Half Life 2 is Released!!

[Jonbo298]

Never have I seen a more prettier site then in the image included. Validation is taking awhile but just knowing the fact that any minute now I'm immersed in the world of HL2 is killing me >_<

[Canyarion]

Haha, have fun! :D You and Jason have been looking forward to this. :p

[Jonbo298]

First impressions playing from 2am-5am is awesome. The "cut scenes" are done very nice, the graphics are superb, sound is superb also (5.1, although I wanna hear it in 7.1 if I could), storyline is good so far even though sometimes I seem to "forget" a part of a story or what I'm supposed to do since its been awhile since I remember getting the next "part".

But overall, first impressions are excellent. Easily a 9.8 in my books. My only small complaint is that some of the textures indoors are kind of bland (ie: needs higher quality textures indoors). But other then that small complaint, it's gone very well so far.

[Jason1]

Yea, Authentication did take awhile, got me a little worried. But it worked, and Ive played for about 2 hours so far.

I had high hopes. Very high hopes. And so far, those hopes have been met and just about exceeded. The source engine is amazing. Just amazing. I had some slight worries that it wouldnt run so well on my system...Boy was I wrong. Ive got everything on medium settings, looks fantastic, and it runs great. Character models are by far the best ive seen, nothing else even comes close really. Physics are perfect...and the game actually makes you use them, which is an absolute treat instead of the hassle it couldve been. But what good are all the amasing technical aspects if it isnt any fun to play right? Well, it is fun to play. Very. Granted the standard formula dosent seem to stray too far from the origional so far, its still almost perfect. You really cant beat crawling around through pipes, through the winding underbelly of city 17, blasting combine soilders and other things as you progress. Game sounds fantastic too, uses that awsome technoish music at just the right times. If I have one complaint so far its a very minor gripe of the game stuttering a bit when a new important background noise is about to happen, or a huge explosion is about to go off. This could be just because im using integrated sound though.

Anyways, if your computer can handle it: GET THIS GAME.

Best 55 dollars ive ever spent so far, and ive barely touched the surface.

[Null]

first game in a long long time that has me itching and itching to play more. loving it. So far... Game of the Year EASILY.

btw. Jason, try turning sound quality down any? i tried on medium and it still sounds just as good really.

[Jonbo298]

This is the first game since City of Heroes that gets me to play for hours on end. Easily GOTY in my books

[Canyarion]

Blast, I want this game! :( But for now, WoW has me hooked.... but their beta will only last for a couple of days. :p

[Seth]

What PC specs are you running Jason?


Null?


I have a Pentium 2.4 and a geforce ti4600.


It's getting pretty old for this :(

I wanna play it so bad

[Jonbo298]

You can play it fine. You can have a video card that is for DX7 only and it'll run HL2.

Valve thought about its gamers more when it made HL2 then iD did with Doom3 ;) so you'll be fine with any current video card DX7 and up (albeit a little more ****ty looking but still very playable)

[Null]

What PC specs are you running Jason?


Null?


I have a Pentium 2.4 and a geforce ti4600.


It's getting pretty old for this :(

I wanna play it so bad

mines a 2.66ghz p4, Radeon 9600XT, 1gb DDR RAM.

i might try overclocking it again to a 3.0ghz tho. last time i did that Unreal kept booting me out so i never played around with it. i should be able to get it stable at the speed if i adjust some other stuff tho.

[Jason1]

Ive got a P4 2.66ghz with a RADEON 9500pro. 512MB's RAM.

Im glad ive got a DirectX9 card...game looks stunning.

I just might try lowering the sound quality a bit, see if it helps...its not really a huge problem...

[Canyarion]

I have a Athlon XP 2400+, 512 MB and a GeForce 4 Ti 4200, how will it run? :p

[Null]

I have a Athlon XP 2400+, 512 MB and a GeForce 4 Ti 4200, how will it run? :p

i dont really see you having any problems unless you go trying to crank up every setting. But then again you dont need to crank up every setting cuz the game still looks great on the lower settings.

