Poll: The half life series

[Ekonk]

I freakin' LOVE Half-Life. Sure, the weapons are a bit unimaginative, but I don't care.

What you said about uninspired and mediocre enemies is simply not true. I have yet to see another alien race that is portrayed so menacing and ambiguous as the combine.
I never really felt empathy towards Gordon Freeman, but that's because I play him. It's almost an RPG in that way. You feel empathy towards Alyx, Eli, hate towards Mossman, etc, because you are Freeman. You're not supposed to feel empathy towards him, you're supposed to project yourself on him.

I sound like a real fanboy, and I am.

 

[Timbydude]

I'm not the biggest fan of Valve's other games, but I LOVED LOVED LOVED both Half-Life games, and Episode 2 had possibly the best ending I've seen in a game.

The protagonist is mute, but you're supposed to fill in the role. The storytelling is excellent in that it's realistic; if you were really there, you wouldn't stop moving so a cutscene would roll. The story is expertly weaved right into the game itself, which is one of the things that makes the series so compelling.

 

[Ldude893]

I've never been so emotionally attached to video game characters before (not just the character of Alyx), the characters of Half Life 2 are one of the most human I've ever seen.

 

[Turbulenssi]

To me its a game series with lots of high points, where atmosphere is through the roof and its just pure awesomeness, and low points, where it just feels a bit dull. Character are very well done and feel very human. In overall the whole series is great and very well done and thought through.

GIVF Episode 3!

 

[BlindMessiah94]

Thats pretty much the problem I have with it. While its a decent game in its own right, Im finding it hard to get into. Not really sure why.

Can I ask are you playing the 360 version or the PC version?

I know I had played HL on the PC and loved it.
Then I played HL2 on the 360 because I bought the orange box. I never even finished it.
Maybe its just me but something about the PC version (maybe its the controls) just seems to work better. I find the game to be really boring on the console.

 

[Rathy]

I really enjoyed HL2. It took me a few attempts to get into, but once I finally got past Ravenholm, it was clear sailing to the end. It really starts to pick up later in HL 2, as well as the episodes all the way through.

I have not gotten to playing HL yet though. Been waiting on Black Mesa Source, but at this rate I'm tempted to just go play HL source.

 

[yaoi1990fan]

I loved half Life since it started on the computer, the puzzles mixed in with a shooter is what got me in to gaming in the first place.

 

[Crayzor]

I really like the Half-life series, but I always felt disconnected from what was going on by the fact that Gordon never talked. It just felt like I wasn't really part of the narrative. But other than that, I love them, especially episode 2.

 

[Optimus Hagrid]

Half Life 2 has awesome cutscenes and average gameplay.

Half Life has average cutscenes and much more interssting and faster gameplay, due to the wider variety of enemies and the veritable arsenal of awesome blowy-uppy gadgets.

At least in my opinion anyway.

What I think is more certain is that the games have aged somewhat and aren't as spectacular as they were during the 'day'.

 

[GodsAndFishes]

Good games, but not the second coming of the messiah that everyone seems to think they are.

 

[acosn]

Half Life as a series poses an interesting problem for me.

On the one hand, they're good games. There's no way around that much.

Only problems are the asking price and the asking price.

Don't get me wrong, I'll pay 50 bucks for a game, but what the half life games provided was pretty far from the asking price, and for a single player only game no less.

 

[StarStruckStrumpets]

To me, it seemed like there was no objective other than just to shoot things. Alongside the fact that Gordon never spoke, the game felt pointless, and I never got past Ravenholm on HL2.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Well I think the problem is you find Half Life generic but in actuality it helped define generic. So yes while Half Life may seem a little generic and bland it helped to define generic and bland.

 

[QuickDEMOL1SHER]

I just recently completed Half-Life 2 after getting it for Christmas and the result was a resounding "meh".

Since I never played HL1 I had some trouble following the story, but when I did manage to get a grip on it, it was nice but not great. In terms of characters, I really don't understand why so many people love the characters. Alyx is really uninteresting and underdeveloped and many of the scenes involving her are really just the classic horror movie "Let's split up and walk around dark hallways alone" setup. The puzzles while cool in some places, felt very gimmicky and unnecessary to me.

On the upside of things the world feels pretty well developed and the weapons are a hoot. I have rarely had more fun than I did with the upgraded Grav Gun. I also enjoyed the ability to pick up anything and throw it. I spent the first ten minutes playing just picking up cans and throwing them at guards faces. The highlight for me was where you get control of the Antlions and order your enemies turned minions to swarm the Combine base.

The combat and enemies were decent, but nothing great and Gordan himself left no impact on me whatsoever.


All in all I can say that while Half-Life 2 is certainly above average, it's nothing near the amazing best game ever so many magazines and people make it out to be.

 

[De Ronneman]

I voted nay.

Simple reasons: The game was a pioneer, but it's role has long since been over.

The story is meh, and it is being dragged out very long, episodes take, apperently, forever to make, and even then it's mostly being used by people applying Gary's mod...

 

[Ze_Reaper_Of_Zeath]

It was a good game, and is really good, but it wasn't THAT captivating for me, like some people said it would. To be frank, I enjoyed L4D2 more.