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[Branded]

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One of my favorite games of all time will be celebrating its twenty year anniversary on the 16th of Nov and I can't believe it's been that long already! I was 17 back then, living with my parents, doing bad in school and going through the obligatory emo phase; blast bands like Linkin Park, Papa Roach and Korn on my off brand CD walkman. Anyway me and a friend were eagerly awaiting its release and as such I was very active on a dedicated Half-Life forum back then as well. Oddly enough this is one of those rare moments in life where, looking back, I can still vividly remember a lot of things around that day hah. Trying to play it on the, already ageing, PC of my parents in the living room with some ATI card that was barely up to the task. Loading times took forever and of course I had to contend with other technical issues as well. Somehow though that desktop was able to chug along and I played through HL2 its entirety, warts and all. It was great.

A few years passed and Valve announced the Orange Box. Back then I couldn't be happier to finally be able to play these amazing games at 'proper' visuals and performance on my 360 (lol). In my own room no less! Far away from my parents and their annoying parenting behavior. Playing Episode 2 on my HUGE 32" Samsung HDTV... now this was gaming at its best.

So I wonder GAF, how do you look back on HL2's release? Were you similarly enamored or were you too caught up in the Halo hype then? Curious to read your stories.

Oh and here's some funny pics I took back then when I received my collectors edition. Proudly displayed next to my Gameboy and Quake 3. And... reading Ayn Rand? Playing with itself or taking a shower? You know, the normal things tin boxes do I guess. I think I still have that edition lying around somewhere (I just moved so I'll have to check later).

 

[winjer]

 

[The Cockatrice]

 

[Branded]

Oh and I almost forgot! The reason made this thread was in part due to the fact that all signs point to a big anniversary update that we'll be getting sooner rather than later! I really hope they give HL2 a smilar treatment Id Software has been giving their original titles. Fingers crossed.

As Half-Life 2 gets close to its 20th anniversary, dozens of mysterious updates appear on Steam

The Half-Life 2 Steam listing has been mysteriously updated dozens of times as the epochal Valve FPS game gets close to its 20th birthday.

www.pcgamesn.com

 

[Senua]

One of the greatest of all timers

 

[The Cockatrice]

Oh and I almost forgot! The reason made this thread was in part due to the fact that all signs point to a big anniversary update that we'll be getting sooner rather than later! I really hope they give HL2 a smilar treatment Id Software has been giving their original titles. Fingers crossed.

As Half-Life 2 gets close to its 20th anniversary, dozens of mysterious updates appear on Steam

The Half-Life 2 Steam listing has been mysteriously updated dozens of times as the epochal Valve FPS game gets close to its 20th birthday.

www.pcgamesn.com

That would be nice, I want to replay it.

 

[nightmare-slain]

i've never played it. i will if they make HL3.

 

[rodrigolfp]

Will play it in VR to celebrate. \o/

 

[ClanOfNone]

I still prefer the first game.

Gimme an updated Orange Box 2.0 that includes remasters of HL, HL2, the episodes and both Portals.

Then give me Half Life 3, c’mon Gaben you are sitting on a literal mountain of cash.

 

[Kikorin]

Proof videogames peaked 20 years ago. Except for some rare occasions (last Zelda 3D games), nothing has still reached that kind of physics interaction/integration like HL2 did 20 years ago. What a masterpiece, also source made possible Garry's Mod.

 

[Branded]

And more games should do dev commentary like Valve did with their games. That was so neat and insightful.

 

[The Cockatrice]

that includes remasters of H

was also endorsed by Valve.

 

[John Bilbo]

And more games should do dev commentary like Valve did with their games. That was so neat and insightful.

Is this from the updated first Half-Life? I have to go back

 

[Branded]

was also endorsed by Valve.

I still think it's so weird how Valve basically just whores out their IP. Not the fact full conversions exist but to actually let people put it up for sale as well on their own storefront.

I mean it's cool of course but such a weird approach.

Is this from the updated first Half-Life? I have to go back

It's in these games:
"Valve introduced the feature in Lost Coast and later introduced it to Episode One, Episode Two, Portal, Portal 2, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, and Half-Life: Alyx."

Not sure if I ever even listened to the Portal or Left 4 Dead ones now that I think about it.

 

[John Bilbo]

It's in these games:
"Valve introduced the feature in Lost Coast and later introduced it to Episode One, Episode Two, Portal, Portal 2, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, and Half-Life: Alyx."

Not sure if I ever even listened to the Portal or Left 4 Dead ones now that I think about it.

Holy shit!

 

[scraz]

My steam account will be 21 in January.

 

[violence]

My dad surprised me and upgraded my computer the day this game came out and it got replayed extensively.

I remember someone asking me if I had bought halo 2 (It came out that same month. I didn’t even own an Xbox). I told him no I’m playing half life 2. The guy says “I’ve never heard of it”

I became a snob for a few years after that.

 

[rodrigolfp]

Gimme an updated Orange Box 2.0 that includes remasters of HL, HL2, the episodes and both Portals.

There are remasters of all the games already.

 

[Salmon Snake]

Jesus. Twenty years.
I was a young stud back then.

Ravenholm scared the crap out of me.

 

[Gubaldo]

That narration, that world, that ambience, that atmosphere
gives the feeling of world has been f'd up. and you are out of your comfort zone!
you don't know when is your last day on this earth!!
What a game!!! very few games tend to do that.

 

[Krathoon]

Gor-den FREeman.

 

[rofif]

Jesus. Twenty years.
I was a young stud back then.

Ravenholm scared the crap out of me.

