Enough with the constant praise of Half Life 2

[Smeggs]

Half-Life 2 is, like, so good, yo.

Like, remember that time where you shoot that thing and then that other thing jumped off of it?

And, like, how cool it was when you, like, got that one gun?

Oh man, best game of all time, bro.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Whatever. It doesn't change the fact that you are whining about Half Life 2, and pulling out all of the classic "Why is this game so popular when I think it sucks?" dribble. Nobody cares that you dislike it, and this topic has come up enough times (WAY too many) for people to be bothered to give you an answer. We're just sick of this topic to death.

You think that the My Little Pony complaints are annoying? They are nothing compared to the sheer volume of Half Life complaints.

It doesnt suck, you people just keep telling me that its good and innovative but compared to modern FPS instead of something when it came out.

If you people had the decency of telling exactly why then this wont even happen without someone saying that they see the nostalgia googles on the people that like HL2.

Well what do you want us to say? Any time people have offered suggestions for why they believe the game is one of the best ever, detractors automatically lambast them, claiming that they are viewing it through nostalgia goggles.

Of course they are! If someone cares about a game enough to declare it a masterpiece, they are obviously going to talk about it in a positive light. The nostalgia exists for a reason, but so often we get berated for it that some of us, like myself, just don't care to offer a straight answer. We'd just get yelled at anyways.

 

[DioWallachia]

Half-Life 2 is, like, so good, yo.

Like, remember that time where you shoot that thing and then that other thing jumped off of it?

And, like, how cool it was when you, like, got that one gun?

Oh man, best game of all time, bro.

But compared to what other game is good at?? Because you could have played Blood or Painkiller and get the same comment as you wrote here

 

[Smeggs]

Half-Life 2 is, like, so good, yo.

Like, remember that time where you shoot that thing and then that other thing jumped off of it?

And, like, how cool it was when you, like, got that one gun?

Oh man, best game of all time, bro.

But compared to what other game is good at?? Because you could have played Blood or Painkiller and get the same comment as you wrote here

Nu-uh, bro.

Half-Life 2 is, like, the best game of all time. Ever. Period.

Pain Killer and whatever that other game is only wish they could be as good as Half-Life.

I mean just look at how the big games like COD and Battlefield hav stolen from Half-Life 2.

They even took SMGs and RPGs from Half-Life, if I were Valve I'd sue Infinity Ward and DICE.

 

[tobi the good boy]

Dunno, haven't played it. I don't want to be stuck complaining about how episode 3 hasn't come out so I'm not going to put myself in that position. Maybe when the next half life DOES come out I'll play them and be pleasantly surprised.

 

[DioWallachia]

Whatever. It doesn't change the fact that you are whining about Half Life 2, and pulling out all of the classic "Why is this game so popular when I think it sucks?" dribble. Nobody cares that you dislike it, and this topic has come up enough times (WAY too many) for people to be bothered to give you an answer. We're just sick of this topic to death.

You think that the My Little Pony complaints are annoying? They are nothing compared to the sheer volume of Half Life complaints.

It doesnt suck, you people just keep telling me that its good and innovative but compared to modern FPS instead of something when it came out.

If you people had the decency of telling exactly why then this wont even happen without someone saying that they see the nostalgia googles on the people that like HL2.

Well what do you want us to say? Any time people have offered suggestions for why they believe the game is one of the best ever, detractors automatically lambast them, claiming that they are viewing it through nostalgia goggles.

Of course they are! If someone cares about a game enough to declare it a masterpiece, they are obviously going to talk about it in a positive light. The nostalgia exists for a reason, but so often we get berated for it that some of us, like myself, just don't care to offer a straight answer. We'd just get yelled at anyways.

But i am not yelling at you.

