I understand that Episode 2 is more complex. Yes, I get it. Now pull yourself away from the bold button for a second and actually read my post, you'll see that I'm not talking about that game. I'm talking about Half Life 2. Not Episode 1, 2 or Portal, but just plain old Half Life 2. The base game is not performing as well as it should on either platform. If the 2004 entry in that series isn't running right on 2006 hardware, then something is clearly wrong, and Episode 2 will certainly be doomed.
HL2: Orange Box Thread
- Thread starter RobertR1
- Start date
I understand that Episode 2 is more complex. Yes, I get it. Now pull yourself away from the bold button for a second and actually read my post, you'll see that I'm not talking about that game. I'm talking about Half Life 2. Not Episode 1, 2 or Portal, but just plain old Half Life 2. The base game is not performing as well as it should on either platform. If the 2004 entry in that series isn't running right on 2006 hardware, then something is clearly wrong, and Episode 2 will certainly be doomed.
To PS3 owners, I would say don't bother buying this, unless you really want Portal or TF2. Half Life 2 is essentially a monotonously linear game that insists on holding your hand the entire way through. In my opinion, it's just not a very good game. It was great years ago when it was originally released, but not so much these days.
I thoroughly disagree with this statement. Replaying HL2 on Orange Box reminded me of how much of a masterpiece it is, particularly regarding how it tells a story.
I also note it's longer than pretty much any FPS I've played on a console while throwing new things at you the whole way through - and that's not even counting the two episodes.
HL2 on a 3200+ A64 and a 6600GT at 1024*768 4xAA/16xAF vsync enabled did run near 60fps most of the time with cinematic mod installed. But the Lost Coast HL2 techdemo/gamplay demo with their HDr implementation did run at 15-20fps on same hardware/settings. Now if the HL2 console version uses their HDr for HL2 then it should be more taxing for the hardware.
Oh not to forget there was more than just their HDr, but also some new mapping technique and some more.
Fair enough, but Valve doesn't get a free pass from me. If a demo is available I would strongly encourage PS3 owners to "try before they buy". I played HL2 on the PC back when it was released (and generally liked it), and I played it again on the 360 a month ago and I really got tired of it after a few hours. My expectations have obviously changed over the years.
Not more than other fps games and there are solo parts and parts with companions. A part to remember is the fight against the spider walkers and lots of soldiers fighting against them. You come there to help out and it shure is a hectic and nice fight in a fairly large battlefield in the city.
Shure some parts are boring and linear but other parts exciting and include large open battlefields, much as most other fps games. :smile:
djskribbles
Legend
i can run Lost Coast with 4xAA, 16xAF at 1280x1024 with a 7800 GT and 3800+ X2 @ 2.5Ghz over 30fps.
Ok fair enough, although RSX is far beyond a 6600GT! I remember seeing a big frame jump in HL2 going from a 6800gt to a 7900gt. Plus you're running 4xmsaa which hurts the old 6600GT. Presumably they improved/optimized their codebase as well in Episode 2 since Lost Coast was a tech demo of sorts.
Out of curiosity, what fps do you get if you run with no msaa and 8xAF? I'd be curious to see if you hit 60fps.
djskribbles
Legend
ill get back to you later on that. i uninstalled LC a while ago so ill have to install it again (but i'm not BS'ing, i did have it installed). right now, i'm watching the raptors game (toronto raptors that is).
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djskribbles
Legend
mind you i now have my CPU clocked at 2.7ghz and i also have 2GB of ram. but maxed out (and HDR set to full) at 1280x1024 but with vsync off, i was getting anywhere from 28-75fps. very rarely would it dip below 30fps - usually it ran around 40-60fps. with 0xMSAA and 8xAF, the lowest the framerate got was 35fps, but again, rarely was it below 40fps. it ran at 50+fps for the most part, and anywhere from 35-100 overall.
I'm going to sort of agree with NRP here. I never even finished HL2 PC. Don't get me wrong it's freakin' gorgeous for its time and has a good story line but it was the hoverboat sequence (scripting) that killed my interest. It was sort of HL1 with better looks and, while HL1 kept me up all night, things have changed a bit since then.
The main reason I was interested in Orange Box was to finish HL2 and try the others from the comfort of my couch, but non really grab me enough to buy it for my PC.
If you don't like linear story telling then the HL2 series isn't for you. I've gone into this discussion many times, and I personally enjoy both styles of games. Though I think the story telling ability of Valve makes it so tremendously over powering of all but the best non-linear FPS games (Crysis and Farcry are the only that come to mind, most FPS games are hardly less linear than HL2 even much heralded other series...).
djskribbles
Legend
Eurogamer PS3 review is up. they have comparison shots too (full res shots on page 2 with PC version included). the PS3 seems to have AA (EG seems to agree) but my untrained eye can't tell what form (i'm guessing 2xMSAA?). but i thought this shot in particular showed it off well. EG also mentions that, for whatever reason, EA decided to blur the image on the PS3 version. also from what i noticed, both console versions definitely use HDR lighting in even HL2.
i think EA should have left the AA out so it performs better.
i think EA should have left the AA out so it performs better.
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Yikes! Check out those HL2 (original) comparison shots. The texture detail in the PC version is worlds apart - look at the alien.
Either Quincunx 2xAA or some kind of blur AA. And holy cow how at the textures and trees (PC version), didn't remember such a difference. That compared to the cinematic mod! 
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w193/NebulasPhotoPocket/hl2-2.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w193/NebulasPhotoPocket/hl2-3.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w193/NebulasPhotoPocket/hl2-2.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w193/NebulasPhotoPocket/hl2-3.jpg
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Dunno about gameplay changes since I played with the old cinematic mod (those ss are from v3.xx). never went through the game fully but didn't seem to change gameplay nor other athmospheric things except graphics. But hey who can say no to the Alyx model consisitng of ~45k polygons and 3D polygonal trees? ^^
^^That's it though, it changes the graphics so they're not dirty or as dark as the real ones. It was a massive game ruining change. I played about half of the game with it and couldn't help but feel it was incredibly lifeless and all it does it change the graphics. It's one of the worst mods I've ever seen that people talk about how great it is.