Half Life 2

[tsumake]

Well, after all the drama at Valve, VU Games, etc. HL2 is finally, finally coming out. It's funny: I remember clearly when the game was announced. It was just before I left to go to Prague. I thought by the time I got there, the game would be out, and I would be struggling to play it on my Alienware laptop (2.4ghz, but a lousy mobility radeon 7500!). Well, talk about blue balls - while it wasn't the biggest of stalls that I remember (that's now DNF), it was probably the most frustating since Newell jumped the gun and gave that Sept. 30 date. Oops...

It's funny now, though - I remember first reading about Max Payne, looking at the early screenshots, when I was finishing up eighth grade. Then, all of a sudden in my senior year of high school, the game resurfaces again and I'm playing it on my Dell 933mhz comp. It was so surprising to actually see this game after so long!

Now HL2 is here, and with my new comp it's gonna be bliss. I would like to get the collector's edition, simply for the fact that the game's on a single DVD instead of 5 friggin discs. But that edition costs 80 bucks... Does anyone know where I can a DVD copy of the game for less than that? I find it a bit, well goddamn steep.

This, and also finally Vampire Bloodlines. I heard that game was all ready finished but they had to hold it back until HL2 was finished......

 

[it290]

You can always go the Steam route if you don't want to install off 5 CD's. It'll take a while to download, but if you have a fast connection it won't be that bad, and you can have the game ready to go the moment it's activated.

 

[schi0249]

I already have it pre-loaded through steam. Once it's available, all I do is buy and then play time.

 

[tsumake]

Ok, I'm preloading HL2. A quick question: If I buy the game, can I burn HL2 onto a DVD and keep it like that? It seems kind of stupid to me to pay over 50 bucks just to have the privilege to play HL2 before those who rush to gamestop to buy it..... Thanks,

 

[it290]

There is a backup feature, yes, but I don't think it's activated yet.

 

[SkankinMonkey]

Apparently there are some issues between Vivendi and Valve delaying the release.

 

[it290]

Arrgh, I've got the game installed, but Steam keeps giving me a Connection Refused error. I imagine the servers are being hit rather hard right now, but even so, this is ridiculous!

 

[ExCyber]

Apparently there are some issues between Vivendi and Valve delaying the release.

This is kind of interesting. As far as I can guess from scanning articles on it, it went down something like this (take with a grain of salt, but the big picture should be fairly accurate):

- Valve signs a publishing contract with Sierra for HL. Among other things this gives Sierra the copyright to HL and obligates Valve to deliver an unknown number of further games

- Valve later renegotiates the contract, saying that they won't have the necessary funds to operate on the schedule Sierra wants unless they're allowed to sell their games directly to consumers. In addition, Valve insists that Sierra return the copyright to Half-Life. Around this time, the beginnings of Steam were in the lab; Valve (not surprisingly) didn't mention this to Sierra

- Valve launches Steam about a year later, causing Sierra/VU Games to drop a load in its collective trousers

- (this one is very much in rumor-land) Sierra/VUG starts making veiled threats that it will delay the release of HL2 until after Christmas if Valve doesn't make certain concessions with regard to Steam (most likely either a moratorium on Steam distribution of HL2 or a profit-sharing arrangement)

- Valve sues Sierra/VUG for distributing HL/Counter-Strike to Internet cafes outside the scope of the publishing agreement

- Sierra/VUG countersues Valve, for, um... being big meanies and not letting them in on Steam, I guess; the argument seems to amount to "they never told us they were going to do major online distribution, therefore they should be forced to conform to our plans"

- Trial date is set for March 21, 2005

 

[schi0249]

And as a result, HL2's release is being held up. Damn it, I guess I will be playing Vampire before HL2 at this point. Sad, so sad.

 

[it290]

Well, I just got done playing the game for about four hours.. and all I can say is WOW. This game was truly worth the wait- it's an incredibly immersive and fun experience. Yes, the Steam stuff is a major headache, but once you get past that and start playing, you'll forget about it completely. HL2 has everything that made the first Half-Life so good, but also throws a more varied experience at you with killer visuals. It really makes you feel like you're inside a great sci-fi/action movie, and not playing a game. Hardly ever does the game lull to the point where you're thinking 'man, I just want to get to the next area'.. almost every bit is great fun.

 

[schi0249]

What kind of system are you playing it on? Also, did you get a hard copy from the store, or did you get it from Steam?

 

[it290]

Retail copy. System is an XP2600+, 1 gig RAM, Radeon 9500 pro. The game runs superbly, I'm playing at 1024x768 with 2xAA and 2x aniso, with everything set to full with the exception of water reflections (which are set to 'world only' rather than 'everything'.. not sure how much of a performance hit that would make), and I have yet to encounter any significant slowdowns. Even in larger areas with lots of action, the framerate feels fluid.

 

[tsumake]

I finally got HL2 off of Steam, and I've played it for about an hour.

Jesus. This game is so good, it feels unreal. Do any of you get that feeling as well? I mean, it's so well put together, so well thought out, that it seems like an alien experience to me. I'm so used to playing Medal of Honor Pacific Assault or Doom 3, that playing a game so polished seems alien to me. Hell, even Far Cry wasn't as immersive.

