Official Half-Life 2 Discussion Thread

GUNS/BOOBS/EXPLOSIONS/THONGS/MUTANTS MONSTERS/MUTANT BOOBS!

Which pretty much describes every game out there.

 

HL2 is the one of the best games ever. No arguement there.


Has anyone played HL2:Episode 1 yet?

 

So...did you just miss the last 6 replies to this thread?

 

even if he did, why else would the HL2 thread just happen to be upped right around Ep1's release date? Hmm...



by the way, the title "Episode 1" still sucks. Just like I hate it when the SW movies get called that. But at least they have a proper title.
Couldn't they at least have named them "Aftermath: Episode 1" (and 2 and 3 and...). Meh.

 

Yeah, that part was pretty cool. I kinda like how Ep.1 raised more questions than it answered because it keeps the story fresh and interesting, as opposed to being virtually non-existent like it is in so many FPS's these days that favor action over a good plotline. This episode definitely raised some pretty cool ones, and I can't wait for Episode 2 to come out, which I guess is tentatively scheduled for the end of the year.

 

Thoughts on Episode 1:{HTR}

I quite enjoyed Episode 1, despite its shortness. The trailer for episode 2 also looks good, but Does this mean alyx dies?[ My favourite levels were the first and the last levels. The only problems I really have is the lack of guns at the start of the level, and getting the crowbar right at the end, where there is next to no use for it. I think i would have give it 4/5. It is again, pretty, especially the water, but i am not sure it lives up to the hype, like the original. What happened to Dog then? And Alyx isn't particularly useful, other than bossing Gordon around.

Until Episode 2...

 

Here're some nice tidbits on Episode 2 found here: (HTR, I guess)

- Gravity gun will get new functionality
- Alyx is alive
- Vortigaunts will be more fleshed out
- More details about GMan will be revealed
- New vehicle will be introduced made by some guys in the woods. Will serve as enemy rammer =P
- You will cover the same amount of locales as in hl2 and the new locales will have a much more realistic feel to them since they are based off real locations (missile silo, mine shaft, etc.)
- Eli and Kleiner have set up base in the missile silo and you have to get the packet to them
- We'll see the UBER and most difficult physics puzzle to date in episode 2
- New weapon known as Strider buster
- Strider and Hunter now has a weak spot *could change*
-Big battlefield-esque combat engagements with lots of enemies and allies fighting. Woods provide plenty of cover
- OH! And new yet-to-be-announced multiplayer game will ship with episode two...might it be TF2 set during the 7 Hour War?

 

...I'm kinda jumping on the bandwagon rather late, given I've just recently got a computer that'll run the game.

However, anyone seen a Wiimote linked up to a PC for HL2ing? before? I'm debating trying to pull it off for kicks sometime this summer.

 

Funny, I bought a new computer for the specified purpose of playing this game and never bought it. Is it out on budget/compilation yet?

 

I bought Ep. 1 for PC and I keep getting "face bump" errors about 30 minutes in that refuse to let me continue playing.

But the van ride into the Citadel was awesome and what I played thus far was incredibly emotional. Filmmakers should look at this game and understand that this is how you craft characters. You actually care about Alyx and Dog and you want Alyx to be with you as you go through the game unlike every other game where I all but jump for joy when I have allies to frantically keep alive.

 

Their website has something of a discount here.

 

I love Valve.

 

Team Fortress 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWh01iOiDb0

This trailer was release like yesterday, I think. It's really cool. If you want an high definition version, look for it on Steam.

 

I meant in a box...I am anti downloadable games.

 

I thought this was upped because the release date for Episode Two has been pushed back to October. Which was strange news, because I thought it had been pushed to christmas anyway. Maybe that was Episode Three and christmas 2008

 

The Black Box (HL2: Episode 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2) was cancelled. Damn you VALVe!!
http://news.filefront.com/half-life-2-black-box-cancelled/
Now we will only have the Orange Box (HL2, HL2: Episode 1, Episode 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2). Well, it will have "three separate Steam product codes: one for the three new games, one for HL2, and one for Episode One." Oh, that is so cool, that way I can give HL2 and Episode 1 to a friend, since I already have that games, right?? Wrong, I don't want to give games to friends. And, even if I do that, it's just dumb. Why?
"...if you don't need those two titles, you can hand them off to a buddy, and BOOM! You've got a friend to drag into buying his own Orange Box to play TF2 with you.
Wait, then HE has an extra HL2 and Episode 1. It's a conspiracy!"

