This game is probably the most overrated game ever

[[RUS] Election Hacker]

I love Valve games, but this game is seriously overrated. I don't know why it is the top scoring game on Metacritic.

1. Generic story. There is nothing interesting in the story, it is neither intellectually stimulating nor particularly lore-rich. The world is immensely lacking in depth. Compared to some games, like BioShock Infinite, this game's story, atmosphere, and immersion are laughable.
2. Poor graphics. Of course, by today's standards, the graphics are incredibly wanting, but I'd argue that even back in the day, this game didn't have that good graphics. In 2004, we had games like Halo 2 and GTA: San Andreas that had graphics at least on par with if not better than Half Life 2's. Not to mention a lot of the models look awkward, like pictures a child would draw. I have trouble imagining what the Combine vehicles would look like if they finally decide to make a Half Life 3. Furthermore, the physics are nothing special. Both Halo 2 and GTA: SA also had advanced physics with objects and vehicles.
3. Bland characters. Even ignoring the ever-silent Gordon, we know almost nothing about the other main characters... oh wait there are only 4 main characters in this game: G-man, the doctor, Alyx, and her father. None of them are particularly memorable.
4.Very average gameplay. There is nothing deep to it. Just run around grabbing health packs and ammo, and shoot everywhere. The gameplay is probably more simple than Call of Duty's. At least in Call of Duty there are some tactics involving grenades and flanking. Not in this game. You just go head on and kill everything in your way, with the exception of the occasional puzzle that doesn't really contribute to the story but just extends the length of the game.

I really don't see how this is the top rated game on Metacritic. Don't get me wrong, it is still a decent game and back in the day it probably was among the best, but nowhere is this close to the best game of all time. Recently, I have played a game called Serious Sam 3, and believe it or not, it felt more or less like Half Life 2 with modern graphics and a more humorous tone. Nowhere is Serious Sam 3 close to the best game ever, and nowhere is Half Life 2 close to the best game ever. Even by 2004 standards, I would rate Half Life 2 an 8, or 8.5 at best.

[The Brown Hornet]

Biggest problem with Half Life 2, imo, is Gordon just does what other characters tell him to do, the only thing he is doing is trying to get from one lab to another....the game is more interested in simply showing you stuff along the way with no explanation. Take away the guns, the shooting and just have Gordon run from one lab to another and it would be the exact same story, nothing changes. The original HL summarizes what the series is all about in the opening scene, starring out the window of a long extended tram ride.

[Rafael Freeman]

It's not overrated. That doesn’t mean you have to like it. But people (critics, game developers and fans) have consistently and elegantly explained why they love this game and why it’s so influential.

‘Overrated’ is an overused term. Citizen Kane is rated highly because it’s a great film, Middlemarch is rated highly because it’s a great novel and Half Life 2 is rated highly because it’s a great game.

The problem with critical acclaim is that people believe a high score on Metacritic and raving reviews means that they personally must like the game. And conversely they believe that if they don’t like the game it must be overrated.

I explained it once before like this: I don’t particularly like the taste of melon. That doesn’t mean that a dish that is prepared by a great chef and is raved about by food critics is overrated if it contains melon. It just means that I don’t like melon in my food.

[Veynam]

HOW ABOUT YOU JUST DIE. jk.
(just a troll, ignore him)

[Cactus™]

Originally posted by Brak Obma:

HOW ABOUT YOU JUST DIE. jk.
(just a troll, ignore him)

How is he a troll, he is just expressing his opinion. Even if I don't agree with it, he is not being a troll.

How come whenever someone says HL2 is bad, people call them trolls. EXPRESSING OPINIONS=/=TROLLING. OPINIONS=/=FACT YOUR OPINION=/=FACT HIS OPINION=/=FACT

Maybe... You were the troll all along *Dramatic Music Plays as Audience Gasp loudly and some faint because TV*

[PanicButton]

I bet you never played the original game. That's what started the HL craze, and the people who played (and probably loved) that game, look at the sequel differently.

The biggest selling point of Half Life is the world or rather the backstory. You want to see more and more of it, but those only raise more questions than answers. There are countless theories of who the g-man is, who are his employers, what/who are the combine, etc....and those answers exist. Throughout the whole game you feel like there's more going on behind the scenes, but they don't let you see it. Why do you think Episode 3 is one of the most anticipated games? Yeah, it may have become a joke nowadays, but gamers will go ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ when (and if) they finally announce it.

The gameplay may not hold anything extra. From modern games you expect some fancy super powers or over the top scenes. This is not that game. But it does something very good: gunplay. All the weapons look/sound/feel very good...and belive me, i play a lot of FPS games, and a lot of the weapons in those game feel.....well...they don't feel like anything. Every weapon in this game has it's own feel to it. And there's the gravity gun. You may love, or you may hate it, but it's a game changer. Ran out of ammo? No problem, just grab that sink from over there, and toss it at the enemy.

Gordon Freeman may be a mute blank slate, but that's a design choice, to help you identify with him a little more. (even if he is a genius hero) The whole game is about people telling you what to do? Yes, how else are you gonna let the player know what to do? It's just a means to an end, and nothing would be different if Gordon decided on his own, to go to X or Y. You always do the logical thing.

The graphics are dated, and even back in the day it wasn't that good. I'm gonna do the easy thing here, and ask: do graphics really matter that much? If your answer is yes, then instal Cinematic mod, which is a complete overhaul for the game, and makes it a lot easier on the eyes. (i prefer the original look, the way the devs intended)

Whether you like it or not, HL2 is a very good game, and just because you don't like, it doesn't mean that it's overrated.

I have this thing....i can play any old game that i played as a kid, and still enjoy it (no matter how ugly or simple it is) because it brings back fond memories from an easier,maybe even better time of my life. On the other hand i wouldn't play a 10-20 year old game, that i haven't played back in it's time, because i would form about the same opinion of it as you did.

Oh, and if you compare Half Life to Halo or Serious Sam, people WILL think you are a troll :)

[Rafael Freeman]

Originally posted by Captain Cactus™:

Originally posted by Brak Obma:

HOW ABOUT YOU JUST DIE. jk.
(just a troll, ignore him)

How is he a troll, he is just expressing his opinion. Even if I don't agree with it, he is not being a troll.

How come whenever someone says HL2 is bad, people call them trolls. EXPRESSING OPINIONS=/=TROLLING. OPINIONS=/=FACT YOUR OPINION=/=FACT HIS OPINION=/=FACT

Maybe... You were the troll all along *Dramatic Music Plays as Audience Gasp loudly and some faint because TV*

Calling something overrated is not very constructive. It’s more than a opinion on a specific item, it's judging everybody who likes that item. So it’s not unreasonable that people get offended.

There is a big difference in saying "I don’t like game X" and saying "everybody who says game X is great is wrong".