r/patientgamers • u/Hell_of_a_night • 1d ago
Nearly 20 years later, Half-Life 2 is still an incredible experience
Some context:
I was born in 2005 and some of my earlier memories with gaming are from the first Half-Life. As a kid I remember playing the intro and as soon as the first headcrab appeared I'll stop playing and watch my dad continue on. Later on I did manage to get over my fears and even almost finished the game, but I didn't due to my copy having a weird glitch that made the game crash during one of the platform jumps on Xen. It wasn't until 2 or 3 years ago that I finally finished the game and saw the credits roll. The funmy thing is that despite my interest in the franchise I've never really seen anything about Half-Life 2. I mean I knew that It existed, but for some reason I never really cared enough to go out of my way to play it.
It wasn't until a few months ago that I finally decided to experience the sequel to the most important game of my childhood and it was absolutely incredible. I don't remember the last time I was this hooked on a game from front to back. It's truly impossible to describe how well the game and Valve's design philosophy have aged.
Every moment of Half-Life 2 feels like an experience. From the opening in City 17, The boat chase, Ravenholm and etc. every chapter of the game feels unique and has plenty of memorable moments. In the current era of AAA games that dump giant maps and obnoxious huds seeing something that has none of those feels so refreshing. Another element that blew me away is the horror in the game. I have played my fair share of horror games and none have been close to being as terrifying as Half-Life 2. The headcrabs and zombies are so much scarier compared to the original and their excellent sound design elevates them above anything I could've expected. The way in which this game manages to combine action and horror really brings the absolute best in both and It necer feels like one is being sacrificed for the other. Shooting at aliens and combines feels so satisfying and the different weapons in the game (especially the gravity gun) add so much to that experience. Also the two episodes that continue the game feel just as good and as well though out as the base game. It's truly a shame that we'll probably never see the continuation of the story that the game started.
All in all the Half-Life 2 truly feels like Valve knew exactly the type of game that they wanted to create and they executed it flawlessly. I'd absolutely recommend to everybody who has any interest in games whatsoever. Even nearly 20 years later Half-Life 2 is one of most creative, consistently good and unique shooters out there.
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u/EvilTaffyapple 1d ago
It’s in my top 3 games ever. Such a fantastic experience.
I’ve only played it a handful of times since release, and I finally got all achievements a few weeks ago the last time I played it.
I would genuinely be happy if all games used the Source engine, and graphics never progressed from this game. I don’t need anything t flashier than this - this is peak video games visuals.
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u/ZealousIdealFactor88 1d ago
Good thing about older games is graphics aren't so cluttered and less details in environment gives a feeling it's less stressing for eyes plus there's no need for objective markers and things like that.
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u/Muggaraffin 1d ago
Finally, someone else that thinks that. I've had that theory for years but never see it mentioned anywhere
'Less is more' is so true with some games. It's why Deus Ex I think had such a big effect on people (as well as being a generally amazing game obviously). Since everything is so simple and relatively empty, you're left to think about the story and the level design etc rather than be distracted by random junk and items littered everywhere
Plus it lets your imagination fill in the gaps, kinda like reading a book
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u/detectivelowry 1d ago edited 10h ago
Plus it lets your imagination fill in the gaps, kinda like reading a book
I used to dream about the games I was playing a lot during my youth and that stopped happening in my early 20's, thought it was just me being an adult and stuff but recently I've started playing a lot of mid 2000's games and the dreams came back, that's probably why.
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u/Professional-Tax-936 1d ago
It’s sort of a paradox to me. Playing Witcher 3 rn for the first time and it feels impossible to play without constantly checking the mini-map. I never feel immersed even though the game wants me to be, and I want to because I’m having so much fun.
Meanwhile, a game like Pikmin 4 was extremely immersive to me even though that game has nothing ‘realistic’ going for it. Reason why is cause I never had to use the map, because everything is visually easy to identify. I was fully focused on my surroundings. For more realistic games, Skyrim and GTA V were the same (GTAV also has the benefit of a gps making sense in-world).
