Valve: Everything We Do Competes Against Half-Life 2

[Woodsey]

I always use it as an example of almost pitch-perfect pacing.

Game designers do fine, by and large, when it comes to pacing game play, but they're clueless about pacing narrative. Very rarely is any thought given to the intersection between the two. But hey, at least Valve knows how to tell a story through actual play. Tried Starcraft 2 yet? It should've been subtitled "Wrath of the Cutscenes."

Everyone seems to have cut it down into gameplay pacing and story pacing. This most certainly cannot done when talking about HL2, given that you're never moved into a cutscene, but I don't think it can really be done to other games either.

My example of Bioshock - that I gave to the other guy - was that the gameplay's pacing almost tore apart what little story the game had. The two are inextricably linked in my eyes.

[small]I know this isn't a direct reply to what you said, I was just spinning off from the distinction you made between gameplay and narrative pacing.[/small]

 

[Rusty Bucket]

I get annoyed whenever anyone states their opinion as though it were the only one worth listening to.

That's exactly what you just did.

 

[JeanLuc761]

I get annoyed whenever anyone states their opinion as though it were the only one worth listening to.

That's exactly what you just did.

I was about to say "read it again" but you're right, I typed that wrong.

DAMN INTERNET!!!

 

[ScopeV2]

Half Life to date is the only sequel I can describe as not "holding the gamer up in a wedgie while stealing his/her lunch money". None of today's games can even think of touching the bar Valve set with Half Life and the cast in iron sequel Half Life 2. If you seriously think Halo (number or title here) or any other popular (and generic, oh so generic) shooter these days is better in combat intensity, character development, immersion, story progression, game mechanics you probably did NOT play the game.

Or you also like fat ugly chick without having a drink.

For the people who think it's overrated, of course you are entitled to your own opinion, but please remember Half Life set the standard for modern shooters. Saying it's "not that great" is basically taking a shit on the entire genre.

You say that, but modern FPS' are closer to Halo than Half-Life. Regenerating health, 2 firearm limit, melee separate from weapons, grenades separate from weapons. About all Half-Life added was some form of grav-gun/physics mechanic, maybe vehicle sections (Tho Halo had them too).

For general gameplay tho, Half-Life feels positively old school. Health packs and hyperspace pockets for all your weapons galore! In fact the only other game I can think of that stuck with that was Resistance(PS3), even they changed to the 2 weapon/health regen system for Resistance 2.

Story and writing are solid tho, no argument there.

I think the whole "FPS games went Halo" thing is caused by the fact that many of today's FPS games are multiplatform (or in some cases, primarily made for consoles). It's tedious to cycle through 10 different weapons (especially if you urgently need a melee attack or grenades) using a console gamepad. Halo, which was primarily released for consoles, solved this issue by limiting your weapons and separating melee/grenades from the main weapons. Halo finally proved that FPS games were possible on a console by changing some of the core rules for previous FPS games that were mainly made for PCs. Half Life 2 didn't follow this path, as Valve is, and has mostly been primarily a PC FPS developer. With today's market being mostly multi-platform, it's simpler to just stick with the proven (by Halo) method of 2 weapons and regenerating health with separate melee/grenades.

Although I miss the good old "carry as many weapons as you want, health is replenished by finding a medkit"

Halo started out with health packs and dodgy vehicle sections (In the sense they were more for getting around then actual combat enhancement, warthogs... EGH!) mind you. So I count Halo as a step on the ladder towards the modern FPS not the root.

I by no means call the Halo franchise bad, because where Halo for example did terrible in vehicle combat, it did GREAT in enemy AI. Halo 2 and eventually 3 picked up on the vehicle bits and actually made them worth of your royal buttocks. But looking at the blueprint I still think Half Life 2 is the better game, a shooter needs action. And god know this genre has plenty of that these days. But what developers forget is that gaming is not just flashing lights... at least for some people.

I might be an exceedingly boring guy, but if a game feels like an interactive book to me, I am generally positive. Gaming is a great format for storytelling and the FPS genre today seems to have lost this idea, which is a shame. A good game is a perfect blend of all (and more) of the elements I noted in my original post, and after Half Life there have been very little games that touch this quality.

(Small note about Halo, I can do with more ODST-like campains, that one was pretty compelling).

