Well the 1st time I played HL, the crowbar looked soooo original... I mean - the other melee wpns were mostly carp in other games and used by the player only in the beginning, until you get a normal wpn or not used at all. While the crowbar in HL was used by the player through 1/2 or even thru the whole game, trying to save those last mags of the 9mm or the shotgun. Now ppl, who play HLSP for the 2nd, 3rd time, use the crowbar more often, just to show the headcrabs, zombies, slaves and hgrunts, who's 73h m@s73r. I mean it's still fun to run around a slow-moving zombie in circles and bash him with the crowbar once in a while and then watch him trying to hit you desperately..
However, in MP - you can easily overcome the crowbar, as long as you look, where you're going (and as long as the opponent doen't have the long-jump module
). It's extremely powerful, combined with the long-jump and the gauss gun.. (Take Muzz as an example)
In HL2 - most ppl use the crowbar only until they get the grav gun. Although I still use the crowbar to bash the crates all the time. I just drag em over closer to me with the grav gun and bash em with a crowbar then.
The crowbar now is more like a trademark of HL. If it's removed or replaced - HL won't be HL anymore..