Well, everything you knew and loved in the PC is here, except for on-line multi-player mode. THAT is the one reason this game is rated 4. So, if you've already played the PC version, there is NO reason to pick up this version. However, if you're like me who has a PC that met the bare minimum requirements to play Half-Life 2 on, and you own an Xbox, you can be rest assured you will experience pretty much the same joy as the PC people, except for multiplayer. If you've never played Half-Life 2 before, you are missing out on the experience of a lifetime.
As far as other games converted to XBox from PC are concerned, this is hands-down the BEST conversion yet. Doom 3 from the PC was an awesome translation. The graphics and the atmosphere were excellent. Yet, as beautiful looking and sounding Doom 3 was, it still had a weak point the story line. It just didn't grab you in and make you feel like you were part of the action. And, although you could interact with the environment, it felt more like it was "just there" rather than serving a purpose.
Enter Half-Life 2 on the PC. The game had a story; intrigue, action, suspense, awesome graphics, stupendous sound and an interactive environment that pulled you into the role of a one Gordan Freeman and made you feel like you were part of the action, not just a spectator. The interactive environment served a purpose rather than just some add-on that didn't really give anything back.
The physics engine, which made objects react to forces outside their control, made the game so believable. Bodies would land differently and behave as real dead bodies would. Swings would actually sway side to side rather than just forwards and backwards if you hit them the right way. The objects weren't just there for you to look at and play around with. Many held a purpose to help you further your advancement into the game. For example, in one section of the game, you have a large wall ahead of you and there's just no way to get your airboat over it because there's no ramp in place. But then, you discover that there's a steel grate floating in the water connect to a cage. You start putting floating barrels and canisters underneath the cage and all of a sudden, the steel grate begins to rise into a ramp!
Valve has worked hard on creating an engine for the Xbox that presents the entire PC Half-Life 2 environment on the Xbox with decreased load times! Valve has pulled off what would have appeared to be an impossible feat. Although a high-end PC will cream the Xbox version on looks alone, take into consideration that it would take a PC costing more than $1000 to give you what the Xbox version can do and that alone should tell you that this game is no slouch in looks, sound nor playability. This game is definitely in contention for the Xbox Game of the Year award. The streaming engine they wrote has really improved the game over its PC cousin in that respect.
The controls have mapped nicely to the console. Valve has taken what was a mouse-based game and converted it to the Xbox controller with amazing results. I daresay I think I can play the game BETTER on the Xbox than on the PC.
The D-pad is how you select weapons, just like Doom 3. However, Valve has gone a step further from what the Doom 3 game did. They have stacked the weapons so that you have access to ALL your weapons from the D-pad, not just 4 like in Doom 3. For example, press down once on the D-pad to access the crow bar. If you have the anti-gravity gun, press down again on the D-pad to select it. Press down again, and it cycles back to the crowbar. This works for all the weapons.
The left trigger is your secondary fire while the right trigger is the primary fire. Clicking down on the left analog stick makes you crouch, which clicking down on the right analog stick goes into zoom mode. Click again to get out of zoom. Now, this has caused me some grief in the middle of some intense battles, and believe me, there are some REALLY intense ones in this game. I've inadvertently clicked down on the right stick while trying to look around and fire when I've all of a sudden gone into zoom mode. You can't fire all of your weapons on that mode, so I've been opened to some attacks because of this until I've clicked out of zoom mode, but it's nothing major to cause me to not play the game. But, you can choose from different controller configurations, so you're not limited to the default layout.
You have up to 30 save-game slots to save the game at any time, which is nice compared to some other games that have "save points" (ahem, Halo 1 or 2 anyone?) Many say that it's the limits of the console that cause this, but Halo first came on the Xbox which already had a hard drive. So why didn't Bungy do it that way to begin with? Thank you Valve (and iD) for not copping out on the save game and giving us the option to save at anytime. BTW, I love Halo, so don't think I'm trying to bash it in anyway.
Sound wise, the 5.1 surround sound just immerses you SO deeply into the game, you forget you are in your living room/bedroom and instead find yourself drawn into the action. During the "We Don't Go To Ravenholm" chapter, which is homage to scary movies, I was so drawn into the game I didn't hear my dog come up behind me. When he bumped into me, I screamed and dropped the controller. That is how immersed I was into the game. This would NOT be possible without excellent sound, music, atmosphere, etc. The ambient sound effects really set the tone for each level.
Valve rewrote the engine to help stream between levels better and they have been able to decrease the loading times between levels to less than 10 seconds. This, along with everything else, attests to the quality work Valve has put into ensuring that this release of Half-Life 2 would allow those who don't have computers to experience what many have already had the pleasure of playing over a year ago. Graphically, you can't complain. This is the BEST looking Xbox game to date. The outside environments are awesome, while indoors can feel SO claustrophobic, you want to scream because you feel so closed in. Again, you ARE Gordan Freeman, not just a spectator.
It's a shame they couldn't give us an on-line mode and downloadable content. Since there is a new HL2 level out for the PC, it's a shame we won't get to see it on Xbox, unless they decide to release a NEW version (groan!) later on.
