Can someone please tell me why Half-Life 2 has such appeal?

[veloper]

I am not a big fan of the Half-Life series and I think this is mostly because I played Half-Life 1 way too late. I also hate jumping puzzles in FPSs. The fact that Half-Life 1 had jumping puzzles and was dated looking made me uninterested. However, I did play Half-Life 2 fairly close to its release day and want to ask this question: What's the lasting appeal of this game? As a shooter it's alright, but to me the dicking around while not shooting ruins it.

Simple. People like dicking around in between shooting.

What's hard to understand?

 

[archvile93]

Because it has a strong plot and atmosphere, but unlike other similarly well plotted and atmosphered games, the gameplay is merely mediorce instead of horrendously broken.

 

[boholikeu]

I've never seen anybody provide a proper reason why they like Half-Life 2 that isn't "It's DEEP/it's the THINKING MAN'S FPS/ It's made by VALVE".

Why isn't "it's the THINKING MAN'S FPS" argument a proper reason? It is a thinking man's FPS:

-The HL series tells much of its story through exploration, implication, and the environment rather than simple cut scenes. That's pretty much the video game equivalent of "show, don't tell".

-The story has ongoing themes and metaphors, most of which are reflected through gameplay/level design.

Thank you, for actually EXPLAINING the viewpoint "it's a thinking man's FPS". You see, the reason that I wasn't satisfied with it was because nobody ever explained what they meant (beyond "yo, thar be physics puzzles", which DID encourage thought but weren't enough on their own to classify it as a thinker's FPS IMO).

You do make good points, as well. I didn't notice the themes and metaphors. I'm going to have to look out for those next time I get the chance to play it.

I'm glad I could help clarify it for you. The developer commentary option has a few interesting tidbits about the story's themes, so you might want to turn it on if you decide to replay the games.

 

[Netrigan]

It's made by Valve,that alone makes it popular, especially here of all places.

Not surprising. Its the third most successful FPS franchise, it's first two installments actually outsold the first two installments of Halo.

And Valve, like a lot of the top PC devs, has a reputation for giving back to the fan community.

 

[Zer_]

I've never seen anybody provide a proper reason why they like Half-Life 2 that isn't "It's DEEP/it's the THINKING MAN'S FPS/ It's made by VALVE".

Why isn't "it's the THINKING MAN'S FPS" argument a proper reason? It is a thinking man's FPS:

-The HL series tells much of its story through exploration, implication, and the environment rather than simple cut scenes. That's pretty much the video game equivalent of "show, don't tell".

-The story has ongoing themes and metaphors, most of which are reflected through gameplay/level design.

Thank you, for actually EXPLAINING the viewpoint "it's a thinking man's FPS". You see, the reason that I wasn't satisfied with it was because nobody ever explained what they meant (beyond "yo, thar be physics puzzles", which DID encourage thought but weren't enough on their own to classify it as a thinker's FPS IMO).

You do make good points, as well. I didn't notice the themes and metaphors. I'm going to have to look out for those next time I get the chance to play it.

Throughout the game you can find things like graffiti, newspapers, and other subtle clues that you can piece together to get an idea about the story behind Half-Life. It's a game the doesn't require you to explore to at least enjoy as a decent FPS, but to really get the most out of the experience, you need to explore. Go down deviated paths, you might find a small tidbit of information that adds to the puzzle.

Here's a cool trick.

If you do end up playing it through again, pay close attention to small details. Pieces of paper lying on the ground, try to read the text. Once you do, write it down somewhere, keep note of it. After you've beaten the game, take all those notes and look at them, try to fit them into the story that is presented to you in the game. You may not get the whole puzzle (there's always room for speculation) but you get tantalizing pieces and little tidbits that leave you wanting for more.

 

[Judgement101]

I am not a big fan of the Half-Life series and I think this is mostly because I played Half-Life 1 way too late. I also hate jumping puzzles in FPSs. The fact that Half-Life 1 had jumping puzzles and was dated looking made me uninterested. However, I did play Half-Life 2 fairly close to its release day and want to ask this question: What's the lasting appeal of this game? As a shooter it's alright, but to me the dicking around while not shooting ruins it. Not that I need guns blazing 24/7, I really enjoyed Amnesia for example, but I just don't get why people are so excited for Episode 3 when Episode 0 left me no reason to keep following the story.

