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Half-Assed2 - Virus of the Year Edition -

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 9 / 27
Date: October 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

How many times should a person attempt to install and play a game? 1?...2? ..3? I won't attempt to run this STEAMing pile of dung on my machine past 3. This is my first, only and absolutely last STEAM / VALVE game I will ever buy.

A very, very disappointed customer. OH WOE TO VALVE!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I purchase this game for 20 dollars, I install it, and to my disappointment, it freezes on the loading screen. I underwent all the basic procedures of updating my video drivers (I have an ATI Radeon Xpress 200), made sure that Direct X was updated to its full capacity, I uninstalled and exited all unneccessary programs that may have interfered with Steam-but yet, I still get no response. once in a while, the game will tempt me by allowing me to get into the Main Menu and even once, letting me play parts of the first level. But NOOO! These brief excursions pose only as false hopes. I've gone through hours now trying to fix the problem.

I am very disappointed. Well, I'm going to go back to playing Minesweeper now. So much for high end gaming.

Steam prevented me from ever playing it...tech support rude and useless

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: September 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I purchased this game used from Amazon Marketplace. Everything that I would expect to come with a used game came with this copy: CDs in good condition, original case/documentation/CD-key insert. The installation was trouble-free and was a lot quicker than some reviews here would lead you to believe. Everything about this purchase was looking good...

...that is until I tried to play the game. I wasn't able to activate the game via Steam, so I contacted Steam Powered Support. It took them over 3 weeks to reply to my support request. When they did, they were rude. (When they asked me where I purchased my copy, so I told them Amazon Marketplace. The support rep replied, "I doubt you bought a used copy from Amazon. I believe they are in the business of selling new software." WHAT A CLUELESS MORON!) So after sending them an image scan of my CD-key card with my Steam username written on it in ink just above the CD-key, they proceeded to ask me to send it again...which I did.

After two more weeks, I finally got the answer that CD-keys cannot be reset on used game CD purchases. They recommended I purchase the game through the Steam application (which does not sell the HL2: Game of the Year Edition.) To purchase all of the games that make up HL2:GOTYE via Steam, I'd spend more that way than if I'd just purchase another shrink-wrap copy of the CDs, which won't happen after this experience with their tech support.

Hell will freeze over before I spend any more money on Valve Software games again. People hated Microsoft when they started their product activation stuff, but even Microsoft is pretty lenient about giving out replacement keys to customers who appear honest. Valve has completely lost their minds with Steam. I hope they wise up soon, otherwise I hope they go out of business soon, arrogantly confident in their belief that they can abuse honest customers as much as they want and still make mountains of money.

Best PC Game Around

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: April 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Half Life 2 is a must for any PC gamer. You can avoid all of the online/loading problems by purchasing the game online. Great graphics. Deep involving game play. Simply stunning. See for yourself.

Install is no problem with Broadband

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: May 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Steam is intrusive and annoying but it's certainly not difficult to use. I opened the box, turned on my PC and was playing in 1 hr 12 min. About half of that time was installing off CD and the other half was downloading through Steam.

Based on all the other reviews I was expecting at least 3 or 4 hours. You just check a checkbox to tell Steam not to load up at startup. And I've read you can play it offline, although I haven't set it up yet since I've only been playing for a day.

Bottom line... if you have Broadband, don't be scared away by Steam. It's no problem. The graphics and sound are incredible. Great gameplay.

What tech support ??

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 13
Date: January 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The low rating does not reflect on the game since I can't install it without the key code which, unfortunately, wasn't enclosed. It is, however, an assessment of their tech support which has not responded to numerous emails. Perhaps the key code was on the manual which didn't arrive with the game, either, although there was a place for one in the case. Think long and hard before buying this one 'cause once you open it you can't return it !!!

If you don't have Internet access, you can't even play the single player version!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 19
Date: October 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

After beating Half Life, I bought Half Life 2 GOTY edition. I install games on my laptop so that I can play in the hotel when I travel on business and can't connect to the Internet. But when I put the CD in my laptop and started to install HL2GOTY, it told me that I would need to connect to their Steam site to install and play the game. Being that my laptop doesn't have Internet access installed, the game is totally useless to me.

I went to their Steam site on my desktop PC, and after registering and logging on and looking their their "intelligent" help system for a way to install the game (since I bought and paid for it and have the CD and key in my grubby little hand) without using Steam, I sent an email, but have not had a reply from them.

So I'm now waiting to hear if they'll let me return an open game, but I doubt it.

Don't buy this game unless your intent is to play in multiplayer mode on the Internet.

Otherwise, boycot Sierra, Valve, and Steam!

Great game, but you better have broadband

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: March 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is probably the most immersive game I've ever played. But I don't recommend buying it unless you have a fast Internet connection (not a modem through a phone). I also recommend not buying it on CD, but instead buying it straight through Steam so you never have to worry about CD keys.

I make these recommendations because Steam will require you to download the latest patch before you can play the first time. Also, some people have had trouble with CD keys. I have a cable Internet connection and I just purchased the game directly from Steam. The game took about one hour to download and install, and I never had to worry about CDs or CD keys! I have never had a problem with Steam crashing or the game not working.

The game itself:
The game is very polished in terms of storytelling and "intense moments". They have pretty much perfected facial movements, so it very realistic when you see other characters talking to you. There are no cutscenes--the entire game is in first-person view, which is much more immersive. They don't need cutscenes because everything already looks so realistic. Far Cry had a real wow-factor in its graphics, but it still had that "computer graphics" look to it, whereas the textures in this game make it look photorealistic, almost like Riven in 3D.

Throughout the game, the style of the action keeps changing. They came up with many different ways for you to have intense moments. For example: in one scene you are racing down canals in a gunboat while chased by a helicopter shooting at you while you dodge mines in the water. In another section of the game, you have to cross sandfields without touching the sand, because if you do, you'll wake up the giant insectoid aliens sleeping underneath the sand. The most fun thing about the game is the "gravity gun" which lets you pick up anything that's not nailed down and throw it like a weapon.

Why not us?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 7
Date: August 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Possibly the best game ever made since 2004. It comes with half-life 1: source, a digitally re-mastered version of half-life . Half-life 2's graphics are beautiful! Even on low end hardware If you have a computer that is from 2002 or later you can probably play this game on at least low setting. Half-life 2-

PROS: Great visuals. Great A.I. Great variety of weapons and ammo. Great sound and good character and story. Comes with Half-life 1:source, Counter-Strike: Source(best multiplayer game ever!!!) and if it is really a PRO Half-life 2: Death Match. It also comes with steam which organizes Valve games for you and auto updates your games.

CONS: Steam in my book is helpful but I also consider it AD-WARE, I haven't had any of the random crashed that others mention. But I did install the game and then try to play it and go what why can't I play it... 5 Seconds later Steam pops up telling me to play the game I have to become a member. I was like "what that's gay...whatever"

This is seriously with Counter-Strike: Source and HL1: Source the best game of 2004.

I recommend having a Decent PC, such as mine:

Gigabyte Motherboard, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+, Seagate 320GB SATA-2 HDD x2, Corsair ValueSelects 2GB O/C DDR2-800, eVGA GeForce 7900GS 256MB x2 in SLI Mode, Dual DVD-RW Drives.

Steam

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 8
Date: July 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Why is everyone getting mad at steam. Valve had many pirecy problems with its products..... Steam proves that you will not install the game on evryone computer or make copies... Steam works perfectly on my pc. They bad multiplayer is Gamespy which I saw copying the websites and passwords i types in and sending them to god knows where.

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