HL2: Orange Box Thread

[Deleted member 11852]

HL2 Story telling is very good but originally introduced in HL1.
Generally HL1 is considered to be the better game too. I personally enjoyed HL2 more than the first one because of antlion control, boat chase and gravity gun (only last level).

Personally I found Half-Life 2 a huge let down, the chief culprit being the story which at most points left you with little understanding of what was going on other than what you were trying to do right now. From the outset you have no idea what has transpired since the end of HL or why you're in City 17. How have the alien's become so entrenched in the world? For every question it partially answers it presents a couple more. I accept this kind of story telling is subjective, some probably love not really knowing what's going on and playing to progress the story but for me I found this very off-putting. I bought Episode 1 in the hope they'd answer some questions but it was just more of the same. I won't be buying any more episodes.

The second culprit that undermined the game experience for me was the engine; the facial animations were/are fantastic and still compare favorably to games today, however I'd seen this done in NOLF2 and this was just better, not innovative. The real issue with the engine for me, having played Far Cry a couple of months before, was the environments were so lifeless and static. Having walked around a tropical island with lush organic life with everything moving, playing HL2 where even the trees looked like the were rigid iron structures felt like stepping back 2 years in gaming technology. The game was running at ~100 fps on my rig at the time and wasn't close to pushing my hardware so why be so unambitious when they have have met Crysis halfway in terms of interactive, destructive environments? They had the tech, they just failed to realise its potential.

And third culprit was losing the newly found freedom that Far Cry had given me - to approach problems how I liked. Up ahead there's an enemy encampment, shall I sneak around, go in guns blazing or pick folks off stealthily? I liked having the choice because some days I felt like going Rambo, other days I just wanted to move on by sneaking around. Oh look there's a vehicle, should I use it? Nah I'll go on foot to approach stealthily - there was also an elements of this freedom in NOLF2 but in HL2, OMG, talk about having the play the game exactly how Valve want you to play to the extent that you HAVE to step in certain places to trigger events or you can not progress. Far Cry nailed the freedom here, and Call of Duty 4 is an example of how to take the HL2 approach and do it properly - IMHO of course.

Among those I only consider antlions innovative (in an FPS) but the whole package was significantly flawed. Even Far Cry was better game which came earlier same year.
None of the HLs can make it to my top 5 FPS list.

Ditto. I keep finding folks who love HL2 but never played Far Cry, though most have heard of it. HL innovated in so many ways, HL2 just didn't. I too liked the Antlions but felt the gravity gun was singularly unspired, it was fun for about 5 minutes after that it was just a tool, I don't get why people gush over it - mind you being a Ratchet & Clank veteren maybe I'm just used to lots of off-the-wall weapons!

DS

 

[D3v0ur3r]

I was a bit curious about this game after all the gushing about it. So I read the other day the demo was on Live & I got to try it last night. What a complete pile of poo demo that was. All you get is the stinking Gravity gun & the whole demo without the lame info scene takes about 10 minutes. If I hadn't known anything about HL I sure as heck wouldn't buy this game after playing that demo. Meh! Has anyone else tried this demo & if so what are your impressions based on the demo its self?

 

[Neb]

Ok, here's the thing.

I had assumed that HL2: EP:2 looked pretty much the same as the previous installements.

Turns out.... it actually looks much better. What the FCUK are you guys complaining about? I have only played the first 30 mins or so but this clearly looks better than pretty much *any* next gen console game I have come across. And my basis of comparison has been Gears of War which I have played 1.5 times on my 360.

I'm actually not suprised the PS3 struggles with this now. At least it struggles with one of the best looking games out there!

I have to agree, I just saw a EP2 and it shure is uppgraded and when the FF mod is out for this (maybe it is?) im shure it will look far better. Really nothing strange with the game taxing the hardware.

...

The 'force pull' effect in JK1/2 was not near as useful as the gravity gun for gameplay. Shure it was fun to push or pull the enemies when you had energy and the very few objects around that could be pushed. Still in HL2 it is taken to another level, more objects to throw, more ways and best of all with great physics. And that becouse if it where not great physics then people would complain with ..."but but the physics is unrealistic!"...

I have to add though that JK2 with cvar modification that it was hilarious to pull an enemy against you and cut him in half, yeah with even glowing wound marks!

 

[pjbliverpool]

Yea, if you still live in the past. The textures by todays standad are well.....crap ( Unless you have the fake factory MOD )

360 AND PS3 should rip though this game like it was nothing.

My PC which by todays standards is complete pants rips though Half Life 2 with 16xAF and 4xMSAA at well over 60fps @ 1280x1024. There is no excuse for poor performance with this game at all. Granted Source Engine has been updated for EP2 but that should'nt make that much of a difference.

