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This thread has been linked to the game 'Half-Life 2'.
Oh yes it was worth the wait, worth the upgrade and it was also worth the hype.
After the disappointing Doom 3 and the less than impressive Halo 2 I was wondering if any of the big 3 would actually live up to some sort of expectation, oh how right I was to back Half-Life 2...
It is sort of one of those moments where I am sat here wondering where the hell to start because the opening couple of hours just left me speech-less not knowing what the hell to think, NEVER before has a FPS or any PC game looked so unbelievably polished, ran so unbelievably well (Catalyst 4.12 impressions further down) and felt so much fun to play in a looooooooong time. I think Riddick is possibly the only FPS - coupled with Far Cry - that I have played since the original Half-life where I have really been compelled to play on and so impressed.
There are a couple of minor niggles I would like to brush aside which I am sure they will do. The transfer between RAM into the Virtual Memory does cause the odd pause or too here and there which is a shame because the rest of the game runs at a startling frame rate to say everything is maxed out at 1280 x 1024 LCD. These are usually after load sequences but they do appear now and again in and amongst the action. These issues were reduced with the introduction of the Catalyst 4.12 beta drivers which gave around a 6-8 frame boost for both the Video Stress Test (CS: Source) and in Half-Life 2. Anyone having issues with memory errors or crashing should grab either the final release of 4.11 or the beta release of 4.12, preferably the latter which I didn't have any problems with yesterday on either Half-Life 2 or CS: Source.
The slight 'load-lag' issues aside the game is damn near faultless.
Visually I was more impressed than when I originally booted Doom 3 for the first time. The character models are crazy detailed, the environments and level design have thus far blown anything of recent times out of the water. The physics engine is the best I have seen yet, the lighting for DX9 cards is very very impressive, the water effects are frighteningly realistic, the flame effects replicate similar feelings... Erm... yeah there isn't really a whole lot more I can say aside from the fact that it is the best looking game *cue cliché* ever!
Audio wise it rocks just as much. Haven't got my PC hooked up to my Surround Sound but regardless of this the voice acting, music, general effects and anything else you can think of are all of a top standard. I was particularly impressed with City 17 and the apartment block, I can honestly say I don't think I have ever played a game that has put so much attention to detail into the characters voices and how they react to their surroundings both during pre-scripted scenes and 'on-the-fly'.
The controls are tight, completely customisable and responsive. The menus are very easy to navigate. You can alter various specifications depending on the hardware you are running. Pretty much everything you would expect from a top end PC game is in there for you to play about with and f*ig to your heart’s content.
The level of interaction is unsurpassed; anything that is in the game can be either picked or destroyed. Two genius moments were throwing the can into the guards face only to watch him fap as he chased you with his baton, throwing the explosive barrels down the oil slicks and blowing them apart as those roof ‘thingy ma-bobs’ picked up the broken pieces allowing you to get through unscathed. This side of the game as I have already mentioned it pretty much leagues ahead of any other title out there.
So far I am more than impressed and yes it has lived up to my expectations and even gone beyond them. I didn’t really know exactly what to expect as it is such an ambitious attempt at taking the FPS genre forward in possibly the only few ways the genre can go. Everything pales in comparison to Half-Life 2 and Valve have managed to make a sequel that up to press has bettered and or equalled the level of the first only with more of everything and unbelievably good game engine.
One last thing to say…
Half-Life 2 |--------------------------------->Rest
Absolutely fantastic!
After the disappointing Doom 3 and the less than impressive Halo 2 I was wondering if any of the big 3 would actually live up to some sort of expectation, oh how right I was to back Half-Life 2...
It is sort of one of those moments where I am sat here wondering where the hell to start because the opening couple of hours just left me speech-less not knowing what the hell to think, NEVER before has a FPS or any PC game looked so unbelievably polished, ran so unbelievably well (Catalyst 4.12 impressions further down) and felt so much fun to play in a looooooooong time. I think Riddick is possibly the only FPS - coupled with Far Cry - that I have played since the original Half-life where I have really been compelled to play on and so impressed.
There are a couple of minor niggles I would like to brush aside which I am sure they will do. The transfer between RAM into the Virtual Memory does cause the odd pause or too here and there which is a shame because the rest of the game runs at a startling frame rate to say everything is maxed out at 1280 x 1024 LCD. These are usually after load sequences but they do appear now and again in and amongst the action. These issues were reduced with the introduction of the Catalyst 4.12 beta drivers which gave around a 6-8 frame boost for both the Video Stress Test (CS: Source) and in Half-Life 2. Anyone having issues with memory errors or crashing should grab either the final release of 4.11 or the beta release of 4.12, preferably the latter which I didn't have any problems with yesterday on either Half-Life 2 or CS: Source.