[Blackmane]

Half Life 2 is so much better than Doom 3 in it's scalability. I heard from someone running at bare minimum requirements, and they were still able to play smoothly, and said the game still looked decent.

So, if you have the minimum specs, no viruses and a defraged harddrive, you should have no problem playing HL 2.

My specs:

P4 2.6ghz
Gforce 4 5200 overclocked or something.
512 Mb Ram

Middle of the line. I want to get a gig of memory to speed up the load times.

Anyways, HL 2 is rockin!!! So addicting! I have skipped 2 days of school on accident because of this game because I lose track of time.

[Jonbo298]

Typically when Valve/HL2 auto-detects settings, it does a good job. But you could probably turn it up a bit more in some spots if its good. For the GF4ti/FX series its either gonna choose DX8.0/8.1 as the default and it should run smooth with the looks a smidge toned down (but still awesome looking).

[Canyarion]

i dont really see you having any problems unless you go trying to crank up every setting. But then again you dont need to crank up every setting cuz the game still looks great on the lower settings.
Thanks. :D I expected that... World of Warcraft also runned (yes, the beta ends today) smoothly on my PC.

[Seth]

I bought it today. 2 hours just flew by.

****ing nuts.

I love this game. I'm running on medium settings and the game's running great. I haven't had this much fun playing an fps in a long time.


Thanks for the hardware info fellas.

[Canyarion]

I heard a radio ad this morning. :D

Man, I wanna play this game, but I've got no money and no time. :(

[Blackmane]

I'm pretty far into the game, and about to start over at a higher difficulty.

The game is so addicting. And whats great, is I can play CS:S if I ever want to take a break from Half Life 2. So much fun in 2 beautiful games.

[Null]

i like the feel of CS Source, but honestly, the game is just so utterly repeatitive.

im waiting on some mods tho. A normal HL2 multiplayer should be out soon, and im also looking at Day of Defeat Source, and Team Fortress Source. :) this game has such great great potential for mods, they can do so much with this engine. really looking foward to em.

[Yoda9864]

The gravity gun is so fun to use. I find myself using it even though I'm maxed out on ammo for my other guns. Haha, I was playing it last night instead of studying for my Discrete Math test. Yeah, that test this morning didn't go so well, lol. But I care, I have HL2!


Btw, I'm surprised it runs so well on my computer. Even though I have an A64 3000+, 9800 Pro (Oc'ed to XT) and 1gig RAM, I kinda thought that I wouldn't be able to play at maxed everything. Boy, was I proven wrong. 1152x768, 2x AAF and everything else maxed, itruns like a dream.

[Null]

i am LOVING this game. more i play the more it draws me into it.

and i've finally got my bud playin a PC FPS game, lol. took some talkin but i got him to buy it, and he really gets into it. yells and screams as he plays. he said its the most intense game he's ever played. :)


for me, Game of the Year. easily, hands down.

[DeathsHand]

I'm playing through it again, this time on hard... At the airboat part again...

I really really really really really really want to use the super duper gravity gun through the whole game... I like playing yo-yo with dead bodies...

*shoot* *pull*... *shoot* *pull*.... *shoots up in the air and watches as it tumbles back to the ground*... *picks up body and spins around in circles*... *shoots into air again*...

I could do it all day...

[Seth]

for me, Game of the Year. easily, hands down.


dit-****ing-o

The game's engine just takes it.


Awesome game. I've decided that, while cs:source is a streamlined gameplay experience, it's still not what I want. I've played a bit over an hour of it and it's the same ****ing thing over and over and over and over. I can't wait for the mods.

I can't believe that I wasn't going to buy this game.

[KillerGremlin]

The new engine is amazing. I just hope they release a TFC: Source, because that is one of my favorite Half-Life mods. But it looks like they are making a TFC2, so I don't know. =/

I liked the arcade feel of TFC, I hope they keep it that way.

[Bube]

If I remember correctly, TFC2 was announced more than 4 years ago, along with screenshots. Nobody knows what happened...

