Re: 1st HL2 game memories from 2004...

On 11/15/2024 7:31 PM, Ant wrote:

Since HL2 will be/is 20 yrs. old and we're all getting nostalgia! Let's
talk about those days!

I decided to see what I wrote about the game back 'in the day'. TODAY
I remember not being that impressed, but was that really the case in
2004? Am I just looking back at it with dung-colored glasses? I had to
find out.

Because "Half Life 2" came out before we started our traditional 'what
have you been playing' threads, I don't really have a review for it
the same way I have for many later games.

    [In fact, the controversy about Steam is what prompted the
     creation of that endless thread, as a break from people
     constantly bickering about it. But even so, it was _years_
     before I tormented people with my novel-length essays about
     each games, so even had I written an end-of-month review
     about Half Life 2 at the time, it probably only would have
     been a sentence or two. Oh, how times have changed!]

Still, I did dig out my initial thoughts of the game when I finally
did play it in March 2005:


    Well, enough. Half Life 2 eventually installed. For all that
    trouble, I can't say I'm THAT impressed. Oh, so far it's nice
    and all, but hardly revolutionary. The physics gun is neat,
    but c'mon, we've seen similar stuff before (hell, its basically
    just an evolution of Trespasser's jiggly arm!). The graphics
    are nice, but not exceptional (except for the G-Man in the
    intro; now THAT blew me away. Awesome facial animation). Lots
    of atmosphere, not much substance so far. Linear levels. Very
    good game,  but heads 'n' shoulder above the rest? Not so far.
    Oh well, maybe the good stuff happens later on.



A month later, having finished the game, I also commented:

 
    Having said all that, while Half Life 2 has an interesting
    backstory, the actual drama you play through is very weak;
    it's about at the same level as Doom (the original!)
    level as Doom (the original!), practically


So it's not just me being curmudgeonly today; I didn't think much of
the game when it was new either. Which just goes to prove that I've
been a grump for a long, long time ;-)