All in all, if you haven't played HL2 and/or don't have the PC power to play it, get this game. Otherwise, if you already have it or have a PC with enough oomph to run it, get the PC version.
In any case, this is a game to add to your collection.
Now, where did I put that crowbar?
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The only way to give the XBOX version of this game less than five stars is to have played the PC version of the game. I've read reviews (Gamespot specifically) that talk about near abysmal framerate/slowdown drops... to the point of freezing the system. that's cold, man. and, umm, dead wrong. I have a feeling someone over there reviewed an unfinished product. The game is not flawless. It does have load times every so often (7-10 seconds) but not as bad as Gamespot says (20-40 second load times). I question the validity of what they were reviewing. I've never played FPS on PC and I don't doubt it's better. But I understand to play Half Life 2 on a PC fluidly requires thousands in upgrades, etc. It's just not worth it to me. That's a lot of beer I could be drinking, money to be gambling.Anyway, Half Life 2 is just SUCH a playable game. The environments are really stunning. It starts in a train station where you soon learn that this world is throat under boot, a completely fascist regime with civilians walking thoughtlessly like escape psyche ward patients. You'll soon learn that Gordon Freeman, YOU, has a head on his shoulders and is respected among an underground resistance group. This game oozes similarities to dystopian society of Oceania in Orwell's 1984. The enemy in the game, similar to 1984, is a faceless totalitarian one. You'll see resistance posters on crumbling walls. You'll feel the burdens of this decadent society. Moreso, You'll feel respected when people recognize you as Gordon Freeman, the hero.
I can't say enough for the enviroments. They are so well rendered, such a great world create, to experience it slowly.. EXPLORING is not a chore... Taking your time is what you'll want to do, to enjoy the visuals that have been so well-crafted.
A big part of this has to do with the putty-like "structure" of the levels, IE the ability to interact with 99% of object on the screen. Breeaking windows and smashing tables never gets old. It's fun to throw garbage everywhere, stack a bunch of crap. And many times you'll need to.
The acting and sound in this game is extremely well done. It's a relief to come across safe havens with friends excited to see you. Gets you away from the intense action for a little bit, sometimes giving you better weapons.
The controls of the game are very good, right up there with Halo, Halo 2, Doom 3 on the Xbox. Weapon switching is done via directional pad... It's just real easy to get a feel for.
To wrap it up, the Xbox version of Half Life 2 deserves five stars. It's not gonna be a best seller and it's going to suck to geeks with PCs. It will appeal to drinkers/stoners alike who take their vices too seriously to spend that much money on a good PC. Yet these creatures of myth also respect the opinions of PC gamers. I respect a PC gamers opinion. Why? Because they do spend all that much money on their hardware. If they rave girlishly about something, I listen. But I don't have a great PC like them. I have an Xbox. You know where my money goes otherwise.
Best Deals for Half Life 2 - Xbox
if ever there was a reason to own an xbox, half-life 2 is that reason. let me begin by throwing you some details-half life 2 is a port of the pc hit of the same name that blew pc gamers and critics away last year. ports of pc games are usually edited in some way to fit on consoles due to memory, framerate, graphics, etc.... half life 2 is ported to xbox in its ENTIRETY! the fact that valve (hl2's creators) were able to do this is reason for applause not only because of making this happen from a tech perspective, but because people without high-end computers can now experience this awesome, immersive and frightening world!
half-life 2 takes place some time after the events of the original, throwing main character Gordon Freeman into an almost Orwellian world where human beings are herded from one place to another like cattle to benefit an unknown means. Gordon is instantly recognized by an underground resistanceand hours of interactive story, brilliant graphics, awesome characters, and visceral action unfold.
half-life 2 is unbelievably immersive for four very important reasons:
#1. Physics. shooting a window, breaks a window. placing a crate on the edge of a table will cause gravity to take over and make the box fall to the floor. shooting a spike through an enemy close enough to a wall will cause him to stick to that wall indefinitely. Valve then goes the extra distance by giving you the GRAVITY GUN! to put into words what this gun can do will never do it justicesuffice it to say, that after using the gravity gun, a can of paint can become a lethal weapon.
#2. Real Digital Actors. Valve has done the greatest job of emulating real human emotions, by using real actors. Nothing is forced yet nothing is static. Most games have cut-scenes. Cut-scenes are basically movie snippets that help to tell the story and give meaning to the objectives present in the game. Although graphically appealing, cut-scenes are not in-game, meaning that you have absolutely no interactivity once the cut-scene starts until it ends. half-life 2 has absolutely NO cut-scenes and relies solely on it's digital actors to move the story along.
#3. Gordon Freeman Does Not Speak. You, the player, becomes this character. Gordon is entirely a blank slate for you to obsess. Gordon is placed in a situation where he/you must react on instinct to other characters, environments, and situations. Throughout half-life 2 Gordon Freeman will have no crappy one-liners unless you, the player, shouts them out while being immersed in the game.