The slight 'load-lag' issues aside the game is damn near faultless.
Visually I was more impressed than when I originally booted Doom 3 for the first time. The character models are crazy detailed, the environments and level design have thus far blown anything of recent times out of the water. The physics engine is the best I have seen yet, the lighting for DX9 cards is very very impressive, the water effects are frighteningly realistic, the flame effects replicate similar feelings... Erm... yeah there isn't really a whole lot more I can say aside from the fact that it is the best looking game *cue cliché* ever!
Audio wise it rocks just as much. Haven't got my PC hooked up to my Surround Sound but regardless of this the voice acting, music, general effects and anything else you can think of are all of a top standard. I was particularly impressed with City 17 and the apartment block, I can honestly say I don't think I have ever played a game that has put so much attention to detail into the characters voices and how they react to their surroundings both during pre-scripted scenes and 'on-the-fly'.
The controls are tight, completely customisable and responsive. The menus are very easy to navigate. You can alter various specifications depending on the hardware you are running. Pretty much everything you would expect from a top end PC game is in there for you to play about with and f*ig to your heart’s content.
The level of interaction is unsurpassed; anything that is in the game can be either picked or destroyed. Two genius moments were throwing the can into the guards face only to watch him fap as he chased you with his baton, throwing the explosive barrels down the oil slicks and blowing them apart as those roof ‘thingy ma-bobs’ picked up the broken pieces allowing you to get through unscathed. This side of the game as I have already mentioned it pretty much leagues ahead of any other title out there.
So far I am more than impressed and yes it has lived up to my expectations and even gone beyond them. I didn’t really know exactly what to expect as it is such an ambitious attempt at taking the FPS genre forward in possibly the only few ways the genre can go. Everything pales in comparison to Half-Life 2 and Valve have managed to make a sequel that up to press has bettered and or equalled the level of the first only with more of everything and unbelievably good game engine.
One last thing to say…
Half-Life 2 |--------------------------------->Rest
Absolutely fantastic!
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Rickoss wrote:
> Any news as to whether there XBox is actually still in the works?
Yep, still in development, looking like it'll be released early next year too. Possibly featuring a few additions, just an assumption, but the PS2 version of the orignal Half Life came with a whole extra section.
> Any news as to whether there XBox is actually still in the works?
Yep, still in development, looking like it'll be released early next year too. Possibly featuring a few additions, just an assumption, but the PS2 version of the orignal Half Life came with a whole extra section.
WOW i love this game!
There hasn't been a single *hmm this is a bit cr*ppy moment* yet.
Whilst i enjoyed halo 2 a lot...half life 2 has the "OMG wow" moments! I already want to play through the whole game again and I haven't even finished it yet.
The faces are so expressive, the physics is amazing, the grav gun is the best thing ever, sleek graphics, excellent audio!
Out of the 3 big releases: gta san andreas, halo2 and half life2
I have definately enjoyed half life 2 the most, halo 2 second and then gta:sa (HATED those flying missions)
There hasn't been a single *hmm this is a bit cr*ppy moment* yet.
Whilst i enjoyed halo 2 a lot...half life 2 has the "OMG wow" moments! I already want to play through the whole game again and I haven't even finished it yet.
The faces are so expressive, the physics is amazing, the grav gun is the best thing ever, sleek graphics, excellent audio!
Out of the 3 big releases: gta san andreas, halo2 and half life2
I have definately enjoyed half life 2 the most, halo 2 second and then gta:sa (HATED those flying missions)
Any news as to whether there XBox is actually still in the works?
Would get it for the PC, but I can hardly run Champ Manager, so I'll wait for the 'Box version. Looks fantabulous.
Would get it for the PC, but I can hardly run Champ Manager, so I'll wait for the 'Box version. Looks fantabulous.
Possibly. Either way it will have to be fixed.
I'm guessing it might have something to do with Steam, seeing as everybody needs it's it to get the game up and running.
Yeah early on the audio bug is quite bad as it causes the frame rate to freeze at random points. About 1-2 hours in though I didn't notice it quite as much. I am sure after all this time they wouldn't let something like this taint something so amazing.
I can't understand how this got through though as it appears to effect everyone in one form or another. Can't understand how they missed it.
