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Half-Life 2 Visuals Dissappointing *Updated with pics*
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BenSkywalker
Diamond Member
Vehincle interaction with the environment is better then HL2's(I'm a big fan of moving vehicles, although I can't comment much on the water based moving device- whatever you want to call it- the buggy is horrific while FC's is fairly decent), bodily reactions are significantly more accurate in FC(YOU respond to physics which is a nice change) and sound travels (I guess this could just be a serious bug in HL2's AI though). Other then that they were fairly comparable. Both of them had there limited amount of objects that could be interacted with, and only those objects built to be interacted with could be.
I haven't seen an analytical breakdown of the game yet where praise was given reasonably. I see lots of gushing about the visuals- come on. The game is a minor improvement over the Mafia engine at best. That is not a slam, and if this was before FC and D3 that would make it the best looking game ever, but it is after FC and D3 and both of those titles look noticeable superior. I can write pages into everything that was wrong with HL2, along with scribing quite a bit with what they did properly too. I haven't said it was a bad game nor did I say I didn't like it. What I am saying is that it is grossly overrated and certainly fails to come remotely close to capturing the essence of the first HL.
I wanted to comment on this seperately from above as most reviews are talking about how mind blowing the story is too. You do realize how absurd that assertion is. FC's storyline was very weak also, weaker then HL2's IMO, but others didn't try to make it out to be incredible so I didn't feel the need to make an issue out of it.
It is sounding like it is more a matter of degrees concerning our disagreement here then it is we are on different pages.
BTW- Saw in the thread with a poll linked earlier that BFG is siding with FC as better then HL2(and how often do him and I agree on anything subjective 😛 ).
apoppin
Lifer
so, you're making excuses for a game? 😛
. . . . it other words it was crap . . . except for the "amazing gfx" (what i said) and the interaction!?! what interaction? . . . . d3 has much less interaction than most modern games. 😛
:roll:
edit:
So, you really do like HL/2 . . . . 7.8/10 - almost an "8" - is a good game in my book (i haven't seen a 9/10 imo, yet). 😉
(5/10 is NOT worth paying retail for) 😛
🙂
Todd33
Diamond Member
I liked FAR Cry much more thena D3, but don't let people tell you it's better than HL2, they are not even in the same ballpark. Far Cry is fun, but it's a mindless shooter based on a cliche story. It's just lots of pretty with lots of shooting. HL2 is like playing a movie, it varied, compelling and fun.
HL2: 9.5
FC: 8.2
D3: 7.0
HL2: 9.5
FC: 8.2
D3: 7.0
Ben I disagree with some points of yours:
1. I found vehicles in both really screwed up
2. Have you seen in the last levels of HL2 when you grab one of the guys with the gravity gun how well his body respond?
3. Almost anything you can break/throw/interact in HL2 responds magnificently.And you can break/throw/interact with much more things in HL2 than in FC, don't you agree?
4. You can grab things with your hands and see how they respond when you hit a wall or another object and they can't pass through
I found physics in FC to be really good but not too good compared to HL2. I found myself staying hrs in a place and interact with the enviroment,rather than just sit and play.
I'm not saying HL2 is a 10/10 game but compared to any other modern FPS it's the best by far.
I do agree with you though that it wasn't even close to the innovative character of the first HL.
But that happens when everyone anticipates so many things from a game. Nothing's perfect for sure
I don't remember any environmental interactions in FC.
I would prefer a length of around 20hours. HL2 may have been 15 hours which isn't too short - I've played shorter, but I think it came out too short because of the pacing of the game.
lol
Doom 3 was dead scary and it was awsome.
AND IT HAD A STORY. FACE IT, you could write twice as much on the story in Doom3 more than the story in HL2 - easy.
lol, definitely. Even though you don't necessarily agree - D3 > FC > HL2.
Yes, I was dissapointed in that area also.
