Something called the "Half-Life Effect"

[tigerguy786]

So there's an interesting phenomenon that some of my friends and I have observed and it is this: In a game when the player reaches the point of critical health they experience a boost in skill that allows them to survive. This applies to games that do not have regenerative health (so Halo and the like don't count). Most recently it happened to me in Batman Arkham Asylum. I had just beaten a titan and there were over a dozen thugs left in the room and I was one hit away from death. Then the Half-Life Effect kicked in and I managed to beat them.

Has this ever happened to any of you?

 

[geldonyetich]

Sure, it's called "stop daydreaming and pay attention, you're almost dead."

Mindfulness is more energy exertion than most of us are willing to put forward, but some conditions make it easier.

 

[WrongSprite]

WHERE CAN YOU FIND TIGERSSSS
ONLY IN KENYAAAAA

In other news, I agree. The original Call of Duty was notorious for this.

 

[Mr.Pandah]

The Half-Life Effect eh? Is that what kids are calling it nowadays?

I'll have to agree with geldonyetich on this one. Its more about you just got your ass whooped, and if you fuck up now, its game over, so get your head in the game.

 

[dududf]

Wait, doesn't EVERYONE have that?

Prime example, Prototype, I was near dead right from the get go (40 seconds in, made some bad choices(hardes difficulty BTW)) and I beat him after that mark without taking a hit.

Surely, everyone has this

 

[j0z]

Thank god, I thought this was another ep3 thread.
I think it is this:

Sure, it's called "stop daydreaming and pay attention, you're almost dead."

Mindfulness is more energy exertion than most of us are willing to put forward, but some conditions make it easier.

 

[Ckeesy]

I'm not fond of the name, but I have experienced this on several occasions. Most notably, I was playing Star Wars Battlefront a few years back. I was the last member of my team still alive and I was outnumbered 30-to-1, yet I still managed to hold down a command post using nothing but my pistol (all other ammo had been depleted and the ammo droid was destroyed). I have this experience playing prototype a lot, too.

 

[mr.aravaro]

wow I thought I was the only one who noticed

 

[MarsProbe]

If this what they call the "Half-Life Effect" then perhaps we can also coin the "Call of Duty Effect" term to describe the act of being shot in the back by a person 200m away, or being knifed in a similar fashion be the person hiding under that speck of dust you just walked past, seconds after you achieve your 3rd consecutive kill.

 

[Callex]

If this what they call the "Half-Life Effect" then perhaps we can also coin the "Call of Duty Effect" term to describe the act of being shot in the back by a person 200m away, or being knifed in a similar fashion be the person hiding under that speck of dust you just walked past, seconds after you achieve your 3rd consecutive kill.

I swear people just lie in wait until you get ONE POINT away from that big killstreak you've been working for, and then pounce on you out of nowhere just to be a pain in the ass! Thats happened to me too many times to count.

 

[Owlslayer]

Yeah, that's quite an useful effect. Trough it rarely happens in multiplayer games cause you die much often and faster(trough i have got this effect in Battlefield 2 when i was near an enemy flag and with low hp, i miraculously fended of many enemies (and then died). And now I've gotten to my main point: almost always when i do get this effect, i die because i get too exited and start thinking too much...

 

[lionpaw16]

it happens all the time in pokemon games

 

[similar.squirrel]

Nope. I usually just die. I think it's known as 'not being very good'

 

[Cargando]

Happens to me [i/]all the time[/i] on Halo: ODST and Fallout 3.

It's just you think you're going to die, so you concentrate more.

 

[CJ1145]

So there's an interesting phenomenon that some of my friends and I have observed and it is this: In a game when the player reaches the point of critical health they experience a boost in skill that allows them to survive. This applies to games that do not have regenerative health (so Halo and the like don't count). Most recently it happened to me in Batman Arkham Asylum. I had just beaten a titan and there were over a dozen thugs left in the room and I was one hit away from death. Then the Half-Life Effect kicked in and I managed to beat them.

Has this ever happened to any of you?

Before I continue, FORGET NORWAY.

Now then, I've had times where I just suddenly get crazy good at a game for no apparent reason other than God saying "I want to see something really badass right now." and before I know what's happened I've gone from the team's punching bag to Ninja Extraordinaire. Just today I did this on Modern Warfare 2. I was only a level 3, and I still managed to get the last 5 or so kills, winning us the match and getting us a big comeback. The response?

"ZOMG FAMAS IS SO N00B U N00B LOLOLOLOL PHAIL"

 

[UnearthedArcana]

Fighting games. Epic comeback in the last round with 5% health left? You fucking bet.

Also Half Life 2. Of course.

 

[Phoenix Arrow]

I don't lose health. I don't think I ever died in Half Life 2 or in the Episodes. I died in the first one because I couldn't get the hang of the zero gravity jumping. And

Spoiler

in Episode 2, they got to the base a few times but I didn't die, everyone else did.

I guess it's my way of playing games. Silent Hill taught me to save your good weapons and to always run from no win situations and take enemies as the come. It probably takes me long to win a shooty game as a result, but I don't die so I'm clearly awesome.

 

[orangebandguy]

I like to call it blind panic, and yes it happens to be alot. Adrenaline is released I think, which focuses you more.