Half-Life 2 Episode One

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No thread on HL 2 Episode 1?

I'll start: I loved this game. Easily my favorite of the year. In retrospect I can see how the whole thing is just barely a remix of Half-Life 2 (with a lot more Alyx, who is a fantastic, fantastically-done characer, even aside from how she's really cute). But I haven't played HL 2 since it came out, and at the time, I thought it dragged. This five-hour dose was perfect: dramatic, truly immersive, unsettling, fast-paced, and riveting. Wondered if anyone else was knocked out or if the buzz is more along the lines of "oh yeah, a little more HL 2."

― save the robot (save the robot), Saturday, 10 June 2006 22:27 (nineteen years ago)

As long as downloadable episodic games eventually go down in price (like if it costs $10 to dl episode 1 this time next year) then I think it's a cool idea, but I suspect maybe they won't drop in price as fast as games in stores do. Wait, can you buy episode 1 in a store?

I want to play it, I loved HL2. I had to uninstall cause CS made me not get work done

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Sunday, 11 June 2006 00:12 (nineteen years ago)

Telltale Games dropped the price on their Bone episodes to $13 a pop. But they're a little shorter (and much lower-tech) than HL 2.

From what I've heard, Black came out at $50 but only took six hours to complete, most console games are $40-50 but take only 10 hours, twice as long as Ep. 1 ... so I'm okay with the price overall. And I think the price will come down - I think the download price for HL 2 has dropped.

― save the robot (save the robot), Sunday, 11 June 2006 00:59 (nineteen years ago)

I'm sure I would enjoy this a lot more if I could play it for more than 10 MINUTES AT A TIME WITHOUT IT CRASHING. Just like HL2 used to crash in fact. Before I changed my GRAPHICS CARD AND PROCESSOR AND MOTHERBOARD to try and fix the problem.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 13 June 2006 22:04 (nineteen years ago)

I couldn't get past the jumping involved in half life 2. Any amount of jumping in a first person shooter is too much. I still may give this a try if i get it from the internetz.

― jeffrey (johnson), Tuesday, 13 June 2006 22:08 (nineteen years ago)

Is this what was originally going to be HL2: Aftermath?

― S- (sgh), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 06:01 (nineteen years ago)

i think there was a lot more jumping involved in Half Life 1, maybe apart from the 'keep off the sand' level on HL2.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 07:40 (nineteen years ago)

I CANNOT BUY THIS AS STEAM IS POORLY :(

― steal compass, drive north, disappear (tissp), Friday, 16 June 2006 10:38 (nineteen years ago)

It's good apart from being too short. They should have done an opposing forces job on it.

― Darramouss ftw! (Darramouss ftw), Monday, 19 June 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

SHOULD I BUY HALFLIFE 2?

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 4 August 2006 18:27 (nineteen years ago)

YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA SHUT UP SLAVE IM BUSY

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Friday, 4 August 2006 22:12 (nineteen years ago)

everyone should buy HL2. even if only for CS Sauce.

― teh_kit haev been evicted, oh noes! (g-kit), Saturday, 5 August 2006 07:28 (nineteen years ago)

Everyone should buy HL2 for the utterly genius game it is and fork out the £10 for Episode 1 and stop being tight bastards!

― Darramouss ftw! (Darramouss ftw), Saturday, 5 August 2006 21:52 (nineteen years ago)

Episode 2 is going to come with Team Fortress 2 (which looks like it might be interesting) and a new game called Portal (which looks REALLY exciting...you can get the trailer through Steam). Woo!

― JimD (JimD), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 08:30 (nineteen years ago)

Portal is going to be a new game? I thought it was a new item you could use in the game. I hope it's both, actually.

― steal compass, drive north, disappear (tissp), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 09:59 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, I hadn't seen anything about portals being used in game, but that'd be great too! Yeah, both makes a lot of sense. Portal (the game) looks like a series of short problem-solving task levels. Have there ever been any other first person puzzle games? I can't think of any.

― JimD (JimD), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 12:38 (nineteen years ago)

Good god know we don't want portals in the game. And no 'alien world' levels please either.