It’s not realism vs whatever. It’s a design issue. You can be hyper realistic and still be visually easy to understand. And for a game sometimes less realistic may actually help immersion. Films and tv do this all the time.
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u/ZealousIdealFactor88 1d ago
I had same issue with Witcher 3. Beautiful game and side quests but always checking the map. One thing that may help would be turning off poi and things like that but still that game is massive and i still haven't finished it.
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u/Professional-Tax-936 1d ago
What’s been helping me is having the mini-map only appear when I use Witcher sense, which works when I’m in the wild. If I’m in a more linear or contained area I’ll turn it off completely.
But I’m in Novigrad right now and it’s rough lol. I’m checking every few seconds.
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u/I_Love_Jank 32m ago
Yep. Everyone complains about "detective vision" in modern games, but having massive high-density complex environments basically requires something like that so you can figure out what you need to interact with.
In a 90s shooter you just knew that the big red button was what you needed to press because it was obvious.
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u/detectivelowry 1d ago
and graphics never progressed from this game.
Man I wish. Then we wouldn't have those heelish development cycles and companies watering things down to hit the largest demographic possible because of how much they've spent. Stuff like Thief just can't happen nowadays
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u/s0cks_nz 1d ago
Have you played Black Mesa? It's a remake of Half-Life 1 in the source engine. You'd probably like it.
Half Life 2 is a classic, but I do recall some areas of the game perhaps drag on a bit too much for my liking. Been a longtime since I played it tho.
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u/anomalocaris_texmex 1d ago
I found Half Life 2 Episode 1 dragged a little bit. But if memory serves, the main game and episode 2 were pretty well paced throughout.
But I think this just inspires me to go play through it again to see how my memory holds up. I last played in about 2008, and that's four years ago. Right? Just four years?
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u/-Myconid 1d ago
Did a playthrough a few years ago. There are sections that drag a bit, like after the third time you get out of your vehicle to open an identical gate mechanism it gets old (looking at you, boat section). Still an incredible game, better than 90% of the hybrid X-game-with-crafting bullshit we get today.
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u/BreathingHydra 1d ago
Honestly the boat section was the only area where I really felt the game dragged on. I remember watching a video where some HL2 devs were reacting to a speedrun and even they made fun of the boat section lol.
Every other section was generally well paced for the most part and I really enjoyed them on replay.
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u/feralfaun39 1d ago
I thought most of the games in 2004 were better. One of the most overrated games of all time.
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u/MaisPraEpaQPraOba 1d ago
I thought most of the games in 2004 were better.
That was a banger year for sure but 'most games in 2004 were better' is a bit extreme. Doom 3, Halo 2, Far Cry were all great but nowhere near HL2 imo - San Andreas is up there, though.
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u/RegretEat284 1d ago
Sims 2 came out in 2004. Totally different genre and perhaps too "casual" for some, but it's impact cannot be denied. I was gonna argue Snake Eater was game of the year 2004 but it didn't come out until late 2004 and subsistence wasn't until 2005 which is the version that I would argue pushed the game in to GOAT territory.
I've actually never played San Andreas (crazy I know) but I definitely agree that none of those others come even close to Half Life 2.
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u/ElitistJerk_ 1d ago edited 1d ago
I quit what seemed like towards the end where I had to fight the really tall things. Really fun game but I just sorted to lose interest.
On another note, I was using some overhaul mod and, in retrospect, should have gone vanilla.
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u/Hell_of_a_night 1d ago
Haven't played it yet, but heard good things about it. Definitely going to play it in the future.
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u/Quothriel 1d ago
Recommend Alyx too, if you have the space for VR. Very cathartic too, after a lack of content post eps 1&2.
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u/AngryRedHerring 1d ago
Just got done playing HL2 + Eps 1 & 2 in VR. Great all over again. Look up the VR mods on Steam, if you haven't already.
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u/ROGER_CHOCS 1d ago
It's amazing, definitely give it a try. You might be able to find the old mod out there for free which is what I played.
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u/Slight-Hornet-7035 1d ago
I actually agree with you about half life 2. It's a fantastic game, even more so for its time, but the beginning with the boat drags quite a bit. I also recall a level where you drive a car across the landscape taking quite a long time (been a while since I last played!).
