Just wondering how many of you have played this game or play it. I got it for the Holidays along with a shiny new computer to play it on and love it. What are your opinions on the game?

Just wondering how many of you have played this game or play it. I got it for the Holidays along with a shiny new computer to play it on and love it. What are your opinions on the game?

What I played of it was pretty cool. Unfortunately it gave me motion sickness. Half-Life did that to me too. For some reason HL and HL2 are the only games that have done that to me. :cry:

I did have one big complaint though. Steam.

Ok here we go...

The digital distribution of the game was briliant in my opnion. Encrypt a downloadable copy when the game goes gold, then you can unlock it the day it hit store shelves, instead of waking up and hoping gamestop got your pre-order in. However their platform, steam, is absolute junk. Im sure that doesnt really matter to you now that you have a copy of the game.

The technology in HL2 is unmatched. I really liked the sound quality, you can hear your .357 and explosions echo of the mountains in the background. Your ears ring (in game) when you stand to close to a grenade, and the rocket launcher sounds so cool. I probably spent countless hours just playing with the sound. The physics as I am sure everyone has mentioned are the other part of HL2 that really shine. The way you use heavy objects to make a see-saw (sp?) or roll barrels as weapons is really well done. When you get the gravity gun, especially on the last level, it's a game of it's own. It's fun to just goof around and throw boxes of chinesse food at the guards. (think penny-arcade) The crane is amazing. You can hook on to shipping crates and drop them on the enemy.
So many little things in this game, I played through each level 3 or 4 times just to see everything.
The story well... hehe I dont really care about stories just as long as the game has one. Seemed to have a few holes in it but I didn't follow it to well.

Overall view: 9/10 Steam sucks

I don't like that steam always pops up and does some 3 minute checkup. Not so much now because of the time but because I wonder what will happen when valve no longer supports HL2. Will I not be able to enjoy some nostalgia because the "times" have moved on?

I had a great time playing halflife 2. I guess I should say, I have a great time playing halflife 2. The environment was set up to make you feel very much like you are running around in an Orwellian society. Actually it is more like you are in an action movie taking place in an Orwellian society.

The one complaint I see most often is that it is too short. I think it feels too short because it is one long action movie.

My favourite part is the fan boat chase and chopper fight. I also like the title for the spooky part of the game: We don't go to Ravenholm anymore. The crazy priest is great.

Yeah, Ravenholm was really messed up. It looked more Resident Evilish than made for Halfl-Life 2, not to mention the fact that those stupid spinning blades that you pluck off the engines always seemed to come back to chop my head off everytime I had to chuck them at guys because I ran out of ammo. Ravenholm was really the only level I despised, not because it was a bad level or anything, it was a great level, but I seemed to have the worst luck in it. The blades would always bounce back to kill me or those blood sucking guys that get pitched at your face and knock you down to one health would kill me. I would be walking on top of a building, look to the ground only to see one getting chucked at my face, knock me to 1 health, and also send me flying off the building to get splattered on the street.

While Half-Life 2 is fun in itself, I must say I enjoy playing CS:Source and HL2 Deathmatch much better. Chucking tables at people in Deathmatch is priceless, and CS:Source is amazing with the physics, graphics, and the cool blood splatter. :biggrin:

As for Steam, I have never really had any problems with it, the checkup only takes me a few seconds, and its nice that I dont have a pile of CDs that I have to keep handy to pop them in and out every time I want to play one of the games.

Half Life 2 ROX

Seriously... but the ending leaves much to be desired, though you know it had to end like that if you read the "lore" (note term of lore used loosely).

yep!