Game Debate #121: Half Life

[Reed Rothchild | 9,514]

[TDIRunner | 2,730]

I couldn't get into it, but I want to give it another chance some day.  I didn't play it for the first time until a few years ago.  Oddly enough, I could tell from my experience that I would have loved the game if I played it when it was new, but for whatever reason, it just didn't work for me now.  I don't remember much, but I remember getting past the point where I was being attacked by the mercenaries, so that would be the % I played.    

I'm not even sure how to rate it.

Edited September 29, 2022 by TDIRunner

[ifightdragons | 234]

Playing it when it came out was an intense experience. Incredibly atmospheric and engrossing. It took storytelling in shooters to a new level.

I think it holds up pretty well to this day, especially the beginning.

[RH | 4,898]

Man, this came out when I was just going to college.  I went to a very small school and my freshman year we actually had a guy who setup an entire network server in his room and we all ran CAT-5 through the air vents.  Every single night was a LAN party and for 4 years, 75% of the time it was Half-Life, TF or CS.

The multiplayer was killer, the mods and fan levels were great and, oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the single-player campaign was groundbreaking for it’s time by having a killer, integrated story that we told as you progressed through what was basically just one giant stage.

This was an easy 9 for me but dang it if I’m regretting not giving it a 10.  I really need to play this one again as it probably is my favorite PC title.  Well, maybe after Myst, but that one has tons of nostalgia points.

This was just such a great game.  HL2 is good too, but there was absolutely no way it could live up to it’s juggernaut of a successor.

[a3quit4s | 4,096]

7 maybe 8 for the game. F*cking 11 for the mods though. Team Fortress, CounterStrike, Day of Defeat. Solid gold stuff. 

[CMR | 519]

I only ever played it for the PS2, but got frustrated with the twin stick controls.  I really need to revisit it on a pc.

[Sumez | 2,934]

Hard for me to really rate this game. It's a good game for sure, but I really don't understand the massive praise it tends to get. I don't think it does anything out of the ordinary, and I didn't when it came out tiether. When it comes to late 90s FPS game trying to rely more on world building and narrative, I massively prefer the likes of Jedi Knight or System Shock 2, though my heart will always be with the pure action games.

6/10 has the description most close to how I feel about the game.

Edited September 30, 2022 by Sumez

[RH | 4,898]

6 hours ago, Sumez said:

Hard for me to really rate this game. It's a good game for sure, but I really don't understand the massive praise it tends to get. I don't think it does anything out of the ordinary, and I didn't when it came out tiether. When it comes to late 90s FPS game trying to rely more on world building and narrative, I massively prefer the likes of Jedi Knight or System Shock 2, though my heart will always be with the pure action games.

6/10 has the description most close to how I feel about the game.

Guys, correct me if I'm wrong but this is either the first title that made an FPS as one, big integrated story (rather than a bunch of levels/stages strung together, usually with objectives.)

It's kind of like an RPG meets an FPS.  No, you might not level-up, but you start out with basic equipment, pick it up as you suit up and then you have to progress through the whole game and get pieces of the whole story along the way.  Either Half-Life did it first or this was the first title to really take that approach to the masses.

That's what makes Half-Life a big deal.  In the past +20 years, the same trope has been done, but this is the one that broke ground.  It gets high praise, personally, because I remember what that was like.  Then to top it off, the mods and multiplayer, with time, even surpassed the OG in enjoyment.

And with my rating, I did lump in TF and CS.  Yes, I guess you could count them a separate titles but since they were all sold as a bundle with this game, built on the same engine and 100% played the same way, those titles simply felt like an extension of Half-Life multiplayer, rather than different games.  If I had to rate them individually, I think it'd be:

Half-Life (single-player): 9

Half-Life (multi-player): 10

Team Fortress: 8

Counter-Strike: 9

[phart010 | 1,706]

I used to play Team Fortress online every day. Never got into Counterstrike though 

[Sumez | 2,934]

1 hour ago, RH said:

Guys, correct me if I'm wrong but this is either the first title that made an FPS as one, big integrated story (rather than a bunch of levels/stages strung together, usually with objectives.)

Could be, I'm not sure, since a lot of games around the same time tried similar things, and it also depends on whether you'd count games like System Shock 1, etc. which play completely differently as an "FPS".

The thing is, whether you say it is or not doesn't make a difference to me, because nothing about that idea strikes me as novel at all, and I don't think it gave me much of a unique experience at the time, and definitely not much of a leap from what games like Jedi Knight did, especially given progression through the game was still completely linear.

I think the way enemy AI behaves was probably the one thing that felt a lot more unique and "groundbreaking" (even if it was still in a similar "if they didn't do it, someone else would have around the same time" sort of manner). But that also isn't something I'd praise the game for, as I don't think it makes it any more enjoyable to play, rather the opposite to be honest. But if you do dig that sort of thing I guess maybe HL is extra cool?

