Half-life 2: Episode 1. Steamy ham Created 18 years ago2006-05-27 16:59:51 UTC by Madcow

Indeed, there are few FPSes with good storylines, not suprising given the genre is essentially action first - shooting and killing lots of things in the first person. In terms of pure FPS HL2 is certainly around the top, but thats comparing it to the likes of Doom/Painkiller/CoD/the thousand games based on the quake engines. If you bring Deus Ex into this, which is heavily RPG as well as FPS, then it can't hold a candle to it.

Ive been pretty dissapointed with the FPS genre in recent times, theres too much emphasis on flashy graphics over substance, the only FPS thats left any kind of lasting impression on me post deus ex was its sequel.

I dont know why I enjoyed Quake 4 so much though, gory fun but not a lot else!

Well HL2 is ok...At the time it was a big hype and I guess because it is the only game I have ever modded I find Valve very talented...

They have some clever level design ideas...

EP1 was good..Yes it was short but hey I'm rich! Who gives a fuck

I really liked the way valve did HL2. Jobabob, im surprised you didn't realise this.

The games story telling is crafted so you get what you need and can keep killing stuff if your a pure action junkie. or you can look around, look at the bulliten boards, read the newspaper clipings, everythings there if you feel you need to have a little more plot to reason out this world.

now onto FF.

FF11 is the nobodies FF because no one really has anything to say about it, it really holds the title of "just the next one in the series, nothing to special"
FF10 was pretty bad in comparison with the others, FF10-X2 was a joke.
FF9 was ok, but square was on the decline in terms of gaming making skill.
FF6 and 7 built on the story concept that square had back when it made secret of mana.
FF 4 and 5 were great games for the time and are still really fun to play.

Final Fantiasies 7 and 8 are where Square peaked in its creative out put. FF7 perfected the whole Mako, Mana, lifestream idea from secret of mana and FF6. Sephiroth was an awesome villin/ally(for that 10 seconds he was in the flash back)

FF8 took all the great game design ideas from FF7 and took a really, truely original story. It had the design that you got to fight with you enemy for a while. it had some really, really kick ass FMV's. It had the best sound track i've ever heard in a FF game.

theres still something that makes FF7 better, but I can't place it.

The FF7 story is amazing - even though only told in text dialogues, the story is compelling and the characters are lovable. It made a great impression on me the first time I played it, and did so again the second and third time I played it.

The Half-Life idea of only showing exactly what the player sees, nothing more, nothing less, is brilliant. It really gives you the feel that you are Gordon, you know what he knows and experiences what he experiences. Together with brilliant character animation and voice-acting, Half-Life 2 is easily the best story-telling FPS of all time. Atleast, in my opinion.

it is my opinion to that HL2 is the best story telling FPS of all time. not just because of what ZL said, but becasue it has so many holes just waiting to be filled in by a community of modders and fan fictions

Under that logic its a pretty weak story, you dont read a good book and say 'that was a good story because I thought up half of it myself'

I suppose HL2 is the best overall FPS ever, discounting deus ex because thats an RPG really. I wouldn't say its the best game though.

Hmm, though I think Half-Life 2 has a good story, I am most definately, for once, with Jobabob. Deus Ex is superior.

It has a fantastic story, great weapons, a perfect HUD, multiple paths you can take, multiple choices to make which affect the game and a very nice RPG part to it as well which add a lot of replayability to the game, and the feeling of achievement when you finally get to the highest level of say Medical or Swimming.
It was immensely detailed, and fairly humourous and many different ways to tackle a problem.

A fantastic game...were as in Half-Life2, though it was great fun, there wasn't any replayability for me personally. It had great key moments such as the bridge, and the gravity gun was a excellent addition.
I really didn't see that much story to Half-Life2 though. It seemed more like the basic concept of big bad oppresive combine, freeman and rebels attack 'em, GO GO GRAV GUN!!!

plus I didnt know ANYTHING about deus ex before playing it, I didnt even realise it was supposed to be a conspiracy! I wish it were possible to avoid all the hype of todays games like that, I tried my best with Oblivion but I got so much advertising, previews, etc thrown at me I couldnt. HL2 goes one step further on the hype-o-meter, especially given the nonsense release date and 'out of the blue' announcment of its existence.

