oh yes! - forgot about that, luckily that turned out for the better, dont even see Steam as an DRM anymore, but a great service for the pc gamers now. Happy to have it running on my system all the time :) - But yes it wasn't so well recieved back then.
Guys I was wondering how this would go down but it does seem that people like the idea of revisiting very old games, I may have to make this a series, maybe Hidden and dangerous, Fear, Morrowind, Skyrim, bloody hell guys I have a huge game library dating back 30 years, I found fear in a bin bag yesterday along with a load of other games, some in jewel cases :) I installed Hidden and dangerous 2 on three CD's it was hilarious "Insert disk 3" haha such memories.
It's actually depressing how right you are when describing the events of the game if they were made now. How everything is glowing and hinted at, and constantly breaking the immersion of the world and story. And what's great about the story of Half-Life is how well it's balanced with the gameplay. And actually that's one of the main reasons why I don't think I want a Half-Life movie, because ... I don't think it can work!
@@jojoprocess2820 You still got Half Life 2, Episode 1 and 2, and Portal. Team Fortress 2 was only the original version but it can still be enjoyed. Of course it was great value for the price of less than other games depending on where you got it.
if it isn't made it has nothing to do with it being 'unable to beat hl2'. but more of the fact that if they make a game it has to be something that everyone wants to do and is passionate about and right now they have people working on vr games, dota, csgo, tf2 etc. but gabe and valve had a reddit ama not long ago and they basically said they are working on SP games within the hl/portal universe so there is still hope.
HL3 would be a dumbed-down console port thanks to multi-platform development being limited by some least common denominators... console controllers and ADD-addled console players.
Just as you were commending the AI in the game, from 2:03-2:12 you can see how awesome and challenging the AI is in this game. There were 4 soldiers in the house, 2 came out the front door to confront you. You were hiding right around the corner with your shotty to take them out, THEY KNEW THAT, so they tried to get you away from there by using a grenade. The AI knew you weren't just gonna run into the open road where they had their AR2s aimed, they knew you would retreat around to the back of the house...where their other 2 squad mates were. And you can even see them coming out the backdoor to FLANK you while you were preoccupied with the other 2!! You ran right into their trap!!! THE AI ACTUALLY COMMUNICATES WITH EACH OTHER, PLANS TACTICS AND ADJUSTS TO THE PLAYERS ACTIONS!! ITS AMAZING!!! DAMN I LOVE THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You see I played HL2 all those years ago, yes there were moments where I couldnt figure out what to do, i was stuck, i would try and climb some crates.....nope that didnt do it, maybe i jump on that ledge? naaa that didnt work but eventually i would figure it out and the feeling of accomplishment when you had that lightbulb moment was amazing. Nowadays - flashy switch, constant hand-holding means i rarely need to engage my brain playing games anymore. HL2 empowered the player, something modern games rarely do anymore. Dishonoured 2 is the last game to give me that sense of empowerment, but more for the range of abilities I had available and the many options available to tackle different situations. Nowadays there's no need for all of this hand-holding, people have YT and Lets Plays to watch if they get really stuck - I bought a certain WW1 game the other day and couldnt feel immersed with all of the flashy indicators, xray vision and prompts thrown in my face. Credit to the developers though I could turn all of it off which was a nice option, although the game was designed around these glowing prompts and markers so with it all switched off i would get stuck.....but i figured it out eventually. I would rather get stuck and eventually figure it out than be shown what to do. Great review Macketh, would love to see some more reviews of some classic games.
Everything came together beautifully with HL2: The graphics, the subtle story with no cut-scenes, the overall pace and flow, the scripted events, the weird techno music and awesome sound cues, it was an experience that can't be recreated.
I bought stalker when it very first came out and it was a buggy mess... might have to give it another crack me thinks... Holy shit it's been 10 years!!
You would enjoy stalker all over again. Especially with all the amazing mods made for it. Right now a hot mod is Call of Chernobyl. All three games mashed into one big sandbox.
"Hurrrrrrrrrrrr but it's not 1080p 4k VR and omg it takes like more than 4 hours to beat hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr what kind of multiplayer unlocks do I get? NO COSMETIC DLC DURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
Judge Lazar "and it doesn't even run on 2 million fps. BULLSHIT GAME! DUUUURRR" "Our critizism is good for tje developers because they listen to our constant bitching DUUUURRRR" there.. covered the rest for you ;)
I might be wrong here but I think one of the main problems with modern gaming, is that most AAA games now are purely made for money and not out of passion. Many game developers, programmers, etc go into the gaming industry for the money and usually arent passionate gamers themselves (if that makes sense).
In their defense life is expensive especially when you have a family. Even more expensive when you do not, drug dealers and easy women need money also.
Yeah life is expensive, it's not as if game developers from the 90's were unpaid. The point is nowadays many, not all, game developers are doing it more for the money than the love of their craft.
Danger Dave You also have to remember that games are exponentially more popular now than they were 13 years ago, so most AAA studios have to build games that appeal to an as large of group of people as possible. That's why imo games today seem so uninspired and "safe" in terms of their design and gameplay, which sucks. Still, there are good games out there, you just gotta look for them 😀
They actually can make a game if they want only if they interested to make a new game again but they are too busy to manage their system service in Steam Store now
Well, I wished they could completely make Left 4 Dead 3, They Hunger : Lost Souls and Half Life 3(at least this game would probably be the last story in Half Life series and bring back Opposing Force 2 to represent Adrian Shephard again in this sequel into Half Life 3)
AestheticPug I'm pretty sure it would have enemy tagging, x-ray vision, glowing objects and quest markers, to appeal to dumb children. Think the latest Wolfenstein.
The problem with games today is the same as with everything else in the entertainment industry - movies, music. It's all about money-grabbing now. That's why they make easy playable, simplistic, dumbed-down games, to make them more appealing for large audiences.
It's funny how publishers go out of their way bastardise games to appeal to said wider audience. If publishers want to appeal to a wider audience then all they have to do is price their games less and give the audience more creative games that people might be curious to try out. But they don't do that because they suuuuuuuuuuck.
The AAA industry has always been primarily about money. The problem is that as gaming gets more and more popular, the consumer base gets larger and more casual. The market simply adjusts to that.
One of the best games ever. Edit: Although to be fair, you can't compare Half Life 2 to most of the shite that was coming out around that time. It's one in a million type of game. It was groundbraking back then.
Harry S. Plinkett yeah 2003-2005 was a really solid gaming era Half-Life 2 Far Cry Doom 3 Unreal Tournament 2004 gta san andreas Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay Elder Scrolls: Morrowind Age of Mythology Freelancer Battlefield 2 Civilisation 4 FEAR Psychonauts Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 SWAT 4 Fahrenheit (maybe the only David Cage game I will ever take seriously) Resident Evil 4 MotoGP 3 Star Wars: Republic Commando TrackMania Sunrise Star Wars: Battlefront Fable Tribes: Vengeance Rome: Total War Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow + Chaos Theory Codename: Panzers Homeworld 2 Call of Duty: United Offensive Amped 2 SSX Tricky Forza Motorsport 1 Gran Turismo 4 Burnout 3 (before the series went off the deep end) Colin Mcrae Rally 2003-4 Max Payne 2 Silent Hill 4 Deus Ex: Invisible War (fuck off it was decent and its fuckery with the in-game physics that got me into the Deus Ex series to begin with, plus the score is incredible) C&C Generals Beyond Good and Evil Rainbow Six 3 Ghost Recon 2 Prince of Persia: Sands of Time/Warrior Within/Two Thrones Empire Earth II I mean everyone has their favourites but I got really solid gaming experiences out of all those, often years later going back to play them for the first time as I missed them when they first came out, as I was a kid with no money at the time, and they were still golden. We were spoiled for amazing gaming experiences, even if the mechanics are a little janky by today's standards even at the time we knew those were golden years the years before that were excellent too but 2003-4 in particular, those years changed things a huge amount in such a short space of time in gameplay and in tech.
