I beat it about 8 hours after it was released. Not a bad episode but not as good as the previous one I think. The step up for the graphics engine is a nice update to the aging Source engine, though. I have never seen HL2 look so pretty.

I took screenshots the whole way through so I will be posting another gallery walkthrough like I did with the last episode.

On another note, the Portal game included with the Orange Box set is pretty damn fun and TF2 freakin' RULES!

I still don't have the Orange box yet, I have to wait till next paycheck. however my GF has TF2 and i got to play as a sniper for a bit and dear god what an improvement over TFC. I loved TFC but TF2 takes that game to a whole new level.

Yes it does! SUPER fun game... I hope I can team up with you guys sometime via our gaming organization.

I've done it, in about 6-7 hours... I thought it was amazing, fun all the way through except the last fight was soo hard! (I play my games on HARD!). There seemed to be a character who didn't get a mention throughout the game though which concerned me. Thats a potential spoiler though so I won't go into it.

As somebody who thought that the previous HL games were ho-hum I thought this was great. Old Half-life games often had the sort of action where you sit in one safe place, aim and shoot, but this one had me running around a lot more. The plot was SO much more engaging and there was less "Gordon Freeman, you are the sole savior of my life" bullcrap than in the other ones (and it was even pretty funny when the Vortigaunt did it). The ending and GMan spot were incredible.

Unfortunately, it's still SO linear. It seemed like Valve tried to add some exploration in by adding the caches but they told you exactly where they were!

Completed it in 5 hours 20 mins.

Too short, waaaaaay too short. And such an abrupt ending! Itcompletely caught me off guard. I was just getting into it, time flying by and such, then BLAM... it's over

Brilliant game though. The best Half Life release yet. It was non-stop action, lots of story, lots of character interaction, and the graphics were so schweet. The lighting, the textures, and most importantly the physics. It's like anything can happen in that game. Any house can just fall apart, bridges collapse, enemies burst out from everywhere!

I had the most fun playing Ep.2 I've had in a long while. Moreso than with Bioshock... It just felt so, SO solid. So cinematic!

Only downside is the length, which leads me to my next (slightly off-topic) point:

Games are too short dammit. I swear, I remember the days of Final Fantasy where you'd spend a whole summer playing a game getting really into it. It's something only RPGs can offer; true longevity, and it's something I've always longed for in an FPS.

You go out and spend £30 or so on a game, you get maybe... 8 hours play from a really long FPS? At BEST! So you buy it on a Friday, play about 3-5 hours a day, and you're done in a weekend, or a few days of after work play. It really does dissapoint me.

I wish games were like the music industry or the movie industry currently are (although I wish the music industry was not as it is) - spewing out titles like there were no tomorrow. Underground games, commercial games, graphically amazing games and lesser graphically centred games with more story and atmosphere.

I'm pretty much a hardcore FPS gamer, and although I love the likes of Battlefield, Quake, and other online multiplayers, nothing gets me going like a good story-driven, single-player FPS, Half Life being a shining example. I get back from work, sit down in my comfy recliner at my desk, grab myself my favourite drink and a snack, and drift into the immersive fururistic, fantasy world of Half Life and just have great fun. Then after the evenings done and I've whizzed through whatever title I'm playing, I'm left waiting for another good game release for months on end.

Before Bioshock it was Battlefield 2142 for MONTHS on end! Before that it was F.E.A.R. which I completed about 6 times in a row whilst desperately longing for something else worth playing. Before F.E.A.R. it was Half Life 2. Before that I think I stopped playing games for about 6 months as the selection was so unfathomably wack, nothing but WoW fanboys ranting about something I couldn't possibly get into.

Dammit I've got the money to buy these games, so developers should have the incentive to either make more of them, or make sure the ones they DO make are long enough to keep me entertained for at least a month.

Oh imagine Half Life 2 had been the length of HL2, Ep1 & 2 & 3 all together! Now that's what I'm talking about.

/end rant

Gah! Steam won't let me on so i can play it!


And Mr. Fiddles, of course its supposed to be short-er, its an episode.

Quote: Originally Posted by Master Yunk Gah! Steam won't let me on so i can play it! And Mr. Fiddles, of course its supposed to be short-er, its an episode.

I know. But I was waiting sooo long for it, then to finish it in 2 sessions. SUPER SAD FACE.

I'm more excited about TF2, but I'll get around to Episode 2 eventually.

The gaming industry is doing the same thing the movie industry has done. When too much money gets involved people sell out, make carbon copies of things and publish it as new, and each time the product gets shorter, more boring and lacking in content.

