Where is Half Life 2 Episode 3!?

[Xx7 elevenxX]

Well how would you like a half life game were you spent the time riding a train to a generic base?
Complications are what make it a game, it would not be exciting to ply a game with no obstaces and nothing happens out of plan.

Yes, but there is a difference between complications and filler.
Complications: Events that create tension and action.
Filler: Complications that take you away from the plot.
For example, the combine attacking a missile silo is a complication. Needed to spend an hour doing something unrelated to the main plot is filler.

But there needs to be filler, if they just kept to you moving from base to base, fighting off combine or attacking them, because that is the main story i belive is the Combine and them, then it gets repetitive and boring, and that's just grind.
And if you did not have fun in Ravenholm or the Antlion Tunnels then I do belive you should re-think your games. :3

 

[NoNameMcgee]

Congratulations, you have an opinion that differs from the majority. Nobody cares.

If you want to write a review, then do one with valid factual points that are interesting to read. But you didn't want to review the game, you wanted to do a subtle rant on a forum where you know a lot of people love Half-Life games, in an attempt to get a reaction because it makes you feel somewhat superior to rile people up and because you think your opinion is better than others.

Get over yourself, please.

 

[Xx7 elevenxX]

i heard a while ago though that there were learing sign language for the game though its pretty much left4dead's fault why we have to wait

so?
l4d is great and valvfe just doesnt want to only be turning out half life games.

The thing is Half Life is their star game series, & L4D is just so simple, but I wont get into that.
Also if you look at the games/updates since HL2 came out they are mostly NOT Half Life

HL2
Ep1
Portal
TF2
Ep2
L4D
L4D2
(add TF2 updates in there)

 

[Insanum]

I REALLY dont know what to say.

The fact you class "plot twists" as ways of extending the game has confused me slightly, But i admire the effort.

Fortunately for me, I have never played any of the HL games, So therefore the wait for Episode 3 is not one i care for. Although the wait for ST:O is killing me.

 

[Pyode]

-snip-

Um, do you expect me to read your entire thread? I don't know what you are tying to point out with that link. If you have a point to make, just say it. Don't make me go fishing for it in another thread.

I personally think the co-op in L4D was awesome. I like knowing that I am needed and I need my teammates. It make the game much more tense and exiting when you don't have the luxury of going of in a corner and writing your name on a wall with bullets while your friend completes the mission.

 

[Souplex]

Well how would you like a half life game were you spent the time riding a train to a generic base?
Complications are what make it a game, it would not be exciting to ply a game with no obstaces and nothing happens out of plan.

Yes, but there is a difference between complications and filler.
Complications: Events that create tension and action.
Filler: Complications that take you away from the plot.
For example, the combine attacking a missile silo is a complication. Needed to spend an hour doing something unrelated to the main plot is filler.

But there needs to be filler, if they just kept to you moving from base to base, fighting off combine or attacking them, because that is the main story i belive is the Combine and them, then it gets repetitive and boring, and that's just grind.
And if you did not have fun in Ravenholm or the Antlion Tunnels then I do belive you should re-think your games. :3

Ravenholm was fun until it got to the parts where the zombies were infinitely respawning. The antlion tunnels were not fun because it is not fun to fight antlions. At all.

 

[Pigeon_Grenade]

behind someones fridge

 

[Sewblon]

How are Valve good at puzzles? The only puzzles I remember from Half-life 2 are boring physics-based puzzles. And the only puzzles I remember from Half-life one are destroying the gargantuan and tentacle.

I enjoyed the physics puzzles, as they were the only times the game didn't feel like a piece of average. Also, Valve made Portal, which despite being very overrated is still a good puzzle game.

The physics puzzles, to me, seemed like more "we made this physics engine, so you will care" stuff, but whatever floats your boat. Portal was a student project that Valve picked up after development had already started, the actual Half-life team didn't have much to do with it. Gabe Newell was quoted saying "The only thing we did right with Portal was letting those seven kids do their thing."

 

[Souplex]

I REALLY dont know what to say.

The fact you class "plot twists" as ways of extending the game has confused me slightly, But i admire the effort.

Fortunately for me, I have never played any of the HL games, So therefore the wait for Episode 3 is not one i care for. Although the wait for ST:O is killing me.

Normally I wouldn't complain, but the way it is done, the only way it could be less subtle was if the word filler flashed on screen in big bright letters. Also, the filler sections are the low points. They also tend to last a lot longer than the good bits.

 

[Xx7 elevenxX]

Well it's really about your preference,I personaly LOVED fighting the antlions.

Also to answer the question you asked in your original post, I think you are just bagging on HL2 and people accualy post and talk here because its not about Halo or something, even though it is essintaly the same.

 

[YuheJi]

Ummmm... Aren't all games full of "filler" if we go by your logic?

We are introduced to a "big villain" near the start of the game. BUT we cant fight him right away, (start the filler) we have to walk around places gathering keys for cardboard doors, BFGs and ammo for them, and gain a few levels in a process. 10 or so locations later (end the filler) the "big bad" is dead by your hand but oh the twist! He is not the BIGGEST bad guy. There is another guy who is evil-er. BUT we cant fight him right away, (start the filler) we have to walk around places gathering keys for cardboard doors, BFGs and ammo for them, and gain a few levels in a process... You get the idea.

