I think Half-Life 2's story is overrated

[powdered milk]

Gordon wakes up. He gets chased by metro police. Finds Alyx. Teleporting mishap sends Gordon outside. Gordon traveses to an airboat, which he uses to get to Black Mesa East. The Combine find the facility and Gordon is left in Ravenholm. He escapes Ravenholm with the help of Father Grigori. WINSTON GETS SHOT HOLY ♥♥♥♥ WINSTON. Gordon uses a buggy to make his way to a lighthouse, where he fends off against Overwatch and gunships. He makes his way to the Vortigaunt Camp. He leads an army of Antlions to attack Nova Prospect. Gordon and Aylx find out that Judith is a Combine spy. They both find Eli and plan to teleport him to Kliener's lab, but Judith teleports him to the Citadel instead. Gordon leads rebels through the streets of City 17 and sneaks into the Citadel. Breen decides to get the ♥♥♥♥ off of Earth by using a giant teleporter. Gordon destroys the teleporter and then the G-Man puts Gordon into stasis again.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of the Half-Life series but I couldn't help but notice all the praise Half-Life 2's plot was getting. In case there's any misunderstanding, I don't hate the story, I don't hate the games, I merely think that all the positive reception the plot was getting was unjustified. Feel free to share what you think about the story.

[Velvet]

Such is the nature of art. Oh well, Mucinex, thanks for the cool discussion. : )

[Velvet]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Rare Hunter:

I dont even get the chance to ♥♥♥♥♥ slap Dr. Breen??

You don't, but you DO get to see Alyx spit in his face, and you DO get to blow him up/send him to a random point in space, and if you pick any random point in space, the probability of him exploding/combusting/suffocating/dying in general are excruciatingly high.

[The Brown Hornet]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Rockhead Gaz:

Yeah, the beauty of it's story is in the stuff it doesn't tell you. The background, how things came to be as they are etc. I can't think of any other game that has built such an intricate and detailed universe, and done it all without even telling you half the stuff. It's truly a credit to the writers at Valve. Although, I still stand by my original assertion that without the Episodes and Portal to back it up, it is slightly less interesting. But there's still enough mystery there to keep one guessing. Left 4 Dead deals with its lore in a similar fashion. Lots of little things scattered about that don't seem like much on their own, but when put together, form this fascinating and compelling world.

I haven't played Portal or the Episodes yet so HL2 feels very incomplete and lacking detail to me, the fact Freeman never says a word is just part of the problem, I understand some think the quiet protagonist is art but when people are talking to him and there is absolutely 0 reaction it doesn't immerse me in the story, it in fact takes me out of it. Environments and locations were cool but fighting the Combine, freeing Eli, leading the citizens revolution, it felt like so what, when the people die there is no consequence, new one's just spawn in their place.

In contrast I cared more about the people and why I'm fighting in the Red Faction series or even the underappreciated Homefront which clearly defines why we are at war. HL2 is trying to be to clever I guess, but I dont see the game as being that smart.

[Dylan]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Big Greasy Mucinex:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Detective Dog:

did the G-Man intervene so gordon could be trained for survival and the gravity gun by Father Grigori?

It was most likely Judith contacting the Combine.

The Gman works for supernatural employees who have their own ojectives and methods of doing things, which is somehow involved with Gordon Freeman, the Combine and Nihilath. NIhilath was supposed to be killed by Gordon. The Gman's employers, whoever they are, orchesstrated the Black Mesa Incident, using Gman to deliver the specimen to the Black Mesa staff. He is later seen speaking with the Nihilath, and in Opposing Force, he reactivates a nuclear bomb disabled by Adrian Shephard, proving that he intended for Black Mesa's destruction. Gordon is put into stasis by the Gman, away until he is needed. This also kept him from fighting in the seven-hour war, which may be because the Gman believed he could stop the Combine's victory somehow, or perhaps he was just being cautious. In Half-Life 2, Gordon is awaken by the Gman, probably to do with Dr. Kleiner's 'red letter day'. This was a milestone day for the Lambda Resistance, placing Gordon for maximum effectiveness. It is uncertain if the Gman intended for Lamaar's interference in the teleportation process. He is absent in Ravenholm, possibly discussing the turn of events with his 'employers'. Nova Prospekt and the march on City 17 were probably going to plan for Gman. As the Citadel finally blew, Gman paused time, and attempted to put Gordon back into stasis. At the beginning of Episode One, the vortigaunts stop him and save Alyx. Gman isn't seen again until Episode Two. He waits until the vortigaunts are busy healing Alyx with the larval extract. He then speaks to Gordon and gives Alyx a message for her father. She later delivers this to Eli, at the same time, you'll notice, as the Gman appears on the screen for a split-second. Gman isn't seen again. I believe that Eli's death wasn't part of the Gman's plan. That will probably be followed up in the next twenty years (Valve time) [/spolier]

So that's my theory, although it's more of an explanation of what's already known.

[Johari]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย SpaceKitty646:

I'm 90% sure there are sightings of gman in ravenholm, and there is most likely more sightings in ep1 and ep2 than you described.