#4. Incredible A.I. there is never a point in half-life 2 where the enemy A.I. (artificial intelligence) just stands in one place waiting for you to shoot it. enemy's dodge, find cover, and even throw grenades at you. the enemy will flank, assess situations, and do whatever it can to take you out.
i could go on and on about other aspects of half-life 2 that set it apart from the crop of other shooters out there, but if the aforementioned facts don't sell you, nothing will. Half-Life 2 is a must have title for any hardcore gamers.
onto the negatives.
no game will ever be perfect, and in my many years of gaming have come to the conclusion that it all comes down to what you will tolerate. as far as i'm concerned, Half-life 2 is as close to perfection as gaming gets, yet here are some flaws that might be of nuisance to "other" gamers:
1. slight hiccups in framerate.
2. team a.i. towards the later levels tends to get in the way.
3. high-end computer owners have absolutely no reason to purchase this game, same goes for xbox live addicts there is no added features, no multiplayer, and no xbox live gameplay in half-life 2. plus pc gamers tend to think that playing games with a mouse and keyboard is better than with a controller.
4. half-life 2 has constant, yet short, load times throughout the game.
5. finally, anyone uptight with violence, mild language, or the first person perspective (can you believe people like this exist?!?!?!?!) should steer clear.
Honest reviews on Half Life 2 - Xbox
"The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference."For nearly every PC gamer in the world, Half-Life is one of the most recognizable and acclaimed names in the market, and easily in the top tier of first-person shooters. This was further solidified in late 2004 when, after much anticipation and demonstration, Half-Life 2 was finally released on the PC. It was embraced by gamers and critics alike, and recieved several awards for Game of the Year.
And now, finally, console gamers can see what all the fuss is about with Half-Life 2's full transition to the XBOX.
Picking up an indeterminate number of years after the otherworldly events at the facility at Black Mesa, players once again don the battered crowbar and HazMat suit of sceintist-turned-savior Gordon Freeman. If you've never played any of first game, not to worry. The narrative of HL2 is very much its own beast, and you'll recieve all the info you need about the previous game from various NPCs you meet in and around City 17.
Arriving (somehow, you're not quite sure) on a train, you'll immediately notice a sense of dystopian depression in all the people around you. Apparently, an unknown power called the Combine has taken control of the affairs of planet Earth. People are transferred from city to city with no explanation as to why, reproduction is severely prohibited, and "Civil Defense" task forces are everywhere, masked, armored, and spoiling for a fight. In fact, they'll soon be coming after you, and it's only with the help of a small but determined resistance movement that you'll be able to survive.
From there, the game introduces you to some old friends and some new ones, a story of struggle, survival, free will, and good old-fashioned heroism. The story is done entirely in-game; no cut-scenes, no cinemas, no breaks in the gameplay at all. The entire story is told while you are physically controlling Gordon, never taking the player out of the world. And during the course of this story as you traverse the world, you'll experience some truly incrediblt things. You'll engage in fierce firefights with squads of Combine troops (who have incredible AI), you'll battle it out with heavily armed vehicles, be hunted by nightmarish creatures, and lead rebels against seemingly-invincible war machines. You'll grow attatched to some characters, and grow to hate others, and all the while you'll constantly be using the world.
Which is where the game really excels. The immersion of this game is practically perfect, and it does this in two very important ways. First, video game characters have never been more convincing; Alyx in particular is an incredible achievement, and you'll find yourself accepting that these characters geniunely exist rather than being AI programs and polygons. Secondly, the physics in Half-Life 2 have to seen to be believed. There is literally no other game on the market, first-person or otherwise, that gives the player as much control over their environment. Using the Havok physics engine, HL2 allows the player to do everything from pile bricks on a see-saw and push a swing in a playground to cause bridges to collapse and drop cargo containers on enemies. This makes both the shooting and the puzzles in the game much more fun, much more realistic, and much more rewarding when you use your brain and get creative.
For example, in one part of the game you're running through the canals of City 17 being chased by Combine troops, and pass near a bridge where enemies are firing down at you. At this point, all you have is a pistol and a crowbar, and instead of using up valuable ammo trying to take down each Combine soldier individually, you could just hit one of the conveniently placed flammable barrels to bring the whole bridge crashing down.
The entire game is full of situations like this that reward creative thinking, and when you pull it off, it looks absolutely beautiful. Not just because the physics are astoundingly convincing, but because the game is just darn good graphically speaking. HL2 is easily one of the best-looking titles on the PC, and while the XBOX version features a couple downgrades on the texture and resolution side of things, it features the same solid frame rate, gorgeous animation, and brilliant art of its PC cousin, and easily stands as one of the best-looking console games of the year.
Additionally, while HL2 lost the mouse-keyboard control scheme in the transition to consoles, Valve did a marvelous job of mapping the controls to the XBOX pad. Gordon Freeman isn't as heavy or cumbersome as, say, the Master Chief, and so the controls feel a little light and quick after Halo and Halo 2. However, they feel RIGHT for the game, for the character, and the world, making even the platforming feel fairly polished, and the shooting feel positively divine.
And while HL2 for the XBOX is a single-player-only affair, it's deffinitely a world you're going to have an incredible time in. From the rooftops of the city to the dank parlors of Ravenholm, it's also a world you'll probably want to visit over and over again. If you're a fan of first-person shooters, you simply must experience this game.
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