"The Freeman Returns" with The Official Orange Box Thread
- Thread starter The M.O.B
- Start date
I'm just about in Nova Prospekt, but these gunships are infuriating. I've taken down one, but there doesn't seem to be any rockets to take down the second one... :/
So I end up sprinting around searching for health/rockets, and generally being shot to ribbons by the gunship or the soldiers on a platform.
I must be missing something crucial here, like hidden ammo.
So I end up sprinting around searching for health/rockets, and generally being shot to ribbons by the gunship or the soldiers on a platform.
I must be missing something crucial here, like hidden ammo.
The Lamonster
Member
Tom Servo said:
There is a crate of infinite rockets. Just keep moving forward until you reach the place where there are stairs leading to a higher platform, look to your right and it's up against the wall. Oh and make sure you SPRINT!
EDIT: \/---- Spoiler tags for non-story elements in 3 year-old game? Really?
finally beat half-life 2 (for the first time) so i'm ready to post my own impressions.
short (and flame worthy) version - highly overrated, yet still great.
+ atmosphere
+ presentation
+ voice work and characters
+ most puzzles and level design
- "old school" pc fps gameplay (ie, health pickups... yuk)
- a few tedious puzzles (the crane for one)
- HORRID vehicle controls
- pacing issues (shoot up some bad guys, puzzle, bad guys, vehicle and repeat. oh, is that a crate of missiles? must mean striders and/or gunships nearby)
for me, presentation goes a HUGE way in my enjoyment of games and half-life 2, as expected delivers this in spades. its also a pretty gorgeous game, even more so when you remember when it originally came out, with great art direction and atmosphere. game play wise its a bit more hit and miss with some excellent puzzles (for the most part) but relatively weak combat. i'm an admitted halo fanboy, so pc gamers can ignore the following comments, but god damn do i hate the old school health system. there are other pc fps staples featured in half-life 2 that drove me nuts, but i guess some definitely perfer their fps to play in this way... i do not.
the ending sucked.
but yeah, overall, it was a great ride.
short (and flame worthy) version - highly overrated, yet still great.
+ atmosphere
+ presentation
+ voice work and characters
+ most puzzles and level design
- "old school" pc fps gameplay (ie, health pickups... yuk)
- a few tedious puzzles (the crane for one)
- HORRID vehicle controls
- pacing issues (shoot up some bad guys, puzzle, bad guys, vehicle and repeat. oh, is that a crate of missiles? must mean striders and/or gunships nearby)
for me, presentation goes a HUGE way in my enjoyment of games and half-life 2, as expected delivers this in spades. its also a pretty gorgeous game, even more so when you remember when it originally came out, with great art direction and atmosphere. game play wise its a bit more hit and miss with some excellent puzzles (for the most part) but relatively weak combat. i'm an admitted halo fanboy, so pc gamers can ignore the following comments, but god damn do i hate the old school health system. there are other pc fps staples featured in half-life 2 that drove me nuts, but i guess some definitely perfer their fps to play in this way... i do not.
the ending sucked.
but yeah, overall, it was a great ride.
The Lamonster
Member
Interesting you didn't like the pacing. I loved the long breaks in between the hectic action.
And the puzzles helped break up the 'dull' parts. This really is the first complaint I've ever heard about Half-Life 2's pacing!
And the puzzles helped break up the 'dull' parts. This really is the first complaint I've ever heard about Half-Life 2's pacing!
wayward archer
Member
op_ivy said:
Episode one makes up for it (for me at least).
dralla said:
oh, i definitely will. i want to reiterate that i really did love the game despite the flaws i found with it. i just fired up and played the opening of episode 1 and i'm already happy with the huge improvements in hdr from this to half-life 2. hdr adds a lot.
The Lamonster said:
no, i really didnt. it was really predictable for the most part about what would happen next. if you're in a vehicle and get to a blocked wall, exit, kill some combine, figure out puzzle to open gate, and continue. on foot, there would be excess health indicating a big gun fight was right around the corner, or even worse, the aforementioned use of ammo crates ensuring you always had unlimited rockets against gunships/striders.