It really is. 2003-2005 was an amazing time for games. Although its a shame something like Doom 3 isn't as revered today though, I personally think that's the best horror FPS ever made on Veteran difficulty and the dark, dingy and claustrophobic Mars base is just as iconic as Black Mesa in my opinion.
When I played Half Life 2, I though this is the future of gaming, that was in 2004, 13 years later, it still feels like the future of gaming, that's how perfect it was, that's how perfect it is
Not entirely true - you have great indies and sometimes a AAA title with tons of passion like Bloodborne and Doom comes along from time to time. It's a shame most publishers actively go out of their way to fuck up games and continuously dumb them down.
Yeah i agree more or less. But you cannot tell me That games like the newest Battlefront and Infinite Warfare aren't blindly robbing you for "DLC" packages and other shitty content. Hell but even Doom isn't a complete marvel. They saved money not having to do anything original.
I always thought the sound they made was cute. Like an angry kitten. And headcrabs are adorable to me, especially the black ones because they don't have any blood on them.
you needed to know what weapons were effective against what enemies. a plasma weapon can take down shields but sucks at removing health. a pistol is good for headshots but is wasted on weaker opponents. rockets should be saved only for the toughest opponents. health did not regenerate automatically, only shields. the ending even included a warthog run which gave you an intense atmosphere of trying to get off the ship, and a feeling of satisfaction in destroying halo.
Finished it a few times back in 2004 but rediscovering it now on an ultrawide screen 35" and noise cancelling headphones + this nice lighting update = still an amazing game!!!
I revisited the entire series recently and then even checked all of the developer commentaries, needless to say I was blown away about the game. I played it back in the day but I never realized the tight and well thought out design that the game actually has. This game still holds up so well and quite amazing, furthermore the universe is unique.
Problem with modern shooters 1. Regeneration 2. Too easy 3. Quest marker 4. Maps are terribly made 5. Often skills are added making the game easier 6. They are made for casual gamers 8. There is no fast paced action. 9. CUTSCENES 10. Boring singleplayer "here let me open this door for you" Half life has none of these shitty features except the opening the door for you cliche
For me, this game is too easy, even episode 2 on hard is not a big deal... BUT the great thing is that you can modify game files for your likings! Skill.cfg has all dmg, health and there are many HIDDEN options that you have to find for your self in console! I made npcs do the same dmg as the player (originally all their bullets deal 3 dmg(hl3 confirmed?)), then I tweaked difficulty health, dmg multiplyers, movement speed and dynamic resuply scale. As a result, on hard you get fair, yet challanging gameplay! And there is more! You can go further and make your own mod where you can control everything! AI, game systems, weapon recoil and so on
DK gaming Half life 2 on Hard is not easy... I don’t know what’s easy about hit scanning enemies in open areas that shoot faster and get your health to 1 Thanks god you didn’t say Half Life 1 is easy
This is such chilling video to watch) I liked the narrator. Unlike others screaming anger to your face he's like modern elevator music... Chilling and soft. I can even sleep to his sound...
I just heard about the Update version of the game a couple of weeks ago and also decided to give it another go. I also installed a 2K texture pack and guess what? The game holds up quite well visually. It's not longer the best looking game, but I was pleasantly surprised with what some small updates brought to the table. I agree with everything you just mentioned Mack! Combat is challenging, the flow of the game is great. You constantly have to be on your toes (especially on hard). What a game even in 2022!
The illusion of free choice; the game puts you on rails, but you don't realize it until you play though a second time and understand that you were always meant to go through that door, or down that alley or in that vent. They didn't give us objective markers because they respected our intelligence. A great game, and still playing to this day.
Yesterday I heard a big youtuber heap praise on Skyrim for not being able to join both side of the civil war (I mean really?). I thought mate, used to be that NPCs would attack on sight if you wore the wrong hat in the wrong neighborhood, or NPCs would shun you if you joined the wrong house. So yeah, old vs new game comparison, I'm all for it.
That was the only real critique I had for Half Life Alyx was the lack of environmental variety. The entire game of Alyx takes place in City 17 with a few Zen infested areas to break it up, while HL2 had you going all over the place and the scenery was constantly changing.
Am I the only one who thinks the physics and facial animations were amazing in HL2 compared to 90% of games today? Games today seem to be mostly about pretty looking, static environments. Publishers seem most interested in catching your eye for a quick buck rather than making an engrossing experience. I'm always afraid of sounding like an old "good old days" fart, but I think my distaste for modern titles is legitimate. There are a few, rare exceptions of course. But for the most part I think the gaming industry HAS devolved.
I m almost there to experience what you are praising. It is just unbelievable to me that something that you are describing as this game souns unreal. Too excited
Hey, do you have a VR headset? HL2 on PC has a VR beta you can opt-in for in its preferences in steam that let you play the game in VR. If you do have, or plan on getting, a VR headset, I fucking dare you to play HL2 in VR. Good god I got so motion sick in about 15 minutes the first time I tried it. But I wanted to experience the game I love so much in VR that I kept going at it after my stomach would settle down until I built up a tolerance for it. Once you get used to the motion, Half Life is SO fucking amazing in VR. It really plays to the game's already immersive nature.
Mack. This is what we need. Reviews of the good old games. I'd love to see more reviews of this type - personally I'd love to see the Elder Scrolls series reviewed, CoD 2, some more GTA games, KOTOR series and the original pacman.
I played Dark Forces 2 again recently (A.K.A Jedi Knight 1). (Make sure you get the GoG version, the Steam version usually doesn't run.) The game certainly is showing its age in some aspects (especially 3D rendering support), but it shows how incredibly good level design can be in some games from the 90's. The idea of "large levels" is wasted in modern games, this thing from 1997 had entire skyscrapers rendered in 3D, stuff that people "think" is impressive today, but really it's a premise that has been done many times before, and better. There was one puzzle that I really got stuck on later in the game (just a button in a room full of buttons that they give no indication you need to press), but that's far outweighed by the freedom of running around with full Jedi powers.
KOTOR is still the best incarnation of the star wars universe imo, but some of the jedi outcast series was solid good fun. there were times i actually felt like a padawan in a proper lightsaber duel...definitely something that a good VR dev needs to get onto!
I played through Portal 2 recently for the first time in years, and I remember being SURPRISED at getting no hints when taking a bit of time with puzzles. It was great
+*Tekie Wolf* I never fucking got why everyone gushes over Ravenholm, I've seen a similar atmosphere in plenty of other games and movies. Oh, it's night time, it's sort of misty, there's a graveyard. Come on, settings and atmospheres like that are hardly original.
Half Life 2 will FOREVER remain in my top 10 favorite games of all times, and in my best games of all times list. Could not agree with you more Mack in your every word of this review.
In all honesty Mack, I think the glowing thing in games these days is because of the graphics. Let's take the new DOOM for example. It has no handholding except the objects that glow, not all of them but some things. Well, if they didn't glow, you wouldn't know they existed because they blend along with the environment because of so many filler objects around it to make the world seem more natural and believable. Graphics back then were plain, making the objects of interest seem contrasting.
I kinda agree, on Dishonored with everything turned off the Items still glow (not the objective), and I can say that I wouldn't be able to see them without it but it really kinda sucks if you think about it.
You don't have to make them glowing. As someone who searches every inch of a room in games, all you need is a prompt to pick up or use when you get close, not too close though. It at least eliminates glowing objects on your screen and makes it more immersive. There are ways to make things stand out in games without actually guiding you right to it.
That is a fair point. There was a period in time where some games were legitimately difficult to progress in at times because you ended up needing to scour an entire building for a hidden button or box or something. It was legitimately frustrating and immersion breaking because it could get so tedious. Shortly after, we had 'helpers' assisting with that kind of thing. Now I don't think the glowing objects technique is the best method, but there certainly are plenty of games where it's more an of improvement to the experience than not.
