I will make a review tomorrow of the full Orange Box. Expect to see a very long review since I will be nitpicking and pointing out the flaws it has.

Jeez, people never stop trying to pick away at Half-Life, do they... The point of Half-Life is that it's an fps with a plot that's integrated into the gameplay. It's three years old now, and has lost some of it's shine. It's still one of the best games ever made (sadly beaten by GTA:IV in the best game of all time stakes though), but it's not as revolutionary now as it was when it was released.

I've still to find an fps that can beat it though, Bioshock's the only one that's come even remotely close.

For pure flow and gameplay I'd say that CoD4 is par the Half-Life series, if not surpassing it by miles..

But you gotta love valve for developer commentaries, i really enjoy hearing how they plan out the levels and getting the players from point a to b.

Half Life is a genre defining series..

waTHUMP:
For pure flow and gameplay I'd say that CoD4 is par the Half-Life series, if not surpassing it by miles..

But you gotta love valve for developer commentaries, i really enjoy hearing how they plan out the levels and getting the players from point a to b.

Half Life is a genre defining series..

True, but I dislike the regenerating health and continual flow of bad guys. It also seems a bit too scripted at times. Apart from that it's fantastic though.

Strafe Mcgee:
Jeez, people never stop trying to pick away at Half-Life, do they...

Meh, people like picking on games that are supposed to be the very best in video games. That's half of the reason why Yahtzee is so popular: he can rip to shreds high quality video games by pointing out flaws, sometimes rather insignificant flaws. Though, I have done that to games before myself and no game is outside the realm of constructive criticism. Every classic, from Ocarina of Time to Half-Life has a few things wrong with it, or just a few things that others didn't like.

The problem is when people tend to focus on the negatives of a video game and then ignore the positives.

I personally thought that The Orange Box was the greatest fps ever.
It had multi player, puzzles, and the greatest shooter of all time, Half-Life.

Bioshock close to Half Life 2?

Wait what?

HL2 practically evolved FPS games. Bioshock....had weapons shoot out of your hand instead of a gun. Thats a graphics change, not a REAL innovation.

VRaptorX:

HL2 practically evolved FPS games. Bioshock....had weapons shoot out of your hand instead of a gun. Thats a graphics change, not a REAL innovation.

I didn't claim that Bioshock was a huge innovatory game - I'm aware that it's a bastardised version of System Shock 2, one of my favourite games ever -, but in terms of plot, atmosphere and scariness it was a huge success. It's also the best fps (imo) that we've had since Half-Life 2 came out, thus, close to HL2.

EDIT: The main reason I compare the two is that both were full of moments that astonished me e.g. the statues, the piano sequence, the plastic surgeon, "would you kindly"... Bioshock's full of moments that will stay with me for a long time, much like Half Life.

Why is all the anti-HL coming from paperboys? I have problems with the game but I don't hate it like these little troll puppies do. Not the ones who just say "I hate the puzzles" or whatever that's fine, I'm talking about the people who start these things. If I went out and bashed GTA IV Purples's lynching threads would get a real life partner.

Alyx is by far the best coop ai you will see in a shooter. The only way you can get knocked off cliffs by her is if you are dumb enough to stand between her and them. Not the most powerful but where's the fun in having an Elite Rosie and 2 turrets helping you in Biosock, blasting all the oposition long before you even get LoS on them? All you get are some distant screams and a trail of lootable corpses.

I don't know how the physics engine is rusty, because Source uses a modified version of Havok, which is used in almost every game that has physics, 3Ds Max and any movie that has CG in it.

killer7147:

...The graphics are no where near as good as they could be, the physics engine is rusty,...

The graphics are better than your mum.

