Half-Life 1 Or 2?

[magicsofa]

8 hours ago, Mr. Freeze said:

HL1 is a solid shooter but HL2 is a genre-redefining, revolutionary FPS. It changed the gaming landscape forever. 

You mean it changed the gravity gun landscape forever...

[FractalBeast]

HL1. HL2 is probably the better game, and the more influential game. But I prefer HL1. The level design of HL1 is just amazing. They managed to take Doom and Duke mapping, and fuse them in one by making use of the 5-minutes-in-the-future setting of a recognizable high-tech scientific facility. You have your weird semi-abstract Doom areas, but also real-looking Duke-like realistic rooms; often all within the same level.

[Dr. Crowley]

Well, I voted for the first game but I think you may play both in order just to see full story, so to speak.

[Pokemanic33]

4 hours ago, TheNoob_Gamer said:

I disagree. HL2's Combine Soldiers are as dynamic if not more advanced than the HECU. The problem is many combat setpieces are just too overscaled for their close-quarter oriented intelligence.

For reference, here's a very well done analysis on some soldier types you commonly encountered throughout the game.

 

 

 

I stand corrected, that's pretty badass. I don't remember encountering really any of it in actual gameplay though, which is a shame. It's been a few years since I've played it though and my memory is effectively non-existent though so take that as you will. If the level design contradicts this AI like you say though that's definitely still a problem and I think my base point still stands, even if my reasoning was misinformed.

[goggles stan]

personally i like half life one better something about the goldsrc engine and the old graphics really work with half life's monsters

[A Nobody]

5 hours ago, TheNoob_Gamer said:

I disagree. HL2's Combine Soldiers are as dynamic if not more advanced than the HECU. The problem is many combat setpieces are just too overscaled for their close-quarter oriented intelligence.

For reference, here's a very well done analysis on some soldier types you commonly encountered throughout the game.

 

 

Valve did not use them to their full potential. They just have them stand around with no cover because of the open fields. They also tried making HL2 easier than HL1. Not that HL1 was that hard to begin with anyway. By the way, the Combine are still not that intelligent, as the last one tried to melee a poison zombie, and he didn't run away when it got close.

[HLRaven]

This is a really hard question for me since I love every half-life game (well probably besides decay) but I went with HL1. I just love the aesthetics and how xen feels and looks. Half-life 2 is really nice and the combat is really fun with the gravity gun and ragdolls but it misses the artstyle hl1 had.

[ScreechingBoner]

Played both games well past their release, so no nostalgia here, and gotta say the HL1 campaign and expansions feel way more memorable. That being said, HL2 is still very much a quality game that blessed the world the Source engine, which I love to bits along with GoldSrc, so many fun games and mods and it's just really pretty to look at even so many years later.

[SilverMiner]

I would prefer HL2. It's way more pleasing and balanced than HL

[Bridgeburner56]

I find both of the Half Life games pretty dull but HL2 is a bit more enjoyable. Better environments, better story telling and marginally better combat encounters in the sequel, although I still find it very repetitive.

[mxrgan]

HL1 and HL2 are both very good. But I think HL1 is better, as its combat feels a lot more fun than HL2's. HL2 is really good too though, as it's evironments and worldbuilding are phenomenal. HL1 also feels like it has a bigger modding community, as many good mods come out of it (With Counter-Strike starting out as one).

[Juza]

8 hours ago, TheNoob_Gamer said:

I disagree. HL2's Combine Soldiers are as dynamic if not more advanced than the HECU. The problem is many combat setpieces are just too overscaled for their close-quarter oriented intelligence.

For reference, here's a very well done analysis on some soldier types you commonly encountered throughout the game

 

Just as you said, the levels are designed too poorly for the AI to actually function as they're supposed to, basically throwing all those "advancements" in the trash. In Half-Life 1, the AI goes hand to hand with the level design, as it should. None of those flanking and squad tactics shown in the video happen during the course of normal gameplay.

[TheNoob_Gamer]

5 hours ago, The Strife Commando said:

Valve did not use them to their full potential.

Perhaps you have misunderstood my comment, because that's literally my point - the level design restricted the potential for enemy AI to shine.