God I love HL2! Recently did a playthrough myself for the first time in maybe 5 years and it is truly incredible how this game still holds up and surpasses the games of today - almost 13 years later! The atmosphere, the level-design, the combat - its such a masterpiece!
Yeah I was quite shocked, I had forgot so much of the game after all these years and to play it again was amazing, it's way better than anything released nowadays and thats a disgrace.
Superb review, I had forgotten myself how little hand holding used to be done by the older games. I've found myself being so much less invested in games these days. Perhaps it's because it takes all the achievement away from you! Thanks for going to the effort to review this one, I would love to hear more of your thoughts from other games of the time.
I like this review, but I don't really think talking about first person, third person and top down view in the same context is really a fair comparison. Top down games are completely their own entities, and some games like strategy and RTS games obviously don't work if they're not top down.
TakeTo TheShadows I'm pretty sure he only means it in the context of pure shooter games. Mack plays a lot of RTS games as well and never complains about them being Top Down or '3rd person' view.
he means third person in tactical shooters only when he speaks of 3rd person, games like those hes ok with it, ppl get confused because they think he means all games when hes realistically only talking of shooters
Yeah i understand it's context based, but there are also a lot of good top down shooter. I know that's not really what he was talking about and I'm less talking about his opinion on the subject than the way he talks about it.
I'm pretty sure Mack is fine with top-down shooters because they're designed very differently to most FPS and TPS where that view is needed. He's talking mainly about games that would easily work in a first person environment, stuff like Sniper Elite and Ghost Recon would be way more immersive and better with the first person view.
It took until 2023 for me to buy this game, and I'm loving every f***ing second of the it. Left 4 Dead 2 will always be my favourite game because of the nostalgia I have with it, and I still play it today and will never stop playing it. But this game is a masterpiece to put it lightly, the mechanics are far greater than any game that has come out in the last 5 or more years.
Yes yes and yes. It's not simply "nostalgia" to acknowledge enemy AI has been dumbed down to suit gamers who need participation trophies. It's not "nostalgia" to watch modern FPS games and see glowy crap everywhere and outlines of enemies through walls. These things aren't simply nostalgia, they're real and right in front of people. It's just a matter of being willing to see it and acknowledge it or not. In 2017 though, even "facts" right in front of us are now "subjective" so that everyone can get their participation trophy.
Wtf is with douchebags forgetting FEAR exists? And what’s with the hate against third person games? Dark souls and shadow of the colusssos are amazing games, I ADORE half life, but nostalgia is putting everyone’s heads up their asses. DOOM 2016 doesn’t matter I guess
Mack just keep making these videos on great old games, we the subs need to promote the shit out of these vids until these lazy dimwit publishers get a clue.
My top 10 favorite games. 10. Call of Duty 1 9. Starcraft 1 8. Halo Reach 7. Fallout 3 New Vegas 6. Skyrim 5. Minecraft 4. Dark Souls 3 3. Age of Empires 2 2. Red Dead Redemption 1. Half life 2
The Legend of Zelda, Mass Effect, The Witcher, Metal Gear Solid. I know I'm naming franchises. But IMO they're better & I already know your opinion on MGSV and TW3 Mack XD
I played Dishonored this week and it was absolutely amazing and loved every bit of it, I haven't played singleplayer games in a long time and that game brought me back to great times and reminded me a lot of Half Life. I think if there were better games out at that time dishonored would be forgotten, it's AI is dumb as fuck.
Dishonored 1 is indeed an amazing game for sure! But to say its better then Half life 2 is tricky because Dishonored was in allot of ways directly influenced by HL2. The guy that did allot of the amazing character design/ environment design for HL2 also worked for DISHONORED. It also took allot of inspiration from the setting and world of HL2. Its still up to personal preference off course but you have to keep in mind that one set the stage for the next in many ways!
What a brilliant video you've made here. Not only are you so passionate about what you're talking about, but your analysis and insight is beautiful. Thank you! : )
There are a lot of clues but they're all so organic that they're practically subconscious, which is how they should be. No immersion breaking, just little natural progression that trains you through the way and lets you feel the satisfaction of being Gordon Freeman.
Mack, I do love your vids...Youre always my go to reviewer. However i feel like you're campaigning for something that you wont ever receive. Comparing the gaming industry back then to now, its clear that the majority of games today need to appeal to a far wider audience than back then. The fact that the gaming industry is now worth more than the film industry tells you that what ever their doing is raking in the paper. There are more playing games today than they were in those days, and why? Because games are accessible now. You class it as dumbed down, and i would tend to agree in most cases, but they have to be accessible to a bigger audience, otherwise they dont rake in the readies. I think its about embracing the differences, not campaigning to change the way games are made today, purely to satisfy the itch of hardcore gamers. If you dont like 3rd person, wall hacks, glowing switches, then dont play them. The harsh reality is that things wont ever change while the industry is making the gains that it does today. Sorry if this goes against the usual narrative, but i just felt i needed to attempt to bring some balance to this campaign you seem to be on. Much love!
hahahah... Not a surrender monkey no. Just maybe have perspective on why it happens the way it does. By your own admission, playing games is about having fun... Yes wall hacks take some of the challenge out of games. Does that make them less fun? I'm not so sure, it depends who the developers see as their target audience i guess. So in an ideal world you would want the AAA titles of today to have no hand holding mechanics because you're a hardcore gamer. Does that not alienate some, or the majority of gamers?
Completely agree. The funny thing is. Is that its us that are causing the problem. I too and a football fan, and know only too well about the crushing amounts of money in the game. Again, though, the industry these entities are in is the entertainment industry, and yet we are the ones buying season tickets, AAA games... And the numbers are rising. So you could say that what ever these huge corporations are doing their doing it right? *Part of my soul just died putting that in writing lol
Yeah, I have to agree. Half-Life 1 only felt like it was showing off its engine near the beginning, but Half-Life 2 felt like it was just showing off its engine throughout the entire fucking game! That said, Half-Life 2 is still good. Not trying to shit on it, but it's not a masterpiece.
I'll be honest, I prefer the original. Half Life 2 is great, but there are some things that drag it down for me. For one, that boat mission near the beginning fucking drags, definitely the most boring part of the game. The car mission later on is much better, but it still gets annoying when you have to complete stupid physics puzzles. And the whole gravity gun thing is a gimmick. I appreciate that they tried to utilize it as much as they can, but I'd much rather just shoot stuff. It was basically a reason for Valve to show off their new physics engine.
IMO, the car mission is quite boring but when you get to see the ocean, I stopped and take a look. Just beautiful. I don't think that Gravity gun is a gimmick. It's useful everytime especially during Ravenholm chapter. I played my first playthrough last year, the game still stand even though it's more than 11 years old.
How is the gravity gun "just a gimmick"? You know you can use it for other things then solving the game's puzzles. It's a unique and very useful weapon and tool.
+*Jay Sama* It's a way for Valve to show off their physics engine. It's original and can be fun to use, but certain parts that require the use of the gravity gun do feel kind of gimmicky.
this is my fav game ever too mac, well done mate you impress me.i played it on 360 on the orange box when I was about 12 and it literally changed my life in a way, the story is so amazing, u feel so attached to the characters, and at the end I felt like apart of me was missing for a good few weeks. best game ever made its just a big adventure and that's why I like it. I'm now currently playing it in 4k on my pc 10 years down the line and still just so impressed with it. good job mac
i bought black mesa and hl2 in 2016 (never played them before) because of your let´s play on mackscorner, and to be honest they where probably the best games i played that year thanks mack.
Totally agree with you Mack. Above all the game is f'in FUN, the gameplay is so flawless, your bullets hit their targets and you can see the impact, there is just something about the movement and gunplay, I don't get it from other games.... Couldn't agree more!!!
