TheGM
The voice of reason
Eh I found it too clean. I preferred that movie I saw in the 90's.
Romanophile
Fou
Shocking update: corporation doesn’t actually give a shit about gay folks or their suffering. Who would have guessed…? Oh yeah, that’s right: everybody.
Atomic Postman
Vault Archives Overseer
Just beat Half-Life 2 for the first time in 10+ years after recently beating Black Mesa (also for the first time since the mod came out in 2012). Overall really great game, Half-Life remains one of the best shooters of all time. I'm starting Episode 1 tomorrow.
Going back though, it is interesting how brief and "untold" the story is compared to how I remember. The world of Half-Life is fairly well developed but the game throws you in and moves with such pacing that I forgot how easily misssed much of it is. It's also interesting how palpably less agency/individual heroism Freeman has than I remember and in comparison to the story at Black Mesa. At Black Mesa, Freeman is a lone survivor trying to reach the Lambda facility on his own (mostly) volition, fighting off the forces of Xen and the US Army in order to fix the mistake of the incident and hopefully reverse what went wrong, ultimately going on a suicidal jump to another dimension to fix what he (and the other scientists) fucked up so horribly.
In Half-Life 2, The Resistance and the supporting characters praise Freeman, but in truth he's basically a lit match that G-Man throws at an already set-up powder keg. His accomplishments tally up to escaping City-17 as a fugitive and killing enough CPs to warrant "Anti-Citizen One" designation, "storming the bastille" and sieging Nova Prospekt with a horde of Antlions and then worming his way through the battlefield of City-17 (in the midst of an uprising that's already been going on for a week due to teleporter fuckery) to reach the Citadel and deal a killing blow to the Citadel's portal generator. Impressive work but not the one-man-god revolutionary that I always remembered Freeman as. I suppose it makes perfect sense because the supporting cast don't have the context of the G-Man plot, so to their mind Freeman turning up, joining the resistance and besieging Nova Prospekt is all his own choice rather than his handler's, but it is interesting none the less.
I imagine the feeling of Freeman's agency as a protagonist will return in Episode One with G-Man's cord being cut but it is interesting to compare how little agency/motivation I felt as Gordon Freeman in Half-Life 2 compared to at Black Mesa.
Going back though, it is interesting how brief and "untold" the story is compared to how I remember. The world of Half-Life is fairly well developed but the game throws you in and moves with such pacing that I forgot how easily misssed much of it is. It's also interesting how palpably less agency/individual heroism Freeman has than I remember and in comparison to the story at Black Mesa. At Black Mesa, Freeman is a lone survivor trying to reach the Lambda facility on his own (mostly) volition, fighting off the forces of Xen and the US Army in order to fix the mistake of the incident and hopefully reverse what went wrong, ultimately going on a suicidal jump to another dimension to fix what he (and the other scientists) fucked up so horribly.
In Half-Life 2, The Resistance and the supporting characters praise Freeman, but in truth he's basically a lit match that G-Man throws at an already set-up powder keg. His accomplishments tally up to escaping City-17 as a fugitive and killing enough CPs to warrant "Anti-Citizen One" designation, "storming the bastille" and sieging Nova Prospekt with a horde of Antlions and then worming his way through the battlefield of City-17 (in the midst of an uprising that's already been going on for a week due to teleporter fuckery) to reach the Citadel and deal a killing blow to the Citadel's portal generator. Impressive work but not the one-man-god revolutionary that I always remembered Freeman as. I suppose it makes perfect sense because the supporting cast don't have the context of the G-Man plot, so to their mind Freeman turning up, joining the resistance and besieging Nova Prospekt is all his own choice rather than his handler's, but it is interesting none the less.
I imagine the feeling of Freeman's agency as a protagonist will return in Episode One with G-Man's cord being cut but it is interesting to compare how little agency/motivation I felt as Gordon Freeman in Half-Life 2 compared to at Black Mesa.
T
TorontoReign
Guest
Best Half-Life.
Gizmojunk
Antediluvian as Feck
I have to get around to playing that one. I have all of them installed.
*I have all of the Witcher games installed too, but have only played through the first one, and part of the second.
Atomic Postman
Vault Archives Overseer
It's interesting whether to recommend Black Mesa or the original Half-Life. They're both great and personally I think Black Mesa (Finished now, I wouldn't say this about the original 2012 version) is a vastly superior experience but going into Half-Life 2 from Black Mesa feels like a downgrade rather than the incredible jump from Half-Life to Half-Life 2.
R.Graves
Confirmed Retard
Black Mesa is a great game in it's own right but I fell the marines were changed for the worse.
T
TorontoReign
Guest
How is that? I haven't played it so I am curious.
This is true. Choco Nutella will ruin your life. I want some right now just looking at the image. So good.
This is true. Choco Nutella will ruin your life. I want some right now just looking at the image. So good.
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Atomic Postman
Vault Archives Overseer
If he's talking about the original mod version I 100% get it. Back in 2012 the AI for the HECU marines was godawful. They weren't fun to fight against and I distinctly remember the army firefights being shit segments.
When I played the finished version recently I found them really enjoyable to play against. A lot smarter than the Combine but not the Skynet aimbots I remember the OG mod version being
When I played the finished version recently I found them really enjoyable to play against. A lot smarter than the Combine but not the Skynet aimbots I remember the OG mod version being
T
TorontoReign
Guest
I have something to say!
It's better to burn out than to fade away!
Morgan_
Duckerz
Old news, but whatever.
Plastic made from fungus (11min):
Edible fungus that eats plastic (1min):
Plastic made from fungus (11min):
Edible fungus that eats plastic (1min):
T
TorontoReign
Guest
Death Stranding brainwashed me into drinking Monster again. Now I am drinking it with vodka. It's terrible. Did I say terrible I meant good.
Atomic Postman
Vault Archives Overseer
Monster is such swill that it actually made me feel a little sick thinking about Sam drinking it whilst parched and exhausted during his hikes instead of water.
T
TorontoReign
Guest
I enjoy drinking swill.
Erich van Loon
Where'd That 6th Toe Come From?
Figured I'd say this in here. So my girl didn't lie about her age, instead she was held back, plus her bday was recent, so she's 17-18. So that's that.
My gap year is worked out, so hopefully travel opens up so I can get the fuck outta here.
My gap year is worked out, so hopefully travel opens up so I can get the fuck outta here.
Morgan_
Duckerz
Where are you and where are you hoping to go? (if that isn't too weird a question)
Erich van Loon
Where'd That 6th Toe Come From?
US ——> Israel
Morgan_
Duckerz
Israel seems like it has really good mountain biking geography, am jelly. Bauhaus cities are good too.
T
TorontoReign
Guest
Historically people hiking in areas like that get arrested and accused of being spies so be careful.
Morgan_
Duckerz
Reality always shattering my dreams.