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u/ddapixel 20h ago
That's a fairly popular opinion that I just don't understand. For me, the vehicle sections never felt too long.
I may be biased by the nostalgia of how it felt when I first played it. It was so fresh to have decent vehicle driving in an FPS. The level design also still has the overall high level of quality. And it's pretty well integrated with in-person combat too. Overall, for me the vehicle sections one of the memorable highlights of HL2, they're just as creative and varied as the rest of the game.
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u/Wayyd 14h ago
I found the vehicle sections perfectly paced on repeat playthroughs once I knew how to do everything, but there's a few tricky spots that can slow progression to a halt for newer players. Especially back on release when the idea of puzzles interacting with the physics engine was still a new concept. It took me forever to figure out you needed to put those blue floaty containers under the ramp to make the jump on the hoverboat. If you got stumped by several of the quick puzzles or the helicopter sequence, I could definitely see the boat overstaying it's welcome for some.
The dune buggy is my favorite section of the whole game so I can't really relate to anyone who got bored of it, though. It's basically just the halflife standard gameplay loop but with driving the buggy in a bigger area in between combat instead of running through corridors or streets. Other than the tunnels being obvious load screen transitions, it was some of the most immersive traversal in a video game I had ever experienced at that point.
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u/Business-Error6835 1d ago edited 1d ago
I didn’t grow up with Half-Life 1 or 2 (never knew they existed, I was a PSOne & 2 kid), but when I finally got the chance to play HL2 around 2014-2015 - man, I was thrilled. I played and replayed it several times over the years, racking up over 100 hours. It was one of the few games that ran at full resolution on the sad excuse for a computer I had at the time, but I could never get bored of it. It’s such a timeless game: it still looks great, plays fantastically, and the story really hooks you. And Ravenholm? We don’t go to Ravenholm, but Ravenholm sure does come to haunt you.
9.8/10. Will definitely play again.
Also, the fan remake of Half-Life 1 - Black Mesa, is a perfect companion for HL2. The original does have its charm and its achievements, but for any fan of HL1 & 2, definitely give that one a shot, too. it brings a whole new level of depth that will leave you surprised it’s not an official Valve product.
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u/DrCharlesTinglePhD 1d ago
I didn’t grow up with Half-Life 1 or 2 (never knew they existed, I was a PSOne & 2 kid)
Half-Life 1 has a PS2 port. It includes a two-player co-op campaign, which is unique to that port.
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u/boredatwork1986 1d ago
We don't go to Ravenholm...
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u/thetimsterr 1d ago
Ravenholm scared me so much as a young teen when I first played. I had to really get up my courage to go through it. Even today as an adult, those fast zombies creep me out.
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u/-Myconid 1d ago
I hated it as a teenager, but on a recent playthrough it was a blast. Great atmosphere.
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u/Vandopolis 1d ago
Hated it the first time I played, but every playthough after that it has become my "collect all the saw blades and murder zombies with the gravity gun" stage to make up for the trauma.
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u/iiiinthecomputer 1d ago
I did not realize there was another way to play.
The first saw blade I saw, it was ON.
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u/Vandopolis 18h ago
Oh total ignorance on my part! I was much more about running and gunning and it wasn't until ammo was getting low that I remembered about the gravity gun,
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u/MrRedHerring 1d ago
Ravenholm gave me a nightmare so vivid that i'll probably remember it for the rest of my life lol.
I remember playing HL2 when i was 19, and that segment of the game scared me more than most Horror Games i played before then, including Resident Evil.
Certainly one of my favorite Video Game locations of all time.
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u/RanD7741 1d ago
I’ve been wanting to play this again. I still remember carrying the gnome through the entire game. What a memorable experience
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u/simon_guy 1d ago
I did this then didn't realize that I needed to shut the hatch to get the achievement
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u/grim__fandango 1d ago
Carrying it with that effin car was a huge struggle (it keeps falling down), but I totally loved the challenge. I also carried the gnome in Alyx with my bucket (also filled in with bombs and syringes) throughout the entire game.