Mack I remember messaging you last summer when I discovered this channel asking if you would review older classics and here we are :) HL2 is also my favorite single player game and its cool to see that you agree
No it's not just nostalgia. I played the game for the first time a few years back (maybe like 3?) and was just simply blown away. I remember getting to the point where I was cornered in a crumbling building with like 3 striders around me, and just kind of thinking "Is this game ever going to end?" Not in a bad way, it was just so long and FULL. A lot of games are long, but usually not filled moment to moment with something interesting. I grew up playing the Metroid Prime games, and was so happy to have finally found something that finally lived up to my high expectations It's funny you bring up the highway 17 puzzles, first time through I ditched the car at the first puzzle (the battery one?) and just walked the entire thing because I thought that was the game's way of saying "No more car" XD
I fully agree with you, I recently played HL2 again, the Ravenholm part I even played in VR with my DK2, which was the scariest thing ever. Another point about the amazing AI is also that in Ravenholm a Zombie walked towards me, but instead of coming near me trying to hit me (i let him live for a bit), he actually picked up a brick from the ground and threw it at me! That moment totally left me paralyzed for a small bit, especially because I played that in VR xD
Well said Mack, not only this is how games should be, but also how sequels should feel, loved both HL1&2 but the latter is just mindblowing still up to this day!
Bless your heart Mack, you are helping me to realize how lazy and complacent a gamer I have become. Replaying this now and really realizing how much my hand is being held by modern games. Also, thanks to you, switched to keyboard and mouse. No going back.
Absolutely correct. I would like to add that facial animations were also great. If you're taking a good look at Alyx (we all have!), you can just see how much detail there is in her expressions. Fear, Hate, Playfulness, Friendliness, raising an eyebrow, winking at you. And then the great voice acting...hmmm and Dog. A damn robot that has more personality than some ME:A characters. Yes, I just watched that vid. The graphics are also still gorgeous. Guess that's why we'll never see HL3. Valve just doesn't know how they can top their own game.
You say it so well Mack, Its people like you that are NEEDED to remind the kids that it USED TO BE BETTER. Kids won't understand that something older can be better, they don't want thinkers they want dumb cattle so games no longer encourage problem-solving, also a 14-year-old game can have superior AI simply because they had the time to make it, it wasnt released until it is ready. I have this already on my PC I have them all already installed. Thanks Mack!
Absolutely brilliant game. It was amazing when it came out and it's still freaking awesome now. My biggest disappointment is Valve's failure to conclude the story and left us hanging for well over 10 years now. Get with it Valve and finish the series that made you what you are today.
Imho the decade between 1995 and 2005 was the most inovative period at least for fps and fps/hybrid games. Personaly i started fps gaming with Doom,Dark Forces and System Shock and i was hooked. The second half of the nineties and the games released roughly in that period certainly coined my taste in what i find enjoyable and what not. Additional back than it was corporate policy to support the fan community with level editor and sdk`s for creating costum content,and so tons & tons was released and prolonged a games live. Well,i have the impression with the introduction of crossplatform development and the progressing "market consolidation" games in the genre were more and more aimed at the "casual gamer". Longevity to enhance sales of addon or mission disc are no longer desired. We are in the process that modding support gets caged in by copyright and is put behind paywalls. It seems in the time of DLC`s free available costum content is no longer welcomed but rather seen as obstacle to generate additional revenue. I guess some in the industry like to even see it criminalised. Anyway,while i can comprehend the expressed opinion in the video,im not that pessimistic. Every year high quality games got released. Certainly not in the dozends,but occasionaly. Also unlike in the mentioned decade im no longer pressured to upgrade my PC every year to be technical able to play . Meanwhile that is more like all five or even more years .
No regenerating health, no micro transactions, a full game without dlc but actual expansions, bug free release.. - great times to be a gamer.
No wall hacks, great Ai, good story, immersive characters (with nice arses) loads of map diversity, such a shame they don't make em like this anymore.
amen!
B Nielsen I remember the stink because of the DRM it came with called Steam, fun times.
When I played the newest Doom, I was astonished to find health packs. I'd forgotten about them.
oh yes! - forgot about that, luckily that turned out for the better, dont even see Steam as an DRM anymore, but a great service for the pc gamers now. Happy to have it running on my system all the time :)
- But yes it wasn't so well recieved back then.
Guys I was wondering how this would go down but it does seem that people like the idea of revisiting very old games, I may have to make this a series, maybe Hidden and dangerous, Fear, Morrowind, Skyrim, bloody hell guys I have a huge game library dating back 30 years, I found fear in a bin bag yesterday along with a load of other games, some in jewel cases :) I installed Hidden and dangerous 2 on three CD's it was hilarious "Insert disk 3" haha such memories.
Good ideas! Please do Skyrim for sure!
Did you ever play the Descent 6DoF games, Mack?
F.E.A.R. please!
YES mack, more revisits of good old games. Not really any games nowadays that even deserve a video.
Skyrim isn't "very old." Go play Fallout: New Vegas. That was my favorite Fallout of all.
"You crouch behind a box and all you see is wood... because that's what you would see crouched behind a box."
Words to live by, right there.
Haha mac spitting doctrine
What a horrible game, where are all the microtransactions?
Wait... No microtransactions?! What?!!
It better have a paid horse armor DLC and a few expansion packs that cost triple the original game price.
And it has no QTE, could you believe that?? Dear God, what were they thinking!?
And where's the wall hacks and tagging enemies?
And PERKZ!!! I NEED THEM PERKZ
just crouching to take cover?! WTF
It's actually depressing how right you are when describing the events of the game if they were made now.
How everything is glowing and hinted at, and constantly breaking the immersion of the world and story.
And what's great about the story of Half-Life is how well it's balanced with the gameplay.
And actually that's one of the main reasons why I don't think I want a Half-Life movie, because ... I don't think it can work!
I still play Half Life. It will never be removed from my pc. Ever
shred amen
ive downloaded the FakeFactory Cinematic Mod for HL2... its a 20GB visual overhaul and really worth it!
respect brother
GG what a classic indeed!
Me too but i had to remove it..................each time i upgrade my PC AND THAT HURTS SO FUCKING MUCH but then i reinstall it and i am gud agin
"The Orange Box" collection was one of the greatest values in gaming, ever ever ever :D
Still is. Played it for the first time today
Not if you bought it for console lol. Tf2 was way out dated
@@jojoprocess2820 You still got Half Life 2, Episode 1 and 2, and Portal. Team Fortress 2 was only the original version but it can still be enjoyed. Of course it was great value for the price of less than other games depending on where you got it.
@UC7UtDBpu5wvxFX8v5Ysfc0A fuck off half life 2 ran on a original xbox
HL2 is legendary. I don't think HL3 will ever be made because HL2 is unbeatable especially nowadays with the state of the industry.
no it sux cause it dont got no x-ray vision!
if it isn't made it has nothing to do with it being 'unable to beat hl2'. but more of the fact that if they make a game it has to be something that everyone wants to do and is passionate about and right now they have people working on vr games, dota, csgo, tf2 etc. but gabe and valve had a reddit ama not long ago and they basically said they are working on SP games within the hl/portal universe so there is still hope.
hl3 will have xray vision guys, mack will be so pissed
1wsx10 no shit, microtransactions are all the rage these days. just look at overwatch, cod, csgo, wow, world of tanks, any mobile game, deus ex, etc.
HL3 would be a dumbed-down console port thanks to multi-platform development being limited by some least common denominators... console controllers and ADD-addled console players.
Just as you were commending the AI in the game, from 2:03-2:12 you can see how awesome and challenging the AI is in this game. There were 4 soldiers in the house, 2 came out the front door to confront you. You were hiding right around the corner with your shotty to take them out, THEY KNEW THAT, so they tried to get you away from there by using a grenade. The AI knew you weren't just gonna run into the open road where they had their AR2s aimed, they knew you would retreat around to the back of the house...where their other 2 squad mates were. And you can even see them coming out the backdoor to FLANK you while you were preoccupied with the other 2!! You ran right into their trap!!!