The Lamonster
Member
Right, but this is a game we're talking about. That system is beneficial to fun. If there were less health and ammo, tons folks would be complaining about that.op_ivy said:
For frame of reference, what other shooter-type game has different pacing that you like better? And why?
beelzebozo
Jealous Bastard
you're nuts! the pacing is one of the best parts about half-life.
I think what he's trying to get at is that it's very linear. He can correct me if I'm wrong. It's all point A to point B stuff with sequences chained that repeat pretty often.
I found the pacing pretty good. I never got bored.
I think where Valve really excels is using characters to drive the plot, the atmosphere, and the story. That's where the real Half-Life magic is for me. That and firing a rusty saw blade through a dude's neck.
I found the pacing pretty good. I never got bored.
I think where Valve really excels is using characters to drive the plot, the atmosphere, and the story. That's where the real Half-Life magic is for me. That and firing a rusty saw blade through a dude's neck.
The Lamonster said:
i understand what your saying and agree, for the most part. i just think it could have been masked more. there were several times i came across a crate of grenades or rockets just prior to the next engagement where they'd be needed. that seems sloppy to me. there were other encounters where those crates were found only after the engagement had been activated. that was a far better way of handling it.
most of my beef with the pacing was just the transitions from one engagement to the next. i didnt really communicate what i meant all that well and i'm still not sure how to best frame it in words, its just the feeling i got while playing. i gave the vehicle "formula" i felt i experienced frequently in the game above, but most of the game felt like the same types of cookie cutter stuff.
this sounds like i'm being overly harsh on this aspect at this point, so i'll stop. let me just finish by saying that it wasnt that bad and certainly better then the average game.
EDIT: again, maybe a lot of my issues with what i'm calling pacing where because hl2 employs the health and ammo system traditionally featured in pc shooters. as stated before, i'm a huge proponent of halo's system for both, so if you prefer your fps on the pc, take the comments on "pacing" with a grain of salt
The Lamonster
Member
I'd ask the guys @ http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=190708&page=102Drewsy said:
electricpirate
Member
I understand you Op_Ivy, it's similar to the "Bucket of Hat's" concept in Heavenly sword. It hurts the meticulously crafted world to suddenly have these "Infinate ammo barrels" that happen to be there for boss fights. If perhaps they were placed thoughout the game they wouldn't break the illusion. Also, Vehicle sections went on for entirely too long IMO.
Op Ivy, don't bother. No matter how much you reiterate that yes, you really did like the game a lot, once you've said anything negative about it the HL2 defense force will cling onto that for dear life and won't let go till they've completely worn you down. It happened to me, and I've seen it happen to about a dozen other posters in this topic.
If you don't state that HL2 is perfect in every way, even compared to modern FPS offerings like Bioshock or Halo 3, you just have "no taste." Even if you liked it!
If you don't state that HL2 is perfect in every way, even compared to modern FPS offerings like Bioshock or Halo 3, you just have "no taste." Even if you liked it!
The Lamonster
Member
I carefully tried to be respectful about disagreeing with you, because I realize no game is really perfect. Plus it's interesting to see the reasons why someone feels differently than I do about something.op_ivy said:
ie GDJustin hope you weren't talking about me...
Prime crotch
Banned
GDJustin said:
beelzebozo
Jealous Bastard
man, i was really attacking him pretty hardcore there
Buttonbasher
Member
What? Theres going to be 3 episodes. Where did you hear 10?Killer said:
lybertyboy
Thinks the Evil Empire is just misunderstood.
Icy said:
I thought that Episodes 1-3 combined were Half Life 3.
Am I wrong?
CrookedRain
Member
Pretty much, but the next game will still be called Half-Life 3.lybertyboy said:
Buttonbasher
Member
Yeah, then the big moment in Episode 2 means more.Salmonax said:
Death_Born
Banned
KarishBHR said:
Might as well do the episodes. I actually did Portal first, then all the Half Life games straight through. It sort of merges into a single game.
