Every week some obnoxious Valve fanboy makes that thread convinced it will make Valve release it tomorrow or something. I however have figured out what is taking them so long, hopefully this will put an end to that thread topic.
I recently played through the entirety of Half Life 2 and it's episodes in the interest of backing up my opinions because one my friends insisted that 2 hours of gameplay was not enough to label the entire game as "Meh" (Turns out he was wrong.)
Those of you who want episode 3: They would be done with the series if 90% of Half Life 2 weren't padding. Think aboot it: You are aboot to teleport to the next part of the story? Nope, headcrab screws it up and you need to go through that annoying hovercarft part. You are aboot to kick some Combine ass with the Shoehorned in physics gun? ("We made a physics engine, and we are going to make you care!") Rubble blocks your way and you need to run through Ravenholm. I forget the reason you needed to use that dune buggy that steered like gremlins were wrestling over the wheel but I am fairly certain that was filler as well. Those are the most noticeable instances in the first part.
Episode one has the least filler with the only part that distinctly stood out as filler being the underground zombie part.
Episode 2 is basically filler until you get to that obnoxious sticky bomb part. *Train gets de-railed* Looks like you have to walk. Alyx is mauled and now you need to save her for some reason despite the much more likeable generic soldiers (Because they don't make stupid puns like "Zombines", and don't get in your way on narrow pathways as much.) being killed off left and right, so you have to go to this base located in the middle of an antlion nest(What idiot thought that would be a good spot for a base?). Whats that? You need to journey to the heart of an antlion nest to find a macguffin needed to save that unlikeable sidekick. Now you need to find a car. (This is the least noticeable instance of filler, because if not for that train wreck at the beginning you wouldn't need the car in the first place) Then you actually start advancing the plot again.
If Valve weren't so dedicated to their filler, they could have finished the Half Life series, noticed that the only thing they excel at is puzzles, and turned their focus to puzzle games.
What are your thoughts?
Edit: Also, it has only been 2 years since episode 2. There is a longer wait for Mario games.
I recently played through the entirety of Half Life 2 and it's episodes in the interest of backing up my opinions because one my friends insisted that 2 hours of gameplay was not enough to label the entire game as "Meh" (Turns out he was wrong.)
Those of you who want episode 3: They would be done with the series if 90% of Half Life 2 weren't padding. Think aboot it: You are aboot to teleport to the next part of the story? Nope, headcrab screws it up and you need to go through that annoying hovercarft part. You are aboot to kick some Combine ass with the Shoehorned in physics gun? ("We made a physics engine, and we are going to make you care!") Rubble blocks your way and you need to run through Ravenholm. I forget the reason you needed to use that dune buggy that steered like gremlins were wrestling over the wheel but I am fairly certain that was filler as well. Those are the most noticeable instances in the first part.
Episode one has the least filler with the only part that distinctly stood out as filler being the underground zombie part.
Episode 2 is basically filler until you get to that obnoxious sticky bomb part. *Train gets de-railed* Looks like you have to walk. Alyx is mauled and now you need to save her for some reason despite the much more likeable generic soldiers (Because they don't make stupid puns like "Zombines", and don't get in your way on narrow pathways as much.) being killed off left and right, so you have to go to this base located in the middle of an antlion nest(What idiot thought that would be a good spot for a base?). Whats that? You need to journey to the heart of an antlion nest to find a macguffin needed to save that unlikeable sidekick. Now you need to find a car. (This is the least noticeable instance of filler, because if not for that train wreck at the beginning you wouldn't need the car in the first place) Then you actually start advancing the plot again.
If Valve weren't so dedicated to their filler, they could have finished the Half Life series, noticed that the only thing they excel at is puzzles, and turned their focus to puzzle games.
What are your thoughts?
Edit: Also, it has only been 2 years since episode 2. There is a longer wait for Mario games.
