I'd have to agree with the good Doctor.

The game is awesome, it plays quite well on my PC, even tho I just barely hit the recommended specs (I'll have to upgrade my RAM soon). I have not gotten too far in the game yet, still in the Kanals trying to get away from the guys in the Stile gas masks.

Even tho I like the game it will still be difficult to convince me to buy anything from Valve again. This Steam thing is utter BS.

**First, Steam is spyware. All I want is the single player game, why do I have to be online to play? Why does Steam have to update my files when the game is only a few hours old? What other information are they gathering from my computer?

**Second, Steam is slow and annoying. I bought the CD's so I could get up and running quickly, I expected that downloading the game on release day would be problematic. Why then did it take me over 2 hours to install the damn thing?

If you are insterested in a laugh go have a look over at the planethalflife.com forums, the death to Steam posts here (like mine) are tame compared to what's over there. Valve really fucked up this release, after delaying it for months on end and then totally screwing people when the tried to activate it, I have to wonder how much of an impact this will have on their bottom line. Then again maybe the fanboys like myself will be so enamoured by the game we'll forget how much Valve pissed us off.

----Steam is Spyware-----

Got the Collector's Edition today, no problems with Steam luckily. Nice T-shirt.

Only up to the airboat - I'm taking my time. I spent a LONG time replaying the train station with graphics maxed out (got a little bit choppy but well worth it for just wandering around in the non-action opening sequences). The early sense of dystopia and deep immersion is mind-boggling; great fun before the real action begins. I don't know what kind of skills it would take to create such beautiful maps from scratch, but I'd love to see some RPG type mods along with all of the action stuff that'll surely come along.

And I loved harassing those metro cops. "What's that officer? You want me to pick up the can and throw it at your face". :D

i disagree with the RPG aspect...i think that there is just enough. it's in perfect equilibrium...we wouldn't want another deus ex...as fun as it was, it was kind of annoying, and i'm glad that they threw in all the little things instead of making Gordon a moddable character.

(spoiler maybe but...) The Gravity gun playground, i did it right the first time, i guess there was just a glitch and it wouldn't let me out so i just started from a previous save. Speaking of which, is it me or does it make like 80 save game files for you?

I've got a AMD XP 2000 processor (1.6 Ghz) and 1 gig of ram and I notice audio stuttering only at the beginning of a new level loading.

What speed is your processor? How much memory do you have?

The fan-boat episode is long and difficult but not boring. Infact it's very intense. Hint: when the action stops and you're no longer being chased that's a clue to get out of the boat and look around for items or a way to get out. You'll have some obsticles to deal with.

The best part about facial expressions was Alyx and Dr. Mossman arguing and then Alyx talking shit later about her behind her back to Gordon. Two girls acting like girls do in a fps!! :lol:

im stuck in sand trap! how do i get past that big antlion and what is that big pump? you turn on for? please help!

and yeah... they vehicle levels are a bit long. after the third airboat level i seriously started thinking to myself if i was playing hl2 or waverace. :confused: :crazy:

destroying the flying things in the "waverace" level is the worth the length...taking damage from falling debris is as cool as it is annoying...realistic as crap. I'm in the middle, maybe towards the end of ravenholm...those poisonous spider things suck lol...I love the fast running zombies...scarey as resident evil shit. I have to give it a 10 at this point...i don't think i've ever had this much fun with an FPS...usually by this point i get bored, put on god mode and run through it just to see how it ends. But i'm sticking this one out!

How do you get the gates to open on the airboat level? I see the blasted shorted switch, but I can't figure out what to do next.

Once the files are all unlocked and your key has been registered steam will still load and try to connect, but you can play the game without needing a internet conection.

i didn't realize you could make a desktop icon...muhbad

Look to your right and you'll see a few flammable barrels and what appears to be several large beams bundled together hanging from a very long cable. I'll let you figure it out from there :thumbsup:

The antlions are afraid of the big pump. The easiest way of getting past the big antlion is to run to the end of that area, were a friend is waiting on top of a barricade with a machine gun.

I just finished the game, and dont worry, no spoilers from me.

Let me just say, I have never completed a game all the way thru, simply because i get frustrated and bored. HL2 kept me on my toes from start to end, superb game, frustrating at times, but very entertaining.

I just beat it this morning too. One of the greatest games I've ever played.

Just finished it. Without a doubt, the best game Ive ever played. Amazing.

I'm gonna have to wait till they fix the damn sound / graphics stutter before I can beat it or even play it.

this game is simply awesome, it has nice puzzles that made tickle my brain, but I am frustrated of the fact that I am not enjoying it at full because of my suck-ass video card. I need to upgrade it.

Oh my God!!!! I just got to the dunebuggy part and that might just be a dealbreaker!! Holy Shit this is terrible!!! Its infuriating to say the least!! The novelty of the graphics are starting to wear a little thin in light of the annoying loading and delay they cause. Thats get real old, real quick. Sorry, just had to vent.

um, the load times aren't bad for me at all. The dune buggy is very fun too. The novety of the graphics has not worn down on me at all. I still feel a sense of awe everytime I load the game up. And it never gets boring unlike other games (*cough*doom3 and farcry*cough*). Best FPS ever made.

I'm really liking this game so far...the graphics remind me of Myst they are so photorealistic. The details are insane. The landscapes are post-apocalyptic, minimalist masterpieces. You could have fun just wandering around the levels, with no bad guys. The offbeat details are a big part of what makes this game so interesting in my opinion: an empty refrigerator, a bicycle leaning against the wall, a sofa chair sitting next to consoles, overturned semi-trucks, half-capsized ships, just endless intriguing detail and atmosphere. Water rendering is phenomenal, if not the best Ive ever seen. When you're in the water, and you shoot a dead guy next to you in the water, the ragdoll effects are hilarious and well done.

Explosions (grenade, fuel barrel) are done better than in any other game Ive ever played. So organic and realistic. Weapons models are excellent. I agree that the facial modeling and expressions are the best ever done in a PC game. The level designs so far are just unbelievable. I'm enjoying the quiet, solitary, Omega-Man feel to the levels. Not sure where in the game I am; I have the armed AirBoat and just jumped through the opening in the damn into the Black Mesa complex.

I'm on an Athlon XP2000+, 1GB Ram, Radeon 9800Pro, no problems at all. Frame rates are fine. Dislikes are Steam...wtf is Steam?? Why do I have to sign up for an account and give out my email address to play a game?? Why is Steam running in my taskbar? I hate Steam. And the load times are really long.

A really, really, really, really, really, really cool game. :thumbsup:

i beat it last night and love it, another cliffhanger setting up for HL 3, the physics are great, the facial expressions are astounding, the visuals are stunning.

wow

9.9/10

An amazing engine by Valve. The game itself is rather dull, but worth playing for the eye candy. The cities remind me of Fallout.

CounterStrike runs nice and smooth now, nothing new though, played it for a few hours and got bored.

Can't wait to see what other companies will do with this engine it has amazing potential.

I seriously was giddy with excitement at the sheer awesomeness of this game

Best game I have played... ever... in my entire life.

ive spent more time throwing things at other things than actualy playing the game so far.

weeