Half Life 2: Episode Two

[tiesto]

So, last weekend I started playing the game, and this evening, I've played through most of the final mission... overall, this is the best HL game yet, IMO. I might be a bit burnt out, after going through the original game and episode one, but this is much better balanced and relies much less on trial and error, or repetitive puzzles.. has more story than I'm used to from the series, and the levels are fairly concise and to the point, aside from the cave level, which tended to drag on a bit too long. So yeah, this is a good episode, and I'm looking forward to the next one, after I take a break from the series for a bit

Still, the damn

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Strider attack on the missile silo

[close]

at the end of the game is REALLY fucking pissing me off... you don't seem to get nearly enough ammo to take down the hunters

[Eric P]

i can't get past that portion of the game.  it's really annoying

[The Fake Shemp]

That was the best part of the entire game!

[Eel O'Brian]

yeah, beating that part is one of the few times i ever felt an actual sense of accomplishment in a video game

[Raban]

EP2 was megafail. 5 hours of filler.

[Joe Molotov]

Just run over the Hunters.

[duckman2000]

I deeply disliked this game. Not because it's bad, but because it failed to excel at anything, and it feels like genuine cutting room floor material. HL2 being such a remarkable experience didn't help Ep1 and Ep2. But, to each their own. The first 1/3 is miserable, outdated crap by any standard though.

[Raban]

Pretty much what Duckman says. The whole game was recycled shit from the last two. EP3 should be amazing though, since it's in the arctic. That is, of course, when it comes out in 2025.

[fistfulofmetal]

Best game of 07.

[tiesto]

I deeply disliked this game. Not because it's bad, but because it failed to excel at anything, and it feels like genuine cutting room floor material. HL2 being such a remarkable experience didn't help Ep1 and Ep2. But, to each their own. The first 1/3 is miserable, outdated crap by any standard though.

I think I appreciated it because it trimmed the fat from the original HL2, the levels seemed much more streamlined and to-the-point, and it didn't feature any repetitive puzzles (zap the car into the antlion pit, this wasn't fun the first 200 times you did it, what makes you think it's gonna be fun now!) or bland corridors (aside from the second level). I'll be happy when they make an HL game where you're not getting stuck on the environment...

[crimsondynamics]

I think the problem with HL2 and the episodic content isn't that it's "bad"; it's just a bit long-in-the-tooth by today's shooter standards.

If you've played some of the more up-to-date / sophisticated shooters that have lean / crouch / prone controls or gun recoil, well, HL2 just feels outdated.

[Raban]

Gabe Newell said that the Episodes are basically HL3, but I really would've preferred if they just never made the episodes and spent a good 6 years on a game in the same scope as HL2, with newer puzzles, more updated textures and such, vital changes to the Source engine, it would've been amazing.

[crimsondynamics]

I think the next HL will definitely include some gameplay elements from Portal. That would seriously give any gamer a raging hard-on.

There's that HL mod that lets you use the portal gun in coop mode; when it doesn't break the game, you really realize the potential multiplayer gaming can achieve combining traditional FPS elements with portal guns.

In a word: fan-farking-tastically amazing. Try it if you haven't. The gameplay's there; I bet Valve are still racking their heads thinking of the myriad ways they can go about maximizing that experience because the combination of gameplay possibilities are mind-boggling.

[tiesto]

I think the next HL will definitely include some gameplay elements from Portal. That would seriously give any gamer a raging hard-on.

There's that HL mod that lets you use the portal gun in coop mode; when it doesn't break the game, you really realize the potential multiplayer gaming can achieve combining traditional FPS elements with portal guns.

In a word: fan-farking-tastically amazing. Try it if you haven't. The gameplay's there; I bet Valve are still racking their heads thinking of the myriad ways they can go about maximizing that experience because the combination of gameplay possibilities are mind-boggling.

Well, last night I passed the part in Ep 2 where

spoiler (click to show/hide)

You run into Alex, Dr Breen and Dr Magnusson in the missile silo, and they show video of recovering a near-mythical Aperture Science barge where some special test projects were going on... this pretty much confirms, in my eyes, that the portal gun is gonna be in Ep 3...

[close]

[crimsondynamics]

Well, last night I passed the part in Ep 2 where
(SPOILER)

Yep yep. Try the mod. It will give you a glimpse of the possibilities, and despite being a fan mod (read: very limited resources and manhours; Valve would pour far more resources and manpower into HL3, no doubt about that!) it already is a blast and leaves you salivating for the game proper. Coop is just icing on the cake.

[tiesto]

Awesome, Groo's plan of nailing the Hunters with tree trunks did the trick for me... it was rough and took me a few tries, but I finally beat it! Nice last minute twist in the ending...

But one of the things I noticed was, one of the people whose "faces" were borrowed from the game was named "Larry Heard"... I'm wondering if it's the Larry Heard known as a legend in the house music scene. Would be fucking awesome if it was.

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

If episode 3 is really the last part of the HL2 saga and if the length of epsiodes 1 & 2 are any indication of the what we'll see in episode 3 then I fail to see how they'd be able to wrap up the story in any kind of satisfying conclusion.  There's just way too many loose ends.  Might as well just cut to Master Chief telling us that he needs a weapon and let the credits roll.

[Eel O'Brian]

Ep 3 will just end the Gordon Freeman saga, is my guess.  Good bet on Alyx being the star of HL3.

[Phoenix Dark]

I'm gonna get the Orange Box soon. QUESTION: do i have to play HL1 to understand HL2?

[Raban]

ADRIAN SHEPARD

I really wanted him to be in Portal. Did you take a look at the acronym for Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device? ASHPD. Come on now.

[Mr. Gundam]

I'm gonna get the Orange Box soon. QUESTION: do i have to play HL1 to understand HL2?

It helps a lot, but you could probably play through HL2 without playing the original and be just fine.

[Darunia]

Ep 3 will just end the Gordon Freeman saga, is my guess.  Good bet on Alyx being the star of HL3.

i'm assuming the pair will go through and Alyx will be the player 2 coop character. :O

either one of these scenarios would please me greatly. There's still a lot of potential left in the HL universe if you think about it

I'm gonna get the Orange Box soon. QUESTION: do i have to play HL1 to understand HL2?

Not exactly but it helps a lot. You'll get more references and in-jokes. Plus, even today it's still a kickass game so that's a plus

[tiesto]

Yeah, I haven't played much of HL1, apart from maybe the first area... I'm gonna go back and play through that one day soon. How were Blue Shift and Opposing Force, worth playing? Long?