THE AI ACTUALLY COMMUNICATES WITH EACH OTHER, PLANS TACTICS AND ADJUSTS TO THE PLAYERS ACTIONS!! ITS AMAZING!!! DAMN I LOVE THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You see I played HL2 all those years ago, yes there were moments where I couldnt figure out what to do, i was stuck, i would try and climb some crates.....nope that didnt do it, maybe i jump on that ledge? naaa that didnt work but eventually i would figure it out and the feeling of accomplishment when you had that lightbulb moment was amazing. Nowadays - flashy switch, constant hand-holding means i rarely need to engage my brain playing games anymore. HL2 empowered the player, something modern games rarely do anymore. Dishonoured 2 is the last game to give me that sense of empowerment, but more for the range of abilities I had available and the many options available to tackle different situations. Nowadays there's no need for all of this hand-holding, people have YT and Lets Plays to watch if they get really stuck - I bought a certain WW1 game the other day and couldnt feel immersed with all of the flashy indicators, xray vision and prompts thrown in my face. Credit to the developers though I could turn all of it off which was a nice option, although the game was designed around these glowing prompts and markers so with it all switched off i would get stuck.....but i figured it out eventually. I would rather get stuck and eventually figure it out than be shown what to do. Great review Macketh, would love to see some more reviews of some classic games.
This game and Fear have some of the best AI I've ever seen.
*best ^^
Moony noted
I'll agree FEAR has great A.I. not so much Half Life 2, where I disagree with Mac but the Combine does do the same tactics every time.
+MYT MIC yes this game was great, but the AI was not good at all, especially coming from something like fear or halo.
I remember the first time playing games fear. the aim was amazing then. wonder how it would seem now...
Everything came together beautifully with HL2: The graphics, the subtle story with no cut-scenes, the overall pace and flow, the scripted events, the weird techno music and awesome sound cues, it was an experience that can't be recreated.
alot of people still play stalker :( do a review on those games
Its a great game
Risto Mladich wham bam thank you mercinary
Worth A Buy yea mack just not clear sky tho
I bought stalker when it very first came out and it was a buggy mess... might have to give it another crack me thinks... Holy shit it's been 10 years!!
You would enjoy stalker all over again. Especially with all the amazing mods made for it.
Right now a hot mod is Call of Chernobyl. All three games mashed into one big sandbox.
"Hurrrrrrrrrrrr but it's not 1080p 4k VR and omg it takes like more than 4 hours to beat hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr what kind of multiplayer unlocks do I get? NO COSMETIC DLC DURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
Judge Lazar "and it doesn't even run on 2 million fps. BULLSHIT GAME! DUUUURRR" "Our critizism is good for tje developers because they listen to our constant bitching DUUUURRRR"
there.. covered the rest for you ;)
I believe you can actually play half life 2 in vr
I might be wrong here but I think one of the main problems with modern gaming, is that most AAA games now are purely made for money and not out of passion. Many game developers, programmers, etc go into the gaming industry for the money and usually arent passionate gamers themselves (if that makes sense).
lol I have literally just typed this in another post.
In their defense life is expensive especially when you have a family. Even more expensive when you do not, drug dealers and easy women need money also.
Yeah life is expensive, it's not as if game developers from the 90's were unpaid. The point is nowadays many, not all, game developers are doing it more for the money than the love of their craft.
Danger Dave You also have to remember that games are exponentially more popular now than they were 13 years ago, so most AAA studios have to build games that appeal to an as large of group of people as possible. That's why imo games today seem so uninspired and "safe" in terms of their design and gameplay, which sucks. Still, there are good games out there, you just gotta look for them 😀
Yup taking it safe and appealing to the lowest common denominator. Some good games but even more shite floating about these days.
Too bad Valve doesn't make games anymore. RIP Valve 1996-2011.
1996 -
They actually can make a game if they want only if they interested to make a new game again but they are too busy to manage their system service in Steam Store now
Well, I wished they could completely make Left 4 Dead 3, They Hunger : Lost Souls and Half Life 3(at least this game would probably be the last story in Half Life series and bring back Opposing Force 2 to represent Adrian Shephard again in this sequel into Half Life 3)
Think again
New half life game announced
Don't you feel silly now.
Mack... We all know that you secretly work for Valve, just tell us when Half Life 3 is coming out man!
AestheticPug I'm pretty sure it would have enemy tagging, x-ray vision, glowing objects and quest markers. Think the latest Wolfenstein.
AestheticPug I'm pretty sure it would have enemy tagging, x-ray vision, glowing objects and quest markers, to appeal to dumb children. Think the latest Wolfenstein.
don't think he would ever, seeing his hate for the steam platform hehe
Thank you so much for making this video Mack, makes me want to play it again
The problem with games today is the same as with everything else in the entertainment industry - movies, music. It's all about money-grabbing now. That's why they make easy playable, simplistic, dumbed-down games, to make them more appealing for large audiences.
It's funny how publishers go out of their way bastardise games to appeal to said wider audience. If publishers want to appeal to a wider audience then all they have to do is price their games less and give the audience more creative games that people might be curious to try out. But they don't do that because they suuuuuuuuuuck.
No. Making products has always been about making money and selling more copies has always been a way to do that.
The AAA industry has always been primarily about money. The problem is that as gaming gets more and more popular, the consumer base gets larger and more casual. The market simply adjusts to that.
Yes, but they don't even try to be innovative anymore. They just slap new graphics on the same old recycled material.
True. But people still preorder and buy it, so why should they bother? :/ The consumers are to blame for this sadly...
One of the best games ever.
Edit: Although to be fair, you can't compare Half Life 2 to most of the shite that was coming out around that time. It's one in a million type of game. It was groundbraking back then.
Loads of great games came out that year. It was a real golden age of gaming
Kevin Wilson yeah even on the ps2 great games came out that year.
Harry S. Plinkett yeah 2003-2005 was a really solid gaming era
Half-Life 2
Far Cry
Doom 3
Unreal Tournament 2004
gta san andreas
Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
Age of Mythology
Freelancer
Battlefield 2
Civilisation 4
FEAR
Psychonauts
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
SWAT 4
Fahrenheit (maybe the only David Cage game I will ever take seriously)
Resident Evil 4
MotoGP 3
Star Wars: Republic Commando
TrackMania Sunrise
Star Wars: Battlefront
Fable
Tribes: Vengeance
Rome: Total War
Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow + Chaos Theory
Codename: Panzers
Homeworld 2
Call of Duty: United Offensive
Amped 2
SSX Tricky
Forza Motorsport 1
Gran Turismo 4
Burnout 3 (before the series went off the deep end)
Colin Mcrae Rally 2003-4
Max Payne 2
Silent Hill 4
Deus Ex: Invisible War (fuck off it was decent and its fuckery with the in-game physics that got me into the Deus Ex series to begin with, plus the score is incredible)
C&C Generals
Beyond Good and Evil
Rainbow Six 3
Ghost Recon 2
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time/Warrior Within/Two Thrones
Empire Earth II
I mean everyone has their favourites but I got really solid gaming experiences out of all those, often years later going back to play them for the first time as I missed them when they first came out, as I was a kid with no money at the time, and they were still golden.
We were spoiled for amazing gaming experiences, even if the mechanics are a little janky by today's standards
even at the time we knew those were golden years
the years before that were excellent too but 2003-4 in particular, those years changed things a huge amount in such a short space of time in gameplay and in tech.
It really is. 2003-2005 was an amazing time for games. Although its a shame something like Doom 3 isn't as revered today though, I personally think that's the best horror FPS ever made on Veteran difficulty and the dark, dingy and claustrophobic Mars base is just as iconic as Black Mesa in my opinion.
Clement Moraschi whats your opinion of Call of duty finest hour on ps2. It was a great game.
When I played Half Life 2, I though this is the future of gaming, that was in 2004, 13 years later, it still feels like the future of gaming, that's how perfect it was, that's how perfect it is
games aren't games anymore, it's a business
CHƸF just a money making front.