Its just a lazy ass "lets make some quick cash" port.

There not crap, even by todays standards. Dated yes, but not crap. Thats talking about the original game of course. Episode 2 looks way better than the original. These graphics are every bit as good as the better looking console games:

 

[KnicksRIP]

I have to disagree that HL2 wasn't innovative. Perhaps you could find analogs for its gameplay elsewhere, but it was definitely innovative in terms of graphics, sound design, pacing, and storytelling. You still can't find anything quite like Ravenholm in other games.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Whether you find a game innovative or not really depends on what you've played up to that point. Having cut my teeth on dozens of other first person shooters, I found very little in HL2 to be innovate or fresh.

I loathed the way it dripped out bits of story compared to other games and the graphics were a throwback from Far Cry. I'd splashed out on a 6800Ultra for Far Cry and the game oozed visual brilliance, so to go from Far Cry to Half-Life 2? Admittedly at first I was ecstatic because I thought my time machine was working, but then I realised it was still post-Far Cry and HL2's graphics were really that spare, flat and for the most part, motionless.

Out of curiosity, what did you think was so special about Ravenholm?

DS

 

[pjbliverpool]

Whether you find a game innovative or not really depends on what you've played up to that point. Having cut my teeth on dozens of other first person shooters, I found very little in HL2 to be innovate or fresh.

I loathed the way it dripped out bits of story compared to other games and the graphics were a throwback from Far Cry. I'd splashed out on a 6800Ultra for Far Cry and the game oozed visual brilliance, so to go from Far Cry to Half-Life 2? Admittedly at first I was ecstatic because I thought my time machine was working, but then I realised it was still post-Far Cry and HL2's graphics were really that spare, flat and for the most part, motionless.

Out of curiosity, what did you think was so special about Ravenholm?

DS

I'm a crazy Farcry fan but I don;t think the graphical difference between the two was really that great at all. I would give the edge to Farcry but not by a great deal.

I enjoyed Farcry as a game more aswell but I still found HL2 to be top notch. Not worthy of the hype it recieved IMO but still an excellent game, especially the last level.

 

[Skrying]

I'll say this, I find Half Life 2 to be the best example of story telling in games period. I don't think it has the best gameplay (Though, as betan so proved with his non-example, the gravity gun is one of a kind in use) in an FPS game, that's Crysis. It doesn't have the best graphics, again Crysis. Or physics, again Crysis. But its story telling is so far ahead of any other game out there, especially so in the FPS world, that it immediately earns second place in my list of top 5 FPS games. The story is amazingly engaging for me, it lets me imagine my own outcomes to the past, use my own imagination in ways it lets me play it like I read a great book.

Episodes 2's graphics are vast improvements over HL2 and even EP1 by a bit. It might have a slight dated look, but they are pleasing to the eye, unlike some other recent games (*cough* CoD4 *cough*).

 

[infinity4]

Currently at Nova Prospekt, I am really enjoying the thrill that HL2 gives me. Continuous battlefield, great gameplay etc.

What is it that makes Half Life 2 one of best FPS of most gamers?

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I'm a crazy Farcry fan but I don;t think the graphical difference between the two was really that great at all. I would give the edge to Farcry but not by a great deal.

Absolutely not having a pop here, but I wonder if the reason you noticed less of a graphical disparity between Far Cry and HL2 was your GPU? From your sig I see you jumped from a 128mb GF4Ti to a 128mb 9800Pro - I recall the 9800Pro can Far Cry well but with 128mb VRAM you would have been limited in texture resolutions, texture filtering and probably AA as well. On 256mb 6800Ultra I was able to max out all the settings and the difference between Far Cry and HL2 at 1920x1200 was like a smack in the face.

Anyway I'm not going to labour the point, I just didn't dig HL2 for more reasons than it's graphics and I accept those angles - story, story telling and game play - are entirely subject so c'est la vie and roll on Far Cry 2!

DS

 

[Skrying]

DSoup, Far Cry 2 isn't made by Crytek so there's hope for it... but yeah.

Crysis is made by Crytek. It shows, its an amazing game. My favorite of all time. If you thought Far Cry had freedom, well it was nothing in comparison to Crysis.

 

[KnicksRIP]

Whether you find a game innovative or not really depends on what you've played up to that point. Having cut my teeth on dozens of other first person shooters, I found very little in HL2 to be innovate or fresh.

I loathed the way it dripped out bits of story compared to other games and the graphics were a throwback from Far Cry. I'd splashed out on a 6800Ultra for Far Cry and the game oozed visual brilliance, so to go from Far Cry to Half-Life 2? Admittedly at first I was ecstatic because I thought my time machine was working, but then I realised it was still post-Far Cry and HL2's graphics were really that spare, flat and for the most part, motionless.