― Darramouss ftw! (Darramouss ftw), Wednesday, 9 August 2006 14:45 (nineteen years ago)

Here's the video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=if3Qv2tHyfA

― save the robot (save the robot), Saturday, 12 August 2006 20:04 (nineteen years ago)

Fuck me that looks like fun. The gravity gun was my favourite thing in HL2.

― Darramouss ftw! (Darramouss ftw), Sunday, 13 August 2006 12:20 (nineteen years ago)

That Portal vid is utterly amazing and I can't stop watching it. I downloaded and played that Narbacular Drop which is sort of the same thing only with poo graphics as such. Good fun.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 15 August 2006 22:12 (nineteen years ago)

You see? I told you it looked good!

― JimD (JimD), Tuesday, 15 August 2006 22:43 (nineteen years ago)

i got episode1 last night. it kinda expectedly crashed after about 15 minutes play so i played the deathmatch instead. Needless to say i'm addicted already (to being killed it seems at the moment tho) and struggled to drag myself away from it to bed last night.

if anyone plays it i'm "qaopspace". and go easy.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 17 August 2006 07:53 (nineteen years ago)

Unable to find qaopspace. Hit 'back' if you want to try and search again.

(I'm Jimdoo).

― JimD (JimD), Thursday, 17 August 2006 08:11 (nineteen years ago)

i'm not on right now, does that matter?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 17 August 2006 08:14 (nineteen years ago)

i managed to get the solo game working at lunch time. Seems cool, just more of the same. How small is it exactly? Compared to HL2?

Do I get to use proper weapons soon, I'm not a fan of the gravity gun as a weapon.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 17 August 2006 12:12 (nineteen years ago)

it's about 5 hours on average, they say.
weapons will come. gravity gun is fun, though!

― i am teh_kit! (g-kit), Thursday, 17 August 2006 12:19 (nineteen years ago)

i'd like to use this thread to round up more CS players. if you can play HL2, you can play CS! no excuses!

― i am teh_kit! (g-kit), Thursday, 17 August 2006 12:26 (nineteen years ago)

i ordered CS this morning, i will hopefully have it by the weekend and join this thing you call 'fun'

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 17 August 2006 12:57 (nineteen years ago)

actually my account name is ste.foster, my player name is qaopspace

― Ste (Fuzzy), Saturday, 19 August 2006 17:20 (nineteen years ago)

Oh come on kitty, cs is pratically real life compared to HL!

― Darramouss ftw! (Darramouss ftw), Saturday, 19 August 2006 19:11 (nineteen years ago)

i preferred the Day of Defeat game that came with it, i had much fun with the football map.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Saturday, 19 August 2006 21:44 (nineteen years ago)

what do you mean, darra?

― i am teh_kit! (g-kit), Monday, 21 August 2006 08:43 (nineteen years ago)

I'm saying recoil awareness, accuracy and reaction speeds need to be waaaayyyy higher in CS man.

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Monday, 21 August 2006 13:14 (nineteen years ago)

that's what i'd say, if i couldn't aim :D :D :D

― i am teh_kit! (g-kit), Monday, 21 August 2006 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

>insert generic retort here

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Monday, 21 August 2006 13:23 (nineteen years ago)

"so did your mum"

― i am teh_kit! (g-kit), Monday, 21 August 2006 13:36 (nineteen years ago)

so anyone up for a battle on either CS. DOD, or HL2, soon ?

be aware i'm utter shite at CS but am prepared to join in for the crack anyway and perhaps per chance to upgrade my skills.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 21 August 2006 13:38 (nineteen years ago)

I am a master of all three and duly accept that challenge!

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Monday, 21 August 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

I am a CS amateur but willing to give it a go; HL2 my preferred sport - I was never a fan of team games. Don't have DOD.

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 21 August 2006 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

I was only kidding btw. Yeah HL2 DM is fun I haven't played it in ages. Add me on steam friends as Kevka2002

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Monday, 21 August 2006 14:12 (nineteen years ago)

despite being master of all three, Darra regularly takes a beating from teh_kit.