I can't understand how this got through though as it appears to effect everyone in one form or another. Can't understand how they missed it.
I've got the jumpy, audio bug as well, seems to die down a bit the further you progress.
As for Half Life 3, I wouldn't mind waiting an extra six years for it, as that would allow me to take in all the inevitable mods for Half Life 2. I was, up until a few months ago, still playing mods for the first half life game, and that's quite impressive for something so old.
I like the approach Valve have taken to the modding scene making the editor available for anyone off of Steam, as well as releasing the tools to a variety of mod makers months before the release of the full game. There's already a very promising looking, futuristic tactical shooter mod that's in development, should be fantastic if it can match the dramatic pre-production sketches I've seen.
As for Half Life 3, I wouldn't mind waiting an extra six years for it, as that would allow me to take in all the inevitable mods for Half Life 2. I was, up until a few months ago, still playing mods for the first half life game, and that's quite impressive for something so old.
I like the approach Valve have taken to the modding scene making the editor available for anyone off of Steam, as well as releasing the tools to a variety of mod makers months before the release of the full game. There's already a very promising looking, futuristic tactical shooter mod that's in development, should be fantastic if it can match the dramatic pre-production sketches I've seen.
Just read the reactions on the Steam forum and EVERYONE seems to have the frame freezing issue, which appears to be related to the audio although some believe this is an Auto-Save issue. I originally thought it was just a slow transfer between RAM and Virtual Memory but obviously not. Hopefully a patch will come along soon to correct this.
As for the Half-Life 3 comments, as it has been pointed out, the engine was raped from behind for the majority of the development for Half-Life 2. They could tag on an Opposing Force style expansion which would be greatly appreciated and then spend the next couple of years working on the 3rd with just small mods to the current engine.
I'd put money on them on doing that.
As for the Half-Life 3 comments, as it has been pointed out, the engine was raped from behind for the majority of the development for Half-Life 2. They could tag on an Opposing Force style expansion which would be greatly appreciated and then spend the next couple of years working on the 3rd with just small mods to the current engine.
I'd put money on them on doing that.
cipro wrote:
> My only hope is that Valve don't take another six years to develop
> Half Life 3, though that said, if six years is how long it takes to
> create a game like Half Life 2, then I'll gladly sit back and wait.
Doubtful. Engine revisions and tool development took up most five years. After these were completed the rest of the game snapped into place.
I'd say a year at the most before a short expansion (possibly from the viewpoint of one of the other characters) is available. Unless Valve need a break (which they probably do!)
> My only hope is that Valve don't take another six years to develop
> Half Life 3, though that said, if six years is how long it takes to
> create a game like Half Life 2, then I'll gladly sit back and wait.
Doubtful. Engine revisions and tool development took up most five years. After these were completed the rest of the game snapped into place.
I'd say a year at the most before a short expansion (possibly from the viewpoint of one of the other characters) is available. Unless Valve need a break (which they probably do!)
Half Life 2 is one of those very rare games that really does have something genuinely fantastic to experience almost all the way through (or at least up to the point I'm at). Even my most liked games of the year such as Far Cry had a tendency to throw up a piece of crap every now and then, just to spoil my fun, yet here I'm hooked.
I always find it hard to quit, like the original I know I should stop, but I just want to stick around to see what's around the next corner, and what new obstacles you have to face.
The physics engine is a revelation. Not just aesthetics (though seeing an attack helicopter swooping feet off the ground then watching as cardboard boxes, empty bottles and litter get blown about the place is fantastic) Valve have incorporated the physics into some of the puzzles. But it's not just puzzles though, as soon as you grab the grav gun every day objects can then be used as make shift weapons, adding a more creative way for you to dispatch enemies.
My only hope is that Valve don't take another six years to develop Half Life 3, though that said, if six years is how long it takes to create a game like Half Life 2, then I'll gladly sit back and wait.
I always find it hard to quit, like the original I know I should stop, but I just want to stick around to see what's around the next corner, and what new obstacles you have to face.
The physics engine is a revelation. Not just aesthetics (though seeing an attack helicopter swooping feet off the ground then watching as cardboard boxes, empty bottles and litter get blown about the place is fantastic) Valve have incorporated the physics into some of the puzzles. But it's not just puzzles though, as soon as you grab the grav gun every day objects can then be used as make shift weapons, adding a more creative way for you to dispatch enemies.
My only hope is that Valve don't take another six years to develop Half Life 3, though that said, if six years is how long it takes to create a game like Half Life 2, then I'll gladly sit back and wait.
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