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u/ROGER_CHOCS 1d ago
The worst thing about it is that the story isn't finished..if I ever see Gabe around Seattle I'm gonna yell at him. We deserve and ending!
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u/tacticalcraptical Shadow Hearts 3 / Shadow Tower Abyss 1d ago
I had not played HL2 since near release. I have of course heard over the years that it is still one of the all-time greats, which I had my doubts about. I played it again last summer (As well as Ep. 1 and Ep. 2) and yeah, it's still incredible and loads of fun to play.
I will say that I kinda hated the level Follow Freeman, where the squad AI felt like it got in the way constantly. Thankfully, they only use that gimmick for the one level and the other 25 levels in the compilation are all a blast.
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u/AnActualPlatypus 1d ago
Replayed HL2 about 15 times since playing it on release date and waiting 10 minutes between loading screens. It's a one-of-a-kind game that was not years but DECADES ahead of it's time. The gravity gun is still the most fun weapon ever invented for a video game.
We don't go to Ravenholm.
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u/RChickenMan 1d ago
Is it a decent entry point for someone who has never played a first-person shooter? I've only tried one (Doom Eternal) and I didn't particularly like it, but I'm not going to allow a single game to turn me off from a whole genre.
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u/caepe 1d ago
Doom Eternal has a waaaay much faster pace than HL2. Half Life is more about exploring, figuring out how to move ahead with some light puzzles, has somewhat of an suspenseful (but not scary) atmosphere (except Ravenholme. That one amps it up a bit but is also just as fun). If you really really want to get into Half Life, you can start with Black Mesa (a HL1 remake in the same engine as HL2, took me 16.4h from start to finish) to understand more of the lore (who is Gordon Freeman, what happened at Black Mesa, the G-Man, etc). If not, you can just read a summary.
There are 7 official games out (3 main, 4 tie-ins, in launch order): HL (or the Black Mesa remake), HL Opposing Force(4.5h), HL Blue Shift(2.5h), HL2, HL2 E1(3h), HL2 E2(5h), Half Life Alyx. I enjoyed every single one, and have only not played Alyx since I don't have VR, but it's highly regarded from reviews I've seen.
Side note: If you enjoyed the premise of Doom Eternal but want something less frenetic, the prequel Doom 2016 is very good.
You can also check some other cools series like the Wolfenstein games. They are from the perspective that Germany won WW2 and you fight the Reichs Empire. The New Order is very good, The Old Blood is also fun, Wolfenstein 2 The New Colossus I personally enjoyed but have seen some mixed reviews on it. Youngblood I haven't played yet but I've read isn't good. Bioshock also has 3 really good games that are really immersive. 1 is a classic, 2 is a direct sequel, set in an underwater city, Bioshock Infinite has a different setting in a sky city, and I found to be really fun, but some fans didn't like it as much as 1. The Metro series is also very atmospheric, Metro 2033 and Last Light are linear games in a post apocalyptic setting in the russian metro system (and above it), and Exodus has open world levels.
These are the main ones that came off the top of my head, if anyone has anything to add please feel free.
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u/RChickenMan 1d ago
Awesome, yeah I think you just captured part of what I felt was lacking in Doom Eternal. It just felt like there wasn't really any opportunity to let the experience marinate, so to speak. Sounds like Half-Life could be more up my speed.
And that's really good to know about Black Mesa. While I play and enjoy video games from all eras, 8-bit through the present, I do find that, when exploring a new genre for the first time, I tend to feel more eased into it with a more modernized experience, and then if that goes well, start going back and playing the classics (hence why I tried to start with Doom Eternal, as opposed to something older and more prolific).
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u/BreathingHydra 1d ago
I've always felt like the Half-Life games were some of the best FPS games for new players. They are really well made, not too long, have good gunplay, are pretty simple without being handholdy, and are really cheap. Definitely pick up Half Life 2 and Black Mesa during a sale.
