half-life 2 sucks

[Riesstiu IV]

This is a first, someone who likes Halo over Half-Life. I don't think I ever completed Halo. The Combine soldiers and synths were at least interesting and a more plausible military force. Also, it wasn't just the Combine there were also headcrabs, headcrab zombies, and antlions. One thing I will give credit to the creators of Half-life is varied level design. In Halo they didn't even bother to create varied level design to compensate for the repetitive gameplay, and there were times I wondered if all they did was copy and paste sections of the game wholesale.

[Patroklos]

Slow-ass pace

I think you mean "realism," which HL2 pulls off much better with levels design, phyics, and pace. HL2 is far more immersive, its actually worth looking at the details in the wall textures and what not. Halo 3 definetly has better water, but they again you can't swim in it.

Halo is about running around with your head cut off, which is fun sometimes. But it is obvioulsy an arcade style setting. Thats what they went for, worked for them. HL2 went for something else.

2) Boring, repetitive puzzles

Agreed to a point, I hate jumping puzzles. Then again, if I am trapped in a collapsed underground parking garage the way out really shouldn't be obvious.

3) Vehicles suck

There are very few to be used. Then again, Halo's are pretty crappy from a realism standpoint, very good from an arcade running around with your head cut off standpoint. Different game, different style.

Too much reliance on physics for gameplay mechanics

Too much, agreed, and usually coupled with the puzzles. Sometimes it is cool though.

Boring enemies (Combines -- least interesting enemy EVER?)

If you say so, seem to fit in perfectly with the style and plot. I suppose you don't like WWII games either, always the same thing, German infantry and more German infanty. At the very least the Combine seems to have more tactcal nuance than a China style mass charge a la Korea, the Covenants favorite approach.

Halo is an arcade game. HL2 does what it does well, I guess you just don't like that style.

[Patroklos]

and there were times I wondered if all they did was copy and paste sections of the game wholesale.

Naw, they just make you run through each level twice

The first time that happened I thought it was cool, sort of real. You know those games where you battle to some special point and then get saved by a cutscrene? It was a little more real to have to get back out too. But then it became obvious the were doing it just to make the levels longer.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Patroklos
I think you mean "realism,"

In a sci-fi shooter? Who wants that??

Realism is when you get killed in the first level for stepping on a boobytrap. GAME OVER.

Halo is about running around with your head cut off, which is fun sometimes. But it is obvioulsy an arcade style setting. Thats what they went for, worked for them. HL2 went for something else.

Yes, something slower and less interesting.

There are very few to be used. Then again, Halo's are pretty crappy from a realism standpoint

Again...realism in a sci-fi shooter? What?

If you say so, seem to fit in perfectly with the style and plot. I suppose you don't like WWII games either, always the same thing,

I love WWII games. BF1942, Call of Duty, and not to mention the Great Naval Battles series.

Halo is an arcade game. HL2 does what it does well, I guess you just don't like that style.

Yes, that's the point. Halo isn't an arcade game, it's a video game. HL2 is less of a video game and more of a puzzle/video game hybrid. It's Myst with guns, almost. Blaaah.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV


This is a first, someone who likes Halo over Half-Life.

It's actually not even close. Check out console gaming forums, a whole bunch of people playing Half-Life 2 for the first time are quite unhappy with it and prefer Halo.

Halo feels more like a bonafide action game to me, Half-Life 2 is a puzzle game trying to be action. It's slow and really, really boring.

[Patroklos]

less interesting.

Whats interesting about Halo? Clearly not the plot, most defintely not the enviroments (blank walls, houseless cities, etc. etc.). Fun yes, interesting no.

I am assuming you have played Halo 3 by now, how did you like the ending?

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Patroklos
Sort of like Halo 3???

How is Halo 3 plodding or one-trick?

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Patroklos
Becasue it is the same thing, over and over again. Enter room, kill. Enter, room kill. Enter room, kill.

Oh, yes, that's why it's called a FIRST PERSON SHOOTER. No, let's do "enter room, make friends."

The puzzle is in the combat, which is why Halo is fun. HL2 seems to take the approach that "our combat isn't terribly interesting, so we have to try to make it intersting by putting one-trick puzzles in between fights."

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Patroklos
Fun yes, interesting no.

... games are entertainment. They don't have any value beyond entertainment.

[Jon Miller]

But when you judge HL2, you also shuold consider Day of Defeat/Counterstrike/etc.

JM

[Kuciwalker]

Why? They're different games, they just use the same engine. And I think CS is a pretty good game, though I never really got into it.

[Patroklos]

... games are entertainment. They don't have any value beyond entertainment.

Since when is interesting not entertaining?

[DinoDoc]

5) Boring enemies (Combines -- least interesting enemy EVER?)

It has either Zerg or the Holy Roman Empire. Real creative work there.

[Patroklos]

[quote]

Oh, yes, that's why it's called a FIRST PERSON SHOOTER. No, let's do "enter room, make friends."

Then why not just update DOOM2 forever and be done with it if we aren't going to vary the game play and style a bit? At it's heart Halo really isn't anything but a Doom 2 with a face lift. I'm cool with that, still fun but not the only way to go about things.

How is Halo 3 plodding or one-trick?

How is it not? It is a good trick mind you, but the same one.

The puzzle is in the combat, which is why Halo is fun.

There is no puzzle, there is combat, entirely of the run in blazing brute force kind, and it is fun. Even repeated at nausium.

HL2 seems to take the approach that "our combat isn't terribly interesting, so we have to try to make it intersting by putting one-trick puzzles in between fights."

More like they realize combat is one trick, added anther one, and hence didn't create a one trick pony.

In fact it seems like you and Asher might be the one trick ponies, you like what you like and it is all the same thing. Nothing wrong with that. I happen to appreciate both games.

[mactbone]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
The puzzle is in the combat, which is why Halo is fun.

Wait, when did you have to think beyond, "shoot stuff" in Halo?

Anyway, there's a guy at The Escapist who's done some really good reviews of Halo 3:


and The Orange Box:


He's right, they're both pretty good but not these insanely good titles that people tout them as.