I've just completed Half-Life 2 and I found it to be better paced than any other FPS I've played. The game moves you masterfully from big firefight to small, to quiet puzzling section and then to hectic gunplay-free story section, to driving, to whatever, in such a way that the game, with only a couple of exceptionsthe hoverboat section, for example, felt overlong to mealways felt fresh.op_ivy said:
The infinite ammo crates thing was a bit jarring. That you usually found them prior to boss battles, and that they telegraphed exactly what was ahead, was sloppy in a way that nothing else in the game was.
I really liked the ending, but I'm sure that knowing that Episode One was only a couple of button presses away helped with that
.Episode One so far is rad; like Half-Life 2 with the very few bits of fat in it completely excised.
so portal is completely awesome -- just played through the whole thing. they've built such elegant puzzles around that mindbending portal mechanic. and the writing is amazing -- or not just the writing but the way the writing plays against the music and the visuals. one moment you're laughing at GLaDOS's glib euphimisms, and the next moment you get a chill from the starkness of the surroundings or a sinister note that's crept into the music. and the song at the end was weirdly moving. somehow. what an extraordinary game. i just wish there was more of it.
I'm an HL2 virgin, so I'm gonna post some impressions that I posted elsewhere. It's actually a collection of a few posts I made, so bear with any repeats and general beating of dead horses. Spoilers for Ep 0:
I knew it was a great game with a fantastic reputation and I'd had a chance to log an hour of the get-go a few years ago. But the game is magical, so well tuned, so well paced. The feeling of being on an adventure is unmatched in nearly all of gaming. The subtle shift of day to night and night to day with no rest is exhuasting and gives such a tremendous sense of the ceaseless assault Combine forces have organized. The trip along the coast road with Combine forces occupying the small bungalows and houses along the cliff side gives a great sense of what it would be like to live in an occupation. The weariness of the resistance seems genuine and the sheer variety of location gives HL2 a sense of scope, of openness greater than that of any Grand Theft Auto game.
Why didn't anyone tell me? It's stunning. Incredible. I like the subtle genre shifts- Ravenholm as survival horror, the sand trap as platformer and the driving sequences. Even if the waterboat thing was about 15 times too long. Oh! The foreshadowing for Ravenholm was great. And then it turns out to be a WHOLE FUCKING CITY and not just a creepy tunnel <3 <3. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun. I just made it to, uh. I'm right outside Nova Prospekt, I know that.
It has a great reputation, but so does Gears of War. So do a lot of games. But this such a different, unique experience. I wasn't expecting it. I like the vehicles because they give the game a sense of openness, they lend the adventure a kind of scope that you don't see in FPS where all the travel takes place in cut scenes. The water boat thing was WAY too long, but I thought the Dune Buggy with all the alternate stops along the way was great. Well paced with the ability to pop out and do something on foot, unlike the water boat.
The thing I really love is so many games have you FIGHTING THE INVASION. And here, the invasion is over. It's an occupation and the resistance is clearly losing. It's nice to be on the wrong side of the battle for once, fighting and over coming ridiculous odds.
I mean, I knew the game was good. I just didn't understand how good. How completely unique. And sitting alongside Portal, it's a testament to a true creative powerhouse.
I really, really liked Ravenholm because I liked the subtle genre swap from FPS to Survival Horror. And right before that was the bit with teh Ninten-DOG LOLZ. I liked settling in for that bit of exposition before WHAMMO an attack. It did a great job of showing how tense and unpredictable the lifestyle of the resistance is.
I think what I really love is that it manages to do so many things so well without stepping out of it's FPS costume. You see so many "buzz games" that are DIABLO MEETS ADVANCE WARS and you pop it in and give it a run and it's like someone duct taped Diablo to Advance Wars. It's sloppy and cumbersome. But Half Life 2 manages to do so many of those "fusion" genres without ever resorting to cheap tricks like RPG-skill leveling or upgradeable weapons. It really does paint in it's own colors.
I knew it was a great game with a fantastic reputation and I'd had a chance to log an hour of the get-go a few years ago. But the game is magical, so well tuned, so well paced. The feeling of being on an adventure is unmatched in nearly all of gaming. The subtle shift of day to night and night to day with no rest is exhuasting and gives such a tremendous sense of the ceaseless assault Combine forces have organized. The trip along the coast road with Combine forces occupying the small bungalows and houses along the cliff side gives a great sense of what it would be like to live in an occupation. The weariness of the resistance seems genuine and the sheer variety of location gives HL2 a sense of scope, of openness greater than that of any Grand Theft Auto game.
