kadayi]

Storyline coupled with atmosphere. There were some great semi cinematic sequences in the game, like when the marines abseil down from the helicopter at you for example.

 

[BuddMan]

Storyline coupled with atmosphere. There were some great semi cinematic sequences in the game, like when the marines abseil down from the helicopter at you for example.

I think one of the biggest things for the game that no other game did really well at the time was interaction with other characters (talking to the scientists, etc, esp at the beginning). That's what did it for me. I probably spent an entire day just messing around with people before the "accident" occurred. Heh...you could even mess with someone's food in the microwave....

 

[X-Vector]

Atmosphere.

To me, Half-Life has so far offered the ultimate immersive experience, with very few competitors coming even close.

 

[jonnyapps]

best thing in hl was the bit where the soldiers shoot you in the vent and the bullet holes pour light in. be you tea full

 

[ComradeBadger]

Atmosphere added

Enjoy

 

[daveodeth]

head crabs or as i like to call them featherless chickens. honest they look like chickens without feathers and a head.

 

[FictiousWill]

I actually voted for the weapons, not because they were particularly exciting, but the laser-guided rocket was new to me, plus the guns felt like they had a real punch, you know?

 

[63]

thanks for adding Atmosphere Badger, I couldnt figure out how to..

 

[Chris D]

POLL EDIT 2:

Re-arranged the order of the poll so that "Atmosphere" would appear before "All of the above".

 

[ComradeBadger]

thanks for adding Atmosphere Badger, I couldnt figure out how to..

Only mods can edit polls

No problem, it's what we're here for

 

[CrazyHarij]

I do that every tuesday.

I fell off my chair laughing to that , dude.. You rock!


It was really a long time ago I played it for the first time, but it's gotta be Atmosphere or Gameplay.. And the freaking horror. Every single time I didn't succeed in smashing a jumping headcrab without him damaging you I jumped 50 feet.. All this adrenaline too , especially at the big plant thing with a beak.. That's gotta be one of the most heartpumping sequences ever in a game..

The entire game had moments like these.. Now I suddenly realise why everyone loves the game.. Damn, Valve did a helluva good job with the game.

:cheers:

 

[csmighty1]

Chris_D, your penguin animation thing is funny.

Did anyone else get that same half life feeling when they watched the barricade movie? or traptown? or tunnels? or hell, even the dunebuggy sequence? It felt like half life again...and that's why i think HL2 is gonna be "a bigger and better spoonful of the same thing (not really same...you know what i mean)" I'm not sure how to describe it but it just seemed more immersive than watching that Doom 3 trailer (although, none-the-less impressive)

My only worry is that Valve has a HUGE standard to live up to...just hope they rocket over it.

 

[slicktick]

it has to be the gameplay, everything else adds to the experience, but if a game doesnt have great gameplay, im not gonna keep playin it over and over again.
The gameplay is awesome, and it looks great for HL2 again so i cant wait!

 

[Venmoch]

"We've Got Hostiles"

That was simply the best bit of the whole game. I didn't expect the marines to try and flush me out or anything. They did everything I didn't expect them to do. Flanking, Tactical Grenading etc

No game has really got that impact to it.

Although running with a squad of marines in Op4 came close.

 

[Kadayi]

"We've Got Hostiles"

That was simply the best bit of the whole game. I didn't expect the marines to try and flush me out or anything. They did everything I didn't expect them to do. Flanking, Tactical Grenading etc

No game has really got that impact to it.

Although running with a squad of marines in Op4 came close.

Man the Marine AI was tops, I used to reload those levels again and again just for the rush. For me it was pretty much the first game I can remember where the enemy didn't run at you guns blazing without any sense of self preservation. It might seem quaint in comparison to AI now, but at the time it was a landmark.

 

[HybridM]

It would be interesting to play the old Half-Life, the one that they decided was crap.

There are so many good things about Half-Life, they just got everything right. I can't think of anything in it I didn't like.