Not entirely true - you have great indies and sometimes a AAA title with tons of passion like Bloodborne and Doom comes along from time to time. It's a shame most publishers actively go out of their way to fuck up games and continuously dumb them down.
Yeah i agree more or less. But you cannot tell me That games like the newest Battlefront and Infinite Warfare aren't blindly robbing you for "DLC" packages and other shitty content. Hell but even Doom isn't a complete marvel. They saved money not having to do anything original.
Don't forget about Witcher 3!
+*CHƸF* I recommend you check out an upcoming title known as Strafe.
The poison headcrabs always scare the absolute living shit out of me...
always gets me
i remember getting scared of that 1 poison zombie in ravenholm about 10 years ago...shit got me scarred for life now
I always thought the sound they made was cute. Like an angry kitten. And headcrabs are adorable to me, especially the black ones because they don't have any blood on them.
I find that the complete opposite. Always pop out when you least expect them.
Halo has a pretty great single player
lol
It's only good if you do 4 player co-op on legendary difficulty.
it does. no puzzles but it didnt hold your hand in combat
thefirefox520 maybe the older ones not the last 2 I'm talking about the main series
you needed to know what weapons were effective against what enemies. a plasma weapon can take down shields but sucks at removing health. a pistol is good for headshots but is wasted on weaker opponents. rockets should be saved only for the toughest opponents. health did not regenerate automatically, only shields. the ending even included a warthog run which gave you an intense atmosphere of trying to get off the ship, and a feeling of satisfaction in destroying halo.
Half life will remain in that special place in my heart forever till I die.
Finished it a few times back in 2004 but rediscovering it now on an ultrawide screen 35" and noise cancelling headphones + this nice lighting update = still an amazing game!!!
I couldn't agree more. Easily one of if not the best single player experience I have ever had.
I revisited the entire series recently and then even checked all of the developer commentaries, needless to say I was blown away about the game. I played it back in the day but I never realized the tight and well thought out design that the game actually has. This game still holds up so well and quite amazing, furthermore the universe is unique.
Problem with modern shooters
1. Regeneration
2. Too easy
3. Quest marker
4. Maps are terribly made
5. Often skills are added making the game easier
6. They are made for casual gamers
8. There is no fast paced action.
9. CUTSCENES
10. Boring singleplayer "here let me open this door for you"
Half life has none of these shitty features except the opening the door for you cliche
For me, this game is too easy, even episode 2 on hard is not a big deal...
BUT the great thing is that you can modify game files for your likings! Skill.cfg has all dmg, health and there are many HIDDEN options that you have to find for your self in console!
I made npcs do the same dmg as the player (originally all their bullets deal 3 dmg(hl3 confirmed?)), then I tweaked difficulty health, dmg multiplyers, movement speed and dynamic resuply scale.
As a result, on hard you get fair, yet challanging gameplay!
And there is more! You can go further and make your own mod where you can control everything! AI, game systems, weapon recoil and so on
DK gaming
Half life 2 on Hard is not easy...
I don’t know what’s easy about hit scanning enemies in open areas that shoot faster and get your health to 1
Thanks god you didn’t say Half Life 1 is easy
This is such chilling video to watch) I liked the narrator. Unlike others screaming anger to your face he's like modern elevator music... Chilling and soft. I can even sleep to his sound...
the black mesa mod of half life 1 is brillant 2
He did an entire playthrough of it on his other channel (Mackscorner).
Harry S. Plinkett He stopped playing it half way through
Still isn't good as the original
prefer the original just 'cause of nostalgia it may be :) but it is indeed brilliant, hope they'll finish the Xen levels soon.
Black Mesa is better than the original imo.
I just heard about the Update version of the game a couple of weeks ago and also decided to give it another go. I also installed a 2K texture pack and guess what? The game holds up quite well visually. It's not longer the best looking game, but I was pleasantly surprised with what some small updates brought to the table. I agree with everything you just mentioned Mack! Combat is challenging, the flow of the game is great. You constantly have to be on your toes (especially on hard). What a game even in 2022!
Just bought The Orange Box today because of your review. Thanks Mac!
tomikaze777 Best box ever, changed my whole view on gaming
The illusion of free choice; the game puts you on rails, but you don't realize it until you play though a second time and understand that you were always meant to go through that door, or down that alley or in that vent. They didn't give us objective markers because they respected our intelligence. A great game, and still playing to this day.
Yesterday I heard a big youtuber heap praise on Skyrim for not being able to join both side of the civil war (I mean really?).
I thought mate, used to be that NPCs would attack on sight if you wore the wrong hat in the wrong neighborhood, or NPCs would shun you if you joined the wrong house.
So yeah, old vs new game comparison, I'm all for it.
That was the only real critique I had for Half Life Alyx was the lack of environmental variety. The entire game of Alyx takes place in City 17 with a few Zen infested areas to break it up, while HL2 had you going all over the place and the scenery was constantly changing.
Am I the only one who thinks the physics and facial animations were amazing in HL2 compared to 90% of games today? Games today seem to be mostly about pretty looking, static environments. Publishers seem most interested in catching your eye for a quick buck rather than making an engrossing experience. I'm always afraid of sounding like an old "good old days" fart, but I think my distaste for modern titles is legitimate. There are a few, rare exceptions of course. But for the most part I think the gaming industry HAS devolved.
You're a legend bro
One of the few games I know I will always go back to for years and years
even in 2020 this games a masterpiece.
I m almost there to experience what you are praising. It is just unbelievable to me that something that you are describing as this game souns unreal. Too excited
The best game from an amazing series
What an absolute legend you are for revisiting this masterpiece. Bravo Mackdaddy
Hey, do you have a VR headset? HL2 on PC has a VR beta you can opt-in for in its preferences in steam that let you play the game in VR.
If you do have, or plan on getting, a VR headset, I fucking dare you to play HL2 in VR. Good god I got so motion sick in about 15 minutes the first time I tried it. But I wanted to experience the game I love so much in VR that I kept going at it after my stomach would settle down until I built up a tolerance for it. Once you get used to the motion, Half Life is SO fucking amazing in VR. It really plays to the game's already immersive nature.
Sachi Game I have a vive. Can you tell me exactly how you did it?
Uh, it was a while ago, but if you do a google search for "opt into Half Life 2 VR beta" you should be able to find how to do it easilly
Mack. This is what we need. Reviews of the good old games. I'd love to see more reviews of this type - personally I'd love to see the Elder Scrolls series reviewed, CoD 2, some more GTA games, KOTOR series and the original pacman.
Mack you should review Star Wars Jedi Outcast
gggmanlives sonny jim
man i used to luv multiplayer on that game
I played Dark Forces 2 again recently (A.K.A Jedi Knight 1).
(Make sure you get the GoG version, the Steam version usually doesn't run.)
The game certainly is showing its age in some aspects (especially 3D rendering support), but it shows how incredibly good level design can be in some games from the 90's. The idea of "large levels" is wasted in modern games, this thing from 1997 had entire skyscrapers rendered in 3D, stuff that people "think" is impressive today, but really it's a premise that has been done many times before, and better.
There was one puzzle that I really got stuck on later in the game (just a button in a room full of buttons that they give no indication you need to press), but that's far outweighed by the freedom of running around with full Jedi powers.
KOTOR is still the best incarnation of the star wars universe imo, but some of the jedi outcast series was solid good fun. there were times i actually felt like a padawan in a proper lightsaber duel...definitely something that a good VR dev needs to get onto!
yes yes yes yes
I played through Portal 2 recently for the first time in years, and I remember being SURPRISED at getting no hints when taking a bit of time with puzzles. It was great
I love the Half-Life games, but I'd also say Half-Life 2 is worth playing because of Ravenholm alone, and everything else is a bonus.
+*Tekie Wolf* I never fucking got why everyone gushes over Ravenholm, I've seen a similar atmosphere in plenty of other games and movies. Oh, it's night time, it's sort of misty, there's a graveyard. Come on, settings and atmospheres like that are hardly original.