 

[NLS]

Halo started out with health packs and dodgy vehicle sections (In the sense they were more for getting around then actual combat enhancement, warthogs... EGH!) mind you. So I count Halo as a step on the ladder towards the modern FPS not the root.

I by no means call the Halo franchise bad, because where Halo for example did terrible in vehicle combat, it did GREAT in enemy AI. Halo 2 and eventually 3 picked up on the vehicle bits and actually made them worth of your royal buttocks. But looking at the blueprint I still think Half Life 2 is the better game, a shooter needs action. And god know this genre has plenty of that these days. But what developers forget is that gaming is not just flashing lights... at least for some people.

I might be an exceedingly boring guy, but if a game feels like an interactive book to me, I am generally positive. Gaming is a great format for storytelling and the FPS genre today seems to have lost this idea, which is a shame. A good game is a perfect blend of all (and more) of the elements I noted in my original post, and after Half Life there have been very little games that touch this quality.

(Small note about Halo, I can do with more ODST-like campains, that one was pretty compelling).

Yeah, I'd take Half Life (2) over Halo any day. The way the story is built up is just fantastic. One example being that you can drive past a building and ignore it completely, or stop for a second, enter the building, and notice how there's a hole in the roof, which suggests that it has been hit by a headcrab missile. You don't get too much story stuffed down your throat, instead you can pretty much take it all at your own pacing, which I'm quite comfortable with.

 

[thenamelessloser]

Name me one shooter that was better then half life 2 and came out before it.

Deus Ex

 

[KCL]

Everyone seems to have cut it down into gameplay pacing and story pacing. This most certainly cannot done when talking about HL2, given that you're never moved into a cutscene, but I don't think it can really be done to other games either.

My example of Bioshock - that I gave to the other guy - was that the gameplay's pacing almost tore apart what little story the game had. The two are inextricably linked in my eyes.

[small]I know this isn't a direct reply to what you said, I was just spinning off from the distinction you made between gameplay and narrative pacing.[/small]

Pacing and cutscenes are separate issues. Narrative and gameplay should be linked, but in practice they aren't. Developers build the levels first, then bring in writers at the end to try and tie it all together.

 

[bam13302]

cant fight the 'goddam freakin headhumpers'
brownie points for those that know who said that
[comment about no HL2E3]

 

[GoddyofAus]

Half Life 2 wasn't even that great. It's as overrated as FF7.

It was great to begin with? Half Life 2 was shit. An overrated piece mind you. Then again...Valve is an overrated developer too.

Yes, and your opinion is fact as opposed to a million others. Next time, write "in my opinion" so you don't look like an arrogant twat.

 

[Danpascooch]

If it's that important, KEEP MAKING NEW EPISODES!

 

[D3l7a3ch0]

my gut tells me Portal 2 will not let me down, and it is already my personal most-anticipated game in a long while. like, since Doom 3

 

[Lem0nade Inlay]

Half Life 2 wasn't even that great. It's as overrated as FF7.

Is there anything popular or well regarded that no one thinks is overrated?
(I'm not trying to be a fanboy, I promise, just curious!)

OP: I agree, while I loved Portal/L4D. Half life 2 was my favourite out of them all.

 

[Thanatos5150]

Am I the only person on the planet that detested Half-Life 2? This is getting ridiculous.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I think it's no secret that HL2 is by far my favorite Valve game, I just wish they'd hurry up and get it finished

 

[Unknower]

Half-Life 2 was a great/good game. It's also overrated by some people. Saying it was groundbreaking is an exaggeration.

...Everything Welles ever did was compared to Citizen Kane;

Random fact: Citizen Kane wasn't well received when it came out. It took couple of decades for it to become a popular movie.

 

[Dr. Paine]

cant fight the 'goddam freakin headhumpers'
brownie points for those that know who said that
[comment about no HL2E3]

Ohai Barney.
Now where's my brownines?

OT: I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with Half Life 2 when I got it- I picked up the Orange Box because it was cheap, had Portal, and I figured three other games (can't play TF2 so I don't count it) would be a good time killer. I can easily see why 'everything' gets compared to HL2, that was a damn fine game.

 

[Dogstile]

Half Life 2 wasn't even that great. It's as overrated as FF7.

Troll much?

I'd argue that everyone who calls troll on someone who doesn't like half life is more of a troll.