Should I play HL1 before this?

[john michael official]

I got this game because I decided now is the best time to play with it being free and the new update releasing. I've played a bit and I'm on the third chapter. Should I play HL1 before I continue? I don't really want to since the game doesn't look very well aged but I feel like I might miss out on lots of other content

[Wolfy6]

Honestly, only the ending to Half Life 1 will make Half Life 2 beginning make sense

[john michael official]

Originally posted by Wolfy6:

Honestly, only the ending to Half Life 1 will make Half Life 2 beginning make sense

i didn't really understand the intro, all I knew was that was the gman

[Wolfy6]

Originally posted by no |HM|:

Originally posted by Wolfy6:

Honestly, only the ending to Half Life 1 will make Half Life 2 beginning make sense

i didn't really understand the intro, all I knew was that was the gman

Yep, then you'll have to play the first game to understand what the hell is going on in the beginning of Half Life 2

[KolyaSmirno.]

you already on third chapter so no,if you'd cared for lore,gameplay or aspect you'd ask this question yourself BEFORE starting Half-Life 2,i say you dont lose much but at the same time you'll probably gonna ask yourself "what is that,who is he?" questions.

[john michael official]

Originally posted by Wolfy6:

Originally posted by no |HM|:

i didn't really understand the intro, all I knew was that was the gman

Yep, then you'll have to play the first game to understand what the hell is going on in the beginning of Half Life 2

so the only thing that matters is the context for the beginning of the game?

[Buck Fastard]

Play HL1 after, it's a lot harder than 2 and the story isn't hugely connected, it works better as a prequel imo.

Black Mesa is an alternative, not really the authentic experience of HL1 but it has all the same story and plays mostly like HL2.

[Wolfy6]

Originally posted by no |HM|:

Originally posted by Wolfy6:

Yep, then you'll have to play the first game to understand what the hell is going on in the beginning of Half Life 2

so the only thing that matters is the context for the beginning of the game?

Pretty much.

[john michael official]

Originally posted by KolyaSmirno.:

you already on third chapter so no,if you'd cared for lore,gameplay or aspect you'd ask this question yourself BEFORE starting Half-Life 2,i say you dont lose much but at the same time you'll probably gonna ask yourself "what is that,who is he?" questions.

i really like lore in games. I just considered watching a lore video on youtube if i got confused. I do already know the general plot of HL1 of the portal to xen or whatever

[john michael official]

Originally posted by Slim:

Play HL1 after, it's a lot harder than 2 and the story isn't hugely connected, it works better as a prequel imo.

Black Mesa is an alternative, not really the authentic experience of HL1 but it has all the same story and plays mostly like HL2.

alright

[Holding These Alligators Down]

Originally posted by no |HM|:

Originally posted by Wolfy6:

Honestly, only the ending to Half Life 1 will make Half Life 2 beginning make sense

i didn't really understand the intro, all I knew was that was the gman

Basically there's this guy named the Gman who has supernatural powers (It's never fully explained who he is and who he works for) and at the end of HL1 he puts Gordon in suspended animation.
In HL2 the Earth has been taken over by aliens and you are re-awakened by the Gman years after the war with the aliens has ended.

[john michael official]

Originally posted by Holding These Alligators Down:

Originally posted by no |HM|:

i didn't really understand the intro, all I knew was that was the gman

Basically there's this guy named the Gman who has supernatural powers (It's never fully explained who he is and who he works for) and at the end of HL1 he puts Gordon in suspended animation.
In HL2 the Earth has been taken over by aliens and you are re-awakened by the Gman years after the war with the aliens has ended.

I'm assuming the aliens are the combine guys right? Don't ask why I know what they're called I played gmod okay

[Holding These Alligators Down]

Originally posted by no |HM|:

Originally posted by Holding These Alligators Down:

Basically there's this guy named the Gman who has supernatural powers (It's never fully explained who he is and who he works for) and at the end of HL1 he puts Gordon in suspended animation.
In HL2 the Earth has been taken over by aliens and you are re-awakened by the Gman years after the war with the aliens has ended.

I'm assuming the aliens are the combine guys right? Don't ask why I know what they're called I played gmod okay

Yep.
It's worth reading up about some of the deeper lore because the game's story doesn't explain everything and it's a pretty cool read as well.

[XOF]

Originally posted by Slim:

Play HL1 after, it's a lot harder than 2 and the story isn't hugely connected, it works better as a prequel imo.

Black Mesa is an alternative, not really the authentic experience of HL1 but it has all the same story and plays mostly like HL2.

I can't say HL1 is harder. But you need to think a little more in the process.
Also there is Black Mesa, which is really harder

[Snark]

It's a tricky situation.

I love HL1 but I can't recommend it since you are already hesitant due to how dated the visuals look.

Can't recommend Black Mesa either because I think the gameplay is worse and it isn't really faithful to the original.

If you really can't bite the bullet and play HL1 (which I understand), then watching a short summary of events should be enough. It won't have the same impact going from HL1 to HL2 but you already spoiled yourself and it's not that big of a deal anyway. HL1 is basically one big survival scenario with mystery sprinkled on top. It's not like HL2 where you have named characters being your buddies.

[tranz2deep]

Personally, I think Black Mesa is faithful to the ideal of the original. Did the increased graphics and processing make for changes? Hell, yes. Is Xen different? Thank God, it is! All that said, they kept to the spirit where the letter failed them, and I praise Crowbar Collective for it. Also, the very ending scene is enough of a match that, like the ending to HL1, it'll help the beginning of Half-Life 2 make more sense (as Wolfy6 said at the start of this discussion)