[Rockhead Gaz]

@Rare Hunter
I'd definitely recommend the Episodes. Portal isn't entirely neccessary, but it does flesh out the universe a bit more. Also, despite my love for the universe, I'm with you on the secondary characters. I agree the Red Faction (particularly the first) and Homefront both done it better. I don't neccessarily think it's HL2 trying to be clever, in that instance, I just think it didn't quite come off as it was meant to, at least not for me. But the thing that fascinates me about the HL universe is it's lore. The characters are fine, I suppose, but it's all the background detail that I really love.

[HotBananaWater]

That's what makes this game story not so simplistic as it may seem. You always have questions that aren't fully fleshed out answered,but please if you can make a better story hit me up I'll be waiting *rolls eyes*

[!3eleiÐiGer]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Rare Hunter:

The G Man also comes off pretty lame in this game, I played the original Half Life a few months earlier and I much prefer how the man in the suit "eerily" appears at random moments throughout the game. The G Man appearance at the beginning and end of HL2 is suppose to be mysterious but I just found kind of lame. I feel a big letdown at the conclusion of the game, I trekked through all this for what???? I dont even get the chance to ♥♥♥♥♥ slap Dr. Breen??

Another part of wrong Informations the G-Man is Following you through the whole Main Game there are more than 6 Sights of him and in the Episodes too!

[PenguinwithPie]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย ownomics:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย SpaceKitty646:

I'm 90% sure there are sightings of gman in ravenholm, and there is most likely more sightings in ep1 and ep2 than you described.

no gman sightings in ravenholm but there is near the dam and near the train track after ravenolm.

[Velvet]

There was an originally planned sighting at ravenholm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9GkHz5ch5I
Turn down your volume, sighting is at 0:28. Taken out of the beta though, it was planned, however.

[The Brown Hornet]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Rockhead Gaz:

@Rare Hunter
I'd definitely recommend the Episodes. Portal isn't entirely neccessary, but it does flesh out the universe a bit more. Also, despite my love for the universe, I'm with you on the secondary characters. I agree the Red Faction (particularly the first) and Homefront both done it better. I don't neccessarily think it's HL2 trying to be clever, in that instance, I just think it didn't quite come off as it was meant to, at least not for me. But the thing that fascinates me about the HL universe is it's lore. The characters are fine, I suppose, but it's all the background detail that I really love.

What I do like about HL2 is the gameplay, afterall if I didn't like the game at all I wouldn't have played it through completion. I like the realistic but eery Sci Fi atmosphere of the game, its Earth but it feels like something very strange and alien is going on...like the film "They Live." However when infiltrating the Combine HQ at the end of the game I was hoping to see something profound, out of this world, horrid, unimaginable but it was basically just the same pods and machine factory you see earlier in the game??? Surely there is something there other than Dr. Breen??

I did like the gravity gun and Ravenholm, Father Grigori is clearly the outstanding character in the game. Also the Ant Lions, they were a nice change from run and gun, I was happy to let them take out the baddies for me.

If they do make another HL I think its time to flesh out the story and stop leaving so much of "whats going on" to the players imagination

[The Brown Hornet]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย !3eleidiger:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Rare Hunter:

The G Man also comes off pretty lame in this game, I played the original Half Life a few months earlier and I much prefer how the man in the suit "eerily" appears at random moments throughout the game. The G Man appearance at the beginning and end of HL2 is suppose to be mysterious but I just found kind of lame. I feel a big letdown at the conclusion of the game, I trekked through all this for what???? I dont even get the chance to ♥♥♥♥♥ slap Dr. Breen??

Another part of wrong Informations the G-Man is Following you through the whole Main Game there are more than 6 Sights of him and in the Episodes too!

Well I never saw him in HL2, I did in the original though, guess he was easier to see, I know now that he does show up but it went unnoticed during my gameplay, i guess its now more an easter egg than a part of the game.

[powdered milk]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย MadMind:

see me and detective dog are just way smarterer then u. im sorry but u just might not be smart enough to get the story. the story is just so deep and complex that i cant even explain its just too complex and art like.

ive never finished the game but i know this becuz everyone says so!

Troll harder.

[!3eleiÐiGer]

Always consinder the Date it came out! No wonder so less ppl play it to many CoD Kids out there

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Rare Hunter:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย !3eleidiger:

Another part of wrong Informations the G-Man is Following you through the whole Main Game there are more than 6 Sights of him and in the Episodes too!

Well I never saw him in HL2, I did in the original though, guess he was easier to see, I know now that he does show up but it went unnoticed during my gameplay, i guess its now more an easter egg than a part of the game.

True but it just tells you he is always close to you!

[Scik]

Half-Life's story isn't about what it shows up front. It's about what it implies. Half-Life 1 had a simple story so you could feel like you are an insignificant pawn in a larger plan. Half-Life 2 simply introduced new characters. HL2:EP1 and HL2:EP2 fleshed out said characters. While that alone managed to draw an intriguing story capable of holding any gamer's attention, if you pay attention to little details- what Gman says, Eli's backstory, Alyx's backstory, the Combine Advisors, the Vortigaunt lore- the Half-Life universe becomes a truly fantastic sci-fi playground. In addition, both Portal games take place in the Half-Life universe (technically known as "Dystopia," according to the game files.) Dystopia carrying around all that Half-Life lore, plus all the Portal lore, plus the amazing Alyx Vance- It's an amazing storyline, and I can't even comprehend why someone would wish to argue otherwise.