And speaking of immersive, all this time Warren Spector was talking about "immersive entertainment" and yet I find myself more involved with this game than any other title I've played. I've lived in Prague for a year, and I think City 17 really captures at least some of that Central European feel, except for the fact that everyone speaks english.... (well, ok, maybe Prague with all the American tourists.....). And, it's very easy to see the weaknesses of the Source engine, but honestly who gives a shit? It doesn't look like Doom 3, but frankly Doom 3 didn't scare me at all. In the hour I've played HL2, however, my blood was pumping. There was real urgency to haul Gordy's ass on that rooftop, I tell ya (I hope this isn't a spoiler, but to say that you run across a rooftop isn't that big a deal, IMO).

The only thing I don't like is the voice acting. I loved the feeling of dread when you enter the station, but when, all of a sudden, you hear some of the main NPCs talking in a cheerful american way, it really killed the mood for me. It was like finding yourself immersed in the Soviet Union under Stalin, and then all of a sudden Jimmy Stewart starts talking to you. This irritation leaves when you enter the world of the NPCs though, and then it's fine.

It's so surreal to play something this good. Ok, so tell me I'm hyperbolizing. Regardless I still enjoy the game

Though sometimes, I feel like playing MOH: PA, just to feel "safe again" to console me that "yes, this is an FPS, HL2 is over there, just continue playing me. Continue going through preset paths, bad AI, mindless shooting sprees."

 

[Ammut]

I'll be getting the collectors edition tomorrow, did anyone get that yet?. While I am definitely looking forward to the great single player, I was kind of dissapointed that there is no HL2 specific multiplayer mode though since I'm not a big CS fan. Speaking of which...apparently normal retail version of the game does not install properly if you choose 'no' when asked if you also want Counterstrike source, a bit of a gaffe for such a big name game. I hope to see some sweet new multiplayer mods out in the near future that fully take advantage of the new engine.

 

[it290]

Well, Sven co-op will definitely be out before too long, and also there is an unfinished multiplayer component in the game already so we just need someone (possibly Valve) to finish it up. Shouldn't be too hard... the only thing that's really needed is a nice Gordon model. (I wonder if the one that's been used for promoting the game could be used?)

 

[Alexvrb]

I've got two friends who (after I showed them the game) decided to wait until Natural Selection shows up, which I told them may be a really long wait.

Anyway, I'm somewhat disappointed with HL2. I find myself all too often wondering when and where they crossed the line between good, complicated level design and overdone, tedious level design. Walk around in circles through buildings while some old guy yells at you. Drive on a road, stop, kill soldiers, repeat. Don't step on the sand. I'll step where I damn well please, stupid bugs...

Plus the stupid retail version requires a CD for both HL2 and CS: Source. No Steam game has done this before, not even if you used your old HL1 CD key to install HL through Steam.

As for the interaction, it's great at times, but limited at others. Further, BECAUSE you can haul objects around (especially once you get the gravity gun) they force you to do so constantly. I liked the gravity gun once, now I don't even like looking at it, but I still have to use the stupid thing. Then, they decide to severely limit ammo on my favorite weapons, because they know they're fun.

 

[it290]

Wow... that's surprising. I think the level design is fantastic (although I found the Sand Traps section kind of irritating as well). Not only that, but I haven't had any ammo supply problems whatsoever, and I'm playing on hard. Unless your favorite weapon is the Magnum, I guess you just suxxor.

 

[Alexvrb]

I was referring mainly to the magnum, yes. But the bow too, since I just love the joink-thwack action on that. I mean come on, I can hold hundreds of bullets, but only have enough room for 12 spare magnum rounds and 9 crossbow bolts (not counting the 6 and 1 loaded, respectively)? Also the combine gun, when I use it, I really use it. So I run out of ammo till the next time.

Anyway, I think SOME of the levels are awesome, but some of them just go too far in forcing me to prance around like an idiot. Hurray, I now get to move more stupid barrels around or some such garbage.

 

[it290]

Yes, but consider that 1 magnum bullet or 1 crossbow bolt is enough to take down a Combine soldier, whereas you usually end up dumping half a clip with the SMG to take them out.

The Combine gun does run out of ammo quickly, but you get lots of it.. grenades for that gun do seem to be kind of scarce, though.

 

[Alexvrb]

Yes, and I find the standard throwing grenades to often be pathetic. Sometimes they're incredibly useful, but I do wish they'd act more like the SMG nades and just go boom splat.

I think playing CS and trying to (re)adapt to its style has screwed up my aim, and vice versa, other games have me screwing up in CS. I need to stop playing CS. It's ghetto. Call of Duty had a far, FAR superior method of handling accuracy/recoil/scoping/etc. The different firing positions were handled perfectly, people had scope wobble when non-prone (snipers don't have that problem in CS ). Sighting down a barrel was extremely useful, but it slowed you down. I was able to nail someone from a decent distance with a Thompson, but in CS I couldn't shoot my foot if I tied my barrel to it.

Oops, I went on a mini rant. CS needs to stop being so damned popular so I can play something with less abnormal firearm behavior.