In fact lets balance this out. My favorite story driven games are the Legacy of Kain games. The voice acting was a HUGE step in the right direction compared to the many many many voice acting around the Playstation era (Resident Evil anyone?) + the 3D platforming with the dual would puzzle solving manages to be the reason of why 3D platforming can actually be well done (Bugsy 3D, take notes) + A story about time traveling vampires that want to restore the timeline balance = WIN
However as good as the writing was to keep the plot holes from surfacing it wasnt enough. LoK was a series and each game continues the plot from where we left off (instead of being a stand alone game on his own where the status quo is reseted in every "sequel" AKA Uncharted or the James Bond films) It was its eventual demise to keep going without answering some critical plot holes and as "Cinematic" as it was, the cutscenes where unskipable and could take 5 min each one, the hack and slash was quick and simple and the QTE didnt take too long to break the flow but wasnt really that fun until the entry of Defiance but was already too late

You see, i could see Half Life 2 in the same light as Legacy of Kain series because of the potential it had to set the standard of gaming in general back when it was released............but they didnt and that facinates me. Or at least would be if i had a more clear idea of what is HL2 deal.

 

[DioWallachia]

Half-Life 2 is, like, so good, yo.

Like, remember that time where you shoot that thing and then that other thing jumped off of it?

And, like, how cool it was when you, like, got that one gun?

Oh man, best game of all time, bro.

But compared to what other game is good at?? Because you could have played Blood or Painkiller and get the same comment as you wrote here

Nu-uh, bro.

Half-Life 2 is, like, the best game of all time. Ever. Period.

Pain Killer and whatever that other game is only wish they could be as good as Half-Life.

I mean just look at how the big games like COD and Battlefield hav stolen from Half-Life 2.

They even took SMGs and RPGs from Half-Life, if I were Valve I'd sue Infinity Ward and DICE.

But COD and Battlefield suck too hard to be compared to a game from many years ago.
And i am pretty sure that the SMGs and RPGs are supposed to be modeled after real weapons in real life so the weapons industry should sue THEM back

 

[Laser Priest]

Constant praise? This exact thread is made on here at least once every 48 hours. If anything there is just constant complaining that it gets constant praise.

The "real answer" is that different people like different things. Not liking HL2 isn't some abomination and liking it is not strange.

If only the internet would finally learn this.

And if I praise it, it's because it was a bloody excellent game. Well made, atmospheric, a campaign longer than four hours, everything. I still enjoy more than a lot of the big FPSs that come out nowadays.

 

[RedDeadFred]

While I agree that it isn't really all it's cracked up to be... that's just my opinion.
Other people have different opinions.

Since you clearly haven't been to the internet before I'd like to personally welcome you and remind you that this is a place where opinions of all sorts (many of which you will disagree with) come and fly around.

And now, enjoy a complimentary opinion from me:
Tacos are delicious!

Have a nice evening.

 

[Aidinthel]

I played HL2 for the first time in early 2010. Fucking loved it.

I can beat that. I played HL1 for the first time in mid 2010, and enjoyed it more than Bioshock, which I played a couple months later and had to force myself to finish.

 

[The_Emperor]

it was awesome, atmospheric, good puzzles, good level design

you just have no taste in games

hows that for an answer?

stop remaking old threads.

 

[Skin]

Except for Resistance 3 plot apparently but still, how can you be sure? How many people have actually taken notes from Valve? As i promised to "aftohsix" i will NOW talk about the bussiness perspective.

You see, i have a pretty basic understanding of the decisions of the producers of games and i think that a game that is SO GOOD as HL2 and Portal would get more riped off over the very few years that passed. After all, Doom was ripped off over and over with the many FPS that followed with their "own" identity, so games like Portal and HL2 should have become the standard for all the FPS to come. Why not? They didnt seem to care when the producers did it to Doom so may as well. Unless the ability to rip off the structure of a game was limited thanks to the rise of the internet, where people can call BULLSHIT more quickly than in the 90's
When i compared HL2 to Citizen Kane i actually mean it but the comparation of mine is around the hype that they got. They are both "criticaly aclaimed" and "innovative" for their time and i dare to say that in their respective mediums (games and movies) are better regarded than films/games of today.
Now, i know CK used the cinematography and lightning effects in a way that was "innovative" for a film but the producers AVOIDED using anything related to CK because this movie bombed at the box office and coping a formula that doesnt make money isnt going to pay for an island in the caribean nor even let you pay the entry fee for the Illuminaty.
So how about HL2?? i am pretty sure that it DIDNT bombed and it had good reviews so that means that everyone is going to copy the shit out of it, right?? ............ Aparently no and that is weird. They had NO REASON to NOT copy the winning formula of HL2. Did the producers though its just as generic as the other games?? Or was it because it came in the Orange Box with other games and couldnt point out what game was the source of success?? I dont know.

