So if I like the dystopian aspects...

[Interzone]

...of this game and in particular the chapters involving street/house to house combat such as at the Overwatch Nexus and Ravenholm, which other game would likely appeal to me?

I am not a skillful shooter and HL2 is probably my limit as far as gun selecting goes so a large aresenal may be lost on me. My favorite weapon was probably the crossbow as I like the sniper aspect very much.

I enjoyed the look and sound of the Combine, also Dr. Breen's "Breencasts" were a highlight for me which is what I've missed the most in the various mods I've played. I like a story but not too much dialog.


Some of the games I'm looking at are:

Bioshock Bundle
Deus Ex
Stalker

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks

[Kaleidescoop]

If you've not played them already, Episodes 1 and 2.

[phillippi2]

Bioshock, and it's spiritual predecessor System Shock 2 (which I actually recommend) both actually have a lot of dialogue; however it's conveyed in such a way that it doesn't interrupt gameplay, being told through audio logs.

Fun fact; a lot of the System Shock 2 developers actually worked on Deus Ex as well (the original D.E., that is) Also, SS2's main villain, SHODAN, seems to be a major personality influence for GLaDOS, from Portal.

[Interzone]

Originally posted by TheEndlessHorizon:

If you've not played them already, Episodes 1 and 2.

Yeah, I've just about exhausted all HL episodes and mods.

[Interzone]

Originally posted by phillippi2:

Bioshock, and it's spiritual predecessor System Shock 2 (which I actually recommend) both actually have a lot of dialogue; however it's conveyed in such a way that it doesn't interrupt gameplay, being told through audio logs.

Fun fact; a lot of the System Shock 2 developers actually worked on Deus Ex as well (the original D.E., that is) Also, SS2's main villain, SHODAN, seems to be a major personality influence for GLaDOS, from Portal.

Thanks, I was leaning towards Bioshock because the bundle is on sale so probably will pick that for my next game.

[Maechen]

Bioshock is on sale now - great value for the 3-pack. Metro series is great too, especially Metro 2033. Last Light is pretty good as well but they only have the Redux version on the steam store at the moment and there has been a lot of problems with it.

Fallout series is good as well. More RPG and different themes but great nonetheless.

[Interzone]

Originally posted by Maechen:

Bioshock is on sale now - great value for the 3-pack.

Just picked it up, it was a no brainer.

[Rockhead Gaz]

Dishonored shares artistic similarities with this game and also has a 'world on the brink of collapse' motif. Might be worth a look if you like stealth games.

[Interzone]

Originally posted by Rockhead Gaz:

Dishonored shares artistic similarities with this game and also has a 'world on the brink of collapse' motif. Might be worth a look if you like stealth games.

I thought Dishonored was a military fps so I never really looked at it but I will now.

Thanks

[Interzone]

Originally posted by Proxemicon ™:

This isn't dystopian; but if you haven't, then you should most definitely play Half-Life 1!

HL1 was the first shooter game I ever played, and the second and third lol

[istvan_v]

Originally posted by Portal 3:

Some of the games I'm looking at are:

Bioshock Bundle
Deus Ex
Stalker

Of these, I have played the original BioShock and STALKER. Neither is really like HL2, but there are some partial similarities.

BioShock is a story driven FPS with a mute protagonist, and is mostly linear (although not as much as HL2 and its episodes), which makes it similar to Half-Life, but the setting/environment and art direction are completely different.

The game takes place in an underwater city, and you are almost never in an outdoor environment, other than briefly at the beginning. Visually, it is colorful and has an art deco style.

Enemies consist of splicers (mutated humans that attack on sight), "big daddies" (large and tough robot-like humanoids that only attack if provoked, and can even temporarily be your allies, but the reward for killing them is high), and various machines (turrets etc.) that can be hacked to become friendly. You can buy supplies from (hackable) machines that are found frequently. However, you will generally not find friendly NPCs that you can interact with, like the guards and scientists in Half-Life.

There are some RPG-like elements in the game, for example collecting "Adam" and upgrading your character when it is high enough is analogous to gaining experience and leveling up; also, plasmids - that have a variety of effects like temporarily paralyzing enemies, making them fight each other, hypnotizing big daddies, etc. - and the "Eve" required for using them are basically equivalent to magic and mana.

It is a well polished game with mostly quite positive reviews, so playing it is recommended in any case.

STALKER (I am referring to the original "Shadow of Chernobyl" game with no mods) on the other hand has a setting somewhat more similar to HL2, but it is an open world game with side-quests. It is not as open as the Elder Scrolls or Fallout series, though, and is more of an FPS than an RPG, as your character cannot be customized or "leveled up" in any way; the only possible improvement over the game is obtaining better equipment.

In this game, you are often in outdoor environments, but also in a destroyed city (Pripyat) and industrial buildings, the power plant, and in underground research laboratories. Enemies are monsters (various mutated animals and other creatures), soldiers, and bandits. Due to these factors and the Eastern European setting, it has a more similar "feel" to HL/HL2 and City 17, but obviously still not quite the same.

There are many non-hostile or even friendly characters to interact with (by partly text based conversations), and they will often give optional quests for rewards. There are also a few traders that buy loot and sell equipment.

The main strengths of STALKER are the atmosphere, the immersive environment, and the tough but (once you know how to play effectively) not unfair combat. However, it has some rough edges and bugs, there is no hand holding, and new players often find it frustrating. This game is loved by some, but hated by others, so you may or may not like it.

[Interzone]

Originally posted by istvan_v:

Originally posted by Portal 3:

Some of the games I'm looking at are:

Bioshock Bundle
Deus Ex
Stalker

Of these, I have played the original BioShock and STALKER. Neither is really like HL2, but there are some partial similarities.

BioShock is a story driven FPS with a mute protagonist, and is mostly linear (although not as much as HL2 and its episodes), which makes it similar to Half-Life, but the setting/environment and art direction are completely different.

Thanks for giving so much input, it's appreciated.

I did end up buying the Bioshock bundle because even if it's not exactly what I'm looking for, I agree with you that I should play it regardless because of the quality of the game.

I do plan to try Stalker but only once I've gotten through all three Bioshock games.

Thanks again.

[istvan_v]

Originally posted by Rockhead Gaz:

Dishonored shares artistic similarities with this game and also has a 'world on the brink of collapse' motif. Might be worth a look if you like stealth games.

I have recently bought Dishonored, and it is indeed a good suggestion. If I recall correctly, the art director (Viktor Antonov) is the same for both games, so that probably explains the similarity. Although the gameplay is quite different from HL2, and mainly stealth oriented. On the other hand, it does have a crossbow that can be used for sniping.

[Interzone]

I've just added it to my wishlist so hopefully will pick it up for the Christmas Sale.

Thanks

[Archbishop Havel]

Bioshock. Nuff' said.