Negative comments about Half-Life 2?

[Asknoone]

Without a doubt, the fact that so many aspects of the story are more easily grasped the second time through contributed to the "plothole" allegations in some early reviews. Most of these reviews were dated November 2004 and it makes sense that the majority of reviewers would not have had time to absorb the saga of City 17 in one sitting.

It reminds me of the title sequence of the film "Get Carter" in which the title character, played by Michael Caine, is riding the train to Newcastle. Perceptive viewers, watching the film for a second time, are likely to notice a certain startling detail in this scene, but without having seen the film once, there would be no way to grasp the significance of this detail.

See the "Stuff I only noticed the second time around" thread for an elaboration on this theme.

I agree, however, the reviewer in quesion in that link you provided still seems to believe that the story makes 'no sense' in his Episode 1 review.

 

[HigherTierMatt]

Half-Life 2 was the best overall game of 2004. The AI was spectacular, the story was engaging and it was longer than most FPS. I had a problem with the weapon choices though and the combat, as Samon said. The weapons lacked the boom I was hoping for. Of course, they can be all changed with skins and sounds, but who wants to do that?

The AI was pretty bad. Combat with combine was easy and uninspiring. It *really* brought down the game as a whole, in the original you really had to think about how to approach each situation, whether to save your ammo etc etc, in HL2 you can treat every situation the same and get through it all without any problems.

Episode one was much the same in this regard, I hope they rectify the AI for Ep2.

 

[Asknoone]

That isn't an AI fault however, that is because there was plenty of ammo and health. The AI is extremely clever.

 

[Rapstah]

-AI really isn't anything special. I think the zombies and Antlions might've had better AI than the actual soldiers.

So Antlions are more intelligent than humans how?

 

[Asknoone]

Antlions have really cool behavioural patterns that few seem to notice.

 

[Rapstah]

I actually think Houndeyes have a really cool AI in HL:S - especially in groups of more than a hundred.

Woah, do i smell this thread going off-topic?

 

[HigherTierMatt]

That isn't an AI fault however, that is because there was plenty of ammo and health. The AI is extremely clever.

I don't really see a difference between the AI being bad, and the AI not reacting fast enough.

When a combine will happily stand still and take half a clip to the face, or, at most, walk slowly towards me, I don't consider it being close to intelligence.

 

[ríomhaire]

I don't really see a difference between the AI being bad, and the AI not reacting fast enough.

When a combine will happily stand still and take half a clip to the face, or, at most, walk slowly towards me, I don't consider it being close to intelligence.

What should they do then? Teleport away in the second you are shooting them. It's realistic, people take time to react.

 

[Narvi]

Antlions have really cool behavioural patterns that few seem to notice.

I don't doubt that (I believe I've seen it myself), but would you provide some details?

 

[Qonfused]

I don't really see a difference between the AI being bad, and the AI not reacting fast enough.

When a combine will happily stand still and take half a clip to the face, or, at most, walk slowly towards me, I don't consider it being close to intelligence.

I understand your point of view. But this wasn't supposed to be a tactical game; tactical meaning Tom Clancy-style.

 

[ShinRa]

i havent played through hl2 since the first run through. simple as that. it was fun while it lasted, but definately no replay value. not as good as expected. ive been having more fun with css, goldeneye source, and pvkii than i ever did with hl2.

 

[UltimaApocalypse]

The people in this thread that complained about bad gameplay are the the type of people who buy games just to shoot enemies and blow things up. Satisfying? Yes. Everything? Definitely not.

Valve are developers. They try new and unique things. And that's why Valve is superior to all other game designers. They go past what gameplay is in most games.

And whoever doesn't see that should go to hell.

 

[HigherTierMatt]

The people in this thread that complained about bad gameplay are the the type of people who buy games just to shoot enemies and blow things up. Satisfying? Yes. Everything? Definitely not.

Valve are developers. They try new and unique things. And that's why Valve is superior to all other game designers. They go past what gameplay is in most games.

And whoever doesn't see that should go to hell.

You are kidding me right?

I don't deny that HL2 is a great game, but valve certainly don't "go past gameplay". The gravity gun becomes more of a novelty, in the end it is simply another weapon that has plentiful amunition. Valve have not pushed the fps genre much at all, they have simply advanced it with better graphics and characters etc.

If you're looking developers who actually try unique things, look at introvision, bioshock, GSC etc.

