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This game forces constant internet connectivity

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: January 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game forces constant internet connectivity, even when playing solo. You are at the mercy of the companies servers even when playing locally.

The 5 millionth HL2 review, Im sure.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: July 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I followed this game from about a year after it was announced and I had the privilige of sitting through all of the releace date set-backs and I can tell you, it was worth it.

I will now list the games pros and cons as to catagory

Grafics:
This game looked exellent and near-photo realistic. The grafics were also very stable and I had no problem running them on my mid-range PC. Lip-synching was dead on and all of the emotional ranges the charicters could go through was amazing. All of the enviromental effects were superb as well, the water was amazing and reflected EVERYTHING, enemies, geografic features and even explosions. All of the items were extemely well off and all of them were photo-realistic in quality. Metalic objects had a sheen to them, and textures even up close looked very beleveable.

Sound:
The sound design was incredible, halfway through the game, my ear was trained to hear the individual, distinctive sounds of any number of the multiple creatures that could be just around the corner. Nothing is more freaky than hearing a poison headcrab and tring to find it just by tring to listen for it. The dialog was exellent, and the music, while rather artificial, fit the mood of the game.

Level design:
The levels were well spaced out and very well planned. The only issue I have with this part of the game is that the level take FOREVER to load on a 2.1 GHZ prosessor, which is above average (It takes about 1.5 minautes to load a new area, just count those seconds out without anything to do, its a very long time)

Gameplay:
With an extremely impressive physics system and a way to impress your will upon that system, the average gameplay is addictive and you can play in any form you want to. Imagne running through a hallway, and there is a zombie at the other end! so you pick up a 2X4 with the gravity gun and hurl it at the zombie! The zombie hunches over and slides down against the wall. You pick up a radiator to block the bullets from a man with a machine gun across the hall, then you throw it at him! It beans him in the head and his entire upper body flips around and he flies over a railing to crash down on the floor below! That is the standard in half life 2 if you play with the gravity gun.

Overall:
This game is worth a 10 out of 10 for all of the great things that are in this game. And this game has almost infinate replay value. This one is for the ages.

Be prepared

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 60 / 137
Date: February 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The world of first-person shooting games was revolutionized in 1998 when Half-Life hit the mainstream. Featuring a slew of smooth graphics, a huge three-dimensional environment, and an interesting arsenal of weaponry, Half-Life was bound for greatness. Since its conception, several modifications have been created, including total game revamps like Counterstrike and Team Fortress Classic. Now, Sierra has decided enough time has passed since their original creation, and are onto bigger and better things.

I base this information from the 25-minute video shown from the debut at E3 of 2003 that showcased Half-Life 2 to the fullest. Graphically, no other first-person shooter has ever looked so good. The characters have "rag doll" physics, meaning when a body hits the ground, its arms and legs flail lifelessly. Barrels float in the water, and splinters fly from a section of wood that is shot by bullets. The realism is astonishing.

The opening sequence features the G-man from the last title that greets you in the end to offer you a position to work for him, or to face a fate "you have no chance of surviving." The programmers inform us that the G-man has over twenty separate "muscles" in his face that change when he talks, or has emotional responses.

The A.I. is revolutionary. During a street combat, you find yourself being bombarded by enemy fire, while several resistance fighters alongside you are trying to fight back. The computer-controlled characters wait for prime opportunities to move and counterattack when their opposition isn't attacking them. A.I. of this calibre has never been seen before.

In addition to the classic weapons we've seen (with updated graphics and sound effects, of course), new revolutionary ways of dispatching enemies await the classic hero Gordon Freeman.

So, whenever Sierra decides to release this game (if the actual date isn't pushed back again), we'll get to see the mystic wonders of the world of Half-Life once again. Only this time, it's personal.

Caveat Emptor

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: March 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The box for Half Life 2 fails to mention that a Steam account is required to play the game. So open the box, install the game. Ok, now you've opened the game and you discover you must have the Steam account. What is the problem with that? Simple: to get the Steam account you have to sign up to their privacy policy. In other words, when you buy the game you are betting that you will be willing to sign up to a contract that you haven't read yet. And, hey, guess what, even if you are willing to throw caution to the wind, you can't play the game if their servers are down or too busy. This isn't a registration glitch. This is a "got to do it to be able to play it standalone" headache. Now I have to go in and clean up the registry and startups.
Bon apetit.