Yeah I was a teen. Remember waiting for hl2 to release. I finished it so many times

 

[marjo]

I replay it every couple of years. It still holds up to this day.

 

[Xdrive05]

My 11-year old played through the entire Half-Life 2 trilogy (inc. ep1&2) last year when he was 10. He LOVED it!

He was completely enamored with the world building, the gameplay, all of it. It was actually his first mouse & keyboard gaming and it made him a fan of FPS gaming.

Really wish Half-Life 2 RTX would have been finished in time for next week, as that would have been absolutely perfect for a new play-through.

 

[Branded]

My dad surprised me and upgraded my computer the day this game came out and it got replayed extensively.

I remember someone asking me if I had bought halo 2 (It came out that same month. I didn’t even own an Xbox). I told him no I’m playing half life 2. The guy says “I’ve never heard of it”

I became a snob for a few years after that.

A year over mine. wp

Such an amazing time for games though, from the top of my had we had Half-Life 2, Halo 2, Doom 3, Far Cry, Resident Evil 4. Crazy. I've especially grown fond of Doom 3 over the years and replayed it a bunch of times. It might be the dark horse of the franchise but I've come to appreciate the atmosphere and attention to detail of that game. The expansions were really solid as well.

 

[thatJohann]

When the hell are they bringing Half Life 2 to current gen systems?

 

[DragoonKain]

There are remasters of all the games already.

Not on console.

Need em on console. I'd love to play HL1 and 2 again with the RE4/Dead Space treatment. Or like Halo 2 got on TMCC.

 

[rofif]

I would love some release on ps5 pro.
Preferably RTX version

 

[Mayar]

I'll just leave this here, I don't think anyone will notice or be offended.

 

[Kokoloko85]

Not on console.

Need em on console. I'd love to play HL1 and 2 again with the RE4/Dead Space treatment. Or like Halo 2 got on TMCC.

Yeah every other major publisher has ported to modern Console apart from Valve with the exception of Switch/Portal.

They should release HL1, HL2, Portal etc on Switch, PS and Xbox etc. I dont know why fans dont ask for this like other publishers releasing everything multiplatform. Valve has a quality library of games they can port

 

[Kokoloko85]

I would love some release on ps5 pro.
Preferably RTX version

Same.
Not sure why there isnt more Valve fans that want more releases and ports of their games

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

I first played Half Life on the PS2 and went on to buy Half Life again on PC. one of the best games ever. Love playing it with mods and also some of the fan made campaigns like They Hunger, Military, Half Life Echoes, Half Life ultimate attack, Hunt the Cunt, Field Intensity mod, Half Rat etc etc. Plus great expansions like Opposing Force and Blue Shift. Half Life 2 and it's episodes were great too but I prefer Half Life 1 more.

 

[Mayar]

When the hell are they bringing Half Life 2 to current gen systems?

They already made a port of Orange Box, back in the days of PS3 and Xbox 360. And I don't remember exactly, but there were sales, something like 3 million copies on all platforms, and this is roughly at the peak of the game's popularity. It seems to me that they won't do it again, since the game hasn't aged the best, and I don't really believe that it will be interesting to the new generation.

 

[proandrad]

20 years old and the physics are still better than most modern day games.

 

[Marlenus]

I dislike how old this makes me feel.

 

[HogIsland]

Still one of the greatest games of all time, and thankfully totally disinterested in Ayn Randian delusions.

 

[violence]

Same.
Not sure why there isnt more Valve fans that want more releases and ports of their games

All the energy went to asking about half-life 3.

 

[tusharngf]

Found one old thread from 2004 launch week ..

Half-Life 2, best opening of all time?

Best opening 30 mins ever? I just got done, Im on the root canal save... this is unreal, I wanna keep playing but I must watch the Lions! This game is sick, the graphics are nuts!!!

www.neogaf.com

 

[Hookshot]

The "get through Ravenholm without firing a bullet" task not registering is what got me to stop caring about Trophies or Achievements ever since.

 

[yogaflame]

OG. One of the greatest FPS ever made. HL1 and HL 2 is always been memorable too me. Still hoping for a sequel. But a remake will also be fantastic.

 

[Branded]

The "get through Ravenholm without firing a bullet" task not registering is what got me to stop caring about Trophies or Achievements ever since.

Oof that's rough haha.

I just checked and I apparently unlocked that on the 3rd of Nov 2008. Go me.

 

[Sybrix]

One of the greatest games ever made.

So innovative at the time, i'll never forget watching the E3 demo:



That strider walking down the street was so epic.

 

[Hookshot]

Oof that's rough haha.

I just checked and I apparently unlocked that on the 3rd of Nov 2008. Go me.

I liked the one where you had to avoid the sand and the antlions.

 

[Davesky]

I didn't play the game until 2012 on The Orange Box collection and it still ended up as not just the greatest FPS, but one of the best games I had ever played in my life.

 

[Sybrix]

Also Project Borealis releases shortly:

 

[Tunned]

20 years? God damn... I remember I had a 7.1 audio setup in my room and the game had some amazing spatial audio, the chopper flying over you in the menu felt like it was actually flying over me IRL.

I have been wanting to replay HL2 for a while now, this update will me a good excuse.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Really good game, story, gameplay thought it was good.

 

[Nintendo's Witch]

Most overrated game of all time.

 

[Tarnpanzer]

When purely looking on gameplay:

Not much has changed since then for shooters.

 

[Urban]

i remember the first graphic videos that they showed. I bought every magazine which showed new stuff and i just couldnt comprehend that this game will look so good.
Incredible from the beginning to the end.