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With HL3 possibly incoming can someone explain to me what’s so special about Half Life 1 and 2?
- Thread starter GulfCoastZilla
- Start date
Polygonal_Sprite
Gold Member
Along with Resident Evil and MGS on PS1 HL was one of the first great examples of a more cinematic gaming experience.
lifa-cobex
Member
You had to be their that the time.
HL1 was just a very well made FPS. It was in the top of the class.
HL2 demo leaked and folk were blown away for it's technical aspects.
When it eventually delivered. It more than lived up to the hype. The physics engine was amazing.
It also gave it a kick into the story aspect. Nothing like that had been done and it opened up a door to future games.
Episode 1/2 just added on top of it. Episode 2 had a slight graphical increase but didn't add anything mind blowing as HL2 did.
However they are really well made and added a fair bit into the story. It hooked you.
Having portal being in the same universe too was also a mind blown moment.
I assume you didn't play them on release?
HL1 was just a very well made FPS. It was in the top of the class.
HL2 demo leaked and folk were blown away for it's technical aspects.
When it eventually delivered. It more than lived up to the hype. The physics engine was amazing.
It also gave it a kick into the story aspect. Nothing like that had been done and it opened up a door to future games.
Episode 1/2 just added on top of it. Episode 2 had a slight graphical increase but didn't add anything mind blowing as HL2 did.
However they are really well made and added a fair bit into the story. It hooked you.
Having portal being in the same universe too was also a mind blown moment.
I assume you didn't play them on release?
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GudOlRub
Member
I don't get the people that don't get why Half-Life is special and I played every HL game years after they were released.
I'm of the opinion that you always have to get yourself in the context of the time a game was released in, HL1, 2 and Alyx are all amazing games for the times they came out in.
I played this series in a completely messed up order, played HL2 and EP1 first, a few years later played HL1, then I played Alyx and still loved the ending without any context, last year I played EP2 and this year I finished Opposing Force and Blue Shift and even with this mess of a playthrough I was still amazed with the quality and how fun these games were.
I can only imagine how amazing Alyx's ending must have been for older fans of the franchise.
With this said, I'm curious and afraid of what HL3 might be. Although I really want to see the conclusion of Gordon's story, I am of the same mind as Gaben in the anniversary video as in, Half-Life should push gaming forward, releasing a third game just for the story's sake would feel a bit wrong.
I'm of the opinion that you always have to get yourself in the context of the time a game was released in, HL1, 2 and Alyx are all amazing games for the times they came out in.
I played this series in a completely messed up order, played HL2 and EP1 first, a few years later played HL1, then I played Alyx and still loved the ending without any context, last year I played EP2 and this year I finished Opposing Force and Blue Shift and even with this mess of a playthrough I was still amazed with the quality and how fun these games were.
I can only imagine how amazing Alyx's ending must have been for older fans of the franchise.
With this said, I'm curious and afraid of what HL3 might be. Although I really want to see the conclusion of Gordon's story, I am of the same mind as Gaben in the anniversary video as in, Half-Life should push gaming forward, releasing a third game just for the story's sake would feel a bit wrong.
Grildon Tundy
Member
I say it every chance I get, but Half Life 3 will be a direct neural interface experience. It's the only tech advancement I see Valve getting stoked enough about to push them to do HL3.
poppabk
Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
Half Life 1 - it had a really good story told entirely (?) within game, with amazing for the time visuals. The scripted sequences may have faked decent AI, but in game they were really impressive. Plus lots of cool multiplayer mods.
Half Life 2 - Had all of the above but with added physics. People rag on 'movie' games for cut scenes but they also nearly always lack any interaction. HL2 provided great physics, not just for gameplay, although it did that, but also just to make you feel like the game world was real. HL2 in VR is still one of the best VR games out there because of this.