Please Listen to this Advice.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: April 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

For those of you who are unaware, Steam offers Half-Life 2 on sale through their web site. I decided not to purchase and download from Steam because I wanted the box, DVD and manual. The book that comes with it is totally worthless. It contains strategy on a few levels and a few pieces of artwork. I wouldn't be sad if I lost mine or threw it in the trash. The shirt is XL size only. I can't wear mine because it would hang below my knees. There is no manual, only a small piece of paper that shows the controls. What I'm trying to tell you is the Collector's Edition isn't anything special. The only thing worthwhile about it is the Half-Life Source. If you're looking to get something similar to the collector's edition, puchase the Silver Package off of Steams website. For the same price as the Collectors edition you can get the Silver package. Not only does this come with Half-Life Source, it also includes Day of Defeat Source, Counter-Strike Source, Counter-Strike Condition Zero, and Steam's entire catalog of Half-Life games. Trust me, the oversized t-shirt and worthless manual are not worth purchasing the collector's edition for.

Do NOT buy this game !!!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 14 / 20
Date: November 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I cannot even install it. Getting error messages all the time.
Look at alt.games.half-life2 for more info on all the people that CANNOT install it.

All that money out the window for a came that cannot even install.

I should sue Sierra for the money AND the time lost on getting this crap to work with no succes !!

"Steamed" over Half-Life 2

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 11 / 14
Date: December 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I'm so frustrated I don't know where to begin. I bought Half Life 2 expecting an outstanding gaming experience. What I got was hours of frustration trying to figure out how to make it boot up. In all my years of gaming, I simply needed to double-click the desktop icon and away I went. But some genius there at Valve decided to make the most convoluted, invasive and frustrating interface ever conceived in the world of gaming!!! Can I simply click the Half Life 2 icon for the GAME I PAID FOR and play? NOOOOOOO! I have to go through some online nonsense called Steam. One day I click the icon and I have the option to play in "offline mode"; the next day I can't play because Steam won't let me. What were these people thinking!? I have uninstalled the game and have loaded up an old copy of GTA Vice City...now there's a game!

Sincerely frustrated,

KA Stone
Kernville, CA

why should i have to be online to play this game?

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 13 / 18
Date: November 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

i paid $50 for this game, no where in the hype did it say i had to hook up to an internet connection just to load it in my computer. i have a high end gaming computer with 1GB ram, 3.2GB CPU, 256 DDR ATI Radeon 9800 XT graphics card. i don't hook this to the internet because i don't want to contaminate it with bullsh*t, and i don't intend to. i'm returning Half-Lame2, f*ck those guys. i think far cry blows it away.

Ruined by Steam

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 12 / 16
Date: December 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

What a disaster! The "innovative" method used by the creators to protect HL2 via this mess called Steam was a huge mistake. The battle in HL2 begins long before the game starts. This Steam business validates your software apparently EACH time the software loads. That's causing system hangs on my machine and I see from his thread that it's effecting others as well. It seems like the software is trying to access Steam during the load-up and for some reason is not working properly. The system hangs up and can only be recovered by TURNING OFF THE MACHINE. I have a 2.2 ghz Dell with 1 gig of ram, 9800 Radian video card. This is plenty of muscle per the requirements on the package - more so in fact. No, this is a mess caused by this Steam business and what a blunder. Watch the chaotic, revenue fall, Valve.

The one time I've been able to load and run the game, it was nothing short of spectacular. It's definitely the next generation of FPS gaming and much better than DOOM3 in my opinion. Unfortunately, innovation to protect the software will relegate HL2 into the mediocre category rather than the true wonderment that it could be. What a shame.

ONE OF THE BEST FPS EVER !!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: February 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Being a collector for over 10 years I own over 4000 PC games, from early DOS games (Abandonware now) to the latest recourse-gazling megamoths.

Let me tell you this: RARELY had I enjoyed a game More!!!

Walk, run, jump, float, drive, shoot, admire, listen,...have all your senses occupied by one of the best game ever! Absorbing atmosphere and interesting plot (well, OK, for a FPS game)!

Intuitive controls, natural AI, nice guns (the Gravity gun has influenced a great number of later games) - and GREAT CRISP GRAPHICS (even on medium-range machines).

I was tempted to award less than 5 stars because of the whole STEAM Connection blunder (which is totally inexcusable! VALVE, why do you punish honest buyers - you do know there is crack out there which does not need internet activation, don't you?). FAR CRY was more fun in the end because it is not hampered by STEAM. I think that VALVE is shooting its own game sales in the foot with this...I guess, time will tell.

Nevertheless, HL2 was so fun to play, I will not let STEAM fog it up.

You Will Enjoy It TOO !!!

RECOMMENDED!!

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