I fucking hated the level.
We don't go to Ravenholm
Half Life 2 will FOREVER remain in my top 10 favorite games of all times, and in my best games of all times list. Could not agree with you more Mack in your every word of this review.
In all honesty Mack, I think the glowing thing in games these days is because of the graphics. Let's take the new DOOM for example. It has no handholding except the objects that glow, not all of them but some things. Well, if they didn't glow, you wouldn't know they existed because they blend along with the environment because of so many filler objects around it to make the world seem more natural and believable. Graphics back then were plain, making the objects of interest seem contrasting.
I kinda agree, on Dishonored with everything turned off the Items still glow (not the objective), and I can say that I wouldn't be able to see them without it but it really kinda sucks if you think about it.
You don't have to make them glowing. As someone who searches every inch of a room in games, all you need is a prompt to pick up or use when you get close, not too close though. It at least eliminates glowing objects on your screen and makes it more immersive.
There are ways to make things stand out in games without actually guiding you right to it.
That is a fair point. There was a period in time where some games were legitimately difficult to progress in at times because you ended up needing to scour an entire building for a hidden button or box or something. It was legitimately frustrating and immersion breaking because it could get so tedious. Shortly after, we had 'helpers' assisting with that kind of thing. Now I don't think the glowing objects technique is the best method, but there certainly are plenty of games where it's more an of improvement to the experience than not.
God I love HL2! Recently did a playthrough myself for the first time in maybe 5 years and it is truly incredible how this game still holds up and surpasses the games of today - almost 13 years later! The atmosphere, the level-design, the combat - its such a masterpiece!
Yeah I was quite shocked, I had forgot so much of the game after all these years and to play it again was amazing, it's way better than anything released nowadays and thats a disgrace.
I prefer 3rd person gameplay with x-ray vision and tagging! Makes it easier for me because I'm only 8..
add me on PS4: MinecraftHD69
lol
Worth A Buy, Dude you're the only one I can trust about game reviews!
I completed paper boy on c64 when i was 7!
thats why you turn down the difficulty. i think games should have a 3rd person option though
Superb review, I had forgotten myself how little hand holding used to be done by the older games. I've found myself being so much less invested in games these days. Perhaps it's because it takes all the achievement away from you! Thanks for going to the effort to review this one, I would love to hear more of your thoughts from other games of the time.
I like this review, but I don't really think talking about first person, third person and top down view in the same context is really a fair comparison. Top down games are completely their own entities, and some games like strategy and RTS games obviously don't work if they're not top down.
TakeTo TheShadows I'm pretty sure he only means it in the context of pure shooter games. Mack plays a lot of RTS games as well and never complains about them being Top Down or '3rd person' view.
he means third person in tactical shooters only when he speaks of 3rd person, games like those hes ok with it, ppl get confused because they think he means all games when hes realistically only talking of shooters
He seems okay with 3rd person when it comes to other types of games, just not shooters.
Yeah i understand it's context based, but there are also a lot of good top down shooter. I know that's not really what he was talking about and I'm less talking about his opinion on the subject than the way he talks about it.
I'm pretty sure Mack is fine with top-down shooters because they're designed very differently to most FPS and TPS where that view is needed. He's talking mainly about games that would easily work in a first person environment, stuff like Sniper Elite and Ghost Recon would be way more immersive and better with the first person view.
It took until 2023 for me to buy this game, and I'm loving every f***ing second of the it. Left 4 Dead 2 will always be my favourite game because of the nostalgia I have with it, and I still play it today and will never stop playing it. But this game is a masterpiece to put it lightly, the mechanics are far greater than any game that has come out in the last 5 or more years.
Best game ever made!
I so so want Valve to make HL3 or HL2 episode 3, but i just feel it will have perks, x-ray vision, etc.. and be utter shite :(
Spot fucking on. Those tire wedges would have been glowing neon pink!
Yes yes and yes. It's not simply "nostalgia" to acknowledge enemy AI has been dumbed down to suit gamers who need participation trophies. It's not "nostalgia" to watch modern FPS games and see glowy crap everywhere and outlines of enemies through walls.
These things aren't simply nostalgia, they're real and right in front of people. It's just a matter of being willing to see it and acknowledge it or not. In 2017 though, even "facts" right in front of us are now "subjective" so that everyone can get their participation trophy.
Smitty Jagerman yeah "genius" AI back then, if you picked up an object and covered the soldiers they wouldn't shoot you
Wtf is with douchebags forgetting FEAR exists? And what’s with the hate against third person games? Dark souls and shadow of the colusssos are amazing games, I ADORE half life, but nostalgia is putting everyone’s heads up their asses. DOOM 2016 doesn’t matter I guess
This game is amazing, I loved the whole story and how more and more things unfold as it goes on. Its a shame they never carried the story on.
Have you played Portal 1 and 2 Mack? Brilliant games right there. Especially 2.
especially 2?
Devil's Advocate I liked the story much more. Sorry m8.
Mack, these past few videos made me come back and play half life 2 again, and its such a good game. It really has held up well over time
Mack just keep making these videos on great old games, we the subs need to promote the shit out of these vids until these lazy dimwit publishers get a clue.
My top 10 favorite games.
10. Call of Duty 1
9. Starcraft 1
8. Halo Reach
7. Fallout 3 New Vegas
6. Skyrim
5. Minecraft
4. Dark Souls 3
3. Age of Empires 2
2. Red Dead Redemption
1. Half life 2
I can think of plenty of SP games better than HL2...
Name them
vZeqk name 3 then.
vZeqk haa lol come on
The Legend of Zelda, Mass Effect, The Witcher, Metal Gear Solid. I know I'm naming franchises. But IMO they're better & I already know your opinion on MGSV and TW3 Mack XD
vZeqk nope no where near
Absolutely love Mack's voice of reason.
Dishonored 1 is a far better game IMO
But, yeah HL 2 is great
I played Dishonored this week and it was absolutely amazing and loved every bit of it, I haven't played singleplayer games in a long time and that game brought me back to great times and reminded me a lot of Half Life.
I think if there were better games out at that time dishonored would be forgotten, it's AI is dumb as fuck.
Dishonored 1 is indeed an amazing game for sure! But to say its better then Half life 2 is tricky because Dishonored was in allot of ways directly influenced by HL2. The guy that did allot of the amazing character design/ environment design for HL2 also worked for DISHONORED. It also took allot of inspiration from the setting and world of HL2. Its still up to personal preference off course but you have to keep in mind that one set the stage for the next in many ways!
Cool to learn about him working for Dishonored! I agree - Dishonored probably wouldn't exist without HL2 inspiration.
What a brilliant video you've made here. Not only are you so passionate about what you're talking about, but your analysis and insight is beautiful. Thank you! : )
What about the new Doom ? That's a proper single-player game in recent memory.
themaniacboy it isnt as good as hl2 but still its awesome
There are a lot of clues but they're all so organic that they're practically subconscious, which is how they should be. No immersion breaking, just little natural progression that trains you through the way and lets you feel the satisfaction of being Gordon Freeman.
Mack, I do love your vids...Youre always my go to reviewer. However i feel like you're campaigning for something that you wont ever receive. Comparing the gaming industry back then to now, its clear that the majority of games today need to appeal to a far wider audience than back then. The fact that the gaming industry is now worth more than the film industry tells you that what ever their doing is raking in the paper. There are more playing games today than they were in those days, and why? Because games are accessible now. You class it as dumbed down, and i would tend to agree in most cases, but they have to be accessible to a bigger audience, otherwise they dont rake in the readies. I think its about embracing the differences, not campaigning to change the way games are made today, purely to satisfy the itch of hardcore gamers. If you dont like 3rd person, wall hacks, glowing switches, then dont play them. The harsh reality is that things wont ever change while the industry is making the gains that it does today.
Sorry if this goes against the usual narrative, but i just felt i needed to attempt to bring some balance to this campaign you seem to be on.
