Can someone explain half-life to me?

[egwidalin]

Ok, theres a 100% chance i will get yelled at here, but its worth a shot. It isnt too hard to notice here that the forums on this entire website are huge half life fans, I seriously want to know why? I have played both half life 1 and 2 (not newer episodes) and to me, they were both very generic games, a basic fps in my eyes with no extreme redeeming qualities. I didnt notice 1 thing that felt revolutionary about this game, it was bland. The same goes for portal. Dont get me wrong, the game was extremely fun for what it was worth, and i enjoyed it fully. But it was extremely short, extremely easy, and had a a boring atmosphere. However, here, both are worshipped as greatest games ever, I definately am missing something.

So in general, im asking the escapist, what makes both of these games so special? Keep in mind, Im not saying either game is bad, just think they are overrated here. (dont wanna start any fights on my first post XD)

 

[Weaver]

It seems like character development, story and level design bear little meaning in your realm of standards, at least IMO.

What game do you find beats half-life 2? What's your favorite FPS?

to me Half-Life 2 portrayed lovable characters who acted like REAL people, great level design coupled with tons of different atmospheres and controlled really tightly.

 

[Zenn3k]

Half-Life gets its praise from us gamers who played it when it first was released. At that time the only other FPS game you could really compare it to was Doom and Wolfenstein. It was the first FPS to feel like something more than just running around killing everything you saw until you reached the end. It also had graphics above and beyond anything else at its release, it had a story.

HL2 is praised because we all fell in love with HL1 and its awesome by association. Plus it gave us the "gravity gun" which was new at the time.

Portal is fun because of how the game is played, and GLADOS. Yes its easy, yes its short, but when a game that short and that easy gets THAT kinda praise and love from the gaming world, you know they did something right, even if you might not see it yourself.

All 3 are very solid titles that you can simply tell had strong development teams and it shows.

 

[WrongSprite]

You're completely correct.

They're not that great at all, don't believe the hype. Its just standard FPS in the same vein as Halo.

 

[Jejbe]

The thing is, Half Life 2 WAS revolutionary when it first came out, it's just that so many games have been inspired by it and tried to do the same thing.

 

[curlycrouton]

Effective half-life denotes the halving of radioactive material in a living organism by means of radioactive decay and biological excretion. A decay constant is needed to calculate the half-life. It is the sum of the biological and physical decay constants, as in the formula:

With the decay constant it is possible to calculate the effective half-life using the formula:

The biological decay constant is often approximated as it is more difficult to accurately determine than the physical decay constant.

 

[RebelRising]

The strength lies in its story; you have to work for taking in the atmosphere and characters. Having been to Eastern European countries on several occasions, Half-Life 2 struck me as quite reminiscent of a classic Orwellian set-up. It's subtle, and that's what makes it work so well, because your character, Gordon Freeman is lost and out of the loop, so your experience is supposed to be reflective of that. The themes concerning the conflict between progress and humanity, and the effect of repression on a people and the world around it left me pondering a good time after I quit out of the game, so I figure there's also that to factor into why I like it. Plus, the characters are some of my favorites ever in a game, but I suppose that is subjective to how much you like big-breasted vixens and burly space marines.

It's gameplay mechanics are rather basic, I will give you that, but before you turn Half-Life into the next Halo, consider observing the story and atmosphere more closely, because that is what makes the game unique.

Still, it's your opinion; make of my post what you want.

 

[soren7550]

I'm personally a sucker for Half Life's story. The way it just presents itself...it's just too good for words.

 

[Weaver]

Effective half-life denotes the halving of radioactive material in a living organism by means of radioactive decay and biological excretion. A decay constant is needed to calculate the half-life. It is the sum of the biological and physical decay constants, as in the formula:

With the decay constant it is possible to calculate the effective half-life using the formula:

The biological decay constant is often approximated as it is more difficult to accurately determine than the physical decay constant.

I was going to be a smart ass and explain this as well, but decided against it lol.

 

[ryai458]

what people are saying is that the time it was released it was an awesome game it started the bland generic games that we know and love. But by todays standards it isnt that great so if you(me) are new to gaming it doesnt seem that great but it was and people dont let go

 

[Lunar Shadow]

Effective half-life denotes the halving of radioactive material in a living organism by means of radioactive decay and biological excretion. A decay constant is needed to calculate the half-life. It is the sum of the biological and physical decay constants, as in the formula:

With the decay constant it is possible to calculate the effective half-life using the formula:

The biological decay constant is often approximated as it is more difficult to accurately determine than the physical decay constant.

Fuck you beat me to it!

