The format of these posts is simple: let’s discuss a specific game or series!

Let’s discuss the Half-Life series. What is your favorite game in the series? What aspects do you like about it? What doesn’t work for you? Are there other games that gave you similar feelings? Feel free to share any thoughts that come up, or react to other peoples comments. Let’s get the conversation going!

If you have any recommendations for games or series for the next post(s), please feel free to DM me or add it in a comment here (no guarantees of course).

Previous entries: Earthbound / Mother, Mass Effect, Metroid, Journey, Resident Evil, Polybius, Tetris, Telltale Games, Kirby, LEGO Games, DOOM, Ori, Metal Gear, Slay the Spire

  • magic_lobster_party@kbin.run
    2·
    6 months ago

    HL2 is probably the game I’ve replayed the most. It’s just as amazing every time.

    When I played it for the first time almost 20 years ago (gosh!) I expected all games would have this level of immersion onward. It was such a leap forward. Things I normally could expect from the real world applied to HL2 as well.

    Oh, there’s roller mines hurtling towards me? Obviously I’m supposed to throw them down the cliff using my gravity gun. No explanation from the game about this. It just felt like I would do the same in the real world.

    Is this immersion the future of gaming? I can’t wait to see what the future will bring!

    Turns out 20 years later that HL2 was a one of a kind game. Other games might have better graphics and physics, but no game is HL2.

    • modifier@lemmy.ca
      2·
      6 months ago

      The graphics still impress me. It’s like the effects in Jurassic Park in that, while the overall tech has improved by leaps and bounds, the execution is so good that it still dazzles.

      • teawrecks@sopuli.xyz
        3·
        6 months ago

        The original graphics, physics, and performance were incredible for the time, but to be fair, that’s not what you’re running when you download HL2 on steam today. The textures have been silently updated many times over the years. Your mind’s eye says “yeah, this is how I remember it”, and I’ve seen multiple streamers playing it for the first time thinking they’re seeing the original textures from 2004.

    • bonegakrejg@lemmy.ml
      1·
      6 months ago

      It does everything through clever game design, nothing takes you out of the game. No cut scenes or text popping up or freezing everything while dialogue is going on. You’re just in that world.

  • Zagorath@aussie.zone
    2·
    6 months ago

    I know this is a controversial take, but I really intensely do not like Half Life.

    I have issues with it from a narrative perspective. I have no idea who it is I’m fighting or why. It feels like an incredibly forced “oh, we need an excuse to throw some baddies at the player” premise.

    But the main problem I had was mechanical. It’s just not a fun game to play. The gunplay was fine, but then it forces itself to throw a bunch of puzzle and platforming mechanics at you, and just…why? It’s so, so terrible at them. Running up to the edge and jumping will more often than not really in you falling because of a misalignment in perceived location and where the game’s engine says you are. Boxes, which you have to move around to solve the puzzling, fly around at a million miles per minute, making the fine control needed to successfully solve the puzzles very, very difficult. And ladders…don’t even get me started about ladders.

    I couldn’t bring myself to finish the first Half Life, let alone start on the sequel.

    • magic_lobster_party@kbin.run
      3·
      6 months ago

      I think you should give HL2 a chance. It can be enjoyed even without the first game. You have already played the first game a bit, so you know the deal (experiment gone wrong, aliens everywhere). HL2 takes place 20 years after the incident.

      There’s fewer annoying platforming sections for instance. The puzzles also involves proper Havok physics, which is easier to manage.

      The story is also a step up, with proper named characters. The baddies are also better developed and has a better reason to be the baddies.

  • knokelmaat@beehaw.orgOP
    1·
    6 months ago

    I adore this series. I especially have very fond memories of the original. I did not play it on release (I was still a toddler then), but I got it through the Valve Bundle on Steam and played it through at least 5 times. I’ve had multiple times in my life were I didn’t have access to a powerful computer, but similar to DOOM, Half-Life will run on about anything. I remember one of my playtroughs being on a horrible windows 8 tablet, and still it looked and played amazingly :).

    Half-Life 2 then just perfected an already strong original. There is something just so satisfying about the environmental design and linearity of the levels. You just push through and know that you will find enough in your surroundings to make it. I find it strange that there haven’t been that many clones since (first person exploration action games). Most games either are to linear (COD) or completely open world or become a full-on immersive sim.

    If you have any recommendations, please share them. Dishonored gave me similar vibes, but I miss the simplicity of Half-Life.

    • cafuneandchill@beehaw.org
      1·
      6 months ago

      Black Mesa is an obvious recommendation, since it’s a modern take on the original Half-Life. Another game that I thought was similar to Half-Life in progression and physics emphasis was Prey (the 2007 Native American one)