Absurd and unrealistic expectations for Half-Life 3

[MammothBlade]

The expectations surrounding the mythical sequel to Half-Life 2 are ridiculous.

Now, I mean no disrespect to Valve, they are very accomplished in other ways, but:

a) Half-Life 1 and 2 were built on innovative storytelling method, and Valve has been largely outpaced in this regard. And let's face it, Valve is no BioWare or Bethesda or even *gasp* Infinity Ward when it comes to storytelling. The story will probably be mediocre.

b) Half-Life 2's sequel has a lot of catching up to do with modern FPS. Even for a game which is based on a minimalist inferface and detailed physics engine, it still won't be able to hold any water if the gameplay is as shallow as the Aral Sea.

Let's take elements of Left 4 Dead and Portal as key components for Half-Life 3. Well, you have some very innovative gameplay mechanics there, and some of Valve's strongest points lie in its ability to make something with a lot of work going on under the hood. Yet would people really be satisfied if the core gameplay of Half-Life 2 was released with 2013 graphics? It would be PANNED by anyone who could see past the superficial alterations. I don't think I'd enjoy the same game released today.

Half-Life 3's core gameplay would have to be redesigned from scratch, even on a successor to the Source engine. It would either infuriate people who wanted HL2 episode 3, or outrage those who wanted the next big thing in gaming.

 

[SleepyOtter]

While I disagree with some points you've made, I don't think anyone is really expecting the third installment to reinvent the wheel or anything. I think, myself included, we just want the story wrapped up or continued. Valve is the best company for quality assurance and refined gameplay, if they're working on Half Life, than they're taking their time like always. Good for them and I wish them the best of luck. I don't need Half Life 3 to be an amazing genre defining game that its predecessors were called, I just want to smack stuff with a crowbar and play with physics in a well paced shooter with fun characters that I care about.

 

[Casual Shinji]

And let's face it, Valve is no BioWare or Bethesda or even *gasp* Infinity Ward when it comes to storytelling. The story will probably be mediocre.

You know you're comparing two very different ways of storytelling, right? You don't need constant dialoge to tell a narrative or convey emotion. It's like comparing Shadow of the Colossus with Resident Evil, and saying it's worse because there's not as much cutscenes and dialoge.

 

[endtherapture]

Half Life 3 will be something we won't expect. It will have gameplay and storytelling innovations that we won't predict now, but will be groundbreaking when they come along.

That's the way of Half Life.

 

[bafrali]

REALLY? I salivated at the sight of Half Life 3 on the thread with the hopes of an announcement and even I don't have any expectations from the "mythical" HL3.

This is because I don't know what to expect. I didn't know what to expect from HL nor from HL2 because Valve does whatever the hell they want with their gamea and doesn't search for a specific audience. They do what they believe is the best and give it to us

Sure they have playtesters for feedback but that hardly dictates them when it comes to overall design philosophy

I only expect it to be a linear experience. It better be Valve!

 

[exxxed]

Half Life 3 will be something we won't expect. It will have gameplay and storytelling innovations that we won't predict now, but will be groundbreaking when they come along.

That's the way of Half Life.

Exactly!

Captcha: Saucy!

Yes, captcha, yea it'll be saucy indeed.

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

The expectations surrounding the mythical sequel to Half-Life 2 are ridiculous.

Now, I mean no disrespect to Valve, they are very accomplished in other ways, but:

a) Half-Life 1 and 2 were built on innovative storytelling method, and Valve has been largely outpaced in this regard. And let's face it, Valve is no BioWare or Bethesda or even *gasp* Infinity Ward when it comes to storytelling. The story will probably be mediocre.

b) Half-Life 2's sequel has a lot of catching up to do with modern FPS. Even for a game which is based on a minimalist inferface and detailed physics engine, it still won't be able to hold any water if the gameplay is as shallow as the Aral Sea.

Let's take elements of Left 4 Dead and Portal as key components for Half-Life 3. Well, you have some very innovative gameplay mechanics there, and some of Valve's strongest points lie in its ability to make something with a lot of work going on under the hood. Yet would people really be satisfied if the core gameplay of Half-Life 2 was released with 2013 graphics? It would be PANNED by anyone who could see past the superficial alterations. I don't think I'd enjoy the same game released today.

Half-Life 3's core gameplay would have to be redesigned from scratch, even on a successor to the Source engine. It would either infuriate people who wanted HL2 episode 3, or outrage those who wanted the next big thing in gaming.

Because you say so, right? You do know that episode 3 (or Half-Life 3 whatever) is just bubbling under the surface now. We haven't had any real news related to it in years, all we have is forum speculation. No doubt that the nanosecond it is officially announced, it will have the greatest load of hype and expectations to live up to perhaps in the entire history of gaming, unless it turns into a case of Duke Nukem Forever. But for now I wouldn't say it has any burden on it, since it's almost vaporware at this point.

Core gameplay redesigned from scratch? To do what exactly? Tell me, how many recent AAA shooters can you name that have more complex gameplay and level design than Half-Life 2? Since its release shooters haven't so much evolved as they have become mindless popcorn entertainment. In comparison Half-life 2 is actually quite complex compared to most big shooters released in the last few years: no regenerating health, suit charge, vehicle sections where you actually have to move the vehicle yourself, light puzzle and platforming sections (like the beach in Sandtraps) and 10 weapons and their ammo management.

 

[Jon Solmundson]

While I disagree with the OP's negativity on storytelling (I felt the slower moments of Portal 2 were incredible, and a new type of adventure game should spawn from its lessons. Also that Half Life 2 still sets a high watermark for 'ambient storytelling' that most have yet to surpass in subtlety or intrigue) I would happily agree that if Half Life 3 is anything less than literally the best game ever made, in all possible facets, and by a fair margin, people will be disappointed.

