Best Half-Life Chapter Tournament

Jessie

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 02:13:40 UTC Post #339151

I've got too much time on my hands, so let's do a thing! We're going to use "science" to figure out what the best Half-Life chapter is. Which is to say, I'm going to present pairs of chapters to y'all and you'll vote on which is better. How you qualify which is "better" is completely up to you. Feel free to discuss your reasoning! Discourse is good!

Every day (roughly), I'll come back here and put up the next round. All you have to do is name your choice. No backsies if you miss out!

********

First up is Power Up vs. Endgame! Which is better, getting the generator going to kill a Garg and head off on the train, or being stuck in an interactive cutscene while the G-man gives you an enigmatic speech?

JessieTrans Rights <3

Strider

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 02:17:32 UTC Post #339152

Power Up, easily!

StriderTuned to a dead channel.

Notewell

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 02:49:41 UTC Post #339153

Power Up. Endgame is important to the story but has no gameplay. In Power Up you get to fight a garg, and it's also the source of my first memories of ever seeing Half-Life.

NotewellGIASFELFEBREHBER

Penguinboy

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 03:53:23 UTC Post #339154

No contest with power up!

PenguinboyHaha, I died again!

Windawz

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 03:58:13 UTC Post #339155

Definitely Power Up. Awesome chapter (which I always skip with tripmines).

Windawz

NineTnine

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 04:01:51 UTC Post #339156

Power up.

(But we all know the final winner of this is going to be Surface Tension)

NineTnine

2muchvideogames

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 06:01:11 UTC Post #339157

i like the part in power up where i can just skip it using a trip mine

2muchvideogames

Snehk

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 06:23:12 UTC Post #339158

Power Up, even though it felt a lot like a bit less tedious Blast Pit. Endgame was cool but had no gameplay.

Snehk

xawari

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 09:41:45 UTC Post #339160

Surface Tension
:trollface:

xawari

Unq

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 10:53:08 UTC Post #339161

Power Up wins this round

Unq

xawari

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 11:03:38 UTC Post #339162

edit
yup, it's Power Up for me too. Didn't read the whole post in a hury

xawari

Instant Mix

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 11:51:27 UTC Post #339163

power up 4 defs; endgame is an art peice rather than exciting bit of gameplay

Instant MixTitle commitment issues

The Mad Carrot

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 14:43:55 UTC Post #339164

Power Up, that's a no-brainer.

The Mad Carrot

Suparsonik

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 15:03:00 UTC Post #339165

Power Up.

SuparsonikI'm going off the edge to meet my maker.

Tetsu0

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 19:21:55 UTC Post #339167

[blue]POWER UP[/blue]

Tetsu0Positive Chaos

monster_urby

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 20:00:22 UTC Post #339168

I actually really enjoyed the different scenes in ENDGAME... but [m]POWER UP[/m] had gameplay.

monster_urbyGoldsourcerer

Dr. Orange

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 20:14:56 UTC Post #339169

Power Up, becuase you can trigger the scripted stuff at your own pace. Then again, Endgame had boids...

Dr. OrangeSource good.

monster_urby

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 20:28:32 UTC Post #339170

The first time I played Half-Life I killed the Gargantua with grenades. Then the rest of the chapter I thought the facility was collapsing and figured I was nearing the end of the game.

I was pleasantly surprised a when I realised otherwise.

So yeah, I was just as dumb then as I am now. Go figure.

monster_urbyGoldsourcerer

Jessie

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 20:44:56 UTC Post #339171

Well, I count that as a pretty definitive 15 - 0 to Power Up. Which, y'know, as much as I like that G-man speech, it wasn't much of a contest. For the record, the order these chapters are appearing in was randomized, so it's a shame a one-sided matchup like that came first. Anyway, onto the next round, which could be a little more balanced...

********

Hazard Course vs. Questionable Ethics! Which is better â€” the classic tutorial that was likely the first bit of Half-Life many of us played, or the classy lab with caged monsters, laser shields, surgical machines and... whatd'ya mean, "overcharge"?

JessieTrans Rights <3

Windawz

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 20:54:48 UTC Post #339172

Questionable Ethics.

Windawz

monster_urby

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-03 23:19:15 UTC Post #339173

I really like the Hazard Course in that it is made to look like an older part of the complex that has been re-purposed.

[m]Questionable Ethics[/m] has the edge though. Some really cool moments where you get to see the grunts fighting the alien grunts, houndeyes and bullsquids. You also get to trash a bunch of stuff and the whole map eventually loops back on itself. Surprising it was never made into a deathmatch map.

monster_urbyGoldsourcerer

Strider

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 00:39:33 UTC Post #339174

This one is tougher, because the Hazard Course is great, but Questionable Ethics wins for Urby's reasons above. Also illogical death lasers and an out of control "surgery" machine are just too much fun.