I especially liked the part where you leave the MJ-12 base to find you are in UNATCO. I was quite shocked really.
The game really kept me on my toes.

And yeh...played Oblivion, but I knew the story already. Good game though none the less.

I have oblivion, don't play it anymore though, got board after 2 hours of play.

RPGs arent for everyone, Its so different to a classic FPS like hl/hl2, you can just go and explore for hours. Its also a pretty laid back game, the focus is on the realistic simulation of a fantasy world rather than just combat.

Its too bad you cant play it m_garg, I've already got some 200 hours out of the game doing the many many different quest lines for each faction. Dark Brotherhood being the best obviously

I am actually installing Deus Ex again now

Spoiler!!

Dark Brotherhood was fantastic, I was quite chuffed since I managed to guess the murderer before the final quest, and I was ready for him when the final quest came.

I bet it would be fun if Oblivion was online...Like a huge WoW type game only FPS and stuff.

So what are we arguing about here? HL2 is a crap game? Deus Ex is better etc...Bleh if you ask me you can't say these views...They are what 'you' believe and so it doesn't affect anyone else but you.

hl2 isnt a crap game, as i understand it I ended up starting argument that 4 hours of gameplay (at least on first playthrough) is not enough for a mod

I suppose it is very opinion based, you either see it like myself, episodic content is a degradation in gaming itself where whatever increase in quality cannot be equated with the loss of actual 'gameplay-time', or you are so enthralled by the quality you dont actually mind.

Theres also the fanboy 'do no wrong' crowd that wouldnt bat an eyelid if Valve setup Steam to sell gallows to Zimbabwe.

We can still express our opinions on the matter though, discussion would be a bit boring if it was based on hard facts.

I managed to guess the murderer before the final quest

Given he practically says 'I dont like the dark brotherhood much cough wink nudge' it wasnt that subtle The 'clensing' was one of the most morally terrible quests I've ever had to do in any rpg though, nomatter what Id done before I found becoming a genocidal maniac a little tough.

heh, I didn't talk to them really, took a quick look at 'em and guessed, since he just looked quite shifty ;D

And was the Cleansing where you have to kill all the people in the Dark Brotherhood?

er, yes, SPOILER

Oblivion was quite fun, until I did the mainquest, became guildmaster in every guild etc. I even did a lot of sidequests and exploring. Then I got bored cause there waren't really anything left to do Awesome game though

On topic:

So what do you think E2 is about? Judging from the trailer, they've formed a resistance to defeat the last combines from City 17. And do you think the Vortogaunts will play a larger role in the sequel, what the hell did they do to G-Man anyway?

I think the Vortogaunts just stopped Gman from taking Freeman again, and took Freeman back.

i believe theres a seperate post for e2 discussion

Obviously Saribous you didnt pick up on the story in HL2.....There are many signs, letters, and people to progress the story. Go read a story synopsis on it, then come back and say its bad, ok????

Obviously Unknown-forum-dude, you haven't played many games if by your standards HL2 has a good story. Go play Grim and then come back and defend HL2, ok????

Unknown forum dude? Whats that supposed to mean?

Ok Goth emo guy.........

So you still have not read up on Hl2's story right????

Xyos shut the fuck up before you make an even bigger joke of yourself.

Saribous, Xyos isn't unknown.
Xyos, don't try to start a war.
Keep the peace people.

Yeah? Well why dont you all shuck the fup up? I'm tick and sired of mistening to your loaning. Let a gife.

What.... the.... hell?

Well Im sorry, I didnt realize I was making a joke of myself, or if I was causing trouble.....

I dont want any trouble....

The milkman must deliver the milk, you will all be purified by the glory of the milkman

Spam.

Seriously, if you don't have anything more important than that to post, then don't bother.

We can debate games all day long, but I think it's time we let this particular thread die.

Agreed. Buy and play it, or don't.