Half Life 2 - Had all of the above but with added physics. People rag on 'movie' games for cut scenes but they also nearly always lack any interaction. HL2 provided great physics, not just for gameplay, although it did that, but also just to make you feel like the game world was real. HL2 in VR is still one of the best VR games out there because of this.
simpatico
Member
Sorry OP. I don't think anyone can tell you how to enjoy the sound of a women singing softly in her garden or the grandiose views of a coastal sunset. Somethings are just appreciated through intuition. If you've played the series and don't see what the hype is all about, no one is going to be able to explain how to appreciate it.
FunkMiller
Member
Half Life 2 was so far ahead of its time, it's astounding.
It still has better physics that games being made today.
It still has better physics that games being made today.
00_Zer0
Member
At this point in your life if you played both Half Life 1 and 2, and you never realized these games were special, or why we need a third game then there is no convincing you now.
I fail to see the context of when you started gaming, because I grew up during the Atari age too, and the Half Life series made me excited about PC gaming. I knew right away after playing both games that Valve is a once in a lifetime developer that very few developers can touch. It seems barring a few games, everything they touch is pure gold.
So if you watched the HL 2 documentary Gabe Newell said that completing the story arc of Half Life 2 episode 2 wasn't a good enough reason to get an episode 3 or a Half Life 3. He said that Valve needs to push the gameplay envelope in a new way for Half Life 3 to be made. He also stated that everything was in place for Valve to achieve that goal in the future. Whether HL3 shows up at this game awards is another story, but there is ample evidence that it's being worked on and I'm excited for it.
The Cockatrice
I'm retarded?
Havent read the entire thread but these posts are the most idiotic replies in the history of gaf. Half-Life 2 overrated. Lmao.
Not_A-Cop_Maybe
Member
Everyone stop talking.Simple answer by ChatGPT
The Half-Life series is considered revolutionary in gaming history for several reasons, both in terms of gameplay innovation and storytelling:
Half-Life 1 (1998)
1. Story-Driven Gameplay: Unlike most shooters of its time, Half-Life integrated the story directly into the gameplay. There were no cutscenes; events unfolded in real-time, immersing players in the narrative.
2. Advanced AI: The game featured highly intelligent enemies for its time, such as marines who would flank, communicate, and adapt to the player’s tactics.
3. Environmental Storytelling: It emphasized subtle environmental storytelling, with clues about the world and narrative scattered throughout the game.
4. Innovative Design: Seamless level transitions and a lack of traditional “levels” or “missions” made it feel like one continuous journey.
5. Immersive Atmosphere: From the isolated Black Mesa facility to the intense escape sequences, the game created a sense of tension and urgency rarely seen in FPS games of the era.
Half-Life 2 (2004)
1. Physics Engine (Source Engine): Half-Life 2 was groundbreaking with its use of the Source Engine, introducing realistic physics interactions. The Gravity Gun became an iconic tool, allowing players to manipulate the environment in creative ways.
2. Cinematic Storytelling: It elevated the storytelling of the first game, with deeper characters (like Alyx Vance), emotional moments, and world-building that drew players into the dystopian universe controlled by the Combine.
3. Dynamic Gameplay: The game balanced puzzle-solving, exploration, and combat perfectly. Its set pieces, such as the Ravenholm sequence, are legendary for their atmosphere and design.
4. Immersive World: City 17 and the surrounding environments felt alive, with incredible attention to detail and a blend of dystopian sci-fi and Eastern European influences.
5. Modding Community: The Source Engine also became a platform for modders, spawning classics like Counter-Strike: Source and Garry’s Mod.
Why They’re Special
Both games redefined what players could expect from a first-person shooter, blending storytelling, innovation, and immersion in ways that still influence game design today. The Half-Life series is often credited with elevating the FPS genre into a medium capable of delivering deep narrative experiences.
this man has cooked.
coffinbirth
Member
Donald mac Ronald
Member
HL 1 is one of the best games of all time. I'll never understand the fascination of hl2 being better. Yeah it has better physics and a gravity gun.
Everything else it did worse. Basically a corridor shooter.
Everything else it did worse. Basically a corridor shooter.
