Half-Life 2 (PC)

[Len]

Oh, and I don't know if this is secure information or not, but some (ex?) tester guy over at the Vivendi Universal forums is claiming the company is going to take 72 hours to initially bug check the game, and if no siginifcant flaws are found, the game will then be sent for production. However, with this being Half-Life 2, I'm cautious of this news.

http://community.vugames.com/[email protected]/0

Like it says there and from my own experience the chances of a first rc being accepted, I'd say, are extremely rare. That said it is HL2 and they have been rinsing it as it were, and I'm sure trying to get all manageable bugs out of the system. Suppose a lot depends on Valve's QA team and setup.

I'd like to think it'll go through but my professional head says they're maybe looking at a few versions. I hope I'm wrong...

[Concept]

I agree but if they're allowed to activate it via Steam at a sec past 12:00am on the day of release you'll still get it a few hours early!

We'll get to play it a few hours or days early regardless, because as someone pointed out on another forum, US games are released before Friday generally.

Even if the UK date was close, we'd still have to wait until the end of the week because of convention.

Hence the reason I'll be using Steam because I'll become impatient when I know the game's out for everyone to play but we're stuck over here due to retail practicality.

[Concept]

Like it says there and from my own experience the chances of a first rc being accepted, I'd say, are extremely rare. That said it is HL2 and they have been rinsing it as it were, and I'm sure trying to get all manageable bugs out of the system. Suppose a lot depends on Valve's QA team and setup.

I'd like to think it'll go through but my professional head says they're maybe looking at a few versions. I hope I'm wrong...

Were you responsible for that post? I didn't know you had business with VUG previously. On the Eurogamer forums, I read someone mention that the testing goes on in Ireland now, so I'm assuming (like a few now) that the RC must have been delivered through Steam.

[Concept]

And to finish a trio of posts... Read this - Is this good news that we're close? I'd bloody think so. First review coming soon....

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38223

[Len]

Were you responsible for that post? I didn't know you had business with VUG previously. On the Eurogamer forums, I read someone mention that the testing goes on in Ireland now, so I'm assuming (like a few now) that the RC must have been delivered through Steam.

Err no, I was generalising. From my experience, from both sides, within the industry, of sending rc's into the publisher, it's very unlikely the first will get passed. It's just the nature of the beast (being the delivery of rc/final code). But as I said if Valve have got a good QA team (which you'd assume), touch wood, things will go relatively smoothly. Maybe it's juts the cynic in me.

We shall see...

[Len]

And to finish a trio of posts... Read this - Is this good news that we're close? I'd bloody think so. First review coming soon....

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/show...threadid=38223

And yes that's very encouraging news.

[ascender]

I gave a mate my original HL with all the add-ons last week as he's a newcomer to PC games but is addicted to Far Cry. Got them back this morning with the words "it was alright, but I couldn't really get into it". That's the first person I've ever known to not like HL and to give up after a couple of hours play.

[Concept]

I've just actually been playing Far Cry again, after I only got half-way through first time when I still had my 9800SE. From a technical and artisitic persepective, using an x800 to see all the bells and whistles is an outstanding experience... But the actually game which holds the engine...

It's irritating. Whereas Halo's checkpoint system worked to the gameplay's advantage, here such a setup is poorly implemented.

There's also some good level design that's unfortunately nailed down to some linear objectives, meaning the openess is somewhat contradicted and rather pointless. Add to that terribly inconsistent AI and you've got a game which hurts what it could have become. I'm currently on a beach level at night, and apparently enemies can shoot through walls, bend their bullets around rocks, see in the night without nightvision and accurarely shoot me from 80 yards away... Yet I can do none of this back to them.

And the less said of the narrative and the one person seemingly providing all the voiceovers for the mercenaries the better.

This kind of experience just serves to make me anticipate Half-Life 2 even more. Valve need to show them how it's done. I remember watching a long interview back last year with Gabe Newell and Jay Stelly, basically saying that they'd try and avoid poor design which punished the player. That they were going to adopt a Miyamoto-style level of design work by letting the game accomodate the player's skill level. I distinctly remember Newell also mentioning Valve wouldn't damage the player's health to a point they couldn't survive say a lava pit fall which you'd have to repeat hundreds of times...

But this is what Far Cry is like for me... Dumb design backed up by woefully inconsistent AI, which just throws super-sighted enemies at you in the dark from all angles, and no matter what approach you take (quiet or guns blazing) punishes you time and time again.

I hate to say it, but the only reason I'm playing Far Cry is for its technical brilliance right now.

What Half-Life 2 will bring to table (if it plays as well as I recently enjoyed the original) is a world that should hopefully sustain you, immerse you, and pull you in.

I'm just not feeling that with the recent FPS games I've played on the PC.

[Len]

Ouch that was a tad scathing. Hmm I've been playing Far cry through recently as well and I'd have to disagree with you tbh. I know the bit yr up to though, on the beach, Steam isn't it? That wound me up something chronic and I left it for a week before going back but it is most definitely worth it as the levels get better and better after that. I think there's just a jump in the difficulty level at that point but a frustrating one though. Best way of getting through that first bit I found was....

Spoiler:

'Don't go into the jungle with the Trigens, wait for the patrol boat to come round the corner behind you, shoot it them and then nick the boat . If you then follow the coastline along you can avoid all the land based enemies and by working out where some of the sniper/rocket launching baddies are beach yr boat at the jetty with the small outpost.'

Worked for me anyway, after a number of attempts it must be said.

I agree there's some good even great level design which is further pushed later on and becomes very open ended at points with Boat and River being two fine examples along with Catacombs which provides a nice change of pace and will make you jump! Boat is especially good with many many different ways of attempting it.

Another mention must go to the audio, which is fantastic imo, really makes it feel like a movie experience by raising and lowering the atmospherics and tension. As well as the weapons sfx being spot on for meatiness as it were (are you listening id?). Agreed the npc conversations aren't great but they made me chuckle in places.

Each to their own though but I've gotta say I'm really enjoying Far Cry, must be the lush tropical setting... ! That said, I have been playing the game in bursts where I will play for a good few hours and then leave it a day or so and go back, maybe that has summit to do with it? Ok it's a bit cheesy in places and Jack does look like he's made of shiny plasticine in the cutscenes but sod it, it's good fun and if this is a taste of things to come and I reckon it is then roll on HL2 (as if that needed to be said).

So Concept, leave it a few days and go back to it, it's definitely worth it, you'll be missing out on some really good stuff later on which I think you'd enjoy otherwise.

Just a thought...

[Len]

Apparently PCZone and PCGamer have their HL2 reviews next issue (out start of Oct):

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/r/?http://www.computerandvideogames.com/wwwthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=pczone&Number=692932

http://forum.pcgamer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=51308

And the PCGamer thread goes on to make a point that they only review finished/gold code.

Exciting news...must stay calm, must stay calm.

[Concept]

Half-Life 2's secret is out. What all the delays have been about...

The game is actually a seriously advanced text adventure, and the problem is for the past 12 months, Valve has been experiencing collective writer's block amongst its Staff.

http://www.half-life2.com/hl2.php

See?

This is Half-Life 2.

[Ravon]

hahah .. thats quite good..

[Spatial]

Bah ! They said there was no scripted sequences !! Everytime I click the same thing happens ! Valve r teh sux0r !!!1111!!!!!

[Concept]

http://www.half-life2.com/hl2.php?move=gman

Valve are playing with the heads of the guys over at HL2.net

Funny stuff.

[ascender]

I am now officially bored with the wait. With the pre-loads I at least felt like we were getting somewhere but eveything has gone a bit quiet. Please just release the damn thing.