Half-Life's On A Rail Isn't Bad | Cascade

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
  • Train game.
    Please let me know what you thought in the comments! Feedback is always appreciated.
    Twitter: / purplecolonelyt
    Discord: / discord
    Cut Launch Center Sequence: • Half-Life - Cut Launch...
    Flocking Floater Info: • Half-Life - Cut Flocki...
    Stukabat Source: • Half-Life - E3 1998 - ...
    Video on Human Sergeant: • Half-Life's Original S...
    Special thanks to TH-cam for destroying my bitrate again.
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ความคิดเห็น • 850

  • @jstn9914
    @jstn9914 3 ปีที่แล้ว +532

    The only non-linear section of the game is literally on a rail AND IS CALLED ON A RAIL

    • @tomas_crusader1756
      @tomas_crusader1756 ปีที่แล้ว +47

      Just like the section where you have to blast the pit monster is called blast pit

    • @hatti...
      @hatti... ปีที่แล้ว +34

      Oh yeah like when you power up the generator in the chapter called power up

    • @syberpunk
      @syberpunk ปีที่แล้ว +31

      And that chapter where you reach the surface is called Surface Tension, in reference to the scientific property. Half-Life chapter names are full of puns

    • @bigfatcarp93
      @bigfatcarp93 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      @@tomas_crusader1756 Many of the replies seem to be missing jstn9914's point. The title is the REVERSE of what you'd expect. It's not just a pun, it's an ironic pun.

    • @doctorcreeps2169
      @doctorcreeps2169 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      @@syberpunkanother example of a funny chapter name is Foxtrot Uniform in opposing force, which if translated from the NATO phonetic alphabet spells out F U

  • @RumbleFudge
    @RumbleFudge 3 ปีที่แล้ว +865

    On a Rail got more fun the more that I played it.

    • @duckykevkev4337
      @duckykevkev4337 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Same here

    • @acousticfacts
      @acousticfacts 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Same

    • @Xe_Non
      @Xe_Non 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      It is fun to play but I found it too long

    • @deanarberman2985
      @deanarberman2985 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      It’s great once you know the route

    • @rasputin15832
      @rasputin15832 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      And by the end of the chapter, it was like the heavens had opened up

  • @Jess_Atomoxetine
    @Jess_Atomoxetine 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1301

    If the cart stopped when the player jumped off it maybe people would dislike the chapter less.

    • @PurpleColonel
      @PurpleColonel  4 ปีที่แล้ว +411

      Honestly that bugs me a lot in Black Mesa, especially when I just want it to go somewhere so I can meet up with it later.

    • @josephdodds1715
      @josephdodds1715 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      @@PurpleColonel Cant you turn it off in settings?

    • @Dognuhtz
      @Dognuhtz 3 ปีที่แล้ว +188

      @@josephdodds1715 Ofc you can’t it’s a game mechanic not a setting

    • @MrDwarfpitcher
      @MrDwarfpitcher 3 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      I used the slow moving cart as a shield for the rockets
      I loved it

    • @josephdodds1715
      @josephdodds1715 3 ปีที่แล้ว +76

      @@Dognuhtz Ive just checked and you cant any more, but in older versions of black mesa there was a train cart emergency stop toggle in the gameplay options

  • @philmower1
    @philmower1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +465

    I'm ashamed to admit, I played the original Half Life for years without realising there was a soundtrack. Only after leaving the original install CD in by mistake did I discover it for the first time! It really does add to the atmosphere. This is a great series by the way, so much detail, a real nostalgia trip. Thank you!

    • @kabeam5643
      @kabeam5643 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Well theres no music on the downloadable CD version cause the music originally played on the CD instead of being stored as an MP3 like in the steam version

    • @philmower1
      @philmower1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      @@kabeam5643 yes exactly! I was playing this pre-steam. After installation the CD was removed from the computer (because why bother keeping it in!) But that meant no music. The same was true for the original Quake which also had a pretty good soundtrack by NiN

    • @EnjoyCocaColaLight
      @EnjoyCocaColaLight ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Except there is not?

    • @zombifiedoll1388
      @zombifiedoll1388 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@EnjoyCocaColaLight There is not what?

    • @sparrowanon
      @sparrowanon ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Weren't you the guy that talked about Half-Life's atmosphere without it's OST in r/halflife?

  • @blueshit199
    @blueshit199 4 ปีที่แล้ว +821

    I never had a problem with OAR in any of the games, it's just long enough and different enough, and gives more insight on the marines vs aliens fights throughout black mesa. Exploration also works cause it makes the place really feel vast. Overall I would say that OAR is pretty much early fame Surface Tension

    • @WindiChilliwack
      @WindiChilliwack 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Same, when i first played on it it made me think that theres more to this facility of what was it developing and I always wondered why was there a rocket.