This is the understatement of the century. It was sooo ahead of time, I put it at the same level of Mario 64
Wildebeest
Member
Sony didn't make it, so how can it be special? Don't worry about it.
Moses85
Member
Everyone stop talking.
this man has cooked.
Guilhermegrg
Member
You just had to be there
EverydayBeast
ChatGPT 0.1
ResilientBanana
Member
OP, some games aren’t meant for everyone, just like how I hate anime because it’s overplayed.
MrJangles
Member
Having not gotten into pc gaming until after 2000 I played HL2 (and stuff like FEAR, Far Cry, Portal, etc) before part 1 and when I eventually did I hated it. I recently replayed it (and Black Mesa) and they just won't click with me. HL2 however I consider the best shooter ever made.
Oh well
Oh well
Buggy Loop
Member
This
The AI for 1998 puts some modern games to shame
It defined the genres, literally. Half Life 1 was almost the first story telling by script event/scene happening in front of you as you play the game, not a "cut-scene" and then mindless gameplay. FPS games released before and even in the same year were maps labyrinths with shit to shoot. I mean that's fine, it's also part of the resurgence of retro shooters nowadays, but it's just to define how Half Life 1 was disruptive compared to anything else.
and for Half-Life 2
I mean you don't have to understand. The world will go on. It's like trying to explain to a kid today why Pacman was a big deal. You take a lot for granted nowadays in how game plays, well Half-Life 1 might be alone in all this but it is a major player in influencing game designs for everything afterwards.
cash_longfellow
Member
Agreed…it’s the same thing as Shenmue. People clamor for it like the first two were really that great, then when they get another one they are just disappointed, when in reality the first two were not really that great anyway.
Hohenheim
Member
For fucks sake. Enough with the I don't get the HL hype". You probably "get" a lot of other games. No need for these stupid treads.
You say you've played the games. What more do you need? They didn't set your world on fire. Fine. Move on.
Do you really need a bunch of folks to explain why you should like something you liked, but a lot more?
I mean.. why?
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cash_longfellow
Member
And then milk it all the way into the ground like Halo? I’m in
Ironman_Bad
Member
If Half Life 3 is real and on par with the first 2 at release it will be the best looking, best playing, most innovative, and best paced first person shooter of all time if not game period...that's how good the first 2 were
poppabk
Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
Definitely not, I think Goldeneye was more ahead of its time than Half Life.
The_Observer
Member
You had to be there to understand. HL2 is one of the best games ever, in 2004 it was peak gaming IMO. I was not there at the time for HL1 so I didn’t understand that, but I guess it’s the same thing, you had to be there.
Buggy Loop
Member
Definitely not, I think Goldeneye was more ahead of its time than Half Life.
I would say it defined FPS multiplayer for an era, but not much influence as far as single player design goes. Was still mission based, a map, shoot shit. Brought a few gadgets but yea.
Half Life 1 with script events, stitched together levels to have one journey from beginning to end and to end the map/mission based systems of all the shooters previously, is more influential 100%. I can see someone liking Goldeneye more, it was also more popular for a while, but influencial is 100% on Half-Life.
Half Life 1 spawned Counter-Strike mod for multiplayer. Still ~1M concurrent players in 2024.
FunkMiller
Member
I'm currently playing through HL2 again, and I'm also playing Indiana Jones And The Great Circle.
In every respect other than the graphical fidelity, HL2 is the superior game. That's not to say Great Circle is bad, but when you compare the level of physical interaction between the two games in terms of the environment, Great Circle is the game that feels old. Static. Like you're walking around scenery rather than a real environment.
Same goes for pretty much every other modern game. They may look prettier. But compared to HL2 they feel like cardboard. You're nowhere near as grounded in the reality of the location you're in, because you simply don't have the same level of ability to interact. To change things. To make things happen.
HL2 is twenty years old. How are games now far less realistic?
In every respect other than the graphical fidelity, HL2 is the superior game. That's not to say Great Circle is bad, but when you compare the level of physical interaction between the two games in terms of the environment, Great Circle is the game that feels old. Static. Like you're walking around scenery rather than a real environment.