Why didn't anyone tell me? It's stunning. Incredible. I like the subtle genre shifts- Ravenholm as survival horror, the sand trap as platformer and the driving sequences. Even if the waterboat thing was about 15 times too long. Oh! The foreshadowing for Ravenholm was great. And then it turns out to be a WHOLE FUCKING CITY and not just a creepy tunnel <3 <3. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun. I just made it to, uh. I'm right outside Nova Prospekt, I know that.
It has a great reputation, but so does Gears of War. So do a lot of games. But this such a different, unique experience. I wasn't expecting it. I like the vehicles because they give the game a sense of openness, they lend the adventure a kind of scope that you don't see in FPS where all the travel takes place in cut scenes. The water boat thing was WAY too long, but I thought the Dune Buggy with all the alternate stops along the way was great. Well paced with the ability to pop out and do something on foot, unlike the water boat.
The thing I really love is so many games have you FIGHTING THE INVASION. And here, the invasion is over. It's an occupation and the resistance is clearly losing. It's nice to be on the wrong side of the battle for once, fighting and over coming ridiculous odds.
I mean, I knew the game was good. I just didn't understand how good. How completely unique. And sitting alongside Portal, it's a testament to a true creative powerhouse.
I really, really liked Ravenholm because I liked the subtle genre swap from FPS to Survival Horror. And right before that was the bit with teh Ninten-DOG LOLZ. I liked settling in for that bit of exposition before WHAMMO an attack. It did a great job of showing how tense and unpredictable the lifestyle of the resistance is.
I think what I really love is that it manages to do so many things so well without stepping out of it's FPS costume. You see so many "buzz games" that are DIABLO MEETS ADVANCE WARS and you pop it in and give it a run and it's like someone duct taped Diablo to Advance Wars. It's sloppy and cumbersome. But Half Life 2 manages to do so many of those "fusion" genres without ever resorting to cheap tricks like RPG-skill leveling or upgradeable weapons. It really does paint in it's own colors.
I think you'd have to really work to find a sane person that didn't enjoy Portal.jtardiou said:
The thing with Half-Life 2, I think, is that it is similar enough to something like Halo that its differences, if you're really used to, say, Halo, can seem like problems, just for their being different. After spending a good solid month playing Halo 3 before The Orange Box was released, there was a period of serious adjustment to just get my head around Half-Life 2's controls, let alone its conventions.
And there's also the fact that some people are just knuckleheads that validate themselves by attaching themselves to (or distancing themselves from! There is a lot of both with Halo, ugh.) a gaming franchise, and invest their self-esteem in its success (or failure). There's not much you can do about them, but I'm trying to make more liberal use of the Ignore feature here, myself
.jtardiou said:
What the hell? Fear is a pretty decent game and Halo is awesome- liking them is hardly bad taste, just different from yours. (Apparently) I liked HL2 well enough and don't really see how some people around here dislike it to the degree they do (not talking about anyone right here specifically- just saying that I HAVE seen people on GAF that, without a doubt, hate the series) but I wouldn't presume to call their entire taste sucky because of that. (And I definitely wouldn't cite the games you did to achieve that purpose)
GilloD said:
Great post. I agree with pretty much all of that. It's amazingly well crafted. All the parts in the game really feel like they belong there and the sheer variety helps to tie in the impression that you are in a real world. I also loved the vehicle bits and ravenholm.
I know buzz words like "scope" and "atmosphere" and "pacing" get thrown around a lot. But HL2 really has it like almost no other game out there. Not to mention smart design and awesome characters. But I'm getting carried away... I still need to finish episode 2. :lol
jtardiou said:
That's a load of BS. I see this attitude more and more on gaf. Like Halo was made for the drunken frat boy casual gamers and HL2 is the connoisseur's choice. I guess that's the backlash from the main stream fame Halo has acquired. too bad.
PS: FEAR's AI makes HL2 look like childsplay.