Opinion on Half-Life 2

[sapi]

Anybody who played this game (I didn't) should know about this

Yep :P

HL2 was an excellent game and if you think otherwise than you're one of those jaded people who still believe that mtw was better than rtw [/prepares for flaming], and ep1 only improves on it.

The brilliant thing about the game is - no matter how many flaws you can pick out afterwards, if you are so inclined - that it manages to draw you into the game so much that you want what the characters want; you feel a part of the game.

Don't listen to the critics; find out for yourself.

and for the record, you didn't have to be connected to the internet to play, only to validate your copy.

[Lehesu]

Episode 1 was the most bald-faced attempt at milking a franchise that I have ever seen, but whatever.

And comparing straight up vanillas, yes, MTW was much better than RTW.

And HL2 never managed to draw me into the game. I didn't feel compelled to play another thirty minutes or an hour. During the vehicle segements, when I realized that, in fact, they would not end in a timely fashion, I just quit right in the middle of it and came back later. The whole character thing with Alyx feels awkward...I don't talk or reciprocate her feelings, so it just feels like she is coming on to me and I don't really want any part of it. It feels forced. And those little NPCs that try to help me are about as useless as anything, which strengthens my aloof feelings toward them in the first place.

I don't know if you guys have actually played Half-Life 1 or other FPSs. HL2 is pretty good on its own, but fails to carry the mantle of greatness that the original had. Heck, I could name several games in which the guns were better, the storyline just as strong, and the atmosphere much more impressive. AvP2 comes to mind.

[Leet Eriksson]

I agree episode 1, while provided some nice story, was a pretty shoddy attempt at milking the franchise (only one new enemy, and its not really that new).

I hope for more content in episode 2.