Since Half Life 2 is almost out, maybe it's time I tried Half Life

[Proserpine]

Actually, PCG "only" gave it 96%. Seemed like a good review to me. Having also seen the movies, I will be buying this game. Course they also reviewed Rome: Total War, and gave it 95%. PCG make the point that both Valve (HL2) & the Creative Assembly (RTW) have taken their time with these, and completely refused to rush to release, so I think the lack of MP isn't down to lack of time (like it was for Civ3), but a deliberate decision. HL2 will stand or fall (and rightly so in my view) on the SP experience. The reviews say these 2 companies have taken gaming in their respective fields to the next level. Player feedback should be interesting.

Originally posted by Trajanus
PS: about HL2: That 98% score is ridiculous. The graphics aren't revolutionary anymore with some of the other advanced games out there. What's worse is that there's no new multiplayer included!! Yeah there's Source but that's a load of bollox if you don't like CS, and on top of that it's just a gfx update and nothing else... even the gfx update is sloppy: It uses the same textures as the original CS, which were horribly crappy!!!!!!!!!

Of course I haven't played the SP yet so that might be a great experience. On the other hand like most other games around today it doesn't take awfully long to finish the game from what I've heard...

[Father Beast]

Originally posted by Solver
Glad to see you're enjoying this. Now imagine how immersive and capitvating it was back in late 1998/early 1999, when the graphics were among the best in the industry.

Yeah, the first time, you can get stuck even early on, hehe. Mind you, a few puzzles later on may become frustrating - that's my only gripe with the game, a few specific puzzles. Oh, you can also encounter a bug where you can't progress... I won't be saying anything specific, but it's you freezing and dying in an elevator. If that happens, or any other trouble, post here.

Hmmnn... I have a patch for it somewhere on my numerous mag CDs, let me check.


ah, yes. The Aug 2002 PC Gamer disc has the 1.1.0.9 patch. is that the latest?

I sure am glad I catalogued those discs

[Solver]

1.1.1.0 is the latest you can get from Web. Google for it. There's also a newer update, but that's only from Steam... so it's only available if you still have a CD key for HL, and if you want to use that terrible service that Steam is (OK, HL2 forces you to use Steam to install anyway).

Mind you, that there are a few bugs with the patch, even. Including the one I mentioned.

And as for PCG reviews... I don't care. Especially not when they're given exclusive review rights and bound to write a good review. I've seen so many crap reviews lately...

[Proserpine]

Well the PC Zone review will be out in early Nov. , .

Originally posted by Solver
1.1.1.0 is the latest you can get from Web. Google for it. There's also a newer update, but that's only from Steam... so it's only available if you still have a CD key for HL, and if you want to use that terrible service that Steam is (OK, HL2 forces you to use Steam to install anyway).

Mind you, that there are a few bugs with the patch, even. Including the one I mentioned.

And as for PCG reviews... I don't care. Especially not when they're given exclusive review rights and bound to write a good review. I've seen so many crap reviews lately...

[Solver]

Yep, but they still got the game before the official release, right?

Generally, I don't trust official site reviews that much, I pay attention to reviews of people I know, or people who know the genre. Of gaming sites, IGN and GameSpot are two that I trust more than others for their reviews, they seem relatively unbiased usually and good. However, recently, there has been some amazing idiocy at GameSpot. Reviews of Doom3 and Singles by that punk Kasavin were both pretty sickening.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Father Beast
OK, so I loaded it up and went through the tutorial. I tried to make it through the tutorial without dying, but to no avail. I managed to get through by use of numerous reloads. Then I started the game.

Sure is nice looking, I must say. The first part was pretty easy, as there were no enemies. It took me a while of wandering around the facility to find the locker room, and by that time I'd forgotten where they told me to go afterward. In my locker was some stuff, but no suit. Hmmmnnnnn....

I eventually found the HEV suit and figured out how to get to it I was thinking to myself, "this is like an adventure game!".


I went to the test site and into the chamber, and up to the platform they told me to, I thought how much I needed a doctorate to push this here button. but it's a game, what the hey. So I pushed the button and leaned over the rail to watch the show.