Same goes for pretty much every other modern game. They may look prettier. But compared to HL2 they feel like cardboard. You're nowhere near as grounded in the reality of the location you're in, because you simply don't have the same level of ability to interact. To change things. To make things happen.
HL2 is twenty years old. How are games now far less realistic?
bender
What time is it?
Starbuck2907
Member
Doom 3 and Half -Life 2 launched and had graphics that made everything else at the time seem archaic.
Of the two, Half-Life 2 was a far more interesting game and story, and it was one of the earlier games to make full use of material based objects and flowing water, and use them for the play purposes. It also had the gravity gun and headcrabs and lots of other weird stuff, it was THE reason to own a gaming pc, followed by Doom 3.
Even today, it’s still a great game,
Buggy Loop
Member
Almost all modem games go for a nice coat of paint and shoves physics/AI under the bus
Half Life, Half Life 2, F.E.A.R., S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Crysis, Red Faction, etc
Games in early 2000’s were pushing the envelope with the new computational power.
AAA publishers have found what it takes to make a game sell with just the bare minimum, that the masses eat up, and they optimized around that, bare minimum. (But 400 artists for graphics…)
Clear
CliffyB's Cock Holster
Very good games in their day, but yeah not flawless and in all honesty, a bit overrated.
Highly important and influential, but the reality is that were you to encounter them for the first time in 2024, most likely you wouldn't be that impressed because so many of the ideas they introduced have been done to death over the last 25 years.
Highly important and influential, but the reality is that were you to encounter them for the first time in 2024, most likely you wouldn't be that impressed because so many of the ideas they introduced have been done to death over the last 25 years.
SRTtoZ
Member
HL2 isn't amazing for todays games. It did set a standard at the time and was amazing because it felt amazing to play and told a good story without having these long drawn out cutscenes. It took you on a cool adventure and told the story as the game progressed a lot like DOOM 2016 but much much better. People need to stop with HL3 though. It's not coming, its never coming. They've waited too long that it will NEVER EVER reach the hype even if the game ended up being 'good'. Good is not good enough for HL3 and Valve isn't that company anymore. I can see a spin off a lot like the VR stuff but no shot we get a HL3 and if we do, it's going to disappoint badly.
And a lot of things that it does better than most games today. Even linear ones
Seems like this thread forgot about the expansions. Even unfinished those added so much to the game. And had some insane moments.
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ZoukGalaxy
Member
It was so immersive, ahead of its time and so engaging to play and follow the story, that was enough with the physics to make it a classic like Portal 1 and, even more, Portal 2 which is never getting old.
Somes games needs to be played in their time (If you haven't back in time), when you play them later, they might don't "tick" anymore. But once they tick, they stay good for you forever.
And everybody wants a episode 3 because the end is a so frustrating and a pure heartbreaking cliffhanger, don't want to spoil more for anyone that might want to play them.
Somes games needs to be played in their time (If you haven't back in time), when you play them later, they might don't "tick" anymore. But once they tick, they stay good for you forever.
And everybody wants a episode 3 because the end is a so frustrating and a pure heartbreaking cliffhanger, don't want to spoil more for anyone that might want to play them.
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What fame then had better “gunplay”
Nothing was even close.
Later we had COD and Medal of Honor. Those series wouldn’t exist without HL.
That music when battling the helicopter? I mean cmon that was amazing. Gets my heart pumping now thinking about driving that boat around.
Pimpbaa
Member
HL2 was like the best single player FPS at the time. Especially with Doom 3 being so disappointing (mostly due to gameplay, graphics were amazing however). But that was many years ago. Many years ago with the cliffhanger ending of HL2 episode 2. You don’t fucking end a series with an ending like that you fuckers! Sorry, still angry.
Stardust911
Neo Member
This. No other game had the development prowess and engine/script implementations the half-life games had. This definitely showed when experiencing these games and made them very memorable. Half Life imo is a considered a legendary video game series along with Grand Theft Auto and Elder Scrolls.