Oh! My Car!
Member
HALF-LIFE 2
What Is Your GOTY?
- Thread starter captainbiotch
- Start date
The Guivre
Member
It'll likely be Halo 2 or Half-Life 2. I don't really mind if it's Half Life 2. I'll be honest and say I don't think Halo 2 really deserves the title. GTA SA is definately a contender as well, I'd argue perhaps more so than Halo 2. But if the people that mattered felt the way I did the prize would probably go to Jak 3, I'll be more sure when I get it for more than a few minutes of play. But based on the fact that about four days after Halo 2 I found myself enjoying my Greatest Hits copy of Jak II more, I get the feeling in the end the Jak series will come out perhaps just a cut above Master Chief in my overall enjoyment of gameplay and story.
Hellraizah
Member
Halo 2.
There's not even any competition.
There's not even any competition.
Doom_Bringer
Banned
Half Life 2
MightyHedgehog
Member
So far...a close tie...
Halo 2/Ninja Gaiden/Rallisport Challenge 2/Warhammer 40k Dawn of War/GTA: SA
...with Halo 2 and Ninja Gaiden duking it out for the top position...
If I get a chance to upgrade my video card this year, perhaps Half-Life 2 will join the above list.
Halo 2/Ninja Gaiden/Rallisport Challenge 2/Warhammer 40k Dawn of War/GTA: SA
...with Halo 2 and Ninja Gaiden duking it out for the top position...
If I get a chance to upgrade my video card this year, perhaps Half-Life 2 will join the above list.
V
Vennt
Unconfirmed Member
Half-Life 2
evilromero
Member
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
It's very hard for me to believe that anyone who has played both Half-Life 2 and Halo 2 without holding an biased opinion for or against either before they began playing would say Halo 2 is the better game. I guess I will have to.
Anyway, GOTY: Half-Life 2
Close runners up: Paper Mario 2, Burnout 3.
Anyway, GOTY: Half-Life 2
Close runners up: Paper Mario 2, Burnout 3.
Great Wasabi Man
Member
So Far HL2 by far and I didn't even like HL1. Yet I haven't played much of GTA:SA, or MGS3
Is that the cover art for Jak 3....the coverart looks pretty good I dunno about the game.
Is that the cover art for Jak 3....the coverart looks pretty good I dunno about the game.
Musashi Wins!
FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
I don't know. There's an embarassment of riches this year.
I'd say it's between GTA:SA and Halo 2 right now.
Half-Life 2 and MGS3 are in the rotation right now, so I can't make any sort of call. KOTOR was my favorite game last year and I don't think I'll have time to play it before the "awards" are handed out.
You know it's a great year for gaming when you have this many legitimate games to choose from.
I'd say it's between GTA:SA and Halo 2 right now.
Half-Life 2 and MGS3 are in the rotation right now, so I can't make any sort of call. KOTOR was my favorite game last year and I don't think I'll have time to play it before the "awards" are handed out.
You know it's a great year for gaming when you have this many legitimate games to choose from.
sonycowboy
Member
So,
Who are the real contenders so far?
1) Halo 2
2) GTA: San Andreas
3) Half-Life 2
4) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
5) Metroid Prime: Echoes
6) Ninja Gaiden
7) Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
8) Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
9) Rallisport 2
10) Katamari Damacy
11) Pikmin 2
Soon to be
12) Worlds of Warcraft
13) Prince of Persia 2
14) Knights of the Old Republic 2
Boy, this is an incredibly rich year for gaming.
Who are the real contenders so far?
1) Halo 2
2) GTA: San Andreas
3) Half-Life 2
4) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
5) Metroid Prime: Echoes
6) Ninja Gaiden
7) Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
8) Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
9) Rallisport 2
10) Katamari Damacy
11) Pikmin 2
Soon to be
12) Worlds of Warcraft
13) Prince of Persia 2
14) Knights of the Old Republic 2
Boy, this is an incredibly rich year for gaming.
WHOAguitarninja
Member
Ninja Gaiden
Biff Hardbody
Member
sonycowboy said:
Don't forget UT2K4.
It was Ninja Gaiden, but the four most recent titles in my library have a shot at it...
Halo 2 is in consideration. I LOVED the single player game (unlike many) and also enjoy playing multi. The overall experience was awesome, but it just wasn't quite long enough and I (as you all know) didn't exactly care for the way the game ended.