Out of curiosity, what did you think was so special about Ravenholm?

DS

Hmm, I just think it was the level design in particular, combined with the very unique storytelling method for the level (the priest). I loved the traps set up for the zombies, as well as treading rooftops while running from the more berserk variety of alien zombie.

That, more than anything else, is where I think HL2 succeeded for its time over Far Cry (which was, admittedly, a FANTASTIC game). Pure, ingenious level design. It was linear, sure, but it never FELT constraining. And that is a masterful trick in and of itself.

 

[KnicksRIP]

DSoup, Far Cry 2 isn't made by Crytek so there's hope for it... but yeah.

Crysis is made by Crytek. It shows, its an amazing game. My favorite of all time. If you thought Far Cry had freedom, well it was nothing in comparison to Crysis.

Argh! I keep hearing such superlative reviews from different people. I wish my computer were up to speed, but that isn't the case.

Any chance we'll be seeing a slightly dumbed-down port to the PS3 or 360?

 

[Skrying]

Argh! I keep hearing such superlative reviews from different people. I wish my computer were up to speed, but that isn't the case.

Any chance we'll be seeing a slightly dumbed-down port to the PS3 or 360?

A port, many a posts on that already and not really a discussion for this thread. I'll just say that the CEO Crytek said its not going to happen, and in my own opinion it wouldn't be possible while maintaining the feel of Crysis. Do some searches, you'll find a lot of posts on the subject in threads that have been locked, lol.

 

[pjbliverpool]

Absolutely not having a pop here, but I wonder if the reason you noticed less of a graphical disparity between Far Cry and HL2 was your GPU? From your sig I see you jumped from a 128mb GF4Ti to a 128mb 9800Pro - I recall the 9800Pro can Far Cry well but with 128mb VRAM you would have been limited in texture resolutions, texture filtering and probably AA as well. On 256mb 6800Ultra I was able to max out all the settings and the difference between Far Cry and HL2 at 1920x1200 was like a smack in the face.

Anyway I'm not going to labour the point, I just didn't dig HL2 for more reasons than it's graphics and I accept those angles - story, story telling and game play - are entirely subject so c'est la vie and roll on Far Cry 2!

DS

Actually thats a good point. I ran Farcry at max details but the res/image quality/FPS were all quite low. HL2 on the other hand were all quite high so that would make a difference to my perception.

 

[KnicksRIP]

A port, many a posts on that already and not really a discussion for this thread. I'll just say that the CEO Crytek said its not going to happen, and in my own opinion it wouldn't be possible while maintaining the feel of Crysis. Do some searches, you'll find a lot of posts on the subject in threads that have been locked, lol.

Apologies.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

DSoup, Far Cry 2 isn't made by Crytek so there's hope for it... but yeah.

Crysis is made by Crytek. It shows, its an amazing game. My favorite of all time. If you thought Far Cry had freedom, well it was nothing in comparison to Crysis.

Oh I know, Crysis is making my dual 8800GTXs cry - I look forward to when I can run Crysis with all the graphical bells and whistles switched on but I have a real soft spot for Far Cry and look forward to the sequel. I diidn't know it wasn't a Crytek production though, I sure hope Crytek keep oversight on production values!

Actually thats a good point. I ran Farcry at max details but the res/image quality/FPS were all quite low. HL2 on the other hand were all quite high so that would make a difference to my perception.

HL2 definitely compared favourably with Far Cry on lower-end and mid-range GPUs, probably because Valve set the baseline for hardware way before Far Cry was probably even being developed, but at the [what was then] the the extreme high-end of Nvidia's 2nd gen DX9 hardware, it didn't scale up anywhere near as well. My 6800U must have thought it was on vacation after Far Cry

DS

 

[Skrying]

Oh I know, Crysis is making my dual 8800GTXs cry - I look forward to when I can run Crysis with all the graphical bells and whistles switched on but I have a real soft spot for Far Cry and look forward to the sequel. I diidn't know it wasn't a Crytek production though, I sure hope Crytek keep oversight on production values!

Crytek has nothing at all to do with it even. Once Ubisoft and Crytek parted ways Ubisoft kept the rights to the Far Cry name.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Oh good grief..

DS

 

[nintenho]

nintenho, have you even played Half Life 2? Any of the Episodes? By your comments it doesn't sound like it, you're dumbing done what amounts to the second best FPS game of all time. A game that's physics even today blow away 95% of what's being released on the market right now. No other game makes a significant leap over HL2 and its Episodes in terms of physics besides Crysis, though admittedly Crysis blows it away.

I've only played it a little but I am NOT saying it's not an impressive game, I'm saying comparing this port with other games developed exclusively for the PS3 is not fair.