[A Nobody]

4 hours ago, TheNoob_Gamer said:

Perhaps you have misunderstood my comment, because that's literally my point - the level design restricted the potential for enemy AI to shine.

Yes.

[PeterMoro]

HL2. It's DLC was good, too.

[whybmonotacrab]

HL2, but just. They both excel in different areas. HL1 has better combat due to having more variety in enemies/weapons, but HL2 I just enjoy the atmosphere and pacing more. It probably helps than I played 2 first.

[captain caleb]

Half-Life 1. Anything HL2 has to offer, HL1 beats it with Opposing Force.

[A Nobody]

1 hour ago, Captain Caleb said:

Half-Life 1. Anything HL2 has to offer, HL1 beats it with Opposing Force.

I'm surprised that nothing from Opposing Force was brought over. By the way, don't forget Blue Shift.

Edited November 17, 2020 by The Strife Commando

[spineapple tea]

If I ever get a custom title I want it to be "Have y'all ever heard of a game called Half Life 2?"

[TheNoob_Gamer]

4 hours ago, The Strife Commando said:

I'm surprised that nothing from Opposing Force was brought over. By the way, don't forget Blue Shift.

Everything about Opposing Force is canon until stated or shown otherwise.

However there are some notable bits of lore stuff brought over to hl2, like Black Mesa getting nuked.

[seed]

The problem with OP4's canonicity mainly arises from its unique enemies.

 

It otherwise doesn't contradict the timeline, but its unique enemies are hard to put into the canon since none of them existed in HL1 or Blue Shift, especially in the latter, for whatever reason.

 

I can imagine some enemies working out because they spawn in places the player just doesn't go through in the original, like some dark tunnels and sewers seen in OP4, inhabited by Voltigores. Even the Gene Worm can work out because he spawn in a totally different side of the facility. Others, like the Shock Trooper? Now that... is questionable. There are also no male assassins in HL1, where did those guys come from?

Edited November 18, 2020 by seed

[beast]

Half-Life 1.

 

Also, fond memories playing HL-1 death-match with buddies on a local LAN. Man that was fun.

 

I bought the HL-2 boxset when it first came out, but had such an awful experience with steam. It ruined the anticipation. It is a natural contraceptive for fun.

[TheNoob_Gamer]

1 hour ago, seed said:

There are also no male assassins in HL1, where did those guys come from?

Black Ops is basically the second cleanup crew after government people saw how bad HECU handled the alien invasion. I believe the females Gordon encountered were the scouts sent to explore the continent.

[seed]

44 minutes ago, TheNoob_Gamer said:

Black Ops is basically the second cleanup crew after government people saw how bad HECU handled the alien invasion. I believe the females Gordon encountered were the scouts sent to explore the continent.

 

Yeah, I know, it was a semi-rhetorical question.

 

But that would conflict with the timeline, as Freeman had not reached Xen by the time Shephard encounters them for the first time if I recall correctly.

[GraphicBleeder]

I've never fully completed Half Life 2, but I have played through a good chunk of it.

I have, however, completed Half Life 1, out of the two, I think Half Life 1 is arguably the better game, though some parts of it are a chore to play through nowadays. 

 

Half Life 2 is still pretty great though, I recommend them both.

[Pirx]

On 11/15/2020 at 6:04 AM, Nevander said:

Get the best of both worlds and play Black Mesa.

 

 

yeah, i did. it's an excellent hl1 to hl2 conversion, all maps recreated in detail. 

 

all went well until i teleported to xen, then the game crashed, and i took a break from it.

 

there were just 2 minor things that annoyed me consistently: 

 

one was the yellow crosshair i couldn't change - it was pretty useless for aiming at the marines in the desert. 

 

the other one that i can only select weapon categories, and not bind certain weapons to certain keys. i mean, when i'm used to pressing E for example to select the AR/GL in a heated fight and repeatedly blow up myself because the game selects the guided missile, or fumble between categories while taking fire, then it gets aggravating. 

 

i hope they'll fix these simple issues, as it will make fighting the marines far more enjoyable to me (they are much more aggressive than the dumb aliens who have only the hp advantage) 

[A Nobody]

I wish HL2 had as much content as Opposing Force.