Quote: Originally Posted by Mr. Fiddles Completed it in 5 hours 20 mins. Too short, waaaaaay too short. And such an abrupt ending! Itcompletely caught me off guard. I was just getting into it, time flying by and such, then BLAM... it's over Brilliant game though. The best Half Life release yet. It was non-stop action, lots of story, lots of character interaction, and the graphics were so schweet. The lighting, the textures, and most importantly the physics. It's like anything can happen in that game. Any house can just fall apart, bridges collapse, enemies burst out from everywhere! I had the most fun playing Ep.2 I've had in a long while. Moreso than with Bioshock... It just felt so, SO solid. So cinematic! Only downside is the length, which leads me to my next (slightly off-topic) point: Games are too short dammit. I swear, I remember the days of Final Fantasy where you'd spend a whole summer playing a game getting really into it. It's something only RPGs can offer; true longevity, and it's something I've always longed for in an FPS. You go out and spend £30 or so on a game, you get maybe... 8 hours play from a really long FPS? At BEST! So you buy it on a Friday, play about 3-5 hours a day, and you're done in a weekend, or a few days of after work play. It really does dissapoint me. I wish games were like the music industry or the movie industry currently are (although I wish the music industry was not as it is) - spewing out titles like there were no tomorrow. Underground games, commercial games, graphically amazing games and lesser graphically centred games with more story and atmosphere. I'm pretty much a hardcore FPS gamer, and although I love the likes of Battlefield, Quake, and other online multiplayers, nothing gets me going like a good story-driven, single-player FPS, Half Life being a shining example. I get back from work, sit down in my comfy recliner at my desk, grab myself my favourite drink and a snack, and drift into the immersive fururistic, fantasy world of Half Life and just have great fun. Then after the evenings done and I've whizzed through whatever title I'm playing, I'm left waiting for another good game release for months on end. Before Bioshock it was Battlefield 2142 for MONTHS on end! Before that it was F.E.A.R. which I completed about 6 times in a row whilst desperately longing for something else worth playing. Before F.E.A.R. it was Half Life 2. Before that I think I stopped playing games for about 6 months as the selection was so unfathomably wack, nothing but WoW fanboys ranting about something I couldn't possibly get into. Dammit I've got the money to buy these games, so developers should have the incentive to either make more of them, or make sure the ones they DO make are long enough to keep me entertained for at least a month. Oh imagine Half Life 2 had been the length of HL2, Ep1 & 2 & 3 all together! Now that's what I'm talking about. /end rant

Pretty much all of your arguements suck.

Quote: Originally Posted by 4x0n The gaming industry is doing the same thing the movie industry has done. When too much money gets involved people sell out, make carbon copies of things and publish it as new, and each time the product gets shorter, more boring and lacking in content.

Are you saying episode 2 is boring and lacking? Cause it's not.

Haven't played it, but am not very hopeful.

Quote: Originally Posted by 4x0n Haven't played it, but am not very hopeful.

Just because episode one sucked doesn't mean that two does. Two is pretty damn cool, I suggest playing it.

Dude Half Life: Episode 2 was excellent. I said so in my first post there. It was too short that's all.

My main point being, that in general, games are too short.

Bioshock was too short.

Ep.2 was too short.

Dark Messiah was too short

F.E.A.R was too short, a was Extraction Point.

I whizz through games then when I finish, I'm left waiting for months for a new release to come out that's worth playing/buying. Then one comes out and I finish it in a few days.

I spent like £2000 building an awesome PC just for gaming only to spend 3 days (more if I play the game through twice) gaming a month outside of multiplayers (which other than 2142 have all been crap until Quake Wars).

Quote: Originally Posted by Mr. Fiddles Dude Half Life: Episode 2 was excellent. I said so in my first post there. It was too short that's all. My main point being, that in general, games are too short. Bioshock was too short. Ep.2 was too short. Dark Messiah was too short F.E.A.R was too short, a was Extraction Point. I whizz through games then when I finish, I'm left waiting for months for a new release to come out that's worth playing/buying. Then one comes out and I finish it in a few days. I spent like £2000 building an awesome PC just for gaming only to spend 3 days (more if I play the game through twice) gaming a month outside of multiplayers (which other than 2142 have all been crap until Quake Wars).

Maybe you should play them on harder difficulties. If I can recall from a previous thread, you played Bioshock on medium. Even on hard, the game is a walk in the park.

Why do you play Battlefield? Do you enjoy slow gameplay?

Quote: Originally Posted by Wafflesomd Maybe you should play them on harder difficulties. If I can recall from a previous thread, you played Bioshock on medium. Even on hard, the game is a walk in the park. Why do you play Battlefield? Do you enjoy slow gameplay?

Nope. I like fast-paced games, arcade-style, slow and/or tactical stuff. Everything as long as it's good, as vague as that may be.

I've played RPGs, MMOs, arcade-style sports games, and FPSs. Everything from Final Fantasy to Grand Theft Auto to Quake.

It's just my general opinion that not enough time goes into making sure games have lifespan, unless it's through the addition of multi-player, or replaying it to unlock things you didn't unlock previously like in Bioshock.

Quote: Originally Posted by Mr. Fiddles Nope. I like fast-paced games, arcade-style, slow and/or tactical stuff. Everything as long as it's good, as vague as that may be. I've played RPGs, MMOs, arcade-style sports games, and FPSs. Everything from Final Fantasy to Grand Theft Auto to Quake. It's just my general opinion that not enough time goes into making sure games have lifespan, unless it's through the addition of multi-player, or replaying it to unlock things you didn't unlock previously like in Bioshock.

It's episodic gaming, it's not supposed to be long...

Put your hand bags away girls, no one cares.

Im about to fire it up for the first time, after Steam finished downloading at 50kbps.... stupid Steam. I hope it lives up to expectations

But my handbag is prettier than his...

Anyone played the episodic versions of Sam & Max? If so, how long are they?