Half-Life 2 is absolutely amazing!

[VelvetFistIronGlove]

So with my new system, I reinstalled HL2 again to see how much better it would look with all the high detail options turned up. While graphically it's a little dated (it is, after all, approaching its fourth birthday), I was blown away again by how much fun it is. I've played it through properly only once before, despite having spent many hours just fooling about in the game.

So when trying it out again, I got caught up in it again and started playing it through once more, stopping just now as I arrived at Black Mesa East. I'd forgotten how much fun it is, with damn-near perfect pacing; packing the action on, then letting you to a safe area for a scarce few minutes' peace. Driving the airboat through the canals again with the hunter-chopper on my six and the apc ahead shooting rockets was a blast. This is as close to perfect as any game has been.

10 / 10.

Edit: Forgot to mention that despite the slightly dated graphics, it is still really beautiful. The sunset on the reservoir just before the dam is still breathtaking.

 

[grazr]

It is a shame that not everyone will get the same experience of this game, because of the range of pc systems in use out there. I was not overly impressed the first time i had played HL2. But then i had played it on nearly the lowest settings possible, consistent 10fps throughout the game and graphics spikes during fight sequances.

I played it again on my new system a year ago and as you have already said, was blown away by it's beauty.

 

[YM]

It is pretty I shan't deny that, but the gameplay isn't quite there, I find the pacing to be a little slow, I think it needs about 10 - 15% more enemies spread over the whole game to mow down, not enough killing combine, it doesn't really feel like they are after me.

 

[grazr]

Atleast untill you get into the Citadel, then there are bloody millions of the buggers!

 

[YM]

well not really, inside the citadel I found quite dull, half of it is just one big long ride in a pod...
The trouble with HL2 is its too long to play again and you don't get the emmersion dipping in and out as you please. thats the good things about the episodes, you can sit down and play it in an evening (a long evening mind you)

Edit Having said that, I have played HL2 Ep1 and Ep2 back to back in one sitting Quite a good experience, the gameplay definatly makes considerable jumps between the episodes though
I'd recommend you orgainse some sort of HL2 party with some mates, a PC for each person, sleeping bags, junk food, corny music and non stop HL2 untill each one of you has finished the whole lot back to back.

 

[AWESOME-O]

Still, it needs more combine, also i have played HL1 but i can't really get HL2, It doesn't sequel!

 

[VelvetFistIronGlove]

It is pretty I shan't deny that, but the gameplay isn't quite there, I find the pacing to be a little slow, I think it needs about 10 - 15% more enemies spread over the whole game to mow down, not enough killing combine, it doesn't really feel like they are after me.

I agree that it slows down in later chapters, and the Citadel is a rather nasty stain on the otherwise mirror-shine-polish (Valve always seems to be a bit weak on the last level or so -- ep1 and ep2 had similar problems). But the tension and feel of being chased is definitely there until the dam.

 

[Spike]

It's one of the best games ever, but not the best one. Story is quite limited because it's a FPS so you can't develope it as much as other kind of games, but still awesome. And the graphics were the best when it came out, and are still very impressive, I think it has one of the best physics, not as good as Crysis or UE3 but wuite impressive too.

I get 80 FPS average at this game max settings without AA, it's the first "modern" game I played after buying a new PC. My last games were HL and CS 1.6... so I was very impressed when I saw all the bumpmap thing and the shaders.

 

[Géza!]

Well, that game is absolutely awesome. However, I found it a bit interesting that Black Mesa East is like... One hundred meters away from a combine station with a chopper and all that stuff? And it's also interesting that Ravenholm is almost right next to the junkyard where you play with Dog. But I understand it, because no one likes to just go and go a lot without any real reason, just for the sake of realism.

I only found the combines a bit dumb, but otherwise... I died several times during the airboat mission due to that goddamn APCs and choppers...

And now I'm not brave enough to enter Ravenholm, because a long time ago when I tried the demo, I shat bricks at the very first corner and stopped right there. 0_o

HL2 zombies in Gmod are just pathetic, but in their context they scare the shit out of me.

Curse you, Valve mappers with your zombies rising up from the water right next to me!

 

[Snipergen]

I'll say it again, I don't get why people like it sooo much. It's a decent game, but really it doesn't has the wow facter for me like bioshock has or beyond good and evil. And I don't care about graphics honestly. I dunno what it is, I think it's because gordon doesn't has a voice and they talk to you and you say nothing that breaks it for me.

 

[AWESOME-O]

or beyond good and evil.

Best game ever!!!

Yeah, HL2 is fun for a time, i dont really care about graphics, i agree with what snipergen says. Also, i really like HL1 more than HL2, HL1 story was way cooler.

 

[AWESOME-O]

Does somebody Got any savegames from HL2 Episode 1?
My old PC died and i forgot to backup the savegames for HL2 Ep1, someone who got them

 

[YM]

I've lost faith in anything unreal engine, GoW was suposed to be incredible.... left me thinking I'd wasted my money.
Crysis will melt my system, and I utterly loathed the bioshock demo (the graphics weren't even that good either, not a patch on anything source)
So the source engine still gets my votes for best games, whilst it might not be the best engine for particular things the games made for it are of consistantly high standards and are fun to play.

I just can't wait for L4D

 

[Jazz]

Crysis will melt my system

Didn't you win an 8800GT a while ago? I have one of those and I can put most of my settings on high and some to medium with 2x AA and I never go below 15 FPS (which isn't really that bad in-game).

 

[YM]

I have a terrible system in comparison to my gfx card, all the loss of frame rate is there, my card(not the 8800GTS) should be getting me around 60-70 fps on source games but instead I get only 30-40 at most

 

[R3dRuM]

If you play HL:1 then HL: BS then HL: OF then HL: 2 then HL: 2ep1 then HL: 2ep2, then you would enjoy the series even more...

 

[AWESOME-O]

If you play HL:1 then HL: BS then HL: OF then HL: 2 then HL: 2ep1 then HL: 2ep2, then you would enjoy the series even more...

you forgot lost coast

 

[YM]

you forgot lost coast

nope, lost coast isn't part of the game, its a deleted scene and it doesn't fit in with the released HL2 it would just stick out if it was put in as is

 

[cornontheCoD]

I would love to play the game again, but I keep getting this stupid error every 5 minutes that people have been getting for 3 years now and valve still hasnt fixed. I played through it once already, without any glitches. weird.

 

[Bonafide]

have you guys played it with the cinematic mod? Looks great although I dont feel like playing HL2 , EP1 or EP2 more than once. Ive followed the Cinematic Mod since number 4.

http://halflife2.filefront.com/file/;88111

There is an 8th edition but its beta and I really cant be bothered with it,