Why half life is overrated

Go build something to those high standards you think you have. Or are the standards just what you put on others? Ferzerp Diamond Member. Oct 12, 6, Pretty much the lock step type answers I expected. I beat the game back in '04, can't help but feel all the clamor for a part 3 is a bit overhyped. Nov 30, 50, It's one of my all time favourites and one of the few games I have played through multiple times. Deus Ex and Hitman 2 are the others I can think of on that short list. KidNiki1 Platinum Member.

Oct 15, 2, 7 Imp Lifer. Feb 8, 18, I played it well after release and didn't really care for it. The first one was amazing up to around the end. MiataNC Platinum Member. Dec 5, 2, 1 BSim Golden Member. Jun 5, 1, It was a good game though very "on rails". Some parts the canals felt overly-long.

BrightCandle Diamond Member. Mar 15, 4, 0 I really didn't like it, but then I never finished the first one either. Apr 4, 1, 0 0. I've always liked hl1 better than 2 but 2 was impressive for its time i guess now its overrated Mar 6, 10, 4 May 21, 3, 60 As a whole, definitely not. With that said, the games are not perfect by any stretch. CoD campaigns owe their allegiance to HL2. I'm sure that last bit will go over really well this group, but I feel it's true. DigDog Lifer. Jun 3, 12, 1, Texashiker Lifer.

Dec 18, 18, It was without peer when it came out - I loved single player, and multiplayer was superb fun if you found the right maps. Definately not overrated IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options Solarix Posted September 13, Daybreak Posted September 13, Neo Posted September 13, You havn't played the game have you, otherwise you would know. Ridgeburner Posted September 13, MillionVoltss Posted September 13, Posted September 14, Ricardo Gil Posted September 15, Posted September 15, Posted September 16, Sure games will get better- but HL must be remembered for its achievements.

Death By Sexy Posted September 16, Posted September 17, G4M3R Posted September 17, This topic is now closed to further replies. Go to topic listing. Compare that with beloved characters like Dr. Isaac Kleiner, a nerdy scientist who…uh…is a nerd and also a scientist. Or Barney Calhoun, the wisecracking security guard who cracks wise and guards people.

You see, good stories typically have a protagonist. Using scripted sequences instead of cutscenes. I mean, come on. Can you name even one thing?

And speaking of the melodrama, good lord does Half Life 2 lay it on pretty thick sometimes. No kidding. At least then you could feel like the complete non-reveal of her betrayal was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Oh, and you know what else good stories have? An ending. That is: delivering on the promises of the narrative. Enough about the story. And a mediocre story can be saved with great gameplay! This is a science fiction game — a science fiction game set in a world where aliens have been controlling the Earth for years now.

So how come all your weapons are the standard loadout of shotgun, sniper rifle, machine gun, crossbow — wait, crossbow? Unless that thing shoots lasers, get it the heck out of my sight. And as crap as most of those were mechanically, at least it was trying to be interesting! How do the designers of this game look themselves in the eye knowing that they made an alien pulse rifle that shoots regular bullets. Plus, Gordon Freeman, supposedly the butt-kicking name-taking hero of the rebellion, ends up moving slowly and cautiously to conserve ammo and only firing short bursts of his worthless crappy pulse rifle.

Oh, and I should probably talk about how boring the enemies you fight are, too. Go back and read my Doom 1 Second Opinion where I talk about the importance of having enemies that serve lots of different roles, forcing you to think of lots of different strategies, and then just realize that Half Life 2 has none of that.

Now let me tell you guys about something which game designers call immersion and psychologists call cognitive flow. I know a thing or two about this because I published a paper on it.

In a very basic, overly-simplified sense, cognitive flow is the state you enter when you get so immersed in an activity that continuing the activity becomes the only justification you need to continue it. Cognitive flow.

Those addictive mobile or flash games that interfere with your work? Stopping the shooting every twenty minutes to drive a boat or walk slowly across a creaking bridge? Not cognitive flow.