Ok, you got me on one point. It looks like that the rare developer likes to develop his game around the HL formula. On the other hand, it seems your are confusing HL2's great innovations and style with that of HL1's.

See, HL2 was based off of HL1. Some considered it more polished than the original, with some better gameplay mechanics and story, but it certainly was not as groundbreaking as the original.

In a way I think HL2 fans are the equivalent of Halo 2 fans. The original game does not meet the standards of today's FPS, so they deem the second game superior, even though they were both pretty average.

 

[Mikeyfell]

Noooonononononono. I need a REAL answer. Like a specific part that sets appart this game from the rest.

I hate to say it but There is no "REAL" answer.
Half Life isn't the kind of game that relies of set-pieces (Unless you like see-saw's)
The thing that people (Myself included) like about Half Life 2 is that it's just a really solid game with a really solid narrative. There's no cover, I guess that's one thing that sets it apart from everything else available today. I think you should play Half Life 2 because it's a very solidly designed game. And if that's not a good reason then play it because playing it is the only way you'll ever find out if it's nostalgia or quality that keep all the fanboys banging on about it.

By the way, the gravity and physics mechanics DO give free blowjobs.

 

[DioWallachia]

Noooonononononono. I need a REAL answer. Like a specific part that sets apart this game from the rest.

I hate to say it but There is no "REAL" answer.
Half Life isn't the kind of game that relies of set-pieces (Unless you like see-saw's)
The thing that people (Myself included) like about Half Life 2 is that it's just a really solid game with a really solid narrative. There's no cover, I guess that's one thing that sets it apart from everything else available today. I think you should play Half Life 2 because it's a very solidly designed game. And if that's not a good reason then play it because playing it is the only way you'll ever find out if it's nostalgia or quality that keep all the fanboys banging on about it.

By the way, the gravity and physics mechanics DO give free blowjobs.

Ok, but once again you and everyone else is using TODAY'S FPS games as comparation and i will like to know about when HL2 came out (The Citizen Kane reference wasnt just for show because people compare this movie to today's movies when we know that CK obviously is going to win to say.... Transformers films)

 

[DioWallachia]

it was awesome, atmospheric, good puzzles, good level design

you just have no taste in games

hows that for an answer?

stop remaking old threads.

No taste?? Allow me:

(craking fingers Kenshiro style)

Sacrifice
IJI
MDK2
Dungeon Keeper 1 and 2
Populous 3 The Beginning
Syndicate
Legacy of Kain series minus Blood Omen 2
The Binding of Isaac
Tyrian
Minecraft
Bastion
Raptor Call of Shadows
Hexen 1 and 2
Hereric 1
Blood 1
Deus Ex 1 (played recently)
Hyper Princess Pitch
Batman Revenge of the Joker
Alien Soldier
Chakan The Forever Man
Frozen Synapse
Gunstar Heroes
Castlevania Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow
Snow Brothers
Diablo 2
Heroes 3 of Might and Magic ( + its mod "Wake of the Gods")
Earthworm Jim
Vectorman
Megaturrican
No More Heroes
Killer7
Vynil Goddess From Mars

To name a few. And HL2 could get in the list if only people told me what its so innovative about it and why they keep comparing this game to the modern FPS when it should be evaluated under the standards of when it came out

 

[ACman]

Noooonononononono. I need a REAL answer. Like a specific part that sets appart this game from the rest.

I think the most important thing for me is that it doesn't constantly tell you what to do. So many games these days lead their player though arrows or glowing lines or support characters constantly barking in your ear. Half life 2 is satisfiying because when you go somewhere you do it because you found the way to go.