[Reed Rothchild | 9,514]

I do agree with RH on some of that stuff.  Black Mesa's seamless world felt a lot more immersive than other FPS at the time. 

And  the various "troop" enemies were a huge step up from the demons and Stroggs and stormtroopers and what not.  Especially the female spec-op assassins!  

And I loved the balance of the weapons.  Everything had its own strengths and weaknesses, so that almost any situation asked you to strategize which weapon to use. 

And the gameplay itself was super tight.  I love Jedi Knight as much as anyone, but it has it's fair share of jank.  Especially the lightsaber duels.

But to @Sumez point, I haven't played Ultima Underworld or System Shock.  Or later stuff like Thief.  And I only did the demo for System Shock 2.  So I could see Half Life being a tad less impactful from r some people.

[wongojack | 213]

Everyone should play it.  IMO Half Life manages to appeal to people who don't normally play FPS games.  I play them a lot, but I have no interest in FPS multiplayer.  But even for someone confused by or intimidated by FPS controls and games, the Half LIfe series seems to work.  

Although in 2022, I think I would start with Portal 2 and work your way back.

[MagusSmurf | 577]

I tried it out on Steam like a decade ago. I didn't have a mouse available and was stuck using a laptop touchpad so the game never had a chance; I didn't get far and didn't particularly enjoy it before I bailed. Seemed like a neat setup but I didn't get far enough for anything to really happen after the beginning.

I do remember thinking the controls put all together used way too many keys. Maybe that's normal for FPS games after they hit a certain point of development. Didn't like it though.

[AstralSoul | 502]

Never played it and probably never will. Not because I think I'll hate it but just out of lack of interest. Not enough time to play every game I'd like to try and this one falls very low on the priority list.

[JamesRobot | 5,790]

I think it's killer and everyone should play it, but I also haven't gone out of my way to play it in a loooong time.  I'll split the difference and give it a 7.

[G-type | 2,479]

The puzzle solving in Portal is what I love in a game. The clever storyline is just the icing on that fabricated cake.

[G-type | 2,479]

Wait... are we voting for Half-life or Portal? I'm confused.

[MagusSmurf | 577]

I guess the topic title...

Spoiler

is a lie.

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

10/10, no question about it. Groundbreaking, one of the best games in the genre, it's just incredible. The first major PC game I played and loved when I got my very own PC in high school. I almost got the lambda symbol tattooed when I was considering getting more tattoos. I love this game and it's sequels and spinoffs to death.

Plus, Team Fortress Classic. One of my very favorite multiplayer games of all time. It's excellent, and I can still play for hours in the right server full of real people.

[Tanooki | 4,931]

Going to just say, go read what Sumez said in his first post as my 6/10 is his 6/10 for the same reasons.  Decades ago, and now, I don't get the appeal, it's just average, mind you did not give two craps about online play so I'm rating this on the game itself meaning the campaign, control, environment, monsters, etc.  I've played far better.

I saw the instant rebuttal there about it maybe being the first flowing game where it wasn't hard stages but kept going.  Not sure, when did STRIFE and HEXEN come out?  They just go and go, you get new objectives much like an NPC or leader of some village or group would give in an RPG too, but they just flow.  Dark Forces nearly did as much but it was broken into clear obvious stages and didn't organically flow area to area though so a halfsie there to be fair.

[rdrunner | 422]

Never played and never will.  I get why it's famous though.  It's still fun reading everyone's comments.

[OptOut | 8,883]

I've never played it, but I am a big fan of Half-Life 2, that's one of my favourite games ever. I don't game on PC, and I don't game on Playstation, so chances are I'll never play this game, unless they re-release it on and XBOX system or Switch. But, I'll definitely check it out if they do!

[wongojack | 213]

I don't think anyone has mentioned that there is a remake that came out recently called simply "Black Mesa."  It was blessed by Valve and is for sale on Steam.

Black Mesa on Steam (steampowered.com)

[DefaultGen | 5,401]

I went 10/10. Coming off games like Quake, Duke 3D, Hexen, and Unreal, nothing was comparable to HL. Seamless varied level design. Long stretches of narrative that involved platforming, puzzles, and exploring rather than killing guys. NO cut scenes, text boxes, or level end score screens to interrupt you. Tons of little side scenes and conversations that you happen upon.

This game could have zero multiplayer and it would still be one of greatest games of all time, yet it spawned one of the biggest pillars of esports of all time in Counter-Strike as well.

6/10? We're comparing this next level shit to HEXEN? Y'all nuts. NUTS.

[Sumez | 2,934]

I honestly can't understand why anyone would want to play Half-life over way more fun and engaging games like Quake or Duke3D.