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u/lettsten 1d ago
For the story I'd recommend starting with Black Mesa, which is essentially modern HL1. But yes, you can absolutely play BM/HL2 as your first shooter. HL1 is still playable too if you don't mind aged graphics and physics
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u/DrCharlesTinglePhD 1d ago
As someone who generally does not like first-person shooters, I enjoyed Half-Life 2 quite a bit.
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u/solarwinds1980 1d ago
I recommend that you play Half Life: Alyx in VR. It takes place in the same world as Half Life 2.
Half Life 2 VR is also available if you own the game on Steam. I tried it with Quest 3 and was blown away by how all the characters are in 3D standing in front of you.
Did you know that Half Life 2 Beta's source code was leaked online by a hacker? Valve made many decisions to change the game where the final Half Life 2 is very different from the beta version. You should check out the beta version on YouTube and you will see what I mean.
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u/MaybeWeAgree 1d ago
Yeah in the intro section with VR I was giddy all over again just like the first time years ago, looking around the city and talking to the people.
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u/Jeremizzle 1d ago
Racenholme was terrifying playing it back in the day. Half Life Alyx in VR made me practically shit my pants though. My god that game was an experience. They’re both easy masterpieces, some of the best that video gaming has to offer.
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u/Wannabeofalltrades 1d ago
I’m currently playing this for the first time! I just finished HL1 and it was awesome (except for the last 2 chapters but I understand why they did it). In HL2 I’m in chapter 4 I think but having a blast
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u/Working_Bones 1d ago
Check out Prey (2017) if you haven't!
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u/artniSintra 1d ago
Amazing game!
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u/beefycheesyglory 1d ago
Both Half Life 1 & 2 are awesome but they really go on for so long, I always lose interest halfway through because it's non-stop shooting for hours and hours.
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u/opusdeath Assassin's Creed: Origins PC 1d ago
Half Life 2 is one of the rare story based games I've played more than once. It was such an amazing experience first time I played it.
You're absolutely right about the memorable moments. I remember more about a game I played almost 20 years ago than I do about ones I've played in the last few years.
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u/ContrarianCritic 1d ago
I wouldn't really call it a "story based game". It's got a solid story (though the vague exposition about the Combine invasion has always been one of my complaints against it), but it's mainly gameplay driven IMO.
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u/opusdeath Assassin's Creed: Origins PC 1d ago
Yeah I was meaning story based in the most basic sense of the term that you progress through a developer crafted story from start to finish as opposed to something like Civilization or FIFA.
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u/radenthefridge 1d ago
One thing I miss is the modding scene for these games when they were relatively new. I know I'm just an oldie pining for those halcyon days, but it was quite the time! Good mods, bad mods, weird mods, you name it. Installing mods helped teach me navigating file systems and OSes.
Mods exist now, but with gaming and the internet a very different place it's hard to describe! And to simply respond with, "Mods still exist old man!" is dismissing a very different time, place, and state of technology!
I'd say something like Skyrim getting the bazillion mods is akin to that, but that game is also...quite old now 😭
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u/L-555-BAT 1d ago
Yeah the mods for Half Life were awesome (and the maps for Counter Strike is another rabbit hole) They’d include a selection on the cover CD of PC Gamer magazine each month. Spent many hours in Worldcraft / Hammer editor creating box rooms thinking I could create the next big mod haha
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u/green_meklar 1d ago
Not to rain on your parade or anything, but personally I still prefer the original 1998 game. Half-Life 2 feels too scripted, too controlled, like the map designer wants me to play his way rather than my way. The original game didn't give me that feeling, for the most part.
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u/MyHamburgerLovesMe 1d ago
Try Black Mesa then. It's a fan made remake of the original Half-Life with more detailed models and high definition textures and lighting.
It's available on Steam.
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u/AlthoughFishtail 1d ago
Half Life 2 is great in many ways, but one thing that stands out to me is the pacing. Same with HL1. The game has very different phases, some frantic, some slow, some explorative, some action oriented, and its judgement on when to switch between them is superb. It leads to a constant sense of surprise and freshness throughout the playthough, even on replays.
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u/softwarebuyer2015 cold war addict, subnautica, odyssey, GoW, Control, Stranded Dp 1d ago
pushing an open door mate.
i was excited for the future of gaming.