    • @AsianEspionage
      @AsianEspionage 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Im an idiot. I see hard part of the game. I do impulse 101

    • @Jwallworth
      @Jwallworth 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      I liked it as it showed how old the facility is, not black Mesa itself but where it had been built. The rocket launching facility was what it was built on so you see the older parts of black Mesa, I loved the ambience that the new remake added too. I can see why people would be frustrated with the original games layout with the arrows etc, but I know my way round so I guess that doesn’t bother me. Even if you got lost it wouldn’t take long to find your way. I never even knew this chapter was disliked

    • @AliShuktu
      @AliShuktu 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      "On a rail" was my second favourite after "Surface tension".

    • @AliShuktu
      @AliShuktu 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@Jwallworth
      True. Small minds tend to an easy ways.
      A lot of people I knew were avoiding "complicated games" sticking with NFS and Call of Duty.

  • @maxallen121
    @maxallen121 3 ปีที่แล้ว +464

    Before I played half life for the first time I heard about how bad this chapter is. But when I got around to actually playing it I had almost no trouble with it. I don't understand how people find the loop confusing its literally just 2 circles.

    • @AliShuktu
      @AliShuktu 3 ปีที่แล้ว +35

      At the time the game was released to have a PC was already confusing. Everyone who had a Computer were called a "computer guy" in my country. :)

    • @UNSCPILOT
      @UNSCPILOT 3 ปีที่แล้ว +36

      It's not unlike people who get lost in the Halo:CE level "The Library", most of us can figure out where to go or signs we're going the wrong way, but others will get endlessly lost and never pick up that they are backtracking instead of advancing.
      It depends heavily on the perception and attentiveness of the player

    • @wta1518
      @wta1518 3 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Yeah, and the loop has extremely recognizable landmarks.

    • @SpiffoGaming
      @SpiffoGaming 3 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      I was genuinely excited to see how painful it would be and was supremely disappointed by how not shit it was

    • @wta1518
      @wta1518 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@SpiffoGaming Same. With the exception of the mounted turrets.

  • @mightyone8313
    @mightyone8313 3 ปีที่แล้ว +356

    "The worst level" guys just shoot the wall arrows thats it lol

    • @remlet3753
      @remlet3753 3 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      either that or you just bhop your way out as well as doing puzzles made for people who ditched the tram

    • @Xe_Non
      @Xe_Non 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      @@remlet3753 every time I stop the cart to kill the soldiers and aliens then continue

    • @sambuxton931
      @sambuxton931 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      This is the first time I realised you had to shoot the arrows. Every time I played half life I just abandoned the first cart and hopped along the side of the railway

    • @pork5877
      @pork5877 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@sambuxton931 lol same. I just walked on the side of the rail and solved puzzles, didn’t even think the tram was necessary

    • @D00000T
      @D00000T 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Still better than interloper

  • @avpclassic
    @avpclassic 3 ปีที่แล้ว +179

    The things that OAR does well are the tone/atmosphere (imagery and music), combat, the multiple paths (you didn't mention one cool side area that takes you underneath a scripted vort/marine fight), letting the player dictate the level's pace, and the incredible variety of enemies (headcrabs, zombies, barnacles, houndeyes, bullsquids, leeches, marines, automated turrets, fortified turret emplacements, rocket launchers, tripmines, explosives, and a sniper). This chapter features some of the best combat sequences of aliens and marines and is essential in conveying the scope of the invasion, the marines' almost single-minded focus on Freeman yet also questioning the morality of killing civilians, and the fact that the marines are fighting a battle they can't win. It also has very memorable imagery, such as the bridge over a flooded pit, a destroyed elevator in a side area, the marine ambushed by headcrabs, the colorful walls with flowing electricity, the machinery hauling industrial material to the right and left, the small side area with a bullsquid eating a marine with a barnacle and some graffiti and spray can, the rocket launch, etc.
    As for the things that suck, the combat tends to be rather difficult and sometimes annoying with marines, as well as dicey with a couple of vort ambushes. The combat for me can be taxing to the point where I dread the last fortified turret emplacement just before the outdoor section, because as your video demonstrates, you kind of have to save the MP5 grenades specifically for the marines manning the turrets. Also it seems that there are two cases of bad texture work, one includes z-fighting on the entrance to the bottom-most section of the rocket where the marine is fighting headcrabs, and another is an untextured part by the floor in the first battle area with vorts against HECU. Also a lot of people criticize the abundance of grey corridors but I feel that it's essential for depicting the gritty, dark overtones of the chapter.
    If you haven't already, I would recommend reading Wangman's pitch bible for OAR Uncut found here: www.leakfree.org/t/on-a-rail-uncut-re-adding-cut-areas-scenes-expansion-project/11920/3 as well as the longer, interesting comments (especially Vic's) on the RTSL Replay Experiment project for said chapter here: www.runthinkshootlive.com/posts/half-life-on-a-rail/

    • @Gulliblepikmin
      @Gulliblepikmin 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      About the bad texture work: The z-fighting to my knowledge was only added to goldsrc in an update for half-life, (probably added in the steam release) meaning that all the z-fighting seen throughout half-life and it's expansions was probably not a case of bad texture work.
      Also, if you view it from the right angle, the missing texture becomes un-missing, so it's most likely some other goldsrc bug. (possibly added in the steam release)
      BTW, the On a Rail uncut link no longer works.

  • @sydney_pepper
    @sydney_pepper 3 ปีที่แล้ว +434

    The music that plays when you launch the rocket. Such a great moment.

    • @awhahoo
      @awhahoo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      What is it called again?

    • @chflarforkorp2060
      @chflarforkorp2060 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@awhahoo Drums and Riffs th-cam.com/video/raqLH-raNvw/w-d-xo.html

    • @awhahoo
      @awhahoo 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@chflarforkorp2060 Thanks!

    • @zebitus5731
      @zebitus5731 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      drums and riffs is the best half-life song due to the context otherwise it would be like 2cnd best

    • @gamertypeawesome
      @gamertypeawesome 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      yeah it makes you feel as if you just beat the game, since its supposed to stop the invasion. its great
      Get Apprehended loser

  • @smuwug
    @smuwug 3 ปีที่แล้ว +366

    I like bhopping through the whole chapter, I can't play half life like a normal person anymore

    • @flaminghollows3068
      @flaminghollows3068 3 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      You're too far gone.
      jk

    • @chocolateneko9912
      @chocolateneko9912 3 ปีที่แล้ว +43

      I can't play half life at all without playing like I'm going for the world record speedrun lol

    • @nopushbutton
      @nopushbutton 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@flaminghollows3068 imo depends on if he does the OAR tripmine skip lol

    • @eternalnut
      @eternalnut 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I can't either, I'm probably going to start speedrunning though.

    • @zebitus5731
      @zebitus5731 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      i cant play hl1 normal either i just turn airplane mode and start bhoping

  • @rez9914
    @rez9914 3 ปีที่แล้ว +57

    The song that plays during this chapter was honestly fitting for what valve was going for when it comes to half-life’s atmosphere

  • @Steelion69
    @Steelion69 3 ปีที่แล้ว +429

    That "paranormal wailing" is actually supposed to be a houndeye pack according to the files.
    EDIT: Reverfied myself that nothing in the files has any correlation to houndeyes, but the_horror# does awfully sound a lot like alien dogs howling, and iirc there are a lot of houndeye packs in the level.

    • @TinyDeskEngineer
      @TinyDeskEngineer 3 ปีที่แล้ว +76

      I always thought it was the screams of the people who died down there

    • @kiiwikiori7542
      @kiiwikiori7542 3 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      I believe the same sound was used in L4D2 for hordes

    • @sometffurry
      @sometffurry 3 ปีที่แล้ว +45

      i assumed it was people in other areas of black mesa being killed by aliens

    • @trashtrash756
      @trashtrash756 3 ปีที่แล้ว +67

      I think I heard someone theorize somewhere that it was the Nihilanth fucking with Gordon and projecting distressing stuff into his mind

    • @ivanvenne
      @ivanvenne 3 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      Makes sense but it's confusing that OAR is the only chapter we ever hear those screams. Def makes the chapter more unique tho

  • @thatissuperfunny5358
    @thatissuperfunny5358 3 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    I love On A Rail but only because when I was younger, I was too afraid to play Half-Life after the resonance cascade starts. I loved trains at that age, so I really wanted to play with the train you use at the end of the tutorial some more. When I actually played through the whole game I loved On A Rail because I was finally able to do that. I dislike Apprehension, the next chapter, because to me it feels like that was the chapter that messed up the pacing.

  • @homeygfunkoffacherryfruitl4971
    @homeygfunkoffacherryfruitl4971 3 ปีที่แล้ว +97

    I never realized how truly brilliant the sniper in this chapter was. I always found myself thinking "Why would they put this random one-off thing here just to drain health?"
    But what I realize now is that as this video stated it is literally there as a curveball to players who have gotten too comfortable with the shoot/explore/collect items loop. They don't repeat it again until 3 chapters later in Surface Tension with the dying guard. It's just long enough that most players have forgotten about the first sniper but not so long that attentive players wouldn't be able to pick up on it. It teaches the player to always be on their toes in every new area they head into rather than just falling into a rhythm for the whole game.
    Valve really are masters of pacing and I hope no one forgets that.

    • @Absolute_Zero7
      @Absolute_Zero7 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      I think the problem with the sniper is that its presence is so poorly conveyed. First, this is the first introduction to the sniper in this game, so any new player coming here will have no idea that snipers are even in this game, let alone how to deal with it. 2) The section takes place at night and as such its impossible to see that there even is a sniper.
      Playing through this game as a tween, I never realized there was a sniper. I took damage so inconsistently that I thought for the longest time that it was just a glitch and the game was just damaging me via rail electrocution. It wasn't until later that I learned that there's a sniper, and not until this very video where I finally realized where the nest is. This Sniper could work if it was the 2nd or 3rd appearance of a sniper so that the player might be able to figure out what is shooting at them, but as it stands this sniper does none of the things you claim it does.

    • @alarmy5211
      @alarmy5211 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      @@Absolute_Zero7half life 2 introduced snipers way better by simply… having them shoot shit? idk have the guards freak out over a headcrab before it gets sniped before they start talking about how much they hate freeman

  • @random_me666
    @random_me666 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    "Sirens In The Distance" when I first heard it, sounds like it's from the Fallout universe, especially with the screams, as Fallout has ambience of the past world of the souls who lost their lives in the Great War.

  • @repdebt
    @repdebt 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    the soldier shooting rockets at you in the chapter is just terrifying for some reason lol

    • @ilikepigeons6101
      @ilikepigeons6101 ปีที่แล้ว

      it is terrifying cuz it catches you off guard, TWICE lmao

    • @IIIGAH77
      @IIIGAH77 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Does he ever hit the tram? I just duck and he never actually hits it

    • @Shadowpastcool
      @Shadowpastcool 24 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Not to mention it seems a bit overkill to shoot at a scientist with a *missile launcher*

  • @3irikur
    @3irikur 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Sure some of the mechanics were a bit clumsy, but damn if I didn't love this chapter. It's just you and your train, fighting your way through the underground. It was probably my favorite.

  • @abanoub7002
    @abanoub7002 3 ปีที่แล้ว +87

    I personally dislike OAR but not because its "confusing", in fact for me on first playthrough it was a bit confusing but I got the hang of it shortly after as other players might have. But the reason why I just don't like it is because it gets boring cause most of the time as the chapter implies your on a rail and just hitting the things that change your direction, but the parts where your fighting tons of marines and aliens? chefs kiss, especially for the rocket launch part at the end of the chapter which is my favorite part of the game.

  • @alexeistukov433
    @alexeistukov433 4 ปีที่แล้ว +86

    Please keep on making more of this quality content! As for On a rail I think it also serves one more purpose that you did not mention: being the(pacing-wise) mid point of the game. It is revealed that the H.E.C.U are starting to have problems with containing the invasion and are starting to bring their heavy equipment in. And if you do not want to(or can't due to your health situation) engage in a couple of fights between aliens and marines you do not have to. If you are low on resources you can hunt around for crates, H.E.V. charging outlets etc. Sad that such an important part of the game gets so much hate. Just like Xen...

    • @Turbs94945
      @Turbs94945 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Xen is an important part but the gameplay is horrible and you'd be lucky to survive for a minute without being bombarded with waves of enemies (I'm looking at you, Interloper)

    • @alexeistukov433
      @alexeistukov433 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@Turbs94945 Not really. The amount of enemies you face is larger but not unfair(except on hard with the 1 sec vort attacks). The thing is that xen promotes a different, more careful and stealthy style of play. I like this because it reflects the fact that you are hopelessly outnumbered in a cold, alien dimension. You have to be careful and avoid fights if you can. But if you rush in like a tard expecting to be Dick Kickem or something then you will get buzzsawed back to New Mexico.

    • @govinlock8568
      @govinlock8568 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      For me, Xen is okay, except in the Chapter Interloper where the checkpoint become scrare and make the game frustating in hard mode.

    • @innoclarke7435
      @innoclarke7435 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@Turbs94945 I'm going to say it. People who hate Xen are just bad at the game. It's really not difficult to get through all of Xen without dying once. The game gives you health stations, you get plenty of ammo, there's areas to take cover, etc., so how the hell do people keep having trouble with Xen??

    • @enozlliks7794
      @enozlliks7794 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@innoclarke7435 For me, I don't really like Xen because
      1: It doesn't look that good
      2: The bossfights aren't really fun
      3: There are moments where you *have* to take fall damage, or at least it's really hard not to, which is annoying
      4: The first chapter is WAY too short and is boring
      It's ok and not that hard, but it is one of the weaker parts of the game

  • @hatandhoodie_
    @hatandhoodie_ ปีที่แล้ว +17

    2:23 "Because not only is shooting signs unintuitive, but it really clashes with the more realistic approaches to gameplay the rest of the game takes."
    This is the same game where SMGs have Grenade Launchers, Single-barreled Shotguns can double-barrel shoot, the player flies upward into vents via a giant fan (which is turned on by a switch found below the deadly fan blades I might add), and a security guard gets blown up by a laser gun that leaves only his boots left unscathed where was standing with his bones piled up nearby, and you think shooting signs to change railways is too unrealistic.

    • @Zekiraeth
      @Zekiraeth 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      Though most of these things you point out as unrealistic are fair enough, I will add that there does exist a model of MP5 with under barrel grenade launcher in real life.

  • @chrisu491
    @chrisu491 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I’m gonna be honest and say I really didn’t like this chapter. But instead of being critical I’m gonna praise the black mesa uncut version. I love how to rails don’t kill you and it’s linear and un linear at the same time. I loved this and would recommend it

    • @DinnerForkTongue
      @DinnerForkTongue 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Me too. I despised the crap out of HL's On A Rail and still do to this day, but BM's uncut/retail version of it rocks my socks.

    • @wta1518
      @wta1518 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I like the mod that combines Uncut with the Loop mod.

  • @houssinesqalli9379
    @houssinesqalli9379 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    it's one of those chapters that the more you play it the more you appreciate it

  • @theredlindworm732
    @theredlindworm732 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I like too imagine that certain cut enemies are still *Cannon* to HALF-LIFE but just are not encountered and that the odd creepy f*cking screams in this level are actually Stukabats communicating with each other somewhere where Gordon never goes or ends up in after the bats have left

  • @haroldgage7347
    @haroldgage7347 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    You speak so clearly that the auto captions actually understand you

  • @CsubAzUrmedve
    @CsubAzUrmedve ปีที่แล้ว +9

    On repeat playthroughs this chapter ain't so bad to be honest. The direction change is not intuitive at all, but once you get used to it, you can breeze through it pretty quickly.
    And because of this, I don't know why devs of Black Mesa decided to cut down a huge chunk of the chapter only to make the Xen chapters two or three times longer than Surface Tension.

    • @TeaserTravlein
      @TeaserTravlein 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      zen was honestly amazing. Interloper made me want to resonance cascade off a cliff.

    • @CsubAzUrmedve
      @CsubAzUrmedve 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@TeaserTravlein
      Fair enough.

  • @xianicarus8770
    @xianicarus8770 3 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    It's refreshing to find others who love On a Rail! It's absolutely full of great moments, most of which you highlighted here, as well as some just absolutely solid combat arenas and a unique mechanic that is fun to use (and optional if you don't agree).

    • @taboret3280
      @taboret3280 ปีที่แล้ว

      Its too fucking long

  • @thatissuperfunny5358
    @thatissuperfunny5358 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    When I played it the door that opens after you launch the rocket didn't open. I knew this was probably a glitch, and made sure I didn't miss anything in the rocket launch room. I pressed the button again and a second rocket launched...

    • @whitefang1657
      @whitefang1657 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Bruh, did you play the original half life or the source port, as the latter is known to be glitchy.

    • @thatissuperfunny5358
      @thatissuperfunny5358 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@whitefang1657 The original. At least I got to hear that nice music a second time!

    • @whitefang1657
      @whitefang1657 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@thatissuperfunny5358 haha that’s weird

  • @Awesomeness-iz3dh
    @Awesomeness-iz3dh 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    On a Rail is an open world adventure game in disguise.

  • @multigrandmarquis
    @multigrandmarquis 3 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    I genuinely liked On A Rail my first runthrough. Every run after, I completely forgot how to turn the cart on and had to play it without the cart

    • @doom-1472
      @doom-1472 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      lol same i completed the game a lot of times and i still didn't know that you need to shoot the signs i thought i was forced to get out of it

  • @Badjoe117
    @Badjoe117 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I think what makes it a chapter that I'm not looking forward to when playing HL is just that you are constantly getting sidetracked with all the side passages and such for the player to explore. And while I love exploration, it also takes away from any sense of urgency as you are constantly stopping the car every few minutes. It makes the chapter feel almost like a slog, combine that with all the enemies and it can be a very exhausting chapter that feels a bit gimmicky. It does have some good moments, but those are really the times when you are not on the train itself.

  • @focalpoint._
    @focalpoint._ 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    When I played OAR, it was like the game was just doing the usual game techniques of showing where you need to go using lighting, and getting you comfortable with shooting the signs. Then once you get out of the loop, things continue to get more and more hectic. A typical difficulty curve. Once you get used to the mechanics, HECU Grunts start coming out of the walls, so you would do what Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist would do. Panic, then try to make sense of the situation you’re in, think of a plan, and execute it.

  • @ThatUnknownDude_
    @ThatUnknownDude_ 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I think what makes the rocket launch more memorable is the frustration part of on a rail, so it feels like this rocket launch is like a big ass sigh of relief

  • @typeable
    @typeable 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Honestly, I loved On a Rail when I was playing on my first ever play-through. I still like it.

  • @gaelforcewind2351
    @gaelforcewind2351 3 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    On A Rail is the chapter I play any time I want a quick dose of HL, it's my all time favorite. Even after playing it countless times, it always leaves me with the feeling that there's things I've never seen before (and don't want to see) down there.

  • @literatemax
    @literatemax 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I finally played through the main half life games a couple years ago to see what all the fuss over the years was about. The only thing that stood out to me was the archaic cart controls.

  • @bibia666
    @bibia666 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I liked this level..., always have liked it. I still enjoy it very much.., so much I'm going to play HL (on ps2) "on a rail" part straight away ;)
    Greetings bibia.

  • @chickenfarmer321
    @chickenfarmer321 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    The only problem I had was with the clunky cart controls. They're not the most intuitive, and when you hop on and interact with it, you're glued to it. If you reflexively look to the side and hop off, you just accelerated it and now it's not at all where you wanted to be.

  • @kamikaw7832
    @kamikaw7832 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I like the small details of the chapter like the guard in the boarded up room and the secret vent/supply area under the stairs later on.

  • @mfaizsyahmi
    @mfaizsyahmi ปีที่แล้ว

    The remnants of the first iteration of the "rocket launch chapter" where you start from the control room is still in the final game. In the previous chapter, at the top of the toxic pit where the grunts had set up a base, you can see a board (i.e. screenshot of the level editor Worldcraft) showing the layout of the power up + on a rail chapters. It shows that the track used to go from Power Up directly to the outside of the launch pad (the place with the sniper).
    Also the launch control room still has global triggers that check for the state of the silo doors which were supposed to change the camera view and clear the rocket for take off, but these logic triggers are not hooked up to anything in the final version.