StriderTuned to a dead channel.

Dimbeak

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 02:16:09 UTC Post #339175

Hazard Course because it's well-designed.

A large portion of Questionable Ethics can be skipped by pressing a button through the wall. Messy design.

DimbeakRotten Bastard

Notewell

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 02:21:54 UTC Post #339176

While I do love the Hazard Course and it has a special place in my heart since I remade it, I gotta say Questionable Ethics wins by a small margin. That feeling of sneaking around the labs while you're slowly building your arsenal up again after the previous two chapters... It's a good feel.

NotewellGIASFELFEBREHBER

rufee

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 06:04:31 UTC Post #339177

Questionable Ethics
Design fits the title quite well.

rufeeSledge fanboy

Snehk

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 06:46:37 UTC Post #339178

I love Hazard Course, but Questionable Ethics wins this one. Those labs were amazing!

Snehk

Penguinboy

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 07:25:27 UTC Post #339179

â¬†ï¸ What they said. Except Dimbeak, never what he says.

PenguinboyHaha, I died again!

NineTnine

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 08:10:06 UTC Post #339180

ya ya Hazard Course was pretty fun but Questionable Ethics only slightly better

Overcharge? What do you mean "overcharge"!?

Also how much of a workplace hazard was that surgical device, what kind of surgery would you even do with it!

NineTnine

monster_urby

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 10:05:44 UTC Post #339181

Also how much of a workplace hazard was that surgical device, what kind of surgery would you even do with it!

X-TREME SURGERY

monster_urbyGoldsourcerer

Unq

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 10:14:52 UTC Post #339182

Questionable Ethics. Fantastic loopback design, nice texture set, nifty looking lobby. And it develops the mystery of what the Black Mesa guys knew and when.

Unq

The Mad Carrot

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 14:23:59 UTC Post #339183

Questionable Ethics. It's one of my favorite chapters.

The Mad Carrot

Suparsonik

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 15:26:18 UTC Post #339184

Questionable Ethics.

SuparsonikI'm going off the edge to meet my maker.

Jessie

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 21:22:49 UTC Post #339186

Alright, once again, a pretty one sided 'bout; I was sure there'd be more people batting for Hazard Course! But Questionable Ethics takes it 11-1. Something tells me this streak will continue with...

********

Black Mesa Inbound vs. Xen! Which is better, the timeless (yet lengthy) transit system ride, or the player's first proper trip into the borderworld, with long jumping and strange laser crystals?

JessieTrans Rights <3

Unq

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 21:45:56 UTC Post #339187

Black Mesa Inbound sets the mood just perfectly. Definitely gets my vote. The music still gives me a chill when it starts.

That said, I never minded Xen. The Xen chapter proper is only a single map - the meat of Xen is really Interloper which I've become fond of actually.

Q for Jessie - it'd be awesome if you updated the image at the top of the page (your first post) as well, if possible. Then at a glance we can see the current bracket.

Unq

Penguinboy

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-04 23:10:53 UTC Post #339188

Inbound definitely

PenguinboyHaha, I died again!

Jessie

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 00:06:08 UTC Post #339189

@Unq: I don't think I can replace that specific image where it's hosted, and without freaky moderator powers, I can't change the link itself. One of the higher-ups might be able to do it, but I won't bother them to care deeply about this thread.

Also, since Unq mentioned it, I will remind people that the Xen chapter is indeed only the first level set in Xen. The rest of that part of the game falls under other chapters.

JessieTrans Rights <3

Suparsonik

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 03:00:32 UTC Post #339190

Inbound.

SuparsonikI'm going off the edge to meet my maker.

Windawz

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 03:05:39 UTC Post #339191

Never really liked any of the Xen chapters, including the first one. Yeah, the borderworld may look fantastic and unusual but the levels feel rather, uhm, dull.

Black Mesa Inbound is probably the most memorable chapter for me, the accompanying track fits the map perfectly. Still remember how I enjoyed all the details and scenes during the ride when I played HL the first time.

So, Black Mesa Inbound.

Windawz

Strider

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 04:59:28 UTC Post #339192

I guess I'm going to be the loon who votes for Xen.

Inbound is great for establishing mood, but Xen's a hands-on chapter that changes the whole game. You're on the alien's turf now, and it's not welcoming. It helps that I love platforming in Half-Life, and all that precarious ledge-crawling you've been doing is about to be put to the test.