MGS3 is excellent, but there are some rough edges to be found and some sections haven't really done a whole lot for me (though it's mostly wonderful). I'm about 6 hours in and the story hasn't really grabbed me as much as I had hoped either. I mean, it's certainly interesting, but I kind of enjoyed the crazy wierdness of MGS2. Everything here seems to be very "face value" in meaning...but perhaps that will change. Also, the game is suprisingly challenging...but not always in the way I'd like it to be for my first run through.
Prime 2 could easily take the top spot. The gameplay is fantastic once again, so it depends on whether the later level designs are good or not. If the design fails or the atmosphere falters, it could hurt the game. Thus far, it rocks. My only complaints are that, as of the first major area, the music hasn't impressed and I'm actually not too terribly fond of the dark world yet. Also of note; this is easily the most polished game I've played this year (as expected).
Half-Life 2 had a shot, and it still might, but technical issues have damaged my experience and I don't think I can recover it. The framerate is generally fine (only a few places in Chapter 11 ran poorly), but the skipping problems and frequent load times really pulled me out of the game. The content is great, but I'm not playing it how it was intended to be played...
There were plenty of other great games this year as well, but those 5 are the standouts. The most disappointing release had to be Silent Hill 4. Not a bad game, but it didn't deliver the kind of experience I wanted and simply wound up disappointing as a Silent Hill title (it wasn't even an SH title to begin with). The trailer was amazing, but the final game really wasn't a whole lot like that.
Ninja Gaiden still might take the top spot, though. It was the most suprising game of the bunch for me. Prior to release, I didn't care about the game at all. Only after the positive impressions did I give it a chance, and it proceeded to blow me away. Considering my lack of hype, I did no real research on the game either and knew virtually nothing about it. So, everything was fresh and I loved it!
Halo 2 is in consideration. I LOVED the single player game (unlike many) and also enjoy playing multi. The overall experience was awesome, but it just wasn't quite long enough and I (as you all know) didn't exactly care for the way the game ended.
MGS3 is excellent, but there are some rough edges to be found and some sections haven't really done a whole lot for me (though it's mostly wonderful). I'm about 6 hours in and the story hasn't really grabbed me as much as I had hoped either. I mean, it's certainly interesting, but I kind of enjoyed the crazy wierdness of MGS2. Everything here seems to be very "face value" in meaning...but perhaps that will change. Also, the game is suprisingly challenging...but not always in the way I'd like it to be for my first run through.
Prime 2 could easily take the top spot. The gameplay is fantastic once again, so it depends on whether the later level designs are good or not. If the design fails or the atmosphere falters, it could hurt the game. Thus far, it rocks. My only complaints are that, as of the first major area, the music hasn't impressed and I'm actually not too terribly fond of the dark world yet. Also of note; this is easily the most polished game I've played this year (as expected).
Half-Life 2 had a shot, and it still might, but technical issues have damaged my experience and I don't think I can recover it. The framerate is generally fine (only a few places in Chapter 11 ran poorly), but the skipping problems and frequent load times really pulled me out of the game. The content is great, but I'm not playing it how it was intended to be played...
There were plenty of other great games this year as well, but those 5 are the standouts. The most disappointing release had to be Silent Hill 4. Not a bad game, but it didn't deliver the kind of experience I wanted and simply wound up disappointing as a Silent Hill title (it wasn't even an SH title to begin with). The trailer was amazing, but the final game really wasn't a whole lot like that.
Ninja Gaiden still might take the top spot, though. It was the most suprising game of the bunch for me. Prior to release, I didn't care about the game at all. Only after the positive impressions did I give it a chance, and it proceeded to blow me away. Considering my lack of hype, I did no real research on the game either and knew virtually nothing about it. So, everything was fresh and I loved it!
gollumsluvslave
Member
For games that have been released this year :-
Riddick, GTA:SA, Thief 3 and Ninja Gaiden all come close but I have to go with Halo 2 on heroic...couldn't put it down. May have changed if I could afford a decent PC for Half-Life 2 (and Battle for Middle Earth
).
For games I've played this year I would have to say that in pure enjoyment terms Beyond Good & Evil is very close to Halo 2... highly underrated game (hell I only just picked it up from the bargain bin - damn shame it was so overlooked)
Riddick, GTA:SA, Thief 3 and Ninja Gaiden all come close but I have to go with Halo 2 on heroic...couldn't put it down. May have changed if I could afford a decent PC for Half-Life 2 (and Battle for Middle Earth
).For games I've played this year I would have to say that in pure enjoyment terms Beyond Good & Evil is very close to Halo 2... highly underrated game (hell I only just picked it up from the bargain bin - damn shame it was so overlooked)
The single player mode in Halo 2 has much more replay value and at this point so does the multiplayer. Its just a much more polished game IMO, half-life has little things that annoy me like the 30 second load screens every 5 minuets and the dumb AI for the majority of the game. In halo even when you are fighting the grunts at least you feel like there is some intelligence behind what they are doing. They dont just jump out then stand and fire till you kill them, or just charge at you. Also the controlls feel really loose when you need to do platforming type stuff.
