Half Life 2, why?

[dfcrackhead]

Did you play Half Life 1?
If no: Did you read the story?
If no: Don't complain about not understnaidng the story of a sequal.

By that argument star wars the prequel films were masterpieces, what you din't read the billion backlogs of bullshit fanfiction level novels, comics, awful cartoon shows or bad videogames? Wel lfuck you.

You have it backwards, it'd be like someone bitching about the prequels, the billion backlogs of bullshit fanfiction level novels, comics, awful cartoon shows and bad videogames because they skipped the original trilogy.

OT: I played HL2 and the Episodes before playing HL1 and I still really loved that game. The shooting was well paced and the story, if you pay attention, is really good. Also one thing I love about the games, is you don't always know WHY you're doing what you're doing, one of the underlying things is you have no real free will.

 

[Baradiel]

Why are people getting so annoyed at having too many anti-Half Life threads?

We always have loads of pro-Half Life threads.

Its one of the things I dislike about the Escapist: the Half Life/Valve fanboys.

 

[pliusmannn]

The story, man you should really read the story at least, it is better than most of science fiction for the last two decades. Also when you play the game, if you play slowly (not doing a mindless speedrun) you uncover that story while playing, uncover it yourself. I played through HL 1 when i was younger, i loved it, then played all HL2, and episodes, loved it even more, then read the story and played again i was astonished how much obvious story elements i dismissed as environment candies, after i gone throught all games in HL series i was astonished how well it is written and how well everything is showed. If you are not a story-game person then you won't feel any different but for myself i rather go play a well written game and feel the same like when reading a well written book. But while HL story and storytelling is at the BEST, i would like to take notice for Arx Fatalis story, it was mind-blowing, i played completing all side-quests and then was enlightened that completing side quests makes a difference in your ending, and actually

Spoiler

at the mid-game when you reaveal your identity, you get an advice: don't get distracted from your goal, you are not suppossed to be here and you can't change anything you'll make it worse. And my ending revealed that this advice was right, in that game completing side-quests fucks that world around, you uncover that what you did will probably brake total annihilation of already dying people. Also at the end the feel of incapability, the immersion

play those gmaes slowly if you like reading books, they are sometimes a lot better

 

[akibawall95]

I liked it because it had a good flow between shooting and puzzle solving. The story might start off slow but eventually I felt like I was part of the resistance too. The atmosphere gives you a feeling of oppression with hope. The game helps to build a strong connection to the characters. I also like how polished it is (like most Valve games).

Yep that is about it. If you did not like it I am fine with that, there are games that a lot of people like that I don?t.

 

[YuheJi]

Did you play Half Life 1?
If no: Did you read the story?
If no: Don't complain about not understnaidng the story of a sequal.

By that argument star wars the prequel films were masterpieces, what you din't read the billion backlogs of bullshit fanfiction level novels, comics, awful cartoon shows or bad videogames? Wel lfuck you.

I think that's a rather poor analogy. Complaining about the Half-Life 2 story while not playing Half-Life 1 might be closer to watching 2nd LotR movie before the 1st.

 

[Palademon]

Because it's an easy to control shooter, with many weapons, areas, and awesome physics.
Even comparing this to todays standards it wins in my book.

 

[Palademon]

Why are people getting so annoyed at having too many anti-Half Life threads?

We always have loads of pro-Half Life threads.

Its one of the things I dislike about the Escapist: the Half Life/Valve fanboys.

Really? I haven't seen many "Half Life 2 is awesome, just thought I'd say that" threads this week. It's like anime recommendation threads or things about your avatar; you can just refer the previous one instead of bringing it up again.

 

[GiantRaven]

I agree in that the story of Half-Life 2 isn't the best and doesn't really match the way in which it's told gameplay-wise. The original Half-Life does this much better, utilising a simpler story and setting to match the way you play.

 

[Baradiel]

Why are people getting so annoyed at having too many anti-Half Life threads?

We always have loads of pro-Half Life threads.

Its one of the things I dislike about the Escapist: the Half Life/Valve fanboys.

Really? I haven't seen many "Half Life 2 is awesome, just thought I'd say that" threads this week. It's like anime recommendation threads or things about your avatar; you can just refer the previous one instead of bringing it up again.

True, there are no direct, obvious threads like that. But the general feeling on this site (that I've experienced, anyway) is that Half Life and Valve are amazing and should be hailed as gods. Granted, I like Valve, I think they're great developers, but I never connected with Half Life.

The point I was trying to make was that the responses I've seen in this thread are more... vehement than if it was another thread on, say, MLP, and I'm attributing that to loyalty/fanboyism.

 

[repeating integers]

I'll assume that if you think HL2 has no story. Then you also think CoD: Black Ops tells one of the greatest stories in any videogame?

Creating the bajillionth thread about Half-Life 2's suckage = not cool.

Unfounded assumptions about the guy responsible also = not cool.

 

[Grabbin Keelz]

So I´ll start by saying I have never played the first
There is no talking, no story, it keeps swapping between dull shooting and a zombie game.
Now, I am only at the prison level thing, and am so bored I doubt I´ll be finishing this. But does it get better? Is it ever explained why Gordon is doing all this stuff?

