Honest Opinion on Half-Life 2

[Silverfish]

For "pure" FPS, I would not recommend any. The genre died here, to be replaced with braindead linear military shooters and shitty HL1 clones.

And Timesplitters, but that would ruin the point being made.

 

[Ash]

Sorry bro, it isn't that good. It is also a gimmick game, though arguably a better one. Timesplitter's value comes from the sheer amount of game styles (challenge modes of many kinds, level editor, singeplayer and coop, competitive multiplayer). There is a lot of variety on offer, a grabbag of content. However, take any individual aspect alone and it's quite shit, especially the campaign.
It is also from the rareware breed of decline FPS with awful aiming mechanics, flat-plane static overly linear level design, no jumping and crouching, the same one enemy type reskinned 100 times, enemies that are easily stun-locked etc.

It is really not a outright bad game (just like HL2) but it should not be recommended to anybody that hasn't gotten the best of FPS out of the way first. This would even, reluctantly, include Half-Life 1.

Doom, Half-Life 1, Build Engine Trio (Duke Nukem 3D/Blood/Shadow Warrior), Some kind of 6dof game at least one is essential playing (Descent/Overload or the goated Everspace). Maybe Quake or Unreal. At least one REAL console shooter like Turok, Doom 64 or Brahma Force. Ashes Afterglow for a modern take on 90s glory. None of these are 2000s-era games. There are modern games in this list, but not 2000s era shite. After that, then you should be upgraded to monocled. Without that context, one's opinion is not worth much. Again, please don't shoot the messenger! I am here to shoot down decline and spread the gospel of incline. It is for your benefit and the integrity of the industry.

 

[Saldrone]

However, take any individual aspect alone and it's quite shit, especially the campaign.

Care to elaborate?

 

[Ash]

Always. I can provide the logic any time. I did already:

"It is also from the rareware breed of decline FPS with awful aiming mechanics, flat-plane static overly linear level design, no jumping and crouching, the same one enemy type reskinned 100 times, enemies that are easily stun-locked etc."

Bold and underlined for special emphasis on the most important part.

It's also only 10 short levels. An FPS campaign of the 90s spanned 20-30 high quality levels, or 15-20 hours of gameplay, while this is over in 6 or whatever. Makes sense as they didn't have all these silly extras like Timesplitter's monkey curling mini-game...and yet that is what makes them better games. Core substance, NOT gimmicks and fluff!

Behold, this shit is legitimately one of the better FPS games of the terrible 2000s:

 

[Hagashager]

You two are like a married couple. I've seen you guys argue in other threads. It's become endearing in a way.

 

[Beans00]

Sorry bro, it isn't that good. It is also a gimmick game

Timesplitters was fun, you were too autistic to enjoy it.

 

[Ash]

"Married couple" as in he is like the creepy stalker girl I had the displeasure of meeting that would come banging on my door at all hours of the night begging for my attention. At least that one had a hole on offer as a silver lining. Here it's just plain annoying and weird.

Transition Beans00, then maybe I'll consider it.

 

[Beans00]

"Married couple" as in he is like the creepy stalker girl I had the displeasure of meeting that would come banging on my door at all hours of the night

Can you prove this happened? Video evidence? If not I'm just going to consider you a liar .


I've never met a modder that isn't an ugly virgin, thats why im skeptical btw.

 

[Tacgnol]

Surprised I never commented in this thread back last year as I often do when Half-Life is brought up. I enjoyed HL2 the most out of the big three of 2004 (Doom 3, Far Cry and HL2).

Biggest issue I always had with HL2 is that most of the guns feel rather weak and underpowered, though this is something I've found with many early source engine titles. Could just be me at that.

Looks like MMod did a pretty good job improving the gunplay.

 

[Ash]

Timesplitters was fun, you were too autistic to enjoy it.

There is a phrase on the codex perfect for it: "good for what it is". I did enjoy it, but call a spade a goddamn spade. It's not greatness. I would not recommend it to anybody unless they have exhausted 50 other FPS options first, Same with HL2.

8/10 would be my Timesplitters rating at the time maybe, which would be an incorrect assessment when I had only played 7 or so superior FPS, hadn't touched a level editor in a PC game etc. 7/10 in hindsight after gaining more experience and having a broad understanding of the FPS genre (and most genres) on the whole.

