Is it essential to play the original Half Life before I play Half Life 2?

[CartoonHead]

ANTI-SANTA, Ok, to be more specific: Do you see a huge fanbase akin to HL in the Blood series at the present time? No. It was a bog-standard shooter, one that I bought and enjoyed at the time, but a bog standard shooter nonetheless.

I think is doubtful they would to reinvent it any time soon seeing as Monolith are quite happy with Project Origin and hinting at maybe a new Shogun (Mech) game.
IF they were to reinvent Blood however, they would have to be really careful in how they do it, otherwise Blood would just end up like Postal (which, coincidentally, doesn't have the fanbase HL has either) a simple blam-blam game with no real allure aside from the (motiveless) deaths of anything in your path.

 

[CTU_Agent24]

As a vast majority have said, it's not essential to have played Half-Life to enjoy Half-Life 2 as a game. However, to understand certain aspects of the story, characters actions, and the "inside" jokes you'd have to play the original. It would give you a sense of continuity as well besides being one of the greatest games ever designed.

Also, gabemorr, I honestly doubt it'll look better than Episode 1. In fact, I doubt Black Mesa: Source will look much better than Half-Life 2. It's been in development for quite a while now and does not use any of the update SDK components as far as the Source Engine goes.

And, to CTU_Agent 24, Half-Life did have a lot of story to it, it just wasn't spoon fed to you mindlessly in cut-scenes as many games do now adays.

Lol, i like the mindless Cut-scenes, rather watch a short clip then have to hunt for a story. lol

 

[Archaeology Hat]

If you can stand the dated look its okay.

It is from like... what 1998?

 

[Shadow Tyrant]

Ten years is a long time in the video game industry.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

i've played since half-life 1 and all i know is that there's this evil guy in a suit and tie that pops up everywhere and that the aliens that i used to kill now know english and are our friends and that we are both fighting the same opressive forces.