RedRedSuit
Member
Probably Half-Life 2 (and episodes) criticism. For some reason Half-Life is beyond criticism, and its fans tend to have a certain "we are better than you" air to them.
I understand why those games are praised and concur with those reasons. They atmosphere, art design, and world they've built is second to none. It's hard to pinpoint what it is that makes it so special -- it would seem all the components are standard (zombies, shooting, freedom fighter, etc.) -- but somehow it just comes out superb.
However, because of this and Half-Life's legacy, HL fans are way too lenient with that game's major mechanical faults. Most of the game's design is outdated and not in a good way.
1. The health system. There are two health meters, health and "energy." This is pointless and annoying. If you're not going to add some kind of recharging health, for the sake of being "pure," at least eliminate the Doom-era 2nd health.
Though really fights would become more fun if they changed energy to recharge. However I understand how that would make some people mad. "KEEP YOUR HALO OUT OF MY HL!!!!"
2. Grenade mechanics. Having to switch to grenades to throw them is absurd at this point. I should be able to map it to a mouse button or key and throw the thing. Being able to control the battlefield with grenades is fun... they left this option out.
3. Weapon selection is clunky.
4. Floating camera is truly awful at this point. I've heard some defenses of this like "Gordon is a presentation of god, so he has no body," but that's apologist nonsense.
5. Fuck headcrabs. Fuck zombies. Fuck those ants from episode 2. These enemies are not fun to fight. It is played out. I would much rather fight and intelligent opponent than those crappy headcrabs. As far as I'm concerned, Ravenholm was the culmination of that, and they should just let it go at this point. It's lazy, and it's not fun.
6. Gameplay is insufficiently open. Now, I hold this against most shooters... almost anything but Halo really... but Half-Life is supposed to be a top of the line FPS series. It should be at least as tactical as Killzone 2... not less so.
To Valve's credit, they did a great job with this at the end of Episode 2 -- but only then.
7. Enemy AI is laughably bad... it was laughably bad in 2004. The fact that the ol' "enter building, see 50 enemies, exit building, point at door, wait for them all to come out and shoot them" technique worked so well in 2004 -- let alone in the sequels -- is sad.
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So in terms of mechanics it's a middling FPS series at this point.
As for the story -- again, it's hard to criticize too hard due to the atmosphere/intelligence factor of the world they convey through those games. However the silent protagonist shit has to be called out. It makes no sense. 50% of the mystery (such as who is the G-Man) of those games would be resolved if Gordon asked a few straightforward questions at a few points in the games. The fact that he refuses to say anything makes no sense. If, on the other hand, we accept the excuse that he really IS saying something -- we just don't hear it -- then that contradicts the whole "he's silent so that he's YOU!" defense; if he's ME, then I would know more of what's going on and not be kept in the dark.
So yeah, HL2 and episodes are overpraised.
I understand why those games are praised and concur with those reasons. They atmosphere, art design, and world they've built is second to none. It's hard to pinpoint what it is that makes it so special -- it would seem all the components are standard (zombies, shooting, freedom fighter, etc.) -- but somehow it just comes out superb.
However, because of this and Half-Life's legacy, HL fans are way too lenient with that game's major mechanical faults. Most of the game's design is outdated and not in a good way.
1. The health system. There are two health meters, health and "energy." This is pointless and annoying. If you're not going to add some kind of recharging health, for the sake of being "pure," at least eliminate the Doom-era 2nd health.
Though really fights would become more fun if they changed energy to recharge. However I understand how that would make some people mad. "KEEP YOUR HALO OUT OF MY HL!!!!"
2. Grenade mechanics. Having to switch to grenades to throw them is absurd at this point. I should be able to map it to a mouse button or key and throw the thing. Being able to control the battlefield with grenades is fun... they left this option out.
3. Weapon selection is clunky.
4. Floating camera is truly awful at this point. I've heard some defenses of this like "Gordon is a presentation of god, so he has no body," but that's apologist nonsense.
5. Fuck headcrabs. Fuck zombies. Fuck those ants from episode 2. These enemies are not fun to fight. It is played out. I would much rather fight and intelligent opponent than those crappy headcrabs. As far as I'm concerned, Ravenholm was the culmination of that, and they should just let it go at this point. It's lazy, and it's not fun.
6. Gameplay is insufficiently open. Now, I hold this against most shooters... almost anything but Halo really... but Half-Life is supposed to be a top of the line FPS series. It should be at least as tactical as Killzone 2... not less so.
To Valve's credit, they did a great job with this at the end of Episode 2 -- but only then.
7. Enemy AI is laughably bad... it was laughably bad in 2004. The fact that the ol' "enter building, see 50 enemies, exit building, point at door, wait for them all to come out and shoot them" technique worked so well in 2004 -- let alone in the sequels -- is sad.
---
So in terms of mechanics it's a middling FPS series at this point.
As for the story -- again, it's hard to criticize too hard due to the atmosphere/intelligence factor of the world they convey through those games. However the silent protagonist shit has to be called out. It makes no sense. 50% of the mystery (such as who is the G-Man) of those games would be resolved if Gordon asked a few straightforward questions at a few points in the games. The fact that he refuses to say anything makes no sense. If, on the other hand, we accept the excuse that he really IS saying something -- we just don't hear it -- then that contradicts the whole "he's silent so that he's YOU!" defense; if he's ME, then I would know more of what's going on and not be kept in the dark.
So yeah, HL2 and episodes are overpraised.