After watching for a few moments, I heard the techs yelling at me to do something else. I heard one comment, "What is he Doing in there?". I actually felt sheepish about it and went down to do my thing.

Holey Moley!! I know it's part of the show, but I was pretty caught up in it.

This game seems to do a good job of getting me involved in things. good reccomendation, all

Hehe, I wish I could be playing it through for the first time.

[Father Beast]

Originally posted by Solver
1.1.1.0 is the latest you can get from Web. Google for it. There's also a newer update, but that's only from Steam... so it's only available if you still have a CD key for HL, and if you want to use that terrible service that Steam is (OK, HL2 forces you to use Steam to install anyway).

Mind you, that there are a few bugs with the patch, even. Including the one I mentioned.

And as for PCG reviews... I don't care. Especially not when they're given exclusive review rights and bound to write a good review. I've seen so many crap reviews lately...

Oh yeah, I Remember how pumped everybody was about Diablo II when it came out, IF they were the ones who went and played it at Blizzard Studios.

It took waiting for the release version to realize how big a problem it was trying to play on battle.net

As I recall, CGM was the only one not to fall for that.

I can't help but think that reviewing a game that isn't even out for another month is more like a hands on preview, not a real review. the magazines who wait for it will discover what a pain steam is to fight with, and other online issues. That kind of thing you can't get any feeling for playing in someone else's office.


Anyway, thanks for the heads up, Solver. I'll hunt for the 1.1.1.0 patch....

[Guynemer]

One of my very, very, very favorite gaming experiences of all-time is the opening credits of Half-Life. I was sucked in from the first second, and the game never let me go.

Clearly, the best FPS of all-time. (Not counting the hybrid Deus Ex.)

[Solver]

Oh yeah, I Remember how pumped everybody was about Diablo II when it came out, IF they were the ones who went and played it at Blizzard Studios.

It took waiting for the release version to realize how big a problem it was trying to play on battle.net

As I recall, CGM was the only one not to fall for that.

I can't help but think that reviewing a game that isn't even out for another month is more like a hands on preview, not a real review. the magazines who wait for it will discover what a pain steam is to fight with, and other online issues. That kind of thing you can't get any feeling for playing in someone else's office.

You know, it really works that way. Two years ago with the release of Age of Mythology, I was given the opportunity to play a press-beta of it early. Basically, I was playing the game about a month before anyone else except another bunch of happy guys. And, the bad sides of the game didn't seem so apparent - sure, the first impression is always better and imbalances take time to spot, but also the gratitude and the "cool factor" from playing a press-beta vesion helps cloud judgement.

[Father Beast]

Well, I've come to my first real hang up. In the first chapter after the accident, there's this place I died several times in a row.

There's this platform that turns out to be an elevator, but I died once when I went to the edge and fell off. The next time I discovered the lever and died of headcrabs after I watched it go down. then I was ready for the headcrabs, but by the time I got them dead, the elevator was all the way down and I died trying to climb down the shaft. I tried next time pulling the lever and quick hopping over the rail onto the elevator. I fought headcrabs all the way down and arrived with diminished health, but died fighting headcrabs at the bottom.

I quit then, as it was about bedtime and I didn't know what to do. The walkthrough says you can stand in one place and they won't bother you. is that true?

[Solver]

That place to stand on so they don't bother you is one of the many glitches - there was some point where they don't see you. Of course, you need to pull the lever and quickly jump on the elevator... I would quite on the contrary recommend moving constantly there, the crabs should have some trouble then, and just pick them off with accurate shots of the pistol.

[Maquiladora]

You dont need to take the lift either, you can set the lift going then jump down the shaft and press yourself against the wall and the slanting floor as you coast down, but thats a glitch too.

[Solver]

And that glitch is pretty hard to take advantage off. I suggest that you play the game the way it's meant to be played, not taking advantage of glitches (that sometimes let you skip a whole level).

[DrSpike]

It's a classic bit. Fight it out! Just keep moving and don't miss.

[FrostyBoy]

ha, I remember that part

took me a few tries too

best thing to do is go nuts, even after you kill the headcrabs you've got those ground things, I can't remember what they're called.