[Null]

Actually its just TF2, and i believe valve said its coming on the source engine. and that s a BIG i'm waiting for. Valve said a while back there will be a surprise shortly after the release of HL2 for thoes who are dissapointed CS:S is the only multiplayer.
some rumors say that surprise is either an official HL2 multiplayer, or TF2.

(altho a HL2 multiplayer is coming either way. all it needs are maps cuz the mulitplayer is actually in the game already.)

Weapons Factory is another im waiting for. its basically the same as TF.
Day of Defeat, and some others. just soooo many im excited over.

the phisics engine just brings so much possibilities to these mods, im excited to see what people think up.

[Bube]

Actually its just TF2, and i believe valve said its coming on the source engine.
Now we're arguing over one little letter, huh? :p

I stand corrected. What's the difference, btw?

[Null]

not quite sure. i think classic has more of the original's options. while the other has newer features?

[Dylflon]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2004/20041115l.jpg

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2004/20041117l.jpg

[Seth]

Yep, that second comic really hits it.


My friend was over playing the beginning and it took him the longest time because he kept picking stuff up and throwing it at the people.


I bet everyone here who has played the first chapter has thrown a bottle at one of the people.



And a question. When those headcrab things jump on me, why don't they stay on? Everyone else who got em on their head seemed to not fair so well.

[Jason1]

And a question. When those headcrab things jump on me, why don't they stay on? Everyone else who got em on their head seemed to not fair so well.

Decent question...makes sense, but if they could actually stick to you, how would you ever get them off? Maybe by swinging your crowbar?

Anyways, I agree with all of you...GOTY all the way so far. Im still only about 5 or so hours into it though.

[Canyarion]

Ok now I really really really want this game. But I don't have time nor money.
There are still some courses that I have to do again, so if I don't do it before HL2, I'm screwed up. :p

[Null]

ohhhhh sad sad day. i finished HL2. :(

now i have to wait till HL3 for more of the best damn FPS game i've ever played.


on a brighter note, after finishing it. its so far beyond any other game for Game of the Year its not even funny.

[Blackmane]

Ending makes you SOOOOO want to play HL3 right now, let me tell you....

But I won't give it away.

[Null]

so did the ending of HL1.

but luckily, HL3 shouldnt be TOO far off, it'll be running on the same engine and all. (almost really like an expantion, altho i dont think people will need HL2 to play HL3) so it should be much quicker, perhaps even has soon as a year from now.

[Canyarion]

How long is HL2?
HL was just so long, it wasn't funny anymore. It got REALLY boring in the end, especially on the alien planet. :zzz:

Aren't there any expansions planned for HL2?

[Null]

Its not terribly long. i dont think its terribly short either tho.
I have that problem with all FPS, i go thro them pretty quickly without much problem. i breezed thro Doom3 in just a couple days.
i certainly wasnt bored at the end of HL2. I quite enjoyed the story line. and am going to be waiting to see what happens for HL3.

and expansions? perhaps. There was rumors about being able to play as barneys point of view or Alyx's but i cant see there being any huge expansions if HL3 isnt that far off. unless they make HL3 the expansion.

[Canyarion]

Ah ok. I hate playing a game that's too easy. I think I beated the original Half-Life on hard. :D Wasn't really that hard either.

[Null]

Ah ok. I hate playing a game that's too easy. I think I beated the original Half-Life on hard. :D Wasn't really that hard either.


i've learned to accept that. I've yet to EVER play a FPS game thats really 'difficult' for me.

which is why i normally just buy games for Multiplayer and dont bother with single. But the story on HL2 and the phisics just pushed me to play thro this one. and i enjoyed it and egarly await the next one to continue the story and find out what happens.

Theres a lot of Very intersting things and questions in the HL series that makes it very fun to play and think about.

[Jonbo298]

I finally took a bit last night and sat down to beat it. Damn that ending I say...