If anyone can tell me what they liked about it that made it different from other games of the genre, then please let me know. Likewise, if you just love Valve that's a fair answer too.

I hope you are aware that just saying this makes you basically an outcast here.

OT: It has everything linear FPSs need, epic encounters, changing enviorments, a good story, ect.

 

[repeating integers]

I've never seen anybody provide a proper reason why they like Half-Life 2 that isn't "It's DEEP/it's the THINKING MAN'S FPS/ It's made by VALVE".

Why isn't "it's the THINKING MAN'S FPS" argument a proper reason? It is a thinking man's FPS:

-The HL series tells much of its story through exploration, implication, and the environment rather than simple cut scenes. That's pretty much the video game equivalent of "show, don't tell".

-The story has ongoing themes and metaphors, most of which are reflected through gameplay/level design.

Thank you, for actually EXPLAINING the viewpoint "it's a thinking man's FPS". You see, the reason that I wasn't satisfied with it was because nobody ever explained what they meant (beyond "yo, thar be physics puzzles", which DID encourage thought but weren't enough on their own to classify it as a thinker's FPS IMO).

You do make good points, as well. I didn't notice the themes and metaphors. I'm going to have to look out for those next time I get the chance to play it.

Throughout the game you can find things like graffiti, newspapers, and other subtle clues that you can piece together to get an idea about the story behind Half-Life. It's a game the doesn't require you to explore to at least enjoy as a decent FPS, but to really get the most out of the experience, you need to explore. Go down deviated paths, you might find a small tidbit of information that adds to the puzzle.

Here's a cool trick.

If you do end up playing it through again, pay close attention to small details. Pieces of paper lying on the ground, try to read the text. Once you do, write it down somewhere, keep note of it. After you've beaten the game, take all those notes and look at them, try to fit them into the story that is presented to you in the game. You may not get the whole puzzle (there's always room for speculation) but you get tantalizing pieces and little tidbits that leave you wanting for more.

Oh, I noticed those. The passive storytelling (like the old freighters scattered about the near-empty canal) was, I thought, clever. It was more observation than thinking, but I did like it. On the other hand, when I think "recurring themes", I think English classes discussing how a repeated theme in Inspector Calls is the class system and how unfair it was, or how the "writer's purpose" behind Lord of the Flies was to examine society's foibles. Was I misinterpreting what boholikeu said?

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

I could give you MY reasons:
1.It's very intriguing
2. There are A LOT of loose ends= mystery
3. It does make you think on the spot
4. It's setting is modern/futuristic, (there really should be a word for it, preferrably ending in -punk)

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

The funny thing is, I finished it once, and I can barely remember the specifics, but Ravenholm is creepy as hell, so I haven't replayed it.

 

[T8B95]

Because it's the 1984 of videogames.

Everybody loves 1984.

I didn't. It's overhyped, pessimistic, and propagandic--not so much unlike Half-Life.

 

[The_Puppy_Prince]

It is on the surface just a normal fps,but its not content alone that made the game great
Its how it was executed
Theres just something about the puzzles,set pieces and actually believable characters that made it what it is and why fanboy's like me rave about it
I can imagine a life were Half Life was a just another bland,boring samey shooter
Id express my feelings but the nearest metro-cop would have me beaten

 

[Whitenail]

What makes half life 2 my favourite game? Well in my experience it's not all that much of a thinker's fps, nor is it particularly deep (despite being an obvious Orwellian re-working of Moses and the exodus...trust me) and just ignore the fact that I have the mindset that Valve is to games what the Beatles were to music (you know fully how I mean that, now just go along with the analogy). Looking back I'd say the thing I like most about the game is it's variety and unbroken gameplay, first you escape the cops on a rooftop, then you're in a gunboat, then you're in Ravenholm, then you're commanding hordes of enormous bugs to do your bidding so on and so forth, and it's all tied together with sweet locales, memorable characters and a fair mix of combat action and puzzles.