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What impresses me most is not only how they effortlessly flow into each other whilst remaining fresh as single entries, but that they remain engaging despite not really offering that many new mechanics/weapons/enemy types to go up against following Half-Life 2. Where the episodes form their sense of momentum is in the staples which underscore the series' key strengths - namely level design, subtle and light puzzle integration at the right times, awesome set-pieces and atmosphere. They certainly each keep things varied in those areas.Originally posted by Spatial101 View PostThere's certainly that side to it, but I think you're getting that kick out of it because you're a Half-Life nut (same as me)
The warning was more for people who haven't played the series before and are going through for the first time, perhaps not entirely captivated by it from it's humble beginnings in the confines of Black Mesa.
I've been blasting through HL2 and Ep1 again now that Ep2 has long bitten the dust and it really is an epic journey.
I really should be talking more about Portal, but I'm wary about spoiling it for any who haven't played it yet. Most of it's tricks are in the actual gameplay itself.
What I will say is that the humour is dark and humourous without being slapdash or over the top. The puzzles are eventually mind-bending without developing into frustrating annoyances. The basic ideas underpinning the whole game never outlive their welcome, and the science fiction staples which it nods to don't find themselves overplayed or needlessly dwelt upon.
Everything is subtle, low key and used in exactly the right places they should be.
The mechanics too are equally subdued for a good chunk, and then it starts to spring to life in little flashes here and there, and before you know it, towards the conclusion you're jumping from floor to ceiling to floor to spring pad.
I like how you have this relatively sterile look to the test chambers that become undermined by the way GlaDOS casually takes the piss out of you, or the way the turrets (which in any other game would have served no other function but to blow the **** out of you) serve as the most sympathetic characters in the game. There's warm, mocking psychology throughout it all - how
That playful inventiveness in the dialogue goes in to encouraging you to screw about in the environment and try things you wouldn't do. The mechanics and the writing go perfectly hand in hand, and there are these gently amusing contrasts which play off each over all over the place. When you think about it, for a genre many deride as being tired and indicative of character cliche, it's interesting to note that perhaps the two most well written games of this (or any other) year happen to be fps' (BioShock and Portal).
It's not that the universe seems to tie in to Half-Life's which makes its fiction work particularly well. More fundamentally, even something as visually mundane as this there's warmth and humour (the glimpses of the mad companion cube fetishist's haunts, the ridiculous icons demonstrating the different hazards etc.). I think it says everything about the game's ingenuity that it's dark, playfully witty, warm, cold, isolated, amusing, and sinister all at the same time both in terms of gameplay, writing and presentation.
Special mention has to go to the end. The last level to my mind was one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I've had all year - at that point, everything you've been taught just kind of clicks into place and the way you're bending the environment to your will to get out emphasises what slow, progressive pacing can do for a game of this type. I certainly felt there was proper payoff in the way both Portal and Episode 2 ended, both in terms of climax, characterisation and gameplay.
Yeah, I'll stop the mini-gush now.Comment
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I would imagine neighbourhood watch is quite hard on 360, especially using a pad. What with me being one of those lame PC players though, and with minimal patience myself, I found it much less frustrating by
Garden gnome one got shelved when it became apparent just what you had to do... maybe in the future.
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I'm stuck in Nova Prospekt. I've cleared out an area and in it there's a monitor showing some experiments, HEV & medical chargers and a recording berating the Combine for not being able to catch Freeman. There's a switch on the wall which I thought would open the prison gates in to the next section, but having changed it to green, nothing's happened. Any ideas?Comment
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Look for a big cabinet with that funny shield effect over it. Press the red button in the middle to lower the shiled and inside you'll find two Combine turrets. IIRC you need to set those turrets up (pick them up with X then put them down with the pointy side facing the direction of the enemy threat
), then you get rushed by loads of soldiers and must defend the room until Alyx shows up.
Last edited by MattyD; 24-10-2007, 19:30.Comment
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I remember that section but I'm not quite there yet. Am scouring walkthrough guides as I have no idea what I'm doing wrong or where I'm supposed to be. What an amateur. I don't remember having this problem last time round!Originally posted by MattyD View PostLook for a big cabinet with that funny shield effect over it. Press the red button in the middle to lower the shiled and inside you'll find two Combine turrets. IIRC you need to set those turrets up (pick them up with X then put them down with the pointy side facing the direction of the enemy threat ), then you get rushed by loads of soldiers and must defend the room until Alyx shows up.
From a walkthrough:
But even after flicking the switch in the control room, the doors opposite the control room entrance are locked.You should see a control room opposite the walkway; get your ant lions to go through the tripmine, and take out the combine that appears from the control room. A sentry gun will be in a small closet on the other end of the next room, so grab a barrel for cover and knock it over. There's another security monitor in here, detailing a few of the grisly things that go on at this place. There are also some recharge stations, so take advantage of them. Flick the switch on the wall, which will open a nearby gate. Some more combine will appear, so send your ant lions after them. The way you need to go, however, is opposite the entrance to the control room.