Your in the prison (Nova Prospekt) because Eli Vance (Morgan Freeman) was captured and you have to save him. This wasn't something I found in a Wiki, they explain this to you in the game. Seems like when someone doesn't like something they put as little emphasis as possible on it. So yea, when you break it down I guess the whole game is nothing but run, shoot, drive, puzzle, zombies. Dunno why that's a bad thing considering a lot of other games are just run and shoot.

 

[Grabbin Keelz]

You won't get far on this website by dissing the 'BEST GAME EVAHH'
Even if it is a heap of shit

Okay I've seen you mention stuff like this on other threads. Whats your beef with Valve? If your just gonna say they're heaps of shit without any good reason you can go to Youtube for that.

 

[SammiYin]

You won't get far on this website by dissing the 'BEST GAME EVAHH'
Even if it is a heap of shit

Pics orit didn't happen.

Evidence supporting your claim or its flame bait.

One would think the whining about this same thread popping up every week [because maybe a game regularly hailed on this website as the Second Coming is actually a below average shooter] is enough evidence to support my claim.
You could also if you want, go back in time to 2004, remove the physics engine, don't call it Half Life, pretend Gordon Freeman isn't a masterwork of characterisation and then see how far the 'fantastic story' carries it.

 

[Lord_Gremlin]

I've actually hated Half-Life 2. Boring, bland and occasionally frustrating piece of shit.

 

[Sixcess]

I don't understand.
Why must every single person who even slightly dislikes Half Life make a thread detailing their reasons for said disliking, and ask what the big deal is?

Not every single person. I haven't made an anti-Half Life thread.
Yet.

I may have to wait until I finally finish the blasted thing before I do.

OT: I suppose you have to look a it in the context of when it was released to accurately judge its impact, and the lasting affection it's held in. I've been very critical of the original HL, but I still recognise that if I'd played it for the first time in 1997 I'd have probably thought it was absolutely revolutionary (which it was) and rather good (which it... well, I'm still playing it... I guess that must mean something.)

 

[Twilight_guy]

Lots of people don't like Half Life. They like to make threads about it... maybe just to get people's goat and troll them since most people here like valve. I liked Half Life because I found it to be fun and have fun mechanics. If you want me to explain beyond that... I like like it for the same reason you don't... personal taste.

 

[TheFPSisDead]

How old are you, just out of curiousity, because that may shed some light on why you can't appreciate it.

 

[Macrobstar]

You won't get far on this website by dissing the 'BEST GAME EVAHH'
Even if it is a heap of shit

Pics orit didn't happen.

Evidence supporting your claim or its flame bait.

One would think the whining about this same thread popping up every week [because maybe a game regularly hailed on this website as the Second Coming is actually a below average shooter] is enough evidence to support my claim.
You could also if you want, go back in time to 2004, remove the physics engine, don't call it Half Life, pretend Gordon Freeman isn't a masterwork of characterisation and then see how far the 'fantastic story' carries it.

except it was a masterpiece. You do realize Half Life was copied by so many games right? The people complaining often don't play the original, miss well over 70% of the game because they rush, and come back expecting something that hasn't been done before by other shooters now. However, everything Half Life did is now considered commonplace the same way DOOM is considered crap because it only has guns. Hell, the most used argument against Half Life 2 is because "the first level doesn't give you guns to rampage in the streets."

http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/half-life-2

Metacritic disagrees with you. The only bad reviews are numbered 222 to the 1,000+ good reviews. If you think a few detractors make something true than:

Racism is justified. It's not.
Obama is a spy, and not the actual president. He is a normal president.
Bush was a good president. He wasn't.
Portal 2 had no story. It did.
TF2 was ruined by free updates. It wasn't.

Just because a few people say Half Life is bad doesn't make it true. It's still a much loved game with tangible effects on the industry.

Dude its his opinion you cant argue with it with facts, he's not going to see that everyone on metacritics liked it and go "well fuck me I must have enjoyed it then" and if you think it being almost universally loved makes it a good game may i refer you to the Call of duty franchise

 

[Souplex]

Oh, didn't you know? It's all just a big joke. Nobody's sure if Valve is pulling the joke on us for us putting up with it, or we are pulling the joke on Valve by convincing them that they're competent and likable. But it's still a joke.

 

[YesIPlayTheBagpipes]

oh so just because everything isn't served up to you on a silver platter there's no story? try opening your eyes, paying attention to what's happening. also if severing zombie in two by flining sawblades at them with you gravity defying gun isn't fun for you then go start writing poetry and self harming because you're obviously an EMO.

now that we have got that fanboyism out of the way. i do enjoy half-life 2 for its very good gameplay and story. just because there is not much dialoge doesn't mean there is no story. you just have to look. in kliener's lab there are newspaper cuttings of the Seven Hour War (along with a drawing by Alyx and a note to pick up watermelons for Lamaar) behind a fuel tank there's a dead man and a revolver, a matress, cans and rebel graffiti. across the road was a combine base. was he a spy? did he kill himself? why? Lazlo is dead. his freind needs to "do something". a shotgun blast later he's dead. who was Lazlo? why would his friend kill himself rather than go on without him? why were they there? try using your imagination. it can put a girdle around the world faster than Puck could ever hope to.