Much love!
Are you french?
hahahah... Not a surrender monkey no. Just maybe have perspective on why it happens the way it does. By your own admission, playing games is about having fun... Yes wall hacks take some of the challenge out of games. Does that make them less fun? I'm not so sure, it depends who the developers see as their target audience i guess. So in an ideal world you would want the AAA titles of today to have no hand holding mechanics because you're a hardcore gamer. Does that not alienate some, or the majority of gamers?
Completely agree.
The funny thing is. Is that its us that are causing the problem. I too and a football fan, and know only too well about the crushing amounts of money in the game. Again, though, the industry these entities are in is the entertainment industry, and yet we are the ones buying season tickets, AAA games... And the numbers are rising. So you could say that what ever these huge corporations are doing their doing it right? *Part of my soul just died putting that in writing lol
First game I ever played. Running through Ravenholm with Grigori the priest was epic at the time. Good review - brought back memories.
Half Life 1 was better than Half Life 2.
I can see why but I enjoyed Half Life 2 more. Even with more realism, I had more fun
Yeah, I have to agree. Half-Life 1 only felt like it was showing off its engine near the beginning, but Half-Life 2 felt like it was just showing off its engine throughout the entire fucking game! That said, Half-Life 2 is still good. Not trying to shit on it, but it's not a masterpiece.
So glad to see a video explaining why I constantly feel the need to play all my old games.
I'll be honest, I prefer the original. Half Life 2 is great, but there are some things that drag it down for me. For one, that boat mission near the beginning fucking drags, definitely the most boring part of the game. The car mission later on is much better, but it still gets annoying when you have to complete stupid physics puzzles. And the whole gravity gun thing is a gimmick. I appreciate that they tried to utilize it as much as they can, but I'd much rather just shoot stuff. It was basically a reason for Valve to show off their new physics engine.
IMO, the car mission is quite boring but when you get to see the ocean, I stopped and take a look. Just beautiful.
I don't think that Gravity gun is a gimmick. It's useful everytime especially during Ravenholm chapter.
I played my first playthrough last year, the game still stand even though it's more than 11 years old.
How is the gravity gun "just a gimmick"? You know you can use it for other things then solving the game's puzzles. It's a unique and very useful weapon and tool.
Jay Sama It's also Valve's way of saying, look we have a cool physics engine!
+*Jay Sama* It's a way for Valve to show off their physics engine. It's original and can be fun to use, but certain parts that require the use of the gravity gun do feel kind of gimmicky.
this is my fav game ever too mac, well done mate you impress me.i played it on 360 on the orange box when I was about 12 and it literally changed my life in a way, the story is so amazing, u feel so attached to the characters, and at the end I felt like apart of me was missing for a good few weeks. best game ever made its just a big adventure and that's why I like it. I'm now currently playing it in 4k on my pc 10 years down the line and still just so impressed with it. good job mac
i bought black mesa and hl2 in 2016 (never played them before) because of your let´s play on mackscorner, and to be honest they where probably the best games i played that year thanks mack.
Totally agree with you Mack. Above all the game is f'in FUN, the gameplay is so flawless, your bullets hit their targets and you can see the impact, there is just something about the movement and gunplay, I don't get it from other games.... Couldn't agree more!!!
Mack you are a legend mate wishing you all the best and I hope to see you on the mechwarrior battlefield sometime
Mack I remember messaging you last summer when I discovered this channel asking if you would review older classics and here we are :) HL2 is also my favorite single player game and its cool to see that you agree
Your best review Mack, period.
No it's not just nostalgia. I played the game for the first time a few years back (maybe like 3?) and was just simply blown away. I remember getting to the point where I was cornered in a crumbling building with like 3 striders around me, and just kind of thinking "Is this game ever going to end?"
Not in a bad way, it was just so long and FULL. A lot of games are long, but usually not filled moment to moment with something interesting. I grew up playing the Metroid Prime games, and was so happy to have finally found something that finally lived up to my high expectations
It's funny you bring up the highway 17 puzzles, first time through I ditched the car at the first puzzle (the battery one?) and just walked the entire thing because I thought that was the game's way of saying "No more car" XD
A great blast from the past! :D
Thanks Mack :)
I fully agree with you, I recently played HL2 again, the Ravenholm part I even played in VR with my DK2, which was the scariest thing ever. Another point about the amazing AI is also that in Ravenholm a Zombie walked towards me, but instead of coming near me trying to hit me (i let him live for a bit), he actually picked up a brick from the ground and threw it at me! That moment totally left me paralyzed for a small bit, especially because I played that in VR xD
Your final remark in this clip is spot on, very well put, and its sad its true
well said... glad you revisited and reviewed it... im itching to install
I love that you came to revisit this game, it's helped my perspective on modern gaming a lot
I can't believe how good it still looks! Might have to give it another playthrough, been years too...
This should be motivation for Valve to continue. I totally agree with everything in this video.
Modern day game devs need to watch this video
Fantastic review of my all time favorite game.. Installing it right now, need to play this right now...
Well said Mack, not only this is how games should be, but also how sequels should feel, loved both HL1&2 but the latter is just mindblowing still up to this day!
More vids like this please Mack! Who wants Mac to start a new playlist where he reviews classics!?
Bless your heart Mack, you are helping me to realize how lazy and complacent a gamer I have become. Replaying this now and really realizing how much my hand is being held by modern games. Also, thanks to you, switched to keyboard and mouse. No going back.
Absolutely correct. I would like to add that facial animations were also great. If you're taking a good look at Alyx (we all have!), you can just see how much detail there is in her expressions. Fear, Hate, Playfulness, Friendliness, raising an eyebrow, winking at you. And then the great voice acting...hmmm and Dog. A damn robot that has more personality than some ME:A characters. Yes, I just watched that vid. The graphics are also still gorgeous. Guess that's why we'll never see HL3. Valve just doesn't know how they can top their own game.
You say it so well Mack, Its people like you that are NEEDED to remind the kids that it USED TO BE BETTER. Kids won't understand that something older can be better, they don't want thinkers they want dumb cattle so games no longer encourage problem-solving, also a 14-year-old game can have superior AI simply because they had the time to make it, it wasnt released until it is ready. I have this already on my PC I have them all already installed. Thanks Mack!
one of the best gaming moments that has stuck with me over the years... that damn bridge
I'm getting that nostalgia man, I just started replaying the old Hitman games and Manhunt and they are sooooooo fucking immersive ..
I remember this game on my original xbox it was damn good
thanks for the great video you made me redownload my childhood memories... i need to go play this now
Absolutely brilliant game. It was amazing when it came out and it's still freaking awesome now. My biggest disappointment is Valve's failure to conclude the story and left us hanging for well over 10 years now. Get with it Valve and finish the series that made you what you are today.
Imho the decade between 1995 and 2005 was the most inovative period at least for fps and fps/hybrid games.
Personaly i started fps gaming with Doom,Dark Forces and System Shock and i was hooked. The second half of the
nineties and the games released roughly in that period certainly coined my taste in what i find enjoyable and what not.
Additional back than it was corporate policy to support the fan community with level editor and sdk`s for creating costum
content,and so tons & tons was released and prolonged a games live.
Well,i have the impression with the introduction of crossplatform development and the progressing "market consolidation"
games in the genre were more and more aimed at the "casual gamer". Longevity to enhance sales of addon or mission
disc are no longer desired. We are in the process that modding support gets caged in by copyright and is put behind paywalls.
It seems in the time of DLC`s free available costum content is no longer welcomed but rather seen as obstacle to generate
additional revenue. I guess some in the industry like to even see it criminalised.
Anyway,while i can comprehend the expressed opinion in the video,im not that pessimistic. Every year high quality games
got released. Certainly not in the dozends,but occasionaly. Also unlike in the mentioned decade im no longer pressured to
upgrade my PC every year to be technical able to play . Meanwhile that is more like all five or even more years .