Have found a video walkthrough. So ashamed...Last edited by ascender; 24-10-2007, 19:56.Comment
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I'm properly stuck. The video walkthrough shows the doors open which are shut in my game. Balls.Comment
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So I wasn't gonna bother with HL2 as done it a few times already, blootered Ep1 and was gonna start Ep2 tonight but decided to have a wee shot of HL2.
By Christ it's some game that - the waterboat section is simply sublime gaming. Looks like I'll need to nail that now before Ep2 ><Comment
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Am close to finishing off Ep1 I think Yosh... worth firing up HL2 first then matey? I do miss it
Combine Assault rifle secondary fire FTW.
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I'm nailing HL2 before starting Ep2 too.
I first started with HL2, but wondered about Ep1 which I never owned. So I finished that in 2 sittings, and it was a blast. Since then i've continued HL2. Halfway through Nova Prospekt. That turret section btw, was for me the hardest part in the game back on the PC.Comment
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That bit definitely seemed easier this time around (but that's no doubt down to the number of times I've played through the game).
But even in Ep1, where I'd found the
a challenge, it seemed a lot easier this time.
Probably because I knew what was coming and what to do, rather than just running around in circles the dark with a rapidly failing torch and squealing like a little girl.Comment
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I know I'm a little late to the party, and everyone has said their piece about HL2's graphics. Sorry. But here's my thoughts.
I was amused to see how everyone (reviewers, forumites) had completely different ideas about what they were seeing, when they looked at HL2 on the 360. Some say it looks amazing, some say it looks rough. Some say it has obvious graphical improvements, some say it looks worse then the PC. Who is right?? I did a side-by-side comparison.
Despite a lack of AA and the 30fps framerate cap, I firmly believe the 360 version is the best-looking version of the game, with all the PC's highest graphical assets, plus some new effects.
- Textures are identical to the PC's highest texture setting. This perhaps confuses people when they see some shoddy textures, but what people forget is that the PC version was notorious for some lame texturing. Any fuzzy texture here is also fuzzy on the PC.
- All other PC effects are present. Shadows, water reflection at its best, all the shiny floors, etc.
- HDR lighting is present, but very subtle, and doesn't change the look of the game much at all. Most obvious is a "light adjustment" effect when looking from a dark area to a bright area.
- New motion blur when turning, probably to disguise the framerate.
- New layer of texture detail on most walls. When you get close to a wall, a new level of relief graininess appears.
- Flashlight now causes dynamic shadows. This is very noticeable, especially in Ravenholm when you pick up objects.
- Vortigaunts now use the new Episode 2 model (which I think looks lame, nowhere near as detailed as the original).
Other observations:
- I like the joypad control because I'm very used to playing shooters on the 360, but I have to admit it suffers from the same "sticky door frames" problem as the Xbox port.
- Loading times are almost identical to my PC, sometimes a second or two shorter.
Gameplay observations:
After playing some great shooters over the last few months, I have to admit the Half-Life 2 gaming model is now very old. Holding all weapons at once and magically summoning them from thin air; no quick grenade button; loading pauses; health points and health packs; a damn sewer crawl at the start; a flashlight that lasts a few seconds before turning off (unlike real-life flashlight technology which has existed for decades); and so on. It's also funny to see all the see-saw physics puzzles which are laughably obsolete now.
Thing is, Episode 2 (and no doubt Episode 3) have to stick to these old-fashioned elements in order to maintain continuity. Valve can't suddenly make Gordon capable of only holding two guns at once, because people will say: "But a few hours ago in the story, he could hold them all!"
Despite these criticisms, it's still a great game. I only intended to play around with it to check out the new graphics, but somehow I've found myself in Ravenholm. I just couldn't stop. I think the characterization is the best videogaming has to offer, and I still think the facial modelling is yet to be bettered.
Episode 1 is okay, but it's just not very imaginative. More citadel - the most boring part of the original game in both design and gameplay terms. Then far too many
sequences. Seriously, it was cool to solve that puzzle the first time, but not again and again.
I can't wait to start Episode 2. But I fear I might be replaying the familiar for a while...Last edited by SqueakyG; 24-10-2007, 22:48.Comment
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Personaly I felt Ep 2 was a much better game than EP1, its alot more firefight orientated from the outset and just feels alot more exciting with what i think is all round better level design. Plus it takes place outside of City 17 so does have a different vibe in some respects.Originally posted by SqueakyG View PostLast edited by rmoxon; 24-10-2007, 22:54.Comment
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Thanks. I'll give that a go when I play it.Originally posted by rmoxon View Post
I want to play the end again of HL2, just because I do. I'd find playing the whole of HL2 again a bit of a chore, but would like to pick it up at the end. Or skip chapters.Comment
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If by sublime you mean "lasts 20 times longer than it needs to" then yes, it is sublime.Originally posted by Yoshimax View PostComment
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