Tino Didriksen/Reviews/Half-Life 2

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This is my opinion on Half Life 2 (http://www.half-life.com/).

I'll use their own overview as the basis:

• "By taking the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original, and adding startling new realism and responsiveness..." - So far so good. This is actually true enough.
• "...opens the door to a world where the player's presence affects everything around him, from the physical environment to the behaviors even the emotions of both friends and enemies..." - 100% scripted scenarios. Doesn't really feel as if I'm part of the world or affecting it in any way, so much as being pushed through carefully crafted paths where any deviation will mess up the grand scheme.
• "...who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth..." - Excuse me? Zombies, sure. Aliens? You mean those humans in full body armor that were supposed to be merged or something? Or maybe the machines? Come on... Half-Life had aliens all over; varied packs of weird creatures with unique behaviors. Half-Life 2 has a few different uniforms for the same human model with the same old behaviors.
• "Advanced facial animation system delivers the most sophisticated in-game characters ever seen." - Can't argue there. Very nice facial expressions.
• "...respond to the player with fluidity and intelligence." - Respond? Doesn't respond somehow indicate that I initiated the conversation? Intelligence: see 100% scripted game.
• "...obey the laws of mass, friction, gravity, and buoyancy." - Again, can't argue. Sweet physics.
• "Neither friends nor enemies charge blindly into the fray. They can assess threats, navigate tricky terrain, and fashion weapons from whatever is at hand." - What? Clearly whatever game they were playing, it is not what they sold to me. My so-called allies not only charge blindly into the fray, they get in my way at very inopportune moment. And the enemies are not even as smart as in Half-Life.

• Physics are overused as critical gameplay elements. It is ok to have splendid physics, but it is not ok to make so much of the gameplay and puzzles rely on it in such an obvious way. What are you, id Software? Make a game, not an engine demo (btw, I love id Software, but it is no secret their games are engine demos). Look at Far Cry for excellent balance of engine power and gameplay.
• Cut-scenes are cut-scenes, even if you can switch angles. If you get in the way of the actors you are forcefully pushed out of the path since the fragile scripted sequence can't deal with it in any other way. Please don't insult my intelligence by somehow suggesting there are no cut-scenes.
• Gameplay sequences that are way way way too long... Why do I need to spend so bloody long time in that damn car, or in the silly boat? At least alternate them. But no, we must have one long sequence of each, instead of maybe walk-car-walk-boat-car-walk-boat-walk-car-etc. And if you are going to allow drivable vehicles, why can't I steal a Combine tank or anything else that might move?

...in progress...