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Half-Life 2

The most eagerly anticipated sequel ever? And then some, replies Sam in this preview.

So this is the biggie. The most anticipated PC sequel ever and the news is finally here. The rumours, guesses and plain old fantasies can now be laid to rest for we have some real solid information about how this game will redefine not just a genre but our concept of gaming in general. Forgive the hyperbole, but after reading the massive preview in the June issue of PC Zone I can honestly say that this appears to be one game that cannot be hyped enough.

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Unfortunately I don’t have a team of lawyer’s working for me in the background, so I can’t let you see the nutty looking realism of the completely new graphics engine. There are sites out there with scans, which I recommend you track down rapido, but some of the pics in the Zone are new; the images of the emotional ranges on the faces of characters is stunning, looking damn close to those featured in Nvidia's Dawn demo. The lighting and textures look great, the models sturdy and lifelike and the environments detailed and atmospheric. Granted all this is from about 15 screenshots but they are mighty fine and according to the article itself the graphics are even more stellar when seen in motion.

Not much of the plot is given away in the preview, understandable as Valve has done such a great job keeping the world in the dark over this game’s development. We are told that the second instalment occurs some years after the first game, and will take place out of the Black Mesa compound, mostly being set in the north European setting of City 17. The events in Half-Life were just a taste of what the aliens had in store for Earth. The hordes of monsters that you slaughtered your way through over those many days of fevered excitement were just the scouting party. This time round it is a proper invasion, Reynolds-style.

Once again the player will reprise the role of that little ginger Gordon Freeman, and some of the NPCs from the last game will rejoin you in the adventure. I shudder to think how useless Barney will be unless he has spent the intervening years tied to a rowing machine, although Valve says that the NPCs will no longer be flummoxed by some crates forcing you to leave them behind. This time round all the character elements in the game will be totally mobile, meaning that baddies can follow you over gaps and up piles of crates, dogging you with their nasty AI till enough lead is pumped into their ugly alien hides. Variety will be well catered for with around 50 enemies to deal with, from old favourites like the head-crabs and zombies, to new baddies; the marines have been replaced by fully suited-up human agents of the alien invasion and the wow factor of the original’s big blue monsters has been replaced by a creature that looks like one of the massive striders from the War of the Worlds, which will be 90 feet tall in the game world. And is called a Strider, natch.

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1. LOOKS GOOD=)

   ben Monday, 28 April 2003, 16:20:3

2. The preview is more than a little popular - apologies for the slow load times as we try and keep the server up.

   Jason Monday, 28 April 2003, 16:41:35

3. No worrys jason!! preview is awsome!! got any idea when we can expect new screens?

   Ben Monday, 28 April 2003, 16:45:35

4. scans for screenshots? cheap cheap cheap.

   spoon_T_Rex Monday, 28 April 2003, 17:21:22

5. You seen any that arn't scans? Errrrr... nope - thats because there arn't any.

   Jason Monday, 28 April 2003, 17:29:8

6. Oh yeah, apart from the two that we have in there.

   Jason Monday, 28 April 2003, 17:36:7

7. The graphics look nice, but I'll be looking for the gameplay of the original HL. Without it, HL2 will be the year's biggest disappointment.

   Pitman Monday, 28 April 2003, 19:55:1

8. Cant wait try this one out, half life remains on of the best games ive ever played. hope to hear soon about a counter strike 2 also with the new game engine.

   DR-K-os Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 00:06:47

9. This preview is nothing more then me ripping off the great article in the newest UK PC Zone. It is here for those of you like me who can't wait more then one unnecessary minute for their fix of game. It's also here for those who can't, or won't, buy print magazines. It's here for those of us who really loved Half-Life and have been looking forward to the sequel ever since we completed those jarringly crap xen levels. Five months to go folks.

   Sam Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 00:11:34

10. This is not the most anticipated sequel ever.

    Chris Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 05:17:31

11. So what is then?

    Jason Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 05:36:46

12. This comment is for the negative replies...

    The original HL was a total pleasure to play due to the time taken to apply clever programming with a great story.

