Half-Life 2 (PC)

[Ciaran]

Its amazing how many of those screenshots still look as impressive as they did 2 years ago when valve released the first shots.

[chosen_one666]

No worries, I've only just found how to do it.

The way I've been told is to enable the HL2 ingame control panel and go to map d3_citadel_04

This will load the last level with the zero point energy weapon already in your arsenal.

Then open up the control panel again and type changelevel ( followed by whatever level you want to skip to - they usually start d1, d2, or d3 so if you type that it should give you a predictive shortcut list to help you skip to parts you want to play )

For some reason it doesn't work on the trainstation level as you can't enble weapons (there is a way of doing it as I've seen pics of Combine soliders stuck in bins etc, but its obviously not done this way ). Also be warned - if you kill a main charcter thats needed to progress in a level the game can hang. Same if you try to use the gun on any vehicles etc ( something about the physics system imploding from all the work it has to do )

Hope this helps - have fun with it

Thanks very much.

I could have sworn that I've seen a mod on FilePlanet to enable it though. Must have been mistaken.

[Concept]

Done some more. I love the feelings and depth of environment some of these simple pics capture.

I agree. There's evidently been so much thought put into the environments.

Lovely pictures. They inspired me to grab some more.

Its amazing how many of those screenshots still look as impressive as they did 2 years ago when valve released the first shots.

It's not just the technology... it's the choice of colour, level design, architecture, shading, texture work. All those elements are essentially timeless in their effectiveness.

Anyway, I couldn't resist - a few extra shots (scroll down).


(Beware newcomers: Spoilers. Look away now)

[Ish]

It's not just the technology... it's the choice of colour, level design, architecture, shading, texture work. All those elements are essentially timeless in their effectiveness.

Thats what made the game, visually at least, for me.

It wasn't the number of polygons being pushed around or the number of fancy lighting effects. They blended those things you list into a cohesive and beautiful whole that was perfect for the story being told and really worked to put you there.

[Spatial]

Right, these are my final ones

First off the serious, inspiring ones










These two are interesting...





Seems at one point Valve wanted you to be able to drive the Combine Riot Wagons 8)



Now for the silly ones.....





We've all been there mate...



Should have worn a seat belt....



How about you put it in the trashcan !?




Also I've found the way to get the blue grav gun at any point.

As my in previous post type in d3_citadel_04 to start, then changelevel ( to whatever you want it to be ). Then type sv_cheats 1 to enable cheats, and finally impulse101 to get everything.

Same things applies to shooting key characters and trying to move vehicles mind

[chosen_one666]

Oh how I wish I could get the game to run at anywhere near the quality of those pictures.

[Harmony]

Dammit you guys are tempting me to go through it for a third time and go F12 happy. And I agree with you guys about the Nova Prospekt level. Totally gorgeous colors/lighting, which didn't kill my framerate like Doom 3 or some of Far Cry's inner locales that had a lot of complex lighting and shadows. This game rocks on so many levels.

BTW, here's a couple of quotes I read that I really felt summed up the awesome experience that is HL2:

Revel, savour and bask in the brilliance; this is a game that no gamer can afford to ignore... The PC's finest gaming moment, with a half-life of forever. - PC Format

History in the making. It raises the bar for interactive entertainment, and then uses that bar to club all other games into submission...Valve has forged the framework for the next generation of games, demonstrating what our medium can and should be able to accomplish - an exhilarating entertainment that can emotionally move you one moment, kick ass the next, and keep you immersed the whole time. - PC Gamer

[demon9k]

I bought Half-Life 2 last week and I can't help but feel disappointed. The AI is absolutely terrible, they just stand still while you shoot at them. I am playing it on normal at the moment, but I may consider starting again on hard.

I find myself trying to get through sections as quickly as possible instead of savouring fights. The boat and car sections for instance are tedious. Maybe one of the reasons for me not enjoying the fights is the weapons, which are very 'seen them before'. The only thing I really enjoy is using the gravity gun which I find myself using in every fight because I really can't stand using the other guns, however its pretty crap for fights.

I just recieved the ball to control the creatures that attack you from the sand and so far its not even closely lived up to all these reviews I have been reading. I had far more fun playing Call of Duty and XIII......so far.

[Valken]

Thought I'd add a few screens of my own... playing through the game for the first time atm and really enjoying it!

[Harmony]

I just recieved the ball to control the creatures that attack you from the sand and so far its not even closely lived up to all these reviews I have been reading. I had far more fun playing Call of Duty and XIII......so far.

You didn't enjoy the part where you have 3 dropships attacking you along with a sniper and a few other infantry? I found this part to be more intense than a lot of Call of Duty's firefights.

[Len]

Seems at one point Valve wanted you to be able to drive the Combine Riot Wagons 8)

Your right Spatial. Says in Raising The Bar that they had originally implemented player control of the APC but playtesters didn't like it as it wasn't as satisfying as the buggy and felt too slow. So they recast it to be used by the Combine forces only.

[Harmony]

Well they could have given you a choice. There was a physics puzzle while you were riding the buggy and you come across a combine wagon where you have to pull out something from under it so it falls into the water and breaks the energy shield. They could have let you drive that, and if you don't like it, you could go back and reuse the buggy. It would have removed some of the fun though because then the antlions can't attack you when you're inside the wagon like they could when you were inside the buggy.

[demon9k]

You didn't enjoy the part where you have 3 dropships attacking you along with a sniper and a few other infantry? I found this part to be more intense than a lot of Call of Duty's firefights.

There have been sections I have enjoyed but not to the extend of Call of Duty, I find its simply a case of attacking the enemy one at a time, and while I am attacking the other enemies just don't seem to hit me. So it just turns into a game of point and click, with no thought process going into your surroundings.

I am just going through the prison at the moment and this section seems to have a bit more thought about it with these stationary guns.

[Harmony]

Those stationary guns are a bit annoying though. If you actually try to carry them, they fire at your troops.

[gizmo1990]

Those stationary guns are a bit annoying though. If you actually try to carry them, they fire at your troops.

Heh I've tried this, it actually helped a lot in one section where I wasnt supposed to have one. I just set the turret up in a corridor, stood back and watched it and Alex slap the troops, very rewarding! They work better once they have been switched to your control. I've just continued on carrying mine about where ever I go. Good for going in a room and automatically detacting if there are any enemies nearby. After a few save points though they seem to revert back to combine control...