In short, the Half-Life franchise is one to be respect and if your opinions say otherwise, no need to fling it all over [generalization]who thinks the opposite.[/generalization]

Complaining about the graphics is seriously, well all I can think of is ignorant.
Half Life 2 has some rather amazing graphics, and with what little space they use, they have to choose between high end graphics, (and as such a much higher PC requirement) or a kick ass physics system that doesn't require high end graphics cards. Better graphics usually means a game that doesn't scale well, and Half Life scales, very well.

tiredinnuendo:

Pseudonym2:
My main problem was the puzzles. I kept coming with up to a dozen solutions that should have worked but didn't for some reason. I couldn't play for more than 30 minutes without a walk through.

...what?

- J

For instance in Episode One, you antlions keep attacking you before you can open the door. I tried finding a way to remove the scent that attracted the antlions in the first place. The sprinkler system didn't work. Pouring gasoline didn't work. Just putting the gasoline there and lighting it with a blast from the gravity gun didn't work. The answer (spoiler!)was to put a car on the hole despite the fact the fact that the antlions could tunnel through concrete and I assumed they could move through any obstacle I put in front of them

The only thing that im going to pick at in the games is the fact that Alex does not die. I really didnt like her and when she got attacked by the hunter in episode 2 i was truely happy.

First of all, moving from one point to another killing things describes the entire FPS genre.

Second, the plot for Half-Life 2 is better written than some films. The pacing wasn't so great in Half-Life 2 itself, but the episodes cleared it up.

As for graphics and the physics engine, remember that Half-Life 2 was made back in 2004. It's four years old, so it's not going to be anywhere near as good as newer, shinier games. It's still pretty damn good, in my opinion.

And Alyx does make other sidekicks look like idiots. She's charming, witty, and works well with the player. Yeah, she was weaker in Episode Two, but when a major plot point involves her being mortally wounded, it's kinda inevitable.

I will agree with the comments about Dr. Magnusson. It's pretty obvious that the entire idea is for him to be an arrogant prick, and I'd rather him not be included. Let's hope he has little screentime in Episode Three.

The thing I find wrong is that both episodes were way to short, I beat ep 1 in 40 minutes without speed running, and I hate speed running, ep 2 was better but I liked how Half life 2 was around a ten hour game.

Strafe Mcgee:
Jeez, people never stop trying to pick away at Half-Life, do they... The point of Half-Life is that it's an fps with a plot that's integrated into the gameplay. It's three years old now, and has lost some of it's shine. It's still one of the best games ever made (sadly beaten by GTA:IV in the best game of all time stakes though), but it's not as revolutionary now as it was when it was released.

I've still to find an fps that can beat it though, Bioshock's the only one that's come even remotely close.

The first Half life was better than the episodes but was right with there with half life 2. Bioshock had some mistakes with it,my main reason why I wasn't interested after I got too overpowered was because the people dumb it down, I see more intelligent gamers then I do the idiots who are not even gamers.

Wazzelbe:
- Dr. Magnison or whatever. Who is this bastard? Why do we need him? Props to Yahtzee on that one.

acctually, if you pay attention through out the game and vividally remember the orginal half life he is some one you run into... and he tips you off to it as well...

he is supposed to be one of the guys in the crew room next to the locker room where you pick up the HEV Suit, whom is constantly roaming around looking at the microwave and trying to get a soda. you the player can use the microwave several times causing the contents inside it to explode where one of the scientists will say 'my god, what are you doing?!' before you walk on as if nothing happened. if you play through Ep. 2 he alures to this fact. 'Freemen, i forgive you for that debacle with the 'microwave casserole...'

it isn't as obvious as Kliner or Eli because they both look like a previous scientist. maybe if they made him look more like one of the orginal 4 scientists he would of gotten a warmer welcome rather than the weird eye.

Does every thread on this forum break down into Half Life vs Halo. It seems too. If someone doesn't like HL they must worship Halo and vice versa. I own Orange Box and the Halo Trilogy. They are all good games. Maybe in different aspects but what does it matter? I don't care which one the world thinks is better because I'm spending MY time on whichever I feel like playing. I kind of get bored of the thousand and one threads devoted to this pointless argument, especially as neither game can stand up to Deus Ex or Bioshock. I don't care if that upset you! I really don't!