    It is so obvious the designers & coders were not hacks just out of school throwing code together where ever the fancy took them.

    Sorry kids, it true, experience counts. But on a positve note, learn from HL2 as much as you can.

    The fact the first HL was planned properly, HL2 will not be any less. Also, think about the time it has taken for the HL sequel to arrive in comparison to other sequels.

    Great ideas, do not have time limits... I can't wait !

    Buzzard_Mongrel Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 06:44:12

13. Excellent comment, well made.

    Jason Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 07:24:59

14. This is not the most anticipated sequel everSo what is then?

    Duke Nukem Forever ;-)

    Th3M1ghtyD8 Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 10:16:21

16. half life was boring, the only reason it was big was because of counter strike. without that it would be another old boring game. i aint arsed about half life 2 its counter strike 2 i care about.

    zimma Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 11:18:12

17. LOL - without Half-Life there would be no Counterstrike!

    Half-Life got game of the year, rave reviews and record scores in tens of publications before Counterstrike was even conceived!

    Jason Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 11:52:31

18. What is? I've lost count. It'll not be too long before another publication or gaming web - site will comment about the next amazing game coming out stating, "The most eagerly anticipated sequel ever..." It's called hype my friends. That's not to say that Half life 2 isn't going to be great, we all know that it will be.

    Chris Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 16:16:31

19. wait, so is this game going to be making an appearance on the x-box too? the article didn't make that clear.

    C. Turner Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 18:09:34

20. OLD SCANS MY "FRIENDS".......................

    JESUS Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 18:16:12

21. http://www.ntfs.org/index.php?action=news&catid=3#news5171

    Loook Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 19:19:49

22. Yeah, they must be a good 4-5 days old. Practicaly ancient for something that only came out of the NDA on the day this article was published.

    Sam Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 19:37:25

23. "It's called hype my friends. That's not to say that Half life 2 isn't going to be great, we all know that it will be. "

    So there was a point there?

    fedupwaiting Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 19:39:16

24. HL was brilliant. HL2 looks amazing but if the AI aint as good as the first 1 it will last as long as unreal2 did. Fingers are crossed that it plays as well as it looks.

    MeKaNiK Tuesday, 29 April 2003, 20:03:48

25. HL is a great game. HL2 will hopefully be a lot better if they:

    If the game has a good story to tell.

    Good not-full-of-bugs code

    Game has good AI

    Game follows it's PC tracks

    Pushes the MOD community to create good new levels, etc.

    Just my 2 cents

    www.polygonos.com

    fedele Wednesday, 30 April 2003, 17:16:11

26. Bring it on! it looks awsome! make sure HL2 comes with DOD tho!

    NyFiE Wednesday, 30 April 2003, 17:55:35

27. Half-life and it's mods... cstrike and team fortress have lasted me 3 years of play(of course not straight play i have my life) and i am still not bored... this game will be GOD i am i expect a lot and i am sure i wont be disapointed as well as none of you guys... *sigh* new computer needed...

    Shade Wednesday, 30 April 2003, 18:22:29

28. hl2 took long enough and therefore i think it will not be as bad as other hasty titles the game is important though ! if it is bad then everything else is useless

    Homershaggy Wednesday, 30 April 2003, 19:21:31

29. Well, everyone knows this game is going to rock, well hopefully. BUT look on the bright side: if the games sucks, someone will make a CS2 and all will be right in the world.

    Scazza Wednesday, 30 April 2003, 21:26:8

30. Why don't you get off you lazy asses and hurry up with it!

    Alex Villella Sunday, 5 January 2003, 00:16:30

32. Hurry up

    Alex Villella Sunday, 5 January 2003, 00:17:37

33. hi im not real sure about what im supposed to put here but im putting something here anyways so yeah... and half life 2 will kick ass!!!

    geoff and scott Thursday, 1 May 2003, 14:20:5

34. ..I'm more interested in any mods that this pearl of an engine can cough up..

    sumfing like Natural Selection or Counterstrike, but even better 8)

    Never liked hl itself, but the mods more then made sure the game was worth the purchase several times over..