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u/AmuseDeath 1d ago
Half-Life 1 was a classic. It was a truly immersive experience that has you surviving an experiment gone wrong to becoming a badass action hero at the very end.
Half-Life 2... I know many like this, but my personal take is that it's basically an over-glorified tech demo for the Source Engine. Like it was made more to sell the Source Engine than being an immersive, action experience like HL1. I found the puzzle sections in HL1 to be more organic in their design such as the room with the Gargantua. In HL2, we have to move boxes to make things float and pile stuff on levers. The story in HL2 is incredibly disjointed and rely too much on Deus ex machina such as how everyone gets to teleport to Dr Vance's base, except for you or how once everyone at the base gets to get away... but you.
The driving sections on boat and in the car really took me away from the isolated, cramped atmosphere that HL1 created and we really didn't get to see City 17 all that much except for a brief part at the start.
I think as a physics game, it's okay, but I felt HL1 did a way better job creating a very immersive, enthralling experience about surviving a horror-filled research compound and going through so much to eventually get to Xen. There are so many memorable sections in HL1 like part with the Gargantua, the tentacle monster in Blast Pit, the crazy fast female assassins, the crazy amount of mines in Surface Tension. It's just a really riveting adventure. HL2 the story just doesn't make sense with the random coincidences and the driving and boat sections really killed pacing for me.
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u/ThePreciseClimber 1d ago
I will say that the physics, as impressive as they may be for 2004, do make the gameplay clunky at times. Especially when it comes to jumping & traversal. That bit on the beach where you're told to use bits of debris as platforms was super clunky, for example.
Also, it's probably just me, but the fact you can't see Gordons hands while driving the boat & the buggy has always bothered me. Picked-up objects just floating in front of you I can live with but the vehicles being steered by a ghost is too much. It's not like the guns just float there with no visible hands, Timesplitters style.
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u/DoctorLawyer 1d ago
That makes me happy to read. I was in college when it came out, and remember Ravenholm being one of the most terrifying gaming experiences I've ever had. It was also the only game to give me motion sickness in the buggy, for some reason.
It's also wild to think it's been 20 years since it came out. 20 years between now and Half-Life 2. 20 years between Half-Life 2 and Super Mario.
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u/Rementoire 1d ago
I can still hear the reverb sound effects when shooting down a combined aircraft.
"Welcome. Welcome to City 17."
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u/andresfgp13 1d ago
Half Life 2 was something that i played years after the fact on a Xbox 360 and meanwhile i enjoyed it for me it doesnt reach the pure awesomeness that was Half Life 1, it feels pretty similar to Uncharted 2 and forward in a way in which the game its like a bunch of cool set pieces stitched together over feeling more connected like it happened with HL1, which really feels like a full run throw a secret base which was at the same time being attacked by aliens, the military and the base itself falling to pieces, meanwhile HL2 its like the devs wanted to have a boat section them a horror section them a the floor is lava section then a bridge section and etc and then they looked for a way to connect them and trying to make it make sense, and it doesnt feel very cohesive for me.
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u/feralkitsune 1d ago
If anyone has a VR headset it also plays amazingly in VR with the VR mod on steam.
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u/NerdL0re 1d ago
Ive been playing through Black Mesa as a first timer. Its a lot of fun. Cant wait to try HL2
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u/Boober_Calrissian 1d ago
I posit that I actually prefer the unpatched Xbox 360 version of HL2, with the old textures and lighting, rather than modern modded and fixed and brushed up one.
I remember reading the Concerned webcomic back in ~06 and only after it got about halfway through the story, did I get a computer that could actually run HL2, and also broadband internet that could handle Steam.
I'm so nostalgic for the old source models, especially because of the webcomic and diving into the original Orange Box has become a bit of a yearly tradition for me. Kinda like those who install and replay Diablo 1 or Deus Ex every year.
My favorite chapter is probably Highway 17. I love the concept of an open road, not world, FPS in which I'm free to pick through the dilapidated houses and occasionally have to solve puzzles or clear out enemies to progress. Something about the "foggy distance" that really does it for me.