― i am teh_kit! (g-kit), Monday, 21 August 2006 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

Unless I'm sniping then you can actually see him panic a bit.

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Monday, 21 August 2006 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

My a/c name is <cough> steamfuck </cough>. Steam was giving me serious issues when I signed up...

― ledge (ledge), Monday, 21 August 2006 14:34 (nineteen years ago)

i actually thanked the lord for the Steam system yesterday. my computer effed up and wouldn't boot, now i have to reboot using an older hard drive to see my current hard drive. With the steam system all my valve games are still accessible, unlike all my other games which will require a reinstall.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 21 August 2006 14:38 (nineteen years ago)

i can't remember my steam account name thingy, but it'll be either gregkitten or kittyautomatic

― i am teh_kit! (g-kit), Monday, 21 August 2006 14:53 (nineteen years ago)

'gregkitten' worked

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 21 August 2006 22:42 (nineteen years ago)

Played some HL2 last night. Either I'm wildly out of practice, or there's some secret "headshot every time" key combo I'm unaware of, or the first server I tried was populated entirely by experts. Either way I was seriously pwned. (Did a bit better on the second server I tried, so maybe it was just the last option.)

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 09:07 (nineteen years ago)

Also I found this comic:
http://www.hlcomic.com/index.php?date=2005-05-01

An inauspicious beginning but it gets a little better - the ones where he teleports into Counterstrike are worth a couple of roffles.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 12:01 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, Concerned owns!
i need to catch up, haven't visited for a couple of months.

― i am teh_kit! (g-kit), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 16:49 (nineteen years ago)

HL NOOB-TO-BE QUESTION #2:

Shd I buy the version of HL available online via Steam (or one of the ginchy megapacks), or shd I just go to Best Buy & drop $30 for the Game Of The Year edition?

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 19:15 (nineteen years ago)

No get it off steam you can pick and choose what multiplayer games you want with it then.

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 22:21 (nineteen years ago)

I got HL2!

Holy crap it is sweet!

And I've only played for an hour!

(I bought the megapak from Steam w/ HL:Source, Counterstrike:Source, HL2:Episode One, and a bunch of other crap.)

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 28 August 2006 12:37 (nineteen years ago)

The reason I only played for an hour, BTW = IT CRASHED! But, whatever.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 28 August 2006 13:20 (nineteen years ago)

Xbox Magazine says they're bringing HL2 + HL:Episode 1 & 2 to the 360 (in one package). I've been waiting for a Silent Hill 5 platform announcement before making a nextgen decision, but this HL2 package might negate that wait.

HL2 was a blast. Haven't played the episodes yet.

― lumberingwoodsman (Chris Hill), Monday, 28 August 2006 16:52 (nineteen years ago)

OMG THIS IS AWESOME

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

My computer hard drive exploded* and now I'll have to start Ep1 all over again.

*(not really, just broke)

I guided my team to victory last night in DoD!

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 4 September 2006 09:09 (nineteen years ago)

ooh, i'm up for DoD sometime.

can't wait for episode 2, trailers look amazing.

― i am teh_kit! (g-kit), Monday, 4 September 2006 09:26 (nineteen years ago)

Lol you hated DoD when we played kitty.

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Monday, 4 September 2006 20:31 (nineteen years ago)

Ha it brings a tear to the eye to see Dave so happy with HL2. Reminds me of when I first played. Have you shat yourself at the jumping hissing spider things yet Dave?

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Monday, 4 September 2006 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, but i also hated CS last time we played, Darra.

people killing me = girly crying fit on CS
i can handle it in DoD, since i KNOW i'm shite at it.

― i am teh_kit! (g-kit), Tuesday, 5 September 2006 07:25 (nineteen years ago)

I have shit myself @:

- the small jumping hissing spider things
- the big jumping hissing spider things
- the slippery slope towards the ceiling grabby things
- the thing that THROWS the jumping hissing spider things
- the running out of ammo against the jumping hissing spider things
- the "oh shit that's radioactive AND IT'S KILLING ME" thing

Also, the my-mouse-hates-me swing in the wrong direction thing. I am now trying to drive a dune buggy while killing HR Giger knockoffs.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 03:14 (nineteen years ago)

there was one point in the HL2 buggy section where you come up against a very closed gate next to a couple of houses or small buildings or something. there was obviously some kinda logical way to open the gate, but i never found it, so i spent like an hour building a FUCKING RAMP for my buggy to leap over. it fucking worked, too.