Basically this. Many plotlines are like that. Example: If Batman killed the Joker in the beginning of Arkham Asylum, then the game would have been finished immediately without all that "filler". Not very good logic.

 

[Souplex]

Ummmm... Aren't all games full of "filler" if we go by your logic?

We are introduced to a "big villain" near the start of the game. BUT we cant fight him right away, (start the filler) we have to walk around places gathering keys for cardboard doors, BFGs and ammo for them, and gain a few levels in a process. 10 or so locations later (end the filler) the "big bad" is dead by your hand but oh the twist! He is not the BIGGEST bad guy. There is another guy who is evil-er. BUT we cant fight him right away, (start the filler) we have to walk around places gathering keys for cardboard doors, BFGs and ammo for them, and gain a few levels in a process... You get the idea.

Basically this. Many plotlines are like that. Example: If Batman killed the Joker in the beginning of Arkham Asylum, then the game would have been finished immediately without all that "filler". Not very good logic.

As I already pointed out, there is a difference between plot complications and filler. They are also very shameless with the filler making almost no attempts to disguise it.

 

[Kollega]

Congratulations, you have an opinion that differs from the majority. Nobody cares.

If you want to write a review, then do one with valid factual points that are interesting to read. But you didn't want to review the game, you wanted to do a subtle rant on a forum where you know a lot of people love Half-Life games, in an attempt to get a reaction because it makes you feel somewhat superior to rile people up and because you think your opinion is better than others.

Get over yourself, please.

Or, in shorter words, he is trolling. I tried same kind of thing (trolling because my opinion on one subject is unpopular) once - albeit i was a bit less subtle. It didn't work.

Calling Alyx "unlikeable" is a stretch so huge it goes from the moon and all the way back. You didn't see truly obnoxious sidekicks if you consider her unlikeable. Not brilliant? Maybe. Unlikeable? Certainly not.

Calling entire game a "filler" is not too valid either. Many, oh-so-many plotlines are like this. Only filler that truly gets in a way is the canal section - other parts don't really feel like it, including the story of Episode 2. Plus, HL2 was made in 2004. Go find an action game made in 2004 that does not have any contrived detours, then i'll direct all my attention towards you.

And whatever anyone may say, gravity gun is awesome. Why shoot a dude when you can kill him with a flying toilet bowl?

 

[Souplex]

Congratulations, you have an opinion that differs from the majority. Nobody cares.

If you want to write a review, then do one with valid factual points that are interesting to read. But you didn't want to review the game, you wanted to do a subtle rant on a forum where you know a lot of people love Half-Life games, in an attempt to get a reaction because it makes you feel somewhat superior to rile people up and because you think your opinion is better than others.

Get over yourself, please.

Or, in shorter words, he is trolling. I tried same kind of thing (trolling because my opinion on one subject is unpopular) once - albeit i was a bit less subtle. It didn't work.

Calling Alyx "unlikeable" is a stretch so huge it goes from the moon and all the way back. You didn't see truly obnoxious sidekicks if you consider her unlikeable.

And whatever any troll may say, gravity gun is awesome. Why shoot a dude when you can kill him with a flying toilet bowl?

I admit, the most obnoxious sidekicks I have encountered aside from Alyx were in gears of war, and despite having some cheesy lines, they never got in the way, and had some sort of personality. As for the Gravity gun, objects are either useless, or obscure your view. (The exceptions being the saw disc, the oxygen tank and the exploding barrel (Although using that will probably result in it taking a buillet and blowing up in your face) Travelling indoors is impossible with an object, you can't sprint while gravitizing something, and if you don't enter a battle with an object, it is easier to just shoot the guy with your shotgun.

 

[AWAR]

Give me a break, half life 2 is like 5 years old and its still the best game i've ever played and the mods are enough to keep you busy for a lifetime or even change the whole perception of the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t56BrZCbcW4 !
you probably played the console version thats like you dont really like it...

 

[Citrus]

Yes, but there is a difference between complications and filler.
Complications: Events that create tension and action.
Filler: Complications that take you away from the plot.
For example, the combine attacking a missile silo is a complication. Needed to spend an hour doing something unrelated to the main plot is filler.

I'm not a massive HL2 fan, but this just hurt to read. Complications that take you away from the plot are subplots or side-quests, not filler. There is little to no filler in Half-Life 2. Going through Ravenholm wasn't pointless; it was added to get the player well acquainted with the gravity gun, and and add some variety to the mood and atmosphere of the game. Things like that give a game substance. While I agree they could have done something better than having a convenient chunk of rubble fall and block your path, it is no more pointless than the Combine attacking a missile silo would be.

If at the end of Ravenholm you had to backtrack and kill all the zombies you missed, that would be filler. But suggesting that almost the entire game is filler just because it doesn't all deal with fighting the Combine is ridiculous.

 

[martin's a madman]

Yeah, valve is really bad about filler. I mean, that Team Fortress 2 game, I've played for so long and still haven't made any real plot progress.

 

[David_G]

I just wish that they'd make Episode 3, not because I'm so psyched for it, but because it means we are closer to Half Life 3 that will end the series, preferably with a brand new engine.