Bioshock Infinite saw similar nay-sayers, who had suddenly understood that it was just a very well written, fantastically realised First Person Shooter. It's a bit of a shame really, because if you've only just realised that it tarnishes what is - to everyone else - an awesome game.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well by the looks of it the only expectations that will not be met are those of people who condemn it's very name, if you don't enjoy the series then you should probably not spend money on it...

But as someone who does enjoy the series I fear Valve might get stuck with that exact community feedback and really fuck things up, I wouldn't claim that before Portal 2 but they completely gutted that game simply because their play testers were a bunch of lazy assholes.

 

[Karoshi]

Yet would people really be satisfied if the core gameplay of Half-Life 2 was released with 2013 graphics? It would be PANNED by anyone who could see past the superficial alterations. I don't think I'd enjoy the same game released today.

I played Half-life 2 a year ago and I was blown away by its graphics, storytelling and to some part even its gameplay. It's holding up very well, although not everybody enjoys what Valve is doing and that's cool with me.

I have some very high expectations for Half-life 3, but I do not expect tremendously fun gameplay or a shit ton of innovations. What I want is immersion, no cutscenes and especially no highlighted objectives. These are things which I am most likely gonna get.

What I do not expect that it's gonna become some Holy Grail and reinvent the whole shooter genre. The funny thing is, despite however acclaimed and praised HL2 was, almost no other shooter tried to imitate their way of storytelling or tried for once to go without flashing goals and arrows that show the player the way. It's hard to do what Valve is doing, and therefore most developers don't even try.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I don't think anyone expects HL3 to be the gaming revolution you seem to think they do. Just a tasteful and well thought-out game, which Valve is virtually certain to deliver. Maybe it's just me.

 

[Undomesticated Equine]

Well the first and foremost absurd and unrealistic expectation is expecting that it will ever be released.

 

[Zanderinfal]

Well, my only expectations are for it to be on a better engine (both graphically and in terms of custom content, IE mods, maps, prefabs ect.), more modernized gameplay mechanically (I don't mean make it like Call of Duty 84, but just more of an updated game with new and interesting mechanics and physics) and finally closure to the series. If this is all done well it could be a great sequel. Otherwise, I dunno. I can't foresee what a Half-Life sequel could look like, but I hope it's good. By good, I mean good as in "good for a game", not "good for a sequel to the best selling game of all time" because that would be way too unrealistic.

 

[Sacman]

Wow, I didn;t expect this from you... but points missed on every level... seriously... it's like the target you were aiming for was on a different plane of existance...

For one, unlike Bioware, and I refuse to even acknowledge that Bethesda games have a story, because they don;t, they're just a collection of lore and terrain to screw around in, Valve storytelling is based entirely around, seemless integration into the gameplay, to actually complement all the effort in player immersion and gameplay, instead of hindering it with long boring dialogues, that the player is completely unattached to, and no disrespect to Bioware, because they do have consistantly well written character driven stories, but their story telling method of making dull eyed conversation with a bunch of faceless people, or eading the flavor text in your journal really is no where near as engagning as say, actualy seeing and interacting with what's being talked about and the people that are talking...<.<

For two, well I don;t blame you for this, because it's really the subtlties in things, like level design, enemy placement, and game mechanic focus that makes all the difference in Half Life games, I mean ust think of Half Life 2, and tell me what are the differences between, say RavenHolm, and the Return to city 17? there isn;t any difference in the actual shooting mechanics, but it seemlessly, moves from, high action, to tense survival, without losing a beat, and that's because the great depth in Half Life's gameplay, doesn't come from, complex shooty sticks, contrived leveling systems, or even it's damned physics engine, but from the shear intelligence and flexibility of it's core design, to ceate depth in the gameplay... because gameplay encompasses more than just when you're shooting at stuff, and takes into account everything from level design and item placement, to implementation of player freedoms and organic problem solving... all of which are pretty much timeless and universal truths, that make a good game, it's why, you know the older half life games are stil playable, and enjoyable, despite being old, because at their core, the design philosiphy is solid and engaging...<.<

So yus, all points missed...

And let's face it, Valve is no BioWare or Bethesda or even *gasp* Infinity Ward when it comes to storytelling. The story will probably be mediocre.

You know you're comparing two very different ways of storytelling, right? You don't need constant dialoge to tell a narrative or convey emotion. It's like comparing Shadow of the Colossus with Resident Evil, and saying it's worse because there's not as much cutscenes and dialoge.

Nah, everyone knows Dialogue has nothing to do with emtion, everyone knows the amount of emotions is directly equivelant to the amount of polygons a character model has...<.<

 

[chadachada123]

Does this win the thread? I hope this wins the thread. Even if all of this doesn't come true, I can almost guarantee that world peace will be established once HL3 is released. Either because we'll have reached peace by the time it's finally released, or because it will restore that much faith in humanity. (It might help to right click -> view image)

 

[AndrewF022]

Half Life gameplay on Source 2 is just fine for me, no need to really reinvent anything too much on the gameplay side. I am pretty happy as it is, as long as they pace the game well, like they did for the original two games so I don't get bored shooting I don't think there will be any problems. Oh I would like more puzzles that aren't seesaw ones though haha.

 

[Doom972]

So, you decided to bash the Half Life games and Valve as a developer hoping for rage comments? I won't indulge you.

I will say that right now I have zero expectations from it (Since it seems Valve has given up on it). All I want is to see the story end and I wouldn't mind it was the same as Episode 2 in terms of graphics, game mechanics, etc.

 

[Evil Smurf]

I just expect to be able to play it on my computer and be priced well.