This is the best game I’ve ever played. Review follows shortly. For now, consider this a spoiler entry.
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This is Binary Bonsai, the online journal of Michael Heilemann — a 31-year-old former Computer Game Developer, Interface Design Enthusiast and Film Lover — coming to you out of CPH, DK. It contains thoughts on games, interface design, movies, books, science fiction, blogging, music and various other subjects as befits the author.
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See, now that is impressive. I bought the game on Tuesday and I’ve only just recieved the revolver. I must now game for a horrendous amount of time.
Wait a second. Eh… am I to understand it that you have completed the entire game?
Maybe I am just lame at playing computer games, but I have been playing GTA San Andreas for at least 20 hours and must have a good 100 to go. Surely HL2 is “as big” as San Andreas? WTF!?
No, I think there’s a good deal more gameplay in San Andreas than in HL2, though since I haven’t played it, I can’t say for sure. I’d venture a guess somewhere between 18 and 22 hours long.
Actually, HL2 is around 10 hours in normal-mode, the game isn’t very long :) But it’s very fun, and one of the best if I might add.
Depends on who’s playing and how.
So did you play it on hard mode?
(not that I could, but I’ve a friend who has actually finnished it on hard)
I am just passed the beach in that buggy thing on normal mode.
Phew. I feel drugged! The climax had my throat in a vice. I sat through the credits flabbergasted, chuckling to myself with the music pumping so loud I could feel the bass thumping off of my chest.
This game is fantastic!
Wow, you completed it already. Right now I just made it to the Sand Traps level and even then I’m still towards the beginning. At one point when I was driving the land buggy on the roads (on Highway 17) I almost felt like I was back home driving in the hills. As I was admiring the scenery — which is the best I’ve seen in any game to date — I accidently punched it and speed over a slope and into the sea below, but it was just so cool I didn’t mind at all.
You’re absolutely right, Michael. This game is the best game that I’ve ever played and that is saying alot. Just the value of having the gravity gun alone is fun, but that coupled with the overall experience was awesome. I’ve already scheduled another play through as soon as I’m finished and the only other game that I’ve replayed in the past was Deus Ex (original flava).
I’m looking forward to your review. It will be interesting to see what you liked and what you disliked, etc. Now who’s ready for a Half-Life 3? Hell, Valve can keep going with this franchise for all I care. I love being “The Freeman”.
Jens: I believe I read somewhere that Half-Life 2 covers about two, three miles total. Meaning, from the point you’re dropped off the train to when you’ve completed the final boss you’ve covered that much terrain. San Andreas on the other hand was made to have a ton of replay value and I can bet, since it’s based in LA supposedly, it covers a wider range of terrain.
I’m up to the bit where you are in the underground freeway trying to jump through the toxic sludge while fending of the head-crab zombies. I keep falling in the goo :-(
Goddamn that was fast. You are the master!
You’ve already finished it, while I still have to buy it! Maybe tomorrow I’ll manage to buy it…
There is just no way you could’ve played through the whole game that fast Michael. Unless you just went through as quickly as possible and never stopped to enjoy the scenery.
I can’t get past the part where you’re in Nova Prospekt and you have to set up the sentry guns for the second time. 3 sentry guns just isn’t enough to cover the 5 entrances on the ground floor, not to mention the upper level.
Just finished it too – played through it in blaze of late nights! It is without a doubt one of the most impressive games I’ve ever played. Aside from the gameplay, the engine is incredible – can’t wait to see what others do with it. Looking forward to hearing your review.
PS. Hi Michael – long time no speak ;)
I wish there was a way you could make your squad just stay in one place until you told it to start following you again. That way you could knock over sentry guns with grenades and not have your squadmates go, “Oh, look! A sentry gun!” and get their dumb selves killed.
Pete, hey dude! Long time, no see. Strangely, I had thought about you as I was playing, wondering whether you had picked it up yet or not… But of course you have :D — How’re you doing? How’s Nicky?
Sean, I actually did take out time to enjoy it all :) — And yeah, the squad system definitely needs some work. They also have a tendency to get in the way.
Well, I actually did discover that that the C key will toggle your squad’s stay put/follow me behavior. They still get in the way sometimes (“Oh look! A strider that you’re trying to hide from! I’ll just shoot at it until it notices us!”).
Anyway, I just finished the game, and all I can say is:
OH MY FUCKING GOD. Half-Life 3 needs to be done right now ;)
Hmm, just finished Doom3. I’ll now go out and get HL2, I rally hope it’s “better”, as I think id really spoiled D3 by making it too dark.
Sure, they created some athmpsphere that way, but I really believe they “ripped out” some of the game’s heart, too.
I finished it in two sittings, about 14 – 15 hours total on Hard mode.
Recently, I’ve barely been able to play any game for more than 15 minutes at a time. And then along comes HL2 and blows me away and then sucks me right back in. I love this game.
Glad you enjoyed HL2. Finished it myself and I have to say it’s the BEST EVER ending I’ve ever seen in any game. Definately one of the best games ever made.
Just finished it last night as well, awsome awsome awsome awsome awsome…. and so on… :D
I got my copy last thursday. could not install it, because the error that goes when you dont install CS-Source.
I got resolved this issue on friday.
16:00 start playing
18:00 could go home now, cook something nice, read and get into bed early. but its so thrilling right now
20:00 oh dear, lets go home
23:00 to late to cook, lets play to midnight
24:00 glad im with the bike at the workplace
2:00 to late, lets go home now! but its so thrilling right now
4:00 damn… but its so thrilling right now
7:00 gets brither outside. lets go home. but its so thrilling right now
8:00 I go now!
slept till 16:00
start playing til 4:00 in the morning. but finished the game!
dont play it at easy. medium was to easy for me!
I started playing again in hard mode… oh dear!
cheer
from zuerich switzerland
Bloody hell! I’m in the citadel & it feels like it’s near the end. I have to go to bed. Work tomorrow :( It’s taken me this long to playe it on easy. I’m looking forward to going through it again on the next level up & I have n’t finished it yet :)
Object
I got a chuckle out of tlz’s post, glad I am not the only one who got addicted fast to Half Life 2. I use to watch my son play Half Life 1 and while he was away I played it. I was more anxious for Half Life 2 to come out than he was. I lock myself in my room and played it for 36 hours straight and I am not spring chicken or night owl. The many times I died as Freeman wasn’t so bad, it was, oh well, I’ll keep trying till I get past a hard part. But, here’s beef, Gordan was no looker, but Barney was love at first sight and no matter how many times I tried I could not save him or my squad from those killing machines, those gigantic forty foot tall two legged Daddy Long Leg monsters. As soon as I hear the shooting stop I knew I have let him down again and those dang things would still be walking around. I will not be able to rest until I can save my beloved Barney. I would sure like to know who they imaged Barney after so I can start a fan club for him.
Also, to Sean, thanks for the hints about the “c” key that toggles the squad to stay put/follow, I hope that works on the antlions also that are always in my road when I am trying to run like Hell from those gunships in the sky.