    Status_Fubar Thursday, 1 May 2003, 15:11:33

35. Boo-yah Doc, boo-yah.

    Sam Thursday, 1 May 2003, 16:47:56

36. "From what the reporter says, the AI will be nothing short of godly, as will the physics."

    These, Doc, are possibly two of the most important aspects of HL2, apart from the brand new engine built from the ground up, the animation system bought from the makers of Toy Story 2, the new method of scripting, the game being built for modders..........

    what is it with all the little kids saying how crap HL2 is gonna be. If any of em could read, maybe we wouldn't have this negative bull. :D

    bobaFett Friday, 2 May 2003, 14:40:33

37. i'm not saying that hl2 is gonna to crap, its just i am tired of upgrading my computer just to play one game.

    dabomb Friday, 2 May 2003, 15:04:3

38. I think u guys are missing the BIGGEST point. NO SCRIPTED SEQUENCES!

    Midget Farmer Wednesday, 5 March 2003, 08:12:59

39. for all the morons going onabout counterstrike shut the heck up counterstrike was a mod developed by a person then bought by valve. without half life itself we wouldnt have half the first person shooter with any value to them and ud still be stuck on doom copies.

    i speak for all those who play half life death match and we are sick of this counterstrike crap. we expect half life2 to be like the first and not screwed over and made towards counterstrike especially when cs isnt even valves direct creation.

    a second cs based ont he new engine is a good idea but it was half lifes originality of game play not cs that made it HUGE.

    turkey turner Wednesday, 5 March 2003, 11:51:10

40. btw to see true half life in multiplayer check out pot5 (presiverance of triality 5)

    http://www.tournamentgamer.com/

    u can see me in the clan sd along with sum of the best clans out there, like lom. all matches can be viewed thru half life tv.

    if half life 2 lives up ull see sum greats going to hl2 multi!

    (ps i expected there to be an editor for posts but there isnt so my previous one isnt particurly well typed sorry)

    turkey turner Wednesday, 5 March 2003, 00:18:42

41. Will this new version Half Life2 help in updateing day of defeat and the other internet half-life games.

    xXxBLADExXx Sunday, 4 May 2003, 20:54:39

42. Thank you god, our dreams are coming true.

    mrmoo Sunday, 4 May 2003, 21:21:58

43. Half-Life 2 Will and Better Be Good,

    Im sure it will own over doom 3 and others for a while but till that happens.

    HALF-LIFE RULES!

    Gregor Monday, 5 May 2003, 00:43:49

44. REMEMBER UNREAL 2!

    richard graham Thursday, 5 June 2003, 08:46:19

45. half life graphics sucks but, the story line is cool. why don't you guys get a life and quit playing video games like little kids and be a man!! SK8 FOR LIFE

    sk8 for life Tuesday, 6 May 2003, 15:11:28

46. Does anyone have a url for scanned pictures of the PCZone article?

    Snoopy Wednesday, 7 May 2003, 21:59:4

48. looks nice.... but dont think the gameplay is to nice =/

    Personaly i look more forward to Counter-Strike 2 =))))

    tb^ Friday, 5 December 2003, 06:07:43

49. Is this a bigger sequel then Metal Gear Soild 2?

    Mark Gilbertson Tuesday, 13 May 2003, 15:43:15

50. Oh there is one other thing.

    If anyone here as an Ati graphics card you can forget about playing HL2 as its an GeForce only game.

    If I can find the link I will post it here latter.

    Mark Gilbertson Tuesday, 13 May 2003, 15:46:22

51. One thing you didn't mention in the preview.

    HL2 will only work on nVIDIA cards Geforces etc. Sorry Ati Radeon owners.

    Mark Gilbertson Tuesday, 13 May 2003, 15:47:52

52. hello make the game in the vents almost loaded with head crabs.

    ben Sunday, 18 May 2003, 18:05:38

53. ummm... what is this crazy talk about only GeForce cards run it? do you think Valve would be dumb enough to screw themselves like that? By the way...the demo at E3 was run on a 9800 pro 256Mb card.

    sicarius Monday, 19 May 2003, 02:49:41

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