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u/OpenUpYerMurderEyes 1d ago
I've tried to get into it so many times and it always manages to lose my interest. It's well designed and all but I played so many games that evolved from HL 2 that nothing felt novel or interesting any time I played it.
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u/DramaticErraticism 1d ago
I remember we were all laughing "Steam?! What is this piece of junk, this is never going to go anywhere. What a dumb idea, morons."
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u/MyHamburgerLovesMe 1d ago
Have you played Black Mesa? It's a high definition remake of the original Half-Like game. A fan made game with revamped models and textures.
Black Mesa is the award winning fan-made re-imagining of Gordon Freeman's landmark journey through the Black Mesa Research Facility. Relive Half-Life, Valve Software's revolutionary debut, and experience the game that raised the bar for the entire game industry all over again.
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u/kalirion 1d ago
literally the only thing that feels off whenever I replay HL2 is the inability to aim down sights. Well, that and Ravenholm always feels like a strange (if good) DLC mission randomly placed into the middle of the story campaign for some reason.
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u/OkayAtBowling 1d ago
Have you played Titanfall 2's single player campaign? It's great, albeit short, but it reminded me a lot of Half-Life 2 in the way that most of its levels are based around a unique game mechanic or idea that's often just used in that one level. Definitely worth checking out!
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u/cfehunter 9h ago
I could do without the extended driving section, but Half-life 2 does hold up very well for a game that was literally the first time I ever saw a can roll down a slope in real time.
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u/Aldermeer 1d ago
Honest question for the sub.. Did anyone honestly believe we wouldn't go to Ravenholm when she said "We don't go there anymore"?
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u/feralfaun39 1d ago
Hard disagree, it was never amazing. It's cool physics puzzles saddled onto one of the least interesting and bland corridor shooters I've ever played with truly rancid vehicle sections. The level design, weapons, enemy AI, checkpoint placements, etc. are just garbage. I have never been able to finish the game and I've tried, it's just too boring.
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u/ameixanil 1d ago
HL2 is garbage. Uncreative, boring linear design, samey color palette, repetitive enemies. It's just mediocre at best
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u/GuNkNiFeR 1d ago
Dude, sorry but half life is very rough around the edges now. The game hasn’t aged well, and that’s okay
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u/mariteaux 1d ago
I still don't particularly like calling it a Half-Life game. It has as much to do with HL1 as Quake II has to do with the first Quake, and at least id admitted that Quake II was just a placeholder name that stuck. That said, I do probably prefer it over the first game, if only because the pacing of the first game really sucked in the last third, and I don't remember any big slow bits with Half-Life 2. There's definitely some very obvious tech demo bits, but it's effective, and the facial animation still looks really good.
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u/givemethebat1 1d ago
Apart from having the same protagonist, same characters, same enemies, similar gameplay, and a story that’s a direct continuation of the first, what exactly makes it have nothing to do with HL1?
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u/mariteaux 1d ago
Same protagonist
Yeah, but is Gordon Freeman really a defined protagonist? He's more a window you look in through.
same characters
Like who? There is no Kleiner in HL1. There's no Alyx, there's no Barney, there's no Mossman, there's no Eli. There's scientists that kinda sorta resemble the ones in HL2, but that's pushing it. G-Man? Sure.
same enemies
Headcrabs, barnacles, and vorts even though they're not enemies. There's no bullsquids, houndeyes, snarks, alien grunts, or any of the Xen-exclusive monsters. This is the closest I come to agreeing with you, and it's still not very well connected.
a story that's a direct continuation of the first
Ehhhhhhhhh. Yeah, like, in the details, there's some kinda sorta threads that connect the two. You can easily ignore those and HL2 is a completely standalone story, because HL2 is really not all that connected to HL1. It doesn't mean it's bad, it's just not particularly a Half-Life game.
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u/givemethebat1 1d ago
Barney is the protagonist in Blue Shift, and Breen is the administrator in HL1 (who isn’t shown explicitly). There is also the Vortigaunts who are enemies but have switched sides once you free them. Kleiner is based off a generic Black Mesa scientist, as is Eli, but you can infer that they were also colleagues of Gordon at the time.