Xen (the place) doesn't suck until the alien factory at the end of Interlopers, but Xen (the chapter) is a great introduction.

StriderTuned to a dead channel.

rufee

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 05:59:44 UTC Post #339193

Inbound hands down.

Xen was always just weird for me, I guess its supposed to be, but nevertheless organic shapes were not a thing the engine (everyones PC's) could handle back then and a lot was left for the head to filter and make pretty.

rufeeSledge fanboy

Tetsu0

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 06:33:43 UTC Post #339194

Xen because it's actually the first level i played. My dad was having issues with the longjumps between platforms and let me have a shot at it.

Tetsu0Positive Chaos

Snehk

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 13:13:06 UTC Post #339202

My vote's on Xen. It was such an otherworldly level that it literally made my jaw drop.

Snehk

monster_urby

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 13:34:57 UTC Post #339203

Xen was always a little heavy on the platforming for my tastes. The Xen maps in Blue-Shift were a much better experience in my opinion.

[m]Inbound[/m] sets the mood, has incredible music, and does an excellent job of defining the setting. Even without the text prompts on screen, you can see that Black Mesa is enormous and old, the sheer scale of the areas you pass through, the alternate tram lines in the distance, the blend of old industrial areas and new labs. I love it. It was once my favorite kind of thing to replicate in Hammer.

monster_urbyGoldsourcerer

Jessie

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 20:33:37 UTC Post #339212

Apparently I can't guess for toffee when it comes to which of these are going to be close, so I'm going to stop doing that! Black Mesa Inbound takes this one by a considerably more balanced 6-3. Also the votes are dropping at a steady rate of 3 per round, so this bracket could become defunct in 3 more rounds! Next up, we've got consecutive chapters with...

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Unforeseen Consequences vs. Office Complex! Which is better, the player's first-hand look at the devastation of the resonance cascade on the previously pristine labs, or the romp around the office area, replete with vent-crawling, freezer meats and elevator-shaft-climbing?

JessieTrans Rights <3

Unq

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 20:53:33 UTC Post #339214

Unforeseen Consequences.

Office Complex is deliberately drab and mundane and it plays a part in the development of the first section of the game, but Unforeseen is really where things are turned around and you get the first sense of how the rest of the game might unfold. It's a brilliant backtrack through areas you just saw.

Unq

Snehk

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 20:55:02 UTC Post #339215

Definitely Unforeseen Consequences! - chaos, destruction, first alien encounters, the scientist head humped by a headcrab, or the one that you can send down the abyss... This chapter gives a heavy "Shit, I fucked up!" feeling after the experiment.

Vent crawling in office complex felt dull, though freezers were quite interesting. Still, Office Complex loses this one.

Snehk

The Mad Carrot

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 21:19:09 UTC Post #339216

I'm voting Unforeseen Consequences. What people said.

The Mad Carrot

monster_urby

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 21:31:00 UTC Post #339217

I don't have anything negative to say about Office Complex really. I quite like that the chapter revolves around bypassing the locked doors. When you're done and you backtrack, you realise that it has taken a lot of effort to essentially get from one end of a corridor to the other.

However, [m]Unforeseen Consequences[/m] is obviously one of my earliest memories of Half-Life. Backtracking though areas that were previously brightly lit and full of staff going about their business. It freaked me out when I was younger, and it goes to show how diverse the gameplay is throughout the campaign.

It does a wonderful job of teaching you how the game world works, should you have skipped the Hazard Course for whatever reason. It's something I have considered making a video about a couple of times.

monster_urbyGoldsourcerer

NineTnine

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 22:21:54 UTC Post #339218

This is a tricky one! I loved Office Complex because of its build up into We've Got Hosptiles and its cool environment.

But yeah I'm going UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES because, similar to Black Mesa Inbound it was just different to other games at the time. Backtracking through an area that was all calm and peaceful first time but now all chaos was just awesome - I wasn't familiar with any other games back then did any kind of thing, it made the world very believable.

It does a wonderful job of teaching you how the game world works, should you have skipped the Hazard Course for whatever reason

I had never thought of that!

NineTnine

Notewell

Posted 6 years ago2018-04-05 23:04:50 UTC Post #339220

Gonna have to go against the grain with this one and vote for Office Complex, because it teases the arrival of the HECU and shows you how far-flung the effects of the resonance cascade have become within the facility.

NotewellGIASFELFEBREHBER

Best Half-Life Chapter Tournament Created 6 years ago2018-04-03 02:09:53 UTC by Jessie