The Orange Box (PC/PS3/360)

[Dogg Thang]

you are just along for the ride.

Well that's certainly the case and I guess if you see that as a postive, I can't argue otherwise but that element just didn't work for me. I like to know what I'm doing and why but I understand that's just a personal choice and not a big deal for some people. Doesn't quite fit with those who talk up the game's narrative though.

[Brats]

This is Half-Life's main characteristic and its biggest strength. There's no time to think, you are just along for the ride. What is is the G-man says, something about little fish? I can't remember my HL2 quotes

Trust me to disagree, but I think there is time to think. This isn't Call of Duty. There are many quiet bits.

One thing I really do like about HL2 are the quiet bits - the opening sequence, playing with Dog etc. I wandered about the opening city in HL2 for ages thinking about what i was going to do.

Then I was suddenly whisked off without knowing really why. As I was driving down the canals in the boats running over combine and jumping over ramps, there was always this nagging question in my head which was 'Why am I doing this again?'.

[Dogg Thang]

I wandered about the opening city in HL2 for ages thinking about what i was going to do.

You got a city in your version? I got a square I think and maybe one street.

[Brats]

Oh aye yeah, I totally agree with you. Deus-Ex is another excellent example done well. Half-Life 2 is a jack-of-all-trades by comparison and it is a good game, one I personally enjoyed immensely even with its (quite obvious) shortcomings

Now that is completely fine and I have no issue with this. I can see how to some people like me and Dogg Thang the flaws get in the way of the experience and to others it doesn't. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

But what I don't get is when people wave around such statements as 'unrivaled story telling' and 'best story ever'. That just seems 'wrong' to me and no-one has yet convinced me that I'm missing some big chunk of the story or why it is apparently so amazing.

Ah well, at least no-one is claiming it has the best gunplay ever.

[Brats]

You got a city in your version? I got a square I think and maybe one street.

Yeah, but I can forgive them for that. What I don't really like is that after teasing me with this glorious city, they made me spend over an hour running and driving round boring old sewers. Boo-urns!

[Len]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brats
And Freeman never asks - which is what I would do. The first thing I would do is to blab to anyone I trusted about what the hell happened to me and that there is this guy who appears to behind everything and that our actions may be working against us.

But I'm sure you'd just get transported into a little room somewhere with a few hundred monsters dying to meet you for making that choice



Lol...excellent memories. And what a bad choice it was...

[domsalvia]

I'm in no way saying HL2 is a bad game, just that it's a solid title these days, and never having played it before now all I can think is that it has dated substantially if it were ever as good as people say. A good old 7/10, enjoyable romp but lacking something kind of game.

Back in the old uni days I played a lot of table top RPGs, and 75% of the time GMed them. This is moderately useful, as it gives me a benchmark for me to judge other stories: if I feel a story is similar to something I might have come out with, then it's really not good enough to have come from a professional. I reckon the actual story for HL2 is in no way better than some of the crap I pooped out on to some pages when I had good writing days.

Same again for the characters. The game is populated by archetypes. Not a terrible accusation - I used them all the time, but not something I would expect the pinnacle of writing for computer games to come out with. Some of the better GMs I knew blew the story content of HL2 out the water with regards to story and characterisation. Then again some might level my own "rose tinted specs" argument back at me over this one

One thing I would give HL2 is a good solid setting. Sure the Combine look generic totalitarian police but that's ok, you know they are the bad guys that way. Could it be that people are mixing up setting and story? I can't see how people can honestly say the story is great, even trying to see it from someone else's point of view. I would appreciate someone explaining how this story I have almost finished playing through is any better/deeper than "generic sci fi adventure 13".

Again, just to restate, I don't think the game is terrible, I just don't see it as being amazing. There have been more than enough points raised so far, and more that could be (such as some events clearly designed for twitch mouse reactions and require you to be properly lined up to respond on the old xbox pad with the default sensitivity - insta death when you don't know it's coming :/ ) that I find the game really struggling to defend it's 'true classic' status.

[EvilBoris]

Just finished off episode 2, they did drag it out a little too much for my liking. it picked up towards the end mind

[Malc]

Reading some of these posts that people are saying, constantly comparing it with newer titles and slating the game really makes me sad. It's an old game, remember that.

[EvilBoris]

Episode 2 isn't old, neither is portal neither is Team fortress

[Spatial]

Don't think the problem's with the last two though.

[Malc]

I was just talking about HL2, and people constantly comparing and talking about how bad most of the game is. This first play thread seems to have the most amount of complaints/bad opinions on the game than any other.

I'm not having a go at anyone, It's just everytime I seem to click on this thread and see what people think about it, it always seems negative. Shame for such a well designed game IMO.

[Ish]

The Vortigon has made Episode 2 for me. His one liners are great: "What next in this parade of constant obstacles"

It helps that he's voiced by Kurn too!

[Dogg Thang]

HL2 is only three years old and was heralded as the second coming of gaming when it came out. But, yes, Portal (which isn't old and magic telekinesis aside) is wonderful and I don't think anyone has had a go at it.

I finished it the other day and the voice just gets funnier and funnier as it goes on. My favourite bit was when she was saying

->Open Spoiler<-

" remember you saw the fire and was, like, no way but I was all, like, sorry I tried to murder you".

Brilliant stuff.

[rmoxon]

I was just talking about HL2, and people constantly comparing and talking about how bad most of the game is. This first play thread seems to have the most amount of complaints/bad opinions on the game than any other.

I'm not having a go at anyone, It's just everytime I seem to click on this thread and see what people think about it, it always seems negative. Shame for such a well designed game IMO.

Its only the same two people over and over so wouldnt worry much. They will get over it sooner or later.