Edit: I enjoy both HL's, even having played them well after their releases. They are nice solid games, and the presentation of the atmosphere in both games are too shining examples in the turd pile

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Let's see:

Half Life has character interaction, a 5 minute "null time" that's still more interesting than half the FMV's that end up as Unskippable, interesting puzzles, weapons that feel like weapons, the ability to project yourself onto Freeman, different ways of tackling obstacles, great level design, replayability, sinister overtones and basic gameplay logic.

Half Life 2 brings in another side to the story, knocks the graphics up to breathtaking and brings in Alyx.

Portal has GLADos and the turrets.

Whether it's the music, effects, design, playability or just a gestalt, it works.

I'd be interested to see what you rate above it, but I'm not gonna knock you for not liking it. I would question your idea of boring atmosphere though, do you like games that are more "rollercoaster"?

 

[egwidalin]

Half-Life gets its praise from us gamers who played it when it first was released. At that time the only other FPS game you could really compare it to was Doom and Wolfenstein. It was the first FPS to feel like something more than just running around killing everything you saw until you reached the end. It also had graphics above and beyond anything else at its release, it had a story.

ok, i think that right there might have convinced me i didnt consider the time period it came out at, it probably wouldve made much more impact on me if i played it back then, most likely explains why i thought goldeneye was so awesome back then, and now think it sucks...

It seems like character development, story and level design bear little meaning in your realm of standards, at least IMO.

What game do you find beats half-life 2? What's your favorite FPS?

Level designs were fine, but the story, whilst still good, wasnt "incredible", also, im not going to say my favorite fps, because even i know they have flaws, and ill get shot down hard... lol

 

[Yooz]

Ok, theres a 100% chance i will get yelled at here, but its worth a shot. It isnt too hard to notice here that the forums on this entire website are huge half life fans, I seriously want to know why? I have played both half life 1 and 2 (not newer episodes) and to me, they were both very generic games, a basic fps in my eyes with no extreme redeeming qualities. I didnt notice 1 thing that felt revolutionary about this game, it was bland. The same goes for portal. Dont get me wrong, the game was extremely fun for what it was worth, and i enjoyed it fully. But it was extremely short, extremely easy, and had a a boring atmosphere. However, here, both are worshipped as greatest games ever, I definately am missing something.

So in general, im asking the escapist, what makes both of these games so special? Keep in mind, Im not saying either game is bad, just think they are overrated here. (dont wanna start any fights on my first post XD)

Are you, by chance, a Halo fan?

 

[egwidalin]

I would question your idea of boring atmosphere though, do you like games that are more "rollercoaster"?

well, i was referring to portal when i said that, and i do realize it would be hard to pull that game off somewhere else, it was kinda boring to see the same white-grey-black walls of that place the whole time (yes there was the end, but it wasnt much)

and by the looks of it, most everyone is telling me its all about the story, i guess thats my own fault

 

[Paulrus_Keaton]

Well, you see good sir...

John Freeman who is Gordon Freeman's brother was once in an office typing on a computer. He he got an email from his brother that said that aliens and monsters were attacking his place, and axed him for help... etc. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHxyZaZlaOs]

 

[Cowabungaa]

It seems like character development, story and level design bear little meaning in your realm of standards, at least IMO.

What game do you find beats half-life 2? What's your favorite FPS?

to me Half-Life 2 portrayed lovable characters who acted like REAL people, great level design coupled with tons of different atmospheres and controlled really tightly.

This, yes. Especially the levels. The game is so incredibly atmospheric, some levels really got my blood pumping (buggy racing, especially the chopper hunt in the boat). You really felt like being hunted, and slowly changing into the hunter. Together with the amazing soundtrack, you got one hell of an awesome gaming experience, almost movie-like. I must've finished the game in whole over 10 times, and played individual levels maybe 100 times or more, in the past few years. The atmosphere is almost unmatched, that feeling when you enter and leave Ravenholm, from an Orwellian dictatur in the beginning of the game, to a city torn with war.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I would question your idea of boring atmosphere though, do you like games that are more "rollercoaster"?

well, i was referring to portal when i said that, and i do realize it would be hard to pull that game off somewhere else, it was kinda boring to see the same white-grey-black walls of that place the whole time (yes there was the end, but it wasnt much)

The thing is, that's part of the crippling desolation in Portal. It should be completely clinical as that's where the fear originates. Like The Shining it's actually the cleanliness that's so deathly scary.

Or maybe that's just me

 

[Bigeyez]

Played them throughout the years and the Half-Life series is soooooo overhyped. Just about as much as halo is overhyped...and for the record yes I found Halo's gameplay more fun then Half-Lifes, sue me.

Now I'm not trying to take anything away from the games. They are good, just not ZOMG ITS JESUS IN GAME FORM like so many Half-Life fanboys make them out to be...Hell Portal was the reason I ended up loving Orange box, not Half-Life.