  • @jarvy251
    @jarvy251 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    "You change train direction by shooting signs, which is unintuitive..."
    This really took me aback because when little kid me played this back in '99, shooting the signs was the most obvious thing in the world. There's an arrow sign? It looks like it spins? Shoot it to spin it!
    I wonder if because it was a common trope in cartoons and other media at the time. I wonder if it's like watching people play HL2 for the first time today and not even realizing there's a physics puzzle to solve, when at the time of release, 20 years ago, the physics were so hyped up that people were always looking for ways to interact with the objects in this new way.

  • @Angelo-jd8xx
    @Angelo-jd8xx 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    in finished this chapter when i was 5 years old without understanding english, yet one of my friends hates this level as if it killed his mother or somerhing

  • @mitchinatr7093
    @mitchinatr7093 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Black Mesa handled On a Rail very well imo. One of the things I hated was that the rails shocked you in the original. It’s good that an unnecessary hazard is gone.

  • @mixererunio1757
    @mixererunio1757 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I loved it, because I played it after I played Metro Last Light which train lever is an homage to this one.

  • @lysander.o.c.3580
    @lysander.o.c.3580 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    You shoot the switch stands? I just get off the cart and hit them with the crowbar. It saves ammo and is much more realistic.

  • @synthomite405
    @synthomite405 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    I never figured out the sign shooting, I actually had to discover a glitch to get the cart further

  • @Harrycoook
    @Harrycoook ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I never understood the frustration with on a rail. In fact, I found the black mesa on a rail more confusing.

  • @Patolagos
    @Patolagos 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    You shouldn't forget that this chapter is also very fricking fun to play in Sven Coop

  • @Dumpsterfire95
    @Dumpsterfire95 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    "but I loved on a rail!"
    -me, on Critical Nobody's "Reviewing EVERY Half-Life" video, somewhere in march 2021

  • @coltforceplayer
    @coltforceplayer 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Anyone else skipped power-up using the Mine glitch and did On A Rail without a Cart on their first play through?

  • @ksysinf
    @ksysinf 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I do remember when I beat the geame for the first time I thought of on a rail to be a very long chapter that dragged on and on. it being underground didn't help either. I once didn't even start a new playthrough because I remembered this chapter to be in the game and I was like oh cmon, I think I'll pass it then. But since then I grew to really like it, it's exploration mood, feeling of loneliness and traps

  • @xx445
    @xx445 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Woooooow, loved this video dude, imma subscribe right now, really hyped about ur content

  • @billy_nintendo6239
    @billy_nintendo6239 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    i think the screams may be gordon hallucinating. after hours of huge struggles without any breaks and watching his friends and co-workers die, combined with the creepy and abandoned feel of the place would drive me insane

  • @thegoosejelly
    @thegoosejelly 3 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    Okay, but make "Half-Life's Xen isn't Bad" and then we'll talk.

    • @limaromeo8745
      @limaromeo8745 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      nobody would uphold that sentiment. the gonarch and the nihilanth were interesting but everything else was kinda ass.

    • @ChrisClarion
      @ChrisClarion 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I love Xen levels, they’re frustrating at times I agree, but that alien atmosphere... Just, I love it

    • @rokor3578
      @rokor3578 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      As a kid the first time I played through half life, I loved the xen levels. Reading the word interloper when you first teleport to xen made me think this is it I'm the invader now. I'm the one that doesnt belong here. Ya they're tough levels and it's kinda short but at the same time you should be very familiar with the game at that point and should be abusing everything you can to the maximum.

    • @xanious3759
      @xanious3759 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@rokor3578 most complaints i see of xen are "its different and alien from anything else in the game so bad." I mean its a fucking alien space ghetto, it wouldn't make sense if it was just low gravity surface tension.
      I always thought xen was supposed to be "You think you have control over things now? Think again."

    • @sirgordinni5154
      @sirgordinni5154 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Most of Xen is quite annoying, I'll admit that. However, the second map of Interloper is my favourite map in the entire game. You can either charge right in and deal with lots of powerful enemies, or you can be stealthy, and avoid all fights in the map, except for the two alien grunts right at the end. It's a map that has something for every kind of player, and while the other maps of the chapter all seem very good on paper, they don't play out well, which is a shame. Black Mesa destroyed this chapter, and not only made it much longer, but also much more frustrating.
      I read somewhere that Valve had to rush the last part of the game, so it's understandable that the entirety of Xen has so many bad levels, and the boss fights, despite being memorable, are chores. If only they had had more time!

  • @RomWatt
    @RomWatt หลายเดือนก่อน

    I always assumed the horror screams were supposed to be zombies and other alien creatures.

  • @MagicNipples
    @MagicNipples 4 ปีที่แล้ว +72

    Excellent work on it!
    Also all the pre release stuff sounds correct so you're good! 👌

    • @PurpleColonel
      @PurpleColonel  4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      Thanks, that's good to hear!