[Canyarion]

Now that I think of it, I still have Oppocing Force somewhere. But I lost my Half Life CDs I'm afraid. :(

Null, you don't really play console FPSs, do you?? Getting all the cheats in Golden Eye was REALLy hard. Probably the hardest thing I've ever done in a game... My hands were shaking while I tried to beat the level in time... :baby:

[Null]

well theres extra's in all games. if you feel like going out and doing every little thing you can in the game.

i play console fps games, i just dont buy em. i tend to try em out when im bored and got nothing else to do. but the controls just suck so much. i was thinkin bout pickin up a keyboard/mouse adapter for xbox or ps2. but im just gunna wait till the next gen consoles for that. and i dont have any harder of a time on console FPS games. it might take a bit longer tho cuz of having to deal with the control issue, but thats it.

most the levels in Goldeneye i dont remember having much trouble in all at beating under a certain time. but then again its been a long long time so i cant clearly remember what all i did.

[Canyarion]

Well, some levels were VERY hard to beat. Imagine Facility (level 2) on 00Agent under 2:15 (I did it in 1:40 I think :p). Or Caverns.

Oh well, since you don't remember it, there's no point in telling this. ;)
Edit: In here is a list of my best GE times. MAN I was annoying back in the day. More than half of the posts in the thread are mine. :angel: http://www.gametavern.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1732&highlight=golden+eye+times
BTW why is that thread in the XBox forum? :confused:
/edit

Have you played Aliens vs Predator? It wasn't impossible, but it was hard in a creepy way.
Oh, the demo was even harder than the hardest setting of the normal game. :D

[Null]

You know, I've never used steam before HL2. i always heard people complain about it saying how horrible it was.

Honestly, im kinda liking it. seems quick, has some nice features, lets me know when people are online playing, it'll keep all my mods for the game together. i love the server browser it has and keeps track of my history so i can find a server that i played at the other day that i liked.... and its interesting to find out that many in the steam community do infact like it.

as long as it doesnt give me any problems, i have no problems with it.

BTW, What are some of your Steam user names?

[Seth]

steam username: sethmatic



I agree with you on the steam issue. I haven't had any problems with it. I bought my game at a retailer store so the downloading of the game wasn't an issue for me. Got me hooked up quick enough and the steam browser doesn't take up too much RAM. I'm content with it.

I honestly don't blame valve for it either. It ensures more copies being bought.


It'll take me a lot longer to beat it then you guys cuz I really don't get that much gametime but it'll just make it seem longer. I'm close to finishing the zombie chapter in the game.

I think it would be great if we set up a gametavern CS:source server. I'd much rather play guys that I semi know then a bunch of cs pros who call me a ***got because I can't play as good as God himself.

[Null]

yea. would be fun to get a bunch of us on a server to play.

[Jonbo298]

The stuttering thing is gonna be fixed sometime today I heard with a patch. It was loading the textures while in game also thus it was occasionally stuttering sound/audio. It's gonna load all the textures into the video memory while the level is loading.

The only possible downside I see to all this is increased load times. But you can't complain if you've played Doom 3 :eyes:

[Null]

only studder i ever had was right at the start when a level loads. for a second then it ends.

so problem never bothered me.

[Bube]

People have finished the game but I still haven't bought it... I asked a store when they would bring it in, and they said that the distributor didn't have any left. I think I'm going to import it...

[Canyarion]

Ehm can't you download it off Steam? I have no idea what Steam is, but that's the impression I got.

Importing could be even cheaper than buying it in Turkey. :)

[Jason1]

Im currently going by Yoda on STEAM I guess...(my bro picked that one)

As for steam, ive never had any seirous issues with it. Except for the fact that the Friends feature never works...

[Bube]

Ehm can't you download it off Steam? I have no idea what Steam is, but that's the impression I got.

Importing could be even cheaper than buying it in Turkey. :)
Whenever I click "Pre-Load HL2", Steam crashes, so I can't risk paying then trying to download it. I'll buy it boxed, from somewhere in the world...

[Jason1]

Well I beat the game yesterday...while yes, the ending is quite the cliffhanger, I didnt feel cheated or short-changed at all. Easily one of, if not THE best FPS ever.