― i am teh_kit! (g-kit), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 08:30 (nineteen years ago)

haha i did something similar on another bit. i came out of a large building into a court yard (with some rebels and the girl), she was supposed to fiddle about with a console to reveal some kind of shield generator for me to blast to open the gates.

but she just stood there and the huge iron gates remained shut

i spent the next hour obtaining various items of furniture from the large building and building a climbing frame to get to the other side. Once i'd climbed over the gate the graphics weren't there until I jumped down into a broken road which triggered a checkpoint and then everything was fine again!

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 09:21 (nineteen years ago)

That's weird I didn't have any toubles like that. Then again I am Úber boss.

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 12:39 (nineteen years ago)

you spelled noob wrong, Darra.

― i'm not teh_kit, ffs! (g-kit), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 12:40 (nineteen years ago)

Ok I'll try again k-i-t-t-y-a-u-t-o-m-a-t-i-c. Better? ;)

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 12:49 (nineteen years ago)

Darra OTM, sadly :(

― i'm not teh_kit, ffs! (g-kit), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 12:57 (nineteen years ago)

i think the gate you are talking about might have been the one where you need to slot the batteries into their power slots.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 13:00 (nineteen years ago)

nah, it was the one where you need to BUILD A FUCKING RAMP.

it's funny though - i blame Valve's early game design (FU VLAVE etc) - they gave us like a half dozen physics puzzles right off the bat to show off their new engine, and then expect us to forget all that and collect some batteries? fuck you, i'm building a ramp.

which reminds me, has anyone listened to the commentaries with Ep1? good stuff. the 'player training' etc - that's clearly what's to blame for my Bob The Builder solution to this puzzle.

Games with commentaries are the way forward.

― i'm not teh_kit, ffs! (g-kit), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 13:04 (nineteen years ago)

Not yet I might play through on easy and listen to it. Can't remember the last time I played a game on easy lol. I usually play on normal 1st to get the story then hard to actually enjoy the game.

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

I can't deal with hard mode at all. Too much conservation of ammo, hunting for health packs - it's a fuckin' fps not a resource management game! Not to mention getting whipped by the bosses again and again and again.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 13:48 (nineteen years ago)

limiting ammo is a bit of a cheap trick for Hard modes, imo.

― i'm not teh_kit, ffs! (g-kit), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

Oh dudes controlling antlions is AWESOME

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:13 (nineteen years ago)

gee, really? i didn't particularly enjoy that part of the game.

― teh cap'n kittenbeard is gonna grab yr booty lol (g-kit), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:16 (nineteen years ago)

All I know is: setting my posse on some dudes way up @ the top of a tower = totally awesome. Also, it's nice to see they have as much trouble with the "crab people" zombies as I do.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:19 (nineteen years ago)

it's always nice to watch AI stuff fighting each other, but for some reason (memory hazy), i seem to remember that this section didn't live up to expectations.
i really should play through HL2 again sometime, i can barely remember anything but the intro, Ravenholm and the ending.

― teh cap'n kittenbeard is gonna grab yr booty lol (g-kit), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:23 (nineteen years ago)

Granted, most of my satisfaction came from having those annoying little bastards on MY side. Tho I did enjoy the entrance to the DO NOT STEP ON SAND section - I saw the dude on the rock, and his dying buddy, and right before he said "STOP," I just ran out onto the sand and got them killed. Bwah hah hah.

The "cutscene" w/ Dog going to work on the Nova Prospect guys, BTW, is (wait for it) AWESOME.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:27 (nineteen years ago)

everyone loves Dog!
if G-Man had any sense, he'd send Dog on these missions instead of Gordon.