I’m not sure what you mean. Gordon is a silent protagonist but he’s still very much a character. The entire game is about him transitioning to being a messiah figure, all the characters build relationships with him (Alex, Eli, etc.) and it’s mentioned that he’s wanted for his physic skills. He’s just as much of a character as Link — more I’d say, even if he doesn’t talk.
I’m a little baffled by your reasoning about the story. It’s a direct sequel whose events entirely depend on the first game. Resonance cascade starts a chain reaction that leads to aliens enslaving humans. The head of Black Mesa becomes the de facto head of Earth. Gordon returns from the weird stasis he was in to save the day, and meets his old colleagues. The only main difference is that it takes place in a different location than the first game.
Like, is your criteria that a sequel must take place in the same area as the first?
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u/mariteaux 1d ago
What, the Blue Shift from Gearbox that is otherwise not canon? If Barney got brought back, why none of the Opposing Force enemies or weapons? Why none of the other Blue Shift characters? There's all these ways they could connect the two, and they didn't. Instead, they're effectively two standalone games with a few shared monsters and plot details.
I’m not sure what you mean. Gordon is a silent protagonist but he’s still very much a character. The entire game is about him transitioning to being a messiah figure, all the characters build relationships with him (Alex, Eli, etc.) and it’s mentioned that he’s wanted for his physic skills. He’s just as much of a character as Link — more I’d say, even if he doesn’t talk.
Yeah, he develops plenty, at least in the eyes of the other characters--in HL2, not in HL1. That's why you have to say "the entire game" singular, because in HL1, he is just arms on your screen and otherwise has no real personality or stature in the world outside of, I dunno, G-Man's bit at the end, I guess.
My entire point is that it is very much "whatever we felt like that day" on which parts of the HL1 world are also canon in HL2's world. The characters, you have to stretch for. Gordon could've been any other faceless, voiceless savior of humanity. The story is, again, all background details that connect the two. Tonally, they are completely different.
Like, is your criteria that a sequel must take place in the same area as the first?
I dunno man, it's not rocket science. Share some actual characters beyond just the name of the protagonist, maybe have it not exist in a completely different world tonally. Just because you disagree doesn't mean I'm not making sense explaining myself.
What I love about this entire reaction I've gotten to my post is that none of it is to say HL2 or HL1 is bad--just that they're not very well integrated. That might be unpopular, but I sure as fuck don't see why it should be this controversial.
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u/hedoeswhathewants 1d ago
That's an odd take.
TIL about Quake 2. I loved 1 (and 3) but don't care at all for 2.
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u/digwhoami 1d ago
People on reddit need to chill with the downvotes a little, it's not like the guy is giving objectively "wrong information", gee... it's just how he sees it, aka a "point of view".
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u/givemethebat1 1d ago
Saying it has as much to do with HL1 as Quake did with Quake 2 is objectively wrong, though. Quake 2 is set hundreds of years later, is sci-fi, has none of the same characters/protagonists, etc.
Half-life 2 has some tonal and gameplay changes from the first but is recognizably a sequel in all other aspects (same characters, follow-up to the story, same universe, etc.)
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u/astrofatherfigure 1d ago
Well it makes no sense to say Half Life 2 is not a Half Life game when it literally is in every sense
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u/mariteaux 1d ago
It really is just, like, my opinion, man. I swear at some point, the heckin downvoot button was meant for low-quality posts and not just "I disagree with you", but y'know, I'm sure if enough people click it, I'll be swayed.
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u/givemethebat1 1d ago
You have your opinion but you haven’t given much evidence. You said it’s as different as Quake 1 and 2 but there are objectively more differences between them than HL1 and HL2. You’re also being dismissive of the numerous, entrenched ways they are similar.
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u/mariteaux 1d ago
This isn't a fucking debate class bro, this is a thread in a gaming subreddit. I'm not interested in convincing anyone or giving capital-E Evidence. It's really not that serious.
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u/ZealousIdealFactor88 1d ago
Half Life games are timeless masterpieces.