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HalfLife2 review
Published: December 6, 2004
This isn't really a review of Half-Life 2 more of a brief synopsis of my feelings after completing possibly the most anticipated game in history.
Installing the game is the first problem. Grrrr.... What is this? I have heard of protection but I'm sorry they have taken things too far. In a funny way because of the problems installing the game, ie. online authentication, unlocking game files etc, it sort of adds to the drama as you're desperate to play this beautiful game.
Point Insertion. You, once again are dropped into the game on a train. Security push you through a certain path and then things start to go wrong and you're being shot at. Hmmm.
Don't get me wrong, HL2 is a good game. But that's all it is. Good. It's not great. I think probably FarCry and Doom 3 graphically stole some thunder from Valve but gameplay was no better, IMO, than the previous game. Predictable at times, tiresome, especially having to solve boring and repetitive puzzles to get to another area (how old is that?).
It could have been so much more. The ending was OK with that weird anti-gravity gun that sucks those energy balls up and also drags the Combine about but come on, a Magnum. This game has a teleport device in it. Why are we using old American weapons? Why do I have to smash boxes to get through gaps?
My score. 85%.
HalfLife2 Review Update
There are two reasons for me updating this post.
- My stats are showing an awful lot of hits are coming through this review.
- I recently re-completed FarCry after completing HalfLife2 and it's changed my views slightly.
My thing was the graphics. When HalfLife2 was in development, we all heard the stories about incredible AI and who were we to doubt them after the first incarnation of the game. But I wanted to see the next gen games, with next gen graphics, and couldn't wait.
While Valve were messing about sorting HalfLife2 for production, I settled for FarCry to see me through. Now this is Valves' biggest mistake. Rather than trying to seal the game in so no-one can copy it with their steam activation system, they should have published before FarCry was released. FarCry had what I called next gen graphics and was stunning to behold. The AI was intelligent, probably on par with Call of Duty / Medal of Honor et all and was a great game to play.
After completing FarCry, HalfLife2 didn't seem that much better. I really wish I'd have played it first as I, and many others, would have thought, WOW! Well at first, as stated above, I gave the game 85%. I've recently finished FarCry again after a little hard earned time off work and it's only now that I can see the little differences that make HalfLife2 the fantastic, and ultimately the best FPS game out there.
I can't quite pin it down but I think it's the little AI differences, the variables in the character scripting. Although at times predictable, there are more character variables than other games today and it's the variables that make a game.
What I believe is that the original HalfLife set the benchmark for future FPS games and that's a huge credit to the development team at Valve. Where can you go from there though? All you have is character variables, storyline and graphics. I guess if developers can create characters that simulate some of the crafty online players that annihilate me then that would be the crown of any game, but true AI is still in Hollywood and if true AI became reality, I doubt the home entertainment market would hear about it first, more likely the Governments Defense Departments of the world.
Revised score for HL2: 91%