Halo 2 focuses on the core combat while Half-Life 2 is about an experience. Halo 2, in my eyes, is a much more replayable game. Half-Life 2 is the type of game that you'll load up from time to time to relive your favorite moments...but you aren't necessarily going to practice playing the game in order to sharpen your skills.
I believe that Halo 2's actual gameplay mechanics are simply better than Half-Life 2's. They offer much more depth and are more enjoyable to use. The two games are very different, however, which is why they both work. You just need to consider the fact that people playing each one could be looking for something different...
From an experience standpoint, they both have a lot to offer...but here are a few points.
The atmosphere in both games is absolutely fantastic, yet entirely different. I appreciated what both offered, but I was more impressed with the MASSIVE scale that Halo was able to convey. When I reached the end of the second library and proceeded to admire the massive structure I had just left, I was in awe. Halo 2 manages to present areas that feel large. Half-Life 2, on the other hand, truly does feel like a collection of (brilliantly designed) maps. The areas are tiny in comparison and are extremely segmented. That's really one of the major problems I had with HL2...
Halo 2 also managed to leave a better impression on me per scenario. The music and the usage of said music plays a large role in that, but the actual design of the levels really is just as important.
I guess it really is a collection of the little things that made Halo 2 a better experience for me. Half-Life 2 has too many issues that prevented it from really shining. There are too many segments that I found uninteresting, I found that they used music rather poorly most of the time, and I hated the divided feeling the game conveyed. HL2's experience simply left me disappointed for a number of reasons while I couldn't put Halo 2 down...
Nice reply, dark10x.
Very true, and I guess I don't see them as being different "kinds" of FPS. They're both action shooters to me, but to others I guess those minor differences you mentioned are more prominent.
And I think you nailed it on the head when you said Halo 2 focuses on the core combat while Half-Life 2 is about an experience. I've always been a more "experience" oriented gamer, prefering longer, more complex games set in elaborate worlds (see: most RPGs and adventure games). Halo 2 just didn't transport me into its world like HL2 did.
Oh, and I also simply prefer mouse/keyboard over gamepad any day.
I expect the Halo 2/HL2 GOTY awards will be pretty evenly split among the Media.
Very true, and I guess I don't see them as being different "kinds" of FPS. They're both action shooters to me, but to others I guess those minor differences you mentioned are more prominent.
And I think you nailed it on the head when you said Halo 2 focuses on the core combat while Half-Life 2 is about an experience. I've always been a more "experience" oriented gamer, prefering longer, more complex games set in elaborate worlds (see: most RPGs and adventure games). Halo 2 just didn't transport me into its world like HL2 did.
Oh, and I also simply prefer mouse/keyboard over gamepad any day.
I expect the Halo 2/HL2 GOTY awards will be pretty evenly split among the Media.
Halo 2. No question.
There are some pretty amazing games out there this year. But the total package that is Halo2 is just amazing. The music, the atmostphere, the setting, the cut scenes, the everthing.... I have nothing bad to say about the game.
I loved the ending. I think it is hilarious that everyone is so upset with it having a cliffhanger ending.
And the mulitplayer is pure nectar. Nuff said
The problem with picking a GOTY is everyone thinks you hate every other game.
I am loving playing GTA:SA, Metroid Prime 2, Half Life 2, MGS3 etc.... and I can't wait to get my hands on PoP.
This has got to be the best year in gaming history. There are way to many great games out there to play right now. WAY TOO MANY.
There are some pretty amazing games out there this year. But the total package that is Halo2 is just amazing. The music, the atmostphere, the setting, the cut scenes, the everthing.... I have nothing bad to say about the game.
I loved the ending. I think it is hilarious that everyone is so upset with it having a cliffhanger ending.
And the mulitplayer is pure nectar. Nuff said
The problem with picking a GOTY is everyone thinks you hate every other game.
I am loving playing GTA:SA, Metroid Prime 2, Half Life 2, MGS3 etc.... and I can't wait to get my hands on PoP.
This has got to be the best year in gaming history. There are way to many great games out there to play right now. WAY TOO MANY.
Riskbreaker
Member
MGS 3