 

[HigherTierMatt]

I understand your point of view. But this wasn't supposed to be a tactical game; tactical meaning Tom Clancy-style.

Fair enough, but there is a balance though, and hl2 sits at one extreme end of the scale and negatively impacts the game because of it.

 

[Asknoone]

I don't doubt that (I believe I've seen it myself), but would you provide some details?

I've only seen it once, but in the boat shed on the second coast map I knocked a crate off onto the sand. I went outside, turned on the thumper, went back into the boat house and found an antlion trying to open the crate I'd dropped.

You are kidding me right?

I don't deny that HL2 is a great game, but valve certainly don't "go past gameplay". The gravity gun becomes more of a novelty, in the end it is simply another weapon that has plentiful amunition. Valve have not pushed the fps genre much at all, they have simply advanced it with better graphics and characters etc.

If you're looking developers who actually try unique things, look at introvision, bioshock, GSC etc.

Valve have gone above and beyond with gameplay. They are miles ahead in terms of first person shooters. It isn't the easiest thing to notice, simply because no other shooter has really pulled off. There's gameplay in those scenes that no developer has ever really matched. It's so carefully tuned and polished that everything is built to a tea. They have truly gone past the idea of 'room' 'baddie' 'shoot'. The real crime here is that nobody ever notices.

You do something different in every scene. Very clever stuff, and it'll be noticed a few years down the line when people start to cotton on.

Bioshock isn't really doing anything for first person shooters, it's certainly more rpg.

 

[Jintor]

You are kidding me right?

I don't deny that HL2 is a great game, but valve certainly don't "go past gameplay". The gravity gun becomes more of a novelty, in the end it is simply another weapon that has plentiful amunition. Valve have not pushed the fps genre much at all, they have simply advanced it with better graphics and characters etc.

If you're looking developers who actually try unique things, look at introvision, bioshock, GSC etc.

It certainly goes through atmosphere. No other game I have ever played made me feel absorbed into Half-Life 2's world, especially other shooters. Chopper Chase is a standout, even before you get the Gravity Gun.

 

[Narvi]

I've only seen it once, but in the boat shed on the second coast map I knocked a crate off onto the sand. I went outside, turned on the thumper, went back into the boat house and found an antlion trying to open the crate I'd dropped.

What? Do you mean attacking the crate, or something else? That's some funky ass AI there. :bonce:

 

[Shift]

You are kidding me right?

I don't deny that HL2 is a great game, but valve certainly don't "go past gameplay". The gravity gun becomes more of a novelty, in the end it is simply another weapon that has plentiful amunition. Valve have not pushed the fps genre much at all, they have simply advanced it with better graphics and characters etc.

If you're looking developers who actually try unique things, look at introvision, bioshock, GSC etc.

As people have said, the atmosphere the game produces cannot be matched, why do you think the HL2 forums are bustling, because of the many people who want to talk about the game because they are so immersed within it. Better graphics, but not simply better characters, we are talking revolutionary characters, characters that are so close to be real its unbelivable. In the space of time that you play through the action of HL2, one of the greatest SCI-FI stories is told also. No game balances the gameplay as perfectly as Valve have, no developer will spend the amount of time Valve do to make sure EVERYTHING is perfect, and then tackle the minor flaws in the next game.

Valve not trying unique things? Im sorry but you are fool

 

[HigherTierMatt]

I think some of you (read : shift) are going a little OTT about HL2, I understand I'm on a bit of an uphill struggle posting on an HL2 forum, but I'm not trying to assert it's a bad game, my point is that HL2 is purely an evolution, and not a revolution like you all seem to be trying to suggest.

It doesn't do anything drastically different from the rest of FPS world, it simply improves on many aspects of it.

And Valve certainly do not make everything perfect, One need only look at something like Half-Life 2 Deathmatch's plethora of unsolved bugs, counter-strike source's lengthy update history or HL2's initial release to see that.

 

[Narvi]

I think some of you (read : shift) are going a little OTT about HL2, I understand I'm on a bit of an uphill struggle posting on an HL2 forum, but I'm not trying to assert it's a bad game, my point is that HL2 is purely an evolution, and not a revolution like you all seem to be trying to suggest.

It doesn't do anything drastically different from the rest of FPS world, it simply improves on many aspects of it.