  • @waluiginumberone548
    @waluiginumberone548 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    On a rail is my favorite chapter,
    It just makes a perfect brake from the constant action.

  • @averylychee
    @averylychee 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    When I first played the first map of this chapter, I found the arrows and loops very confusing, because while there are landmarks through out the level, there aren't many landmarks or visual indicators near the switches themselves, so I ended up thinking I was at a different switch point to where I actually was. If each switch had some distinct major visual thing near it (a large crack in a wall, a sparking computer system, etc), I probably wouldn't have gotten lost at all!

  • @oneblacksun
    @oneblacksun 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The cart just moves like ass and the damn turrets everywhere and having to get off to get supplies. It's all just a slog.

  • @UnrelatedAntonym
    @UnrelatedAntonym ปีที่แล้ว +2

    6:16 the haunting screams and wails are used at that red portal just before you meet the Nihilanth that plays scientist voice lines from before and during the cascade, "Big day today Freeman", "Some one get him out of there. Shut down the equipment and someone get him out!", etc.
    That portal was always so fascinating to me. Xen rock platforms floating in a black void that seemed like maybe it is related to the void space G-Man uses.
    Would love a video that discusses that, since it doesn't feel like the rest of Xen.

    • @Half-Bad-Goodman
      @Half-Bad-Goodman ปีที่แล้ว

      In the game folder this sound called the_horror3.wav

  • @Nn-xz5es
    @Nn-xz5es 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    It was my one of my favorite chapters, it reminded me of the first Metro game

  • @EmeraldPixelGamingEPG
    @EmeraldPixelGamingEPG 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I agree. To be fair when I first played Half Life I wasn't as frustrated as some people seemed to have been.

  • @ImperfectV01D
    @ImperfectV01D 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I grew up on Descent II, so "winding maze-like tunnels" feel like home to me. Honestly, I wish more games employed that kind of non-linear level design - the kind that would actually challenge you, give you the freedom to play around, and expect you to figure things out on your own.

  • @StriKe_jk
    @StriKe_jk 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Dont ask me why but as a kid shooting the sign made sense and I immediatly understood it.

  • @jasohavents
    @jasohavents 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    in the UPLINK demo the screams are played with right before the Zombie Segment. So I always attributed those screams to an unseen screaming horde of agonized zombies.

  • @huntergman8338
    @huntergman8338 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I generally don't have much issues with maps unless they are functionally broken or so crazy that I can't make sense of it. As in so visually confusing that it's practically blinding.
    So maps line On a Rail I have no problem. To me it's simply another challenge to overcome.

  • @bebeusxl9842
    @bebeusxl9842 ปีที่แล้ว

    I played this game multiple times, but I've never realized you could shoot the signs to change the tracks. I just walked whenever the railcar became useless 🤦🏼‍♂️

  • @mikimaus5420
    @mikimaus5420 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I don't know why people say this chapter is worst of all and boring. I think its best and amusing because its fairly non linear. You have tons of options where you want to go, it's explorable. The worst chapter actually comes right after this one.

  • @invisiiso
    @invisiiso 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I played the original Half-Life recently. I already knew about this one's reputation beforehand... Despite that, this chapter was definitely one of my favorites.

  • @HalfLifer81
    @HalfLifer81 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I may be one of those rare cases that loved the chapter the first time I played it and I love it even more with every playthrough

  • @mokonono5903
    @mokonono5903 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    On a Rail for me was a complete and total nightmare. I found myself running out of ammo very often and I was usually below 25 health thanks to the rails. Of course, that's just because Im bad at video games, and yet I decided I wanted to go through the game on Hard mode for my first ever and blind playthrough. I've gotten _moderately_ better at it but I don't often replay the game, I mostly just play the Sven Coop version with friends, which is great fun fighting with each other and watching them figure out what to do.

  • @Vycter_Real
    @Vycter_Real 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Great video as always.

  • @rorythecomrade4461
    @rorythecomrade4461 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I played this when I was like, 14 or 15 at first. On a rail never bothered me, personally. I was actually surprised to find out it bothered anyone, with the exception of the wonky cart controls.

  • @agroed
    @agroed 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I don't know why anyone dislikes this level. I thought it was a fun change-up.

  • @Neldonax
    @Neldonax 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Honestly insane that valve tried readding the cremator to alyx

  • @SpaceHunterM
    @SpaceHunterM 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    How can anyone hate On A Rail? It's the magnum murder rampage chapter!

  • @SHDW-nf2ki
    @SHDW-nf2ki 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    One of the many changes Black Mesa makes that I do not like.

  • @Headlessgenie
    @Headlessgenie ปีที่แล้ว

    When it was free during the build up to alyx release, i played up and past this part. It was fun to me for my first time. Definitely confusing though.

  • @kylefinn5301
    @kylefinn5301 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Honestly OaR is one of my favorite chapters, and also in Black Mesa there’s a mod that reimplements the sections that were cut and greatly extends the chapter.

  • @ChaseGoodwyn
    @ChaseGoodwyn 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I always just went along with the hate train when deep down i really had no problem with On A Rail.