You will have the Orange Box in Autumn (hopefully).

Right now you have:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Half-Life-Game-Year-PC-DVD/dp/B000AXUKJI/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/202-7192571-3521447?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1179593489&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sierra-UK-Half-Life-DVD-ROM/dp/B00009ATWC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/202-7192571-3521447?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1179593489&sr=8-4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Half-Life-DVD-ROM-Limited-T-shirt/dp/B00068FGNC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5/202-7192571-3521447?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1179593489&sr=8-5

 

In that case, you're probably out of luck. Half Life 2 runs through Steam, which is Valve's download manager.

If I were you, I'd reconsider your anti-download stance. Information products (such as movies, music, and games) are increasingly sold and distributed online. Half Life 2 is only one example. Just like CDs and DVDs, the new information format (the internet) is rapidly becoming unavoidable.

 

It'll still be released in a box though as far as the PC version goes. When it's finally released, I'll probably get the retail version from Best Buy, mostly because huge downloads such as full games pretty much choke off my internet connection as far as bandwidth usage goes. Plus, I like the feeling of having a hard copy of the game, just in case my computer crashes or something like that. That way I won't have to download it all over again.

 

Exactly. Especially since my internet connection here is quite poor, and I'd like to avoid downloading massive files if at all possible.

 

The latest Rebel FM game club inspired me to play through HL2 again. I haven't run all the way through it since it came out, and it still seems like such a long game...

Anyway, the G-Man sightings still scare the crap outta me. Especially the ones you just don't expect.

 

Dear valve,

As you can see, some of us still remember your flagship series and love it to death. And some of us so don't care about your Zombixploitation recent efforts (let alone your shameful release of a "sequel" a mere year after the original meh game came out), whereas other loyal fans have been waiting for the better part of two years now for a Half life 2: Episode 2 or, better yet, a new full sized sequel!?!

So what the hell are you waiting for?! Give us more Half-life already!

Sincerely,

A slightly pyschotic and disgruntled fan.

 

They really gotta hurry because the Source engine isn't getting any younger, no matter what the Orange Box version of it can do. Releasing a game that looks only slightly better than Ep2 late next year isn't gonna blow anyone away, and that's only the earliest I think they could finish it in theory.

But Half-Life is the perfect game-universe to love as a Star Wars fan. We're used to waiting.

 

I only recently completed The Orange Box and absolutely adored every single second of it so I was overjoyed when as soon as I finished it I found out that the Half Life team were researching sign language for a new character in Half Life 2: Episode 3.

Now, as I'm sure people here will know, sign language requires a lot of subtelty in facial expressions to get across exact meanings and emotions in the language, it's the sort of thing you would expect a video game struggling to convey. Does this mean that HL2:E3 is going to be using a new/upgraded graphics engine?

 

Well, they added something to the engine with every episode (HDR/destructions) and if they're really going to do the sign language thing, they clearly need to do whatever it needs to get it right. They always were fans of facial animations anyway. HL2 starts with a close-up of the G-man, they improved it for Alyx when she became your permanent sidekick, the Lost Coast tech demo had that fisherman guy who was modeled from scratch rather than with a real guy as reference and even Team Fortress 2's is quite extensive for faces that are primarily there to be blown up.

 

So you're complaining that they haven't made a sequel to one game yet are disappointed when they quickly make a sequel to another?
I LOVE Left 4 Dead, still play it, and eagerly await L4D2. Never had more fun playing multiplayer than with L4D, with the possible exception of TF2. I never really understood all the hate and "boycotts" for the sequel. If gamers want to get mad at game developers, start boycotts against EA for making a new Madden/NBA/MLB/NHL game every year for over a decade.