Other than that I would nominate atmosphere and pacing. The story is B-movie sci-fi schlock (Still a huge cut above most games, but I digress.) It's not constant action like 'Call of Duty' games and their ilk. It manages to feed story elements to the player without shoving them in the player's face (Al la 'Homefront')

It changes the mechanics every so often so you don't feel like you're just doing the same thing over and over again until the game finishes. It switches from creepy survival horror to heart pumping action to 3d puzzles.

 

[DioWallachia]

Ok, you got me on one point. It looks like that the rare developer likes to develop his game around the HL formula. On the other hand, it seems your are confusing HL2's great innovations and style with that of HL1's.

See, HL2 was based off of HL1. Some considered it more polished than the original, with some better gameplay mechanics and story, but it certainly was not as groundbreaking as the original.

In a way I think HL2 fans are the equivalent of Halo 2 fans. The original game does not meet the standards of today's FPS, so they deem the second game superior, even though they were both pretty average.

Le fuck? i...wha...mn.aaaaaaahhhhhhhh

Why would they praise the second game as innovative when it was the first who set the standard?? it doesnt make sense me.

I was under the impresion that HL1 had its innovation and boring gameplay for one side and HL2 had is OWN innovation WITH better and fun gameplay. But i see now that its HL1 that sets the mark and HL2 its just a quick fix.

Maybe this is the double standard that people keep saying around here. They bash sequels of today's games for being the same but a bit more but HL2 gets away with it even if its just like those sequels with "the same but more" formula. Why not praise the first game?? i mean, i praise Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver for its 3D platforming mixed with dual world puzzle solving even if it looks blocky as fuck (another double standart perhaps?? i guess graphics ARE important, arent they?) You may notice that the Zelda game from SNES already has the dual world thingy going around before SR but since uses 3D platforming its another world of diference

 

[DioWallachia]

Noooonononononono. I need a REAL answer. Like a specific part that sets appart this game from the rest.

I think the most important thing for me is that it doesn't constantly tell you what to do. So many games these days lead their player though arrows or glowing lines or support characters constantly barking in your ear. Half life 2 is satisfiying because when you go somewhere you do it because you found the way to go.

Other than that I would nominate atmosphere and pacing. The story is B-movie sci-fi schlock (Still a huge cut above most games, but I digress.) It's not constant action like 'Call of Duty' games and their ilk. It manages to feed story elements to the player without shoving them in the player's face (Al la 'Homefront')

It changes the mechanics every so often so you don't feel like you're just doing the same thing over and over again until the game finishes. It switches from creepy survival horror to heart pumping action to 3d puzzles.

Ok but you people keep comparing this game with the modern ones that we know that arent fun. In fact under that logic i can file any FPS before HL2 and would be better than the ones now (except Requiem: The Avenging Angel that plain sucks but also had the "find the way around yourself and no cutscenes except in the very end)

 

[ACman]

It set a standard and therefore deserves its praise.

a standard for what? linearity (wow... that's actually a word...)? Limited weapons? HEALTH PACKS!??!?!?!?

Hardly anything used in HL2 is used in modern shooters. If there IS something that it helped out, it's the cinematic design of shooters, though arguably other games did this before HL2. Even then, modern shooters cinematics tend to be more the love child of RPGs and hollywood block busters than any influence HL2 had on the industry.

I think you're forgetting what games were like before half life and half life 2. Remember Quake? And why the fuck linearity a bad thing? COD is linear. Bioshock is linear.

Except that there is objectivity to game quality. HL2 fails these tests.

And it is funny. Many of the responses I got before were the same.

It's not about changing the OP's mind. It's about reasons. Reasons that withstand the test of time.

If anything, what I'm honestly getting is that HL2 IS NOT a good game compared to today's standards because NO BODY DEFENDS IT AS SUCH.

So why should you compare such an old game to today's games, you ask? Because this particular game gets so much praise. Fanboys jizz on it all fucking day long while passing over superior FPS. Why? That's what we want to know. Why's it given so much love!

What are you basing this on? Polygon count? Is Dr Strangelove an inferior film because it is in black and white? What other areas does Half life 2 actually not match up to modern games?