  • @GenMaj_Knight
    @GenMaj_Knight ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I remember actually liking On A Rail the first time, just the cart not stopping when you jump off was the only annoying part. It wasn't too hard to just remember what turns led where.

  • @KenWojcik
    @KenWojcik 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    When I first played On A Rail, I literally just skipped the mission by walking along the edges for most of the mission. I had a lot of fun this way as to me it felt like I was exploring a maze. Never understood the hate for the level because I guess I didn’t play it “the way it was supposed to”.

  • @bbenjoe
    @bbenjoe 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I loved it evenly like the rest. Though I am surprised people still make videos with the original Half-Life 1, instead of the remae, Black Mesa.

  • @bonzai8664
    @bonzai8664 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    On my first playthrough, I thought on a rail was a pretty great chapter.
    I actually preferred it over the blast-pit

  • @peo9741
    @peo9741 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    first time actually beating half life 1, didnt have any issues with on a rail, and actually had a lot of fun with it, probably more fun than power up and blast pit

  • @dnjtejgpf
    @dnjtejgpf 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love this level too.

  • @filipbartas576
    @filipbartas576 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Always loved this chapter. I usually walk on food, clear the whole map a come back for the train.

  • @Half-Bad-Goodman
    @Half-Bad-Goodman ปีที่แล้ว

    On a rail has potentialy cauded a traumtism during my enfance

  • @PashaGamingYT
    @PashaGamingYT 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I thought it was good apart from that one blast door next to the heavy turret
    How was I supposed to know I was supposed to walk into it without my cart????

  • @dincjfs
    @dincjfs 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    i like oar because of the, to quote max_the_one, "SCRUNGLES"

  • @GarretsShadow
    @GarretsShadow 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I think when the player figures out that they need to use this system of shooting signs to navigate a labyrinth of tunnels, the idea seems more daunting than it actually is. There's only a couple of detours you can realistically take before making progress

  • @vleid2306
    @vleid2306 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    i always liked On a rail, even being one of my favorite chapters in the entire franchise, the atmosphere that On a rail has, its just unforgiving to me, with that weird music and sounds.
    For me the worst Chapter in HL is Gonarch lair lol

  • @gaming-98
    @gaming-98 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    hot take: all of xen is worse then on a rail

    • @-Zakhiel-
      @-Zakhiel- 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      nah. They're both all right. A bit tedious on a first playthrough but that's all.

  • @CripplingMemeAddict
    @CripplingMemeAddict 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Why is your gameplay so damn dark? I literally cant see

    • @CarbonDioxide.
      @CarbonDioxide. 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      maybe turn up your computer brightness... it's fine for me

    • @Potacintvervs
      @Potacintvervs 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thats how the game is supposed to be played.

    • @onometre
      @onometre 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I mean its a bit dark but I don't have any issues seeing anything on my screen

  • @NoBudgetBits.
    @NoBudgetBits. หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    On A Rail is fine, I guess. Played it for the first time yesterday, and it’s a little boring, but Y’ALL SHOULD BE SHITTING ON RESIDUE PROCESSING Y’ALL THAT CHAPTER IS ASS

    • @wizard_4194
      @wizard_4194 หลายเดือนก่อน

      fr
      people give On a Rail shit but they seem to forget Residue Processing. At least On a Rail has SOMETHING happening in it. Residue is just jumping on conveyor belts and dodging awfully placed trip mines

    • @NoBudgetBits.
      @NoBudgetBits. หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@wizard_4194 I’m a little pissed off by how lazy the level design is

  • @thennoth2860
    @thennoth2860 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    When I first heard about the chapter, I wasn't exactly thrilled when I got up to it in-game. However, in my opinion it's actually fine. Especially when going back and playing it again through sven coop, that was fun.

  • @sonicdash9652
    @sonicdash9652 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    On A Rail isn't a bad level, but Blast Pit...
    F*ck those giant tentacles!

  • @jockeyfield1954
    @jockeyfield1954 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    playing on a rail was one of the only chapters where i actually felt as if i was making a difference in the area and was actually making progress
    in the other chapters, you just move past enemy to enemy before you get to your location and rinse a repeat
    but with on a rail, you get to the rail system and each time you get to another location, you're ever so closer to your destination
    and finally, you launch the rocket, when you launched that thing, you were officially trying to save the world, no longer were you just trying to gtfo, but you were making an actual difference as a one man army, a ground unit trying to get to evac only to end up stopping the biggest threat earth has yet to face
    the only thing i dislike about the chapter is the sniper near the end of the mission, that guy can suck it!

  • @Shortyland05
    @Shortyland05 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    one of the devs for Black Mesa did an extension addon that put alot of the original layouts from the old half life into the Black Mesa remake, but with alot of the frustrating parts left out and a few edits to make the chapter in line with the rest of the game detail wise. Its well worth checking out.

  • @xXRealXx
    @xXRealXx 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    What?! I didn't even think of shooting signs! Man, it would've been less frustrating that way!

  • @OriginalSteamguy
    @OriginalSteamguy 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Nice essay. But the gameplay footage is so dark I mostly see my face. 😂