D3 - 8.8
FC - 8.4
HL2 - 7.8
One thing we can all agree on, FarCry is definitley in the middle. 🙂
I wouldn't say I'm making excuses, I'd say I'm saying it was great but acknowledging it's weaknesses. If it wasn't so dark and indoors and linear and repetitive (slidewalls/spawnpoints) it would've been perfect. 😉 And by "environment" I didn't mean interraction. I was quite disappointed in how little you could interract with in D3. Far Cry is better and HL2 is better than FC. But still, I think D3 sucked you into it with the music and lighting and effects. You have to admit initially you were creaping around with your back to a wall listening for sounds of the enemy.
Your statement, "I haven't seen a 9/10 imo, yet", is what I'm talking about. I think the bar is set a little bit too high for games. I mean, we waited for years and years to see D3 and HL2 and FC surprised us coming out of nowhere. These games, while not perfect are the best FPS's we've seen in years. What's on the horizon to take them down? Stalker maybe? I dunno, I'm willing to bet good money it's going to be picked apart for it's weaknesses rather than it's strengths. That's my point. I think we're expecting too much. 🙂
EDIT: I didn't do a very good job of editing those quotes but you get my point. I think Jim1976 makes excellent points and says what I'm saying - only he did it better! 😛 😀
apoppin
Lifer
Yes, i do know what you mean and thank-you for clarifying.
Hpwever, i do not agree with you on Doom iii - i believe it is a terrible game with awesome gfx.
As far as saying i havent seen a "9" yet doesn't mean i don't believe i will . . . . figuring TEN is "perfect" and unreachable, 7s and 8s are very playable and enjoyable in my book.
IF we could have one game with the story people from Deus Ex/Thief, the level development people from HL, the AI guys from FC, and id taking card of gfx it'd be damn near. 😉
:roll:
IAteYourMother
Lifer
True, but D3 was terrible in terms of story and having fun. It was great for scaring me, but then it gets repetitive after awhile. The rooms all look similar, and with all the shadows, it's hard to actually see much of the environment as a whole. True, you could write more than HL2 with D3, but then does that mean that the story is good?
I give scores as follows:
HL2-9.2
FC-8.7
D3-5.4 (sound and gfx saved this game)
Apoppin I wouldn't say horrible. Ordinary in gameplay terms is a better word IMO. I expected from Carmack to give a new "touch" in gameplay terms through his new engine,but unfortunately that didn't happen.
But you have to admit that it created atmosphere with its claustrophobic enviroment,sound and lighting FX.
As for the "perfect" game, I would say that it's as you describe it.(only I would prefer the Bungie team to make the AI stuff)
apoppin
Lifer
i know you wouldn't but i did and i really mean H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E.
i have also used "banal" and boring". The longer i played, the more IRRITATED i got . . . . the last 1/3 of the game was played - from hell to the CyberPussy - in one sitting, with the sound way down. i just wanted to finish the f'd-up'd game and be done with it (i sold it the NEXT day and deleted all traces of it from my HD).
there is NO atmosphere . . . . well, like Martian Air and the plot of Diii - thin. IF you want REAL atmosphere and a kind of creeping horror that draws you in - try ThieF iii - Deadly Shadows, Shale Bridge Cradle level . . . . that kind of stuff can give you nightmares and is to horror more like the Exorcist (Doom iii is like the REMAKE of Dawn of the Dead - cheap and gory).
Couple this with the lack of a light and a gun (it IS the future - they ripped HL enough to put in a fast draining battery in Diii), the irritating "clues" from the PDA (the ONLY "innovation" turns out to be even more irritating) and the dead-brained stupidity of the Soul Cube (kill 6X, "use us" . . . . rinse and repeat till nauseated - in CONTRAST - the SUPER Gravity Gun of HL2 was FUN) where i beat the CyberDemon in ONE try (my only time an End Boss was SO easy).
Suck is Suck. i call it as i see it. Doom iii is a disaster . . . . id would have done better to simply REMAKE Doom and Doom iii with their new engine.