 

[Morenatsu.]

20 hour 90s fps? what fucking slow ass games are you playing?

 

[Beans00]

20 hour 90s fps? what fucking slow ass games are you playing?

It took ash 20+ hours to beat doom and quake.... I actually can't believe I missed him saying that


That's absolutely brutal lmao.

 

[Ash]

Whoops, I am not always accurate/may have exaggerated. You have such high expectations that you feel fit to hold me accountable to the truth I am a proponent of, I appreciate that. 10-15 hours is more the average for 90s FPS. Seems longer because they're that much more enjoyable. Not to mention finding secret levels and the like. Anyway, point still stands. Timesplitters campaign is early popamole.

 

[Silverfish]

I am not always accurate/may have exaggerated

I noticed, but didn't want to say anything.

 

[Semiurge]

First person games from the same era I would easily recommend over HL2 & Prey are Arx Fatalis, Morrowind or Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners, all of which have way more hardcore puzzle/cerebral elements in addition to actual intelligent substance. Nice try though. Also a honorable mention for VTM:B, the better source engine game though it comes with a lot of disclaimers (it's a respectable effort, but incomplete and lacking in many regards. Had the potential to be a goat that was sadly not met).

For "pure" FPS, I would not recommend any. The genre died here, to be replaced with braindead linear military shooters and shitty HL1 clones. RTCW if really desperate, but even that ain't that great. Typical early 2000s decline.

Maybe you should try listening to my wisdom instead of crying.

Cthulhu's puzzles weren't difficult if you explored the environments and paid attention, the challenge came from controlling the ingame objects like that combination lock, which the game engine made difficult sometimes.

Penumbra: Overture had a cool idea of using morse for giving you a passcode. Not challenging per se as the game holds your hand by providing you the tools to translate the message with, but cool.

 

[NecroLord]

10-15 hours is more the average for 90s FPS.

Half-Life was a reasonably long FPS.
So was Unreal.
Deus Ex, while not being a full FPS, but a combination of different genres, is also a reasonably long game (usually takes me like 17 hours to finish the game, but I like to take my time and explore everything).

 

[HansDampf]

Half-Life and Unreal are both between 10-15 hours. Deus Ex is a FPS-RPG hybrid and doesn't count.

 

[NecroLord]

Doom 3 is also a long FPS.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

I think I spent 20 hours in the first Deus Ex game. After a while, most levels are linear, but there's still plenty of things to see and do.
I remember this because IW took me half as much: 9 and a half hours.

 

[NecroLord]

I think I spent 20 hours in the first Deus Ex game. After a while, most levels are linear, but there's still plenty of things to see and do.
I remember this because IW took me half as much: 9 and a half hours.

After Hong Kong the game gets more linear.
In IW after Cairo (maybe Trier).

 

[Beans00]

10-15 hours is more the average for 90s FPS.

Half-Life was a reasonably long FPS.
So was Unreal.

The only way half life should take you 15 hours is if you include opposing force and blue shift. Even playing on hard with all the dying and reloading you would need to be super slow you make it to 10 hours in half life. Like really slow.

Unreal is one of the longest 90s fps. Or fps in general, not really a good example. Most 90s fps are short , especially on replays once you remember where everything is.

 

[Saldrone]

Even playing on hard with all the dying and reloading you would need to be super slow you make it to 10 hours in half life.

And even at that difficulty the game is actually pretty ez due to how predictable enemy ai is without mention how plentiful ammo and health/HEV kits and charges are.
If you find yourself dying and reloading a lot in a game like this, consider yourself officially terrible at games

 

[NecroLord]

Even playing on hard with all the dying and reloading you would need to be super slow you make it to 10 hours in half life.

And even at that difficulty the game is actually pretty ez due to how predictable enemy ai is without mention how plentiful ammo and health/HEV kits and charges are.
If you find yourself dying and reloading a lot in a game like this, consider yourself officially terrible at games

Xen can get annoying.
Most of my deaths when playing on Hard are on Xen.

 

[Morenatsu.]

'the final levels were the hardest' well yeah

 

[Beans00]

Xen can get annoying.
Most of my deaths when playing on Hard are on Xen.

I died the most times by far, during surface tension. Xen sucks but I don't remember it being particularly hard compared to the rest of the game.

Really ST should have been the penultimate level.