And Valve certainly do not make everything perfect, One need only look at something like Half-Life 2 Deathmatch's plethora of unsolved bugs, counter-strike source's lengthy update history or HL2's initial release to see that.

Oh, I don't disagree. The game has its problems, and it's not a revolution by any means... but I like the plot.

 

[Asknoone]

I think some of you (read : shift) are going a little OTT about HL2, I understand I'm on a bit of an uphill struggle posting on an HL2 forum, but I'm not trying to assert it's a bad game, my point is that HL2 is purely an evolution, and not a revolution like you all seem to be trying to suggest.

It doesn't do anything drastically different from the rest of FPS world, it simply improves on many aspects of it.

And Valve certainly do not make everything perfect, One need only look at something like Half-Life 2 Deathmatch's plethora of unsolved bugs, counter-strike source's lengthy update history or HL2's initial release to see that.

I'm in no way claiming HL2 is a total revolution. However, it is still leaps and bounds ahead of the rest. Carefully tuned, polished and perfect gameplay executed in scene after scene. There's really nothing like it at all. (Unless you'd like to point out a shooter with such crafted gameplay?)

HL2 also achieved true non-linearity in terms of storytelling, and the way it presents information within the world. No one really expected what they were given, and in a few years people will begin to clock on.

What? Do you mean attacking the crate, or something else? That's some funky ass AI there. :bonce:

Yes, it tried to open the crate. Sort of like a dog sniffing a box..

 

[Rapstah]

When would we see the guys that made the original comment here anyway?

[Off-topic]
Is there a mod where you play as an Antlion? Sounds like a wicked idea.
[/Off-topic]

 

[Danimal]

- I remember being told we could kick down doors.

- I was over hyped for this game.

- Barney never gave me that ****ing beer.




EDIT:

Ah crap! I actually posted on the HL2 section, get it off, Samon! GET IT OFF!

 

[Rapstah]

www.hl2source.com still tells people the following;

"- Powerful materials system. Remember those moments in Half-Life where you couldn't destroy glass with rockets or wooden doors with grenades? This won't happen in Half-Life 2, because all materials act as they would in real life. If you shoot a wooden door, you can be sure it will open "

 

[Asknoone]

I never remember reading anything like that during the years waiting for release.

Get out Danimal. WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE.

 

[Danimal]

...I'LL BE BACK. bitch.


/me flees!

 

[Narvi]

Yes, it tried to open the crate. Sort of like a dog sniffing a box..

Hmmm... care to try and replicate that? I think I'll play that level again after I finish Dark Crusade...

 

[Asknoone]

Funny, I was just playing that today.

 

[Narvi]

PS: You sure it wasn't a bug? Did it have a specific animation never seen before?

 

[ríomhaire]

I never remember reading anything like that during the years waiting for release.

I remember Gabe Newell talking about HL2 and saying that everything would behave as it realisticly would when shot and that taking cover would be difficult as anything would fall apart when shot enough, yeah right.

 

[Asknoone]

That still happens though?

 

[pomegranate]

Sporadically at best.

 

[McGooTheWise]

Can you imagine how much more code they would have to write just because a filing cabinate on top of a cardbord box doesn't cav lik it should, but instead flies out from the bottom? (Can someone say select all? )

I think if everything behaved as it really would then it'd take a nasa computer to even run hl2 at minimal gamespeed... Like hinges breaking off a shelf when you toss a grenade... some things just have to be scenery ya'll :/

anyways, I say if you don't like hl2, and you're here, then get the **** out, because you take the oxygen away that the posters could use to talk.

 

[Jintor]

MY OXYGEN!!!!

*gasps*






*dies*

 

[Asknoone]

PS: You sure it wasn't a bug? Did it have a specific animation never seen before?

It was not a bug. It was the same animation as the attack, and the crate was moving.

 

[Rapstah]

It was not a bug. It was the same animation as the attack, and the crate was moving.

Then i'm pretty sure it was just trying to kill the box.

 

[pomegranate]

Then i'm pretty sure it was just trying to kill the box.

Exactly what I thought. Get real Samon.

 

[Asknoone]

Who the **** cares. Very cool bug.

 

[pomegranate]

Hey, chill yourself. You said that you saw the antlion trying to open a box which is obviously untrue. An antlion attacking a box at random is hardly an example of the wonderful AI you were talking about, is it?

 

[Rapstah]

It probably was trying to get the box out of the way so it could kill him. No hard feelings. Be happy.