Poll: Half Life 2 vs. Half Life vs. The episodes vs. Portal

[GreatVladmir]

Half-Life, I will allways maintain that a Combine Soilder could never take down a HECU Grunt, especially Corp. Adrian Shpered <3.

Yeah, and also, I felt that the story was alot more well made, I mean, I am such a huge Half-Life fan, I use to dream about being a HECU Grunt, but HL2 was a real dissapointment, after I got over the initial excitment (I starting playing it at 12pm x-mas morning and by 9pm I was far into Novaprospeckt), it was just too short.

 

[Anton P. Nym]

Portal, easily, because of its intelligent and novel gameplay that doesn't overstay its welcome.

HL2 and its episodes didn't grab me the same way, and I haven't had the pleasure of playing the original HL.

-- Steve

 

[deadly.by.design]

Can't I just vote 'yes'? I enjoy them all.

My vote went to the HL2 Episodes though, as Ep2 seemed like the penultimate HL experience. (yay, big word)

 

[Joeshie]

They are all fantastic but I would have to go with the original Half-Life due to its huge impact it had on video gaming.

 

[shatnershaman]

I hate all the half-lifes and portal EXCEPT episode 2 I don't know what it was they did different but I LOVE it.

 

[PurpleRain]

Half Life 2 because that's where the whole Orwellian alien-dictated future came from. It's gritty and was so far different to the first. I can't see people voting any other way.

 

[Easykill]

I hate all the half-lifes and portal EXCEPT episode 2 I don't know what it was they did different but I LOVE it.

Sure your tastes didn't change? Go back and play the earlier ones. As for me... Too close to call. Never played the original.

EDIT: Ravenholm, How did I forget thee? Half-life 2

 

[shatnershaman]

I hate all the half-lifes and portal EXCEPT episode 2 I don't know what it was they did different but I LOVE it.

Sure your tastes didn't change? Go back and play the earlier ones. As for me... Too close to call. Never played the original.

EDIT: Ravenholm, How did I forget thee? Half-life 2

I played them all at the same time with the orange box so if my tastes change in 10 hours my tastes are retarded.

EDIT: I did play episode 2 last but I did play epi 1 and original half life 2 at friends a week later(he wanted me to beat it for him)

 

[Reload92]

Half-Life 2.
It seemed like you had just overcame an epic journey by the end of the game.

 

[Katana314]

I voted Half-Life 2, partially because it's true, partially to spite you for saying it was disappointing. It was the first I played of the HL series, and it inspired me into buying the original. Rarely does a sequel not only live up to the amazing game before it, but in some ways actually do BETTER. Not to mention it had the best ratio of graphics quality to performance of its time.

 

[Vigormortis]

This is a hard choice. Half-Life is a classic that helped define the genre of story-driven FPS's. Half-Life 2 is perfect blend of story and artistic presentation. Episode 1 really renewed my faith in NPC companions. Episode 2 really felt like a true step forward in narrative story telling in an FPS. Lastly, Portal is a work of pure genius. All of them exude "awesomeness". If I had to choose, I'd go with Episode 2 only because it did so many things right and was one of the only games that, at the end, literally made me say, "Oh my God, did that just happen? I can't wait for the sequel."

 

[LackingSaint]

Personally, i'd seperate the episodes, because here's how it works out for me:

HL2: ep2 > HL2 > Portal > HL1 > HL2: ep1

 

[JakubK666]

Spy sapped the poll - You forgot about one game!

 

[Anarchemitis]

And again,

 

[Cameoflage]

(Disclaimer: I've only played HL2 and Portal, although I look forward to obtaining the episodes.)

As hard as it is to choose (and as blasphemous as it feels, since I'm a huge Portal fan), I'd have to vote for HL2 over Portal, because it provides a lot more variety of experiences over the course of the game.

Spy sapped the poll - You forgot about one game!

Perhaps the OP only wanted to include games set in the Half-Life universe?

 

[Samuel71]

They all suck.

 

[gibboss28]

half life 1

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

EP1, while a FANTASTIC story, is just more of the same and the [Good Dame!] ELEVATOR WAITING IN THE DARK is an exercise in anger and frustration.

I'm glad someone else said this before I got here or I'd have thought that I was the only one who felt this way. While I loved the feeling of fighting in the next best thing to absolute darkness, I utterly HATED the elevator sequence (mind you, I played through it before Valve tweaked it) and was more glad than anything to be out of there. It put a damper on the experience for me.

Anyway. While HL2 was the game I woke up at 5 AM to play when I had to be at work at 7, and the final Strider battle in Ep. 2 had my heart racing, I'm going to have to vote for Portal. Half-Life slapped the FPS genre upside the head and said "Look what I can do better than you". HL2 hit the FPS genre upside the head with a book and said "Try giving us characters to give a damn about". Portal, however, slapped all of PC gaming upside the head and said "Look what I can do that you never even thought of".

(PS. Mods, please disregard the report I accidentally filed. I went to click the poll and then the screen jumped to my post. Also, can we get a confirm button for that thing? )

 

[GordonFawx]

I'm putting my vote for Half-Life. It was, in every reasonable sense, ground-breaking. From graphics, to the use of AI and allies in an FPS, to being the pinacle of survival-horror shooter that will likely never be beaten. In the same way as Portal it basically MADE a new genre, the only reason I elevate it above Portal is because Valve now has the budget to do whatever it pleases and back when it brought us Half-Life it was very much a new company treading un-tested (or at least un-proven) waters. Much like hopping into a pool with that cealocanth