― teh cap'n kittenbeard is gonna grab yr booty lol (g-kit), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:29 (nineteen years ago)

Dog doesn't fit in airducts, tho.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:30 (nineteen years ago)

but he could SMASH them.

― teh cap'n kittenbeard is gonna grab yr booty lol (g-kit), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:33 (nineteen years ago)

Going through HL2 the second time, I was surprised at how short the DO NOT STEP ON THE SAND section was - when you know eg where you're going, it's three or four times faster.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

I just finished HL2 (installing Ep 1 now). It's nice to have a computer that can run this shit well. I'm going to play Far Cry next.

The second half of HL2 is much better than the first. There's too much airboat/dune buggy fake Halo shit near the beginning but once the ANTLION DEATH SQUAD party begins it gets great.

― adam (adam), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 20:35 (nineteen years ago)

I wouldn't bother with Far Cry it's not even as good as Soldier of Fortune. The physics seem to be stuck in 1998.

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 21:53 (nineteen years ago)

After 20 minutes of Far Cry I think you may be right. I'm no-clipping through the jungle, corpses crumple all ghetto and the dialogue is making me want to kill myself. I suppose that's what I get for $10 at Wal-Mart.

― adam (adam), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 02:20 (nineteen years ago)

Best fps of all time, what coked up Gamespot COCKEND wrote that I wonder.

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 13:29 (nineteen years ago)

I just finished HL2 (installing Ep 1 now). It's nice to have a computer that can run this shit well.

I just upgraded my video card awhile back and was slapped in the face with the reality that my motherboard is the weak link in this chain. Anyone know of a non retardedly expensive CPU/Motherboard combo that you can pop into a dell? I used to be able to be on top of hardware when I was younger but now I have no friggin clue.

― Stuh-du-du-du-du-du-du-denka (jingleberries), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 16:06 (nineteen years ago)

What's non-retardedly expensive? My new system is running the Conroe 6400 processor ($216) on a Gigabyte DS3 mobo ($140). It only takes DDR2 ram (which is kind of expensive) but you should be able to cannibalize the rest of your Dell stuff. Depending on how old your Dell is that might make the hard drive the weak link. All in all I spent $1300 on a system that has fucking destroyed any game I've tried (FEAR at 80 fps maxed out, too bad the game itself is basically shooting the same douchebag clone over and over again in an office building/warehouse).

― adam (adam), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 19:05 (nineteen years ago)

Ill need to do some homework then. My Dell is about 2 years old and change. My price limit would probably be something around $500. If I didnt drop money on a new video card and more RAM I'd be tempted to just buy a whole new system.

― Stuh-du-du-du-du-du-du-denka (jingleberries), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 19:15 (nineteen years ago)

Finally finished HL2, just started EP1. It's OK so far; I like that it's slightly more puzzle-y than HL2 proper, but the uber gravity gun is kinda boring. But the Alyx / Dog stuff @ the start is great (esp. the Dog toss).

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 22 September 2006 16:03 (nineteen years ago)

Is that in the x-rated version cos it wasn't in mine?! :O

― Darramouss (Darramouss ftw), Friday, 22 September 2006 16:12 (nineteen years ago)

It's the G-Man Hot Coffee mod.

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 22 September 2006 16:20 (nineteen years ago)

if there was an ILG Excelsior thread, that exchange would deffo make the grade. but there isn't. hoorah for small mercies.

― teh_kit (g-kit), Friday, 22 September 2006 16:30 (nineteen years ago)

ten months pass...

so the Orange Box, coming this October:

Half Life 2 Episode 2
Team Fortress 2
Portal
+
Half Life 2
Half Life 2 Episode 1

And as an extra wupde-doo for people who buy it, if you already own HL2 or Ep1 you can pass on your 'extra game' to another Steam member.

So who wants dibs on my Episode 1 ?

― Ste, Monday, 30 July 2007 09:36 (eighteen years ago)

but then again it's coming out for PS3, so if I buy one of those and one of those then my PC version I'll still need. sorry.

― Ste, Monday, 30 July 2007 10:01 (eighteen years ago)

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