:thumbsdown:
apoppin
Lifer
here's how . . . . you can hid in the dark, surprise me by jumping in front of me and shouting "boo!" . . . . but if you KEEP doing it - over-and-over-and-over... - it gets IRRITATING (and will likely get punched in the face by me sooner or later)
Couple that with the same gratingly obnoxious "music" that in in all budget horror films and the scripted cliches start to strangle me.
and of course you are entitled to yours. 😛
:roll:
i HATED doom iii (3.5/10 - 3.5 forGFX only)
Oh cmon. It's not only the sudden appearance of enemies that constitute fear in the game. I mean for Christ's sake have you played the game after midnight alone with high end speakers and the volume all turned up? Don't you find walking in stages in such a dark enviroment hearing all these sounds at least creepy? Even when you don't have time to swap the flashlight with the gun doesn't that release pure adrenaline in you? If you don't then that's fine by me. 😛
I do like and find psychological thrillers action more intense and fascinating than budget horror films and I do hate cliches too as you mention. But this doesn't negate the fact that a good horror film can't scare the hell out of someone. Either you didn't play the game as you should or you could be somehow biased towards it 😉
apoppin
Lifer
Is 400w Klipsch 'surround', hi-end enough for you . . .. if so, yes.
creepy? . . . no (it's irritating cause there is ZERO variety)
fighting in the dark has been done better - try the Marine mission in AvPII. NO adrenaline (nausea)
biased? yes, i HATE the game . . . . (i said it over-and-over) . . . . not because i had expectations (i had none).
OK?
:roll:
Paratus
Lifer
I just gotta say I haven't played DoomIII yet but I just took a break from the Ravenholm level of HL2 and GEEEEEZZZZZUSSSS.
I can't understand how the OPs don't like this game. This game is immersive, fun, and scary. And the Graphics are great.
I'll try Doom III at some point as a fan of the originals (Anyone remeber the mods that had sounds from Army of Darkeness and Aliens?) But I can't see how it will live up to HL2
yhelothar
Lifer
I never bought into the hype half life 2 was. I always thought DooM³ would blow it out of the water, and I was excited about farcry a year before it came out when I first watched the CryTek trailer. But now after playing half life2, I'd have to say this is one AMAZING game. I love how they use physics as puzzles to get through the level. It takes some thought and it's cool to see the cause and effect of the physics. When I played the D3 alpha, I was even more hyped about it. It freaked me out and the graphics were absolutely mindblowing. DooM³ final had the graphics cut down and some how lost the scary touch. It was mediocre at best.
Farcry was my favorite game after I played it. I still love it. But half life2 just really just a whole nother level of thrill.
I've never felt a game bring out my adrenaline as half life 2 in the water level. When things were exploding and flying all around me when I'm flying my hovercraft through that level, my heartrate jumped about 500% 🙂.
Farcry was my favorite game after I played it. I still love it. But half life2 just really just a whole nother level of thrill.
I've never felt a game bring out my adrenaline as half life 2 in the water level. When things were exploding and flying all around me when I'm flying my hovercraft through that level, my heartrate jumped about 500% 🙂.
I dont know about some ppl.
But the story ok in basic terms is bland, every story in basic terms is bland.
But it isnt what the story is. Its about how it is told, how it immerses u into it, how it makes things tick, the subtelties behind everything.
This is what HL2 is about, on paper if u read it in a book, the basics would be boring, its how they tell it that makes it superb. The scripting, the facial animations, the sounds, the way things are positioned in the story makes it a great game.
To me it sounds like someone really hasnt taken notice of anything in the game. When i played HL2 even at the first time u see the G-Man he said that he awakened u, what does he mean by that?
When u go up to talk to the first guy in the train he tells u he didnt see u get on the train, howcome?
How did the 'Administrator' go from being admin of Black Mesa and turn up at City 17? Who does he talk to on the screen when u get teleported?
Why do they not want anyone to procreate? Why did they poison the water?
When u see the first Vortigaunt, what u think, u were fighting them last time, but in fact they were slaves to this mysterious other alien race that u get glimpses of. U can also slowly find out through the course of the game other things, like the fact that G-Man keeps u in a slow teleporting loop, this is how u came from being at Black Mesa to City 17, because u find that out when u teleport form Nova Prospekt to Dr Kleiners lab. There are many more answer to find, but not enough to help you figure everything out.
There are many more questions and answers that you can find in HL2, did some of u never actually notice these things in the game? Did you just run through it as a mindless shooter when its not? It just looks like some of you have just done that. U never gave it a second thought. Even at the end of the game, these questions are not answered, there is why, what and where. A great ending to the story as it leaves u with clues, but not enough to make a picture. Its just like the X-Files it leaves u at the end thinking. But i gather since u didnt actually notice these things, u never left it thinking about whats gonna happen to ya.
The story is a bland, battle against the evil enemy, but what i was just saying is how HL2 and Valve are telling it too u, just like a good book, the Lord of the Rings books are bland, its about the forces of good and evil fighting, but the way it is told is absolutley outstanding, the way the book goes through each and every detail and nuance, its amazing, again just to reiterate, its not what the story is about, its how it is told that makes it a great story.
But the story ok in basic terms is bland, every story in basic terms is bland.
But it isnt what the story is. Its about how it is told, how it immerses u into it, how it makes things tick, the subtelties behind everything.
This is what HL2 is about, on paper if u read it in a book, the basics would be boring, its how they tell it that makes it superb. The scripting, the facial animations, the sounds, the way things are positioned in the story makes it a great game.
To me it sounds like someone really hasnt taken notice of anything in the game. When i played HL2 even at the first time u see the G-Man he said that he awakened u, what does he mean by that?
When u go up to talk to the first guy in the train he tells u he didnt see u get on the train, howcome?
How did the 'Administrator' go from being admin of Black Mesa and turn up at City 17? Who does he talk to on the screen when u get teleported?
Why do they not want anyone to procreate? Why did they poison the water?
When u see the first Vortigaunt, what u think, u were fighting them last time, but in fact they were slaves to this mysterious other alien race that u get glimpses of. U can also slowly find out through the course of the game other things, like the fact that G-Man keeps u in a slow teleporting loop, this is how u came from being at Black Mesa to City 17, because u find that out when u teleport form Nova Prospekt to Dr Kleiners lab. There are many more answer to find, but not enough to help you figure everything out.
There are many more questions and answers that you can find in HL2, did some of u never actually notice these things in the game? Did you just run through it as a mindless shooter when its not? It just looks like some of you have just done that. U never gave it a second thought. Even at the end of the game, these questions are not answered, there is why, what and where. A great ending to the story as it leaves u with clues, but not enough to make a picture. Its just like the X-Files it leaves u at the end thinking. But i gather since u didnt actually notice these things, u never left it thinking about whats gonna happen to ya.
The story is a bland, battle against the evil enemy, but what i was just saying is how HL2 and Valve are telling it too u, just like a good book, the Lord of the Rings books are bland, its about the forces of good and evil fighting, but the way it is told is absolutley outstanding, the way the book goes through each and every detail and nuance, its amazing, again just to reiterate, its not what the story is about, its how it is told that makes it a great story.
This seems to be why a lot of people thought the story was sub par. I was actually very impressed that most of the content was not in the cut scenes, but the actual game itself. I was guilty of rushing through it my first time through. I took everything at face value. Little did I know, I missed a ton of clues along the way that I picked up on in my second run. HL2 is very cryptic with its narrative. You have to slow down, explore, think, listen closely and reason.
Edit: Here's an insightful resource that explains the HL saga. It's an enjoyable read, whether or not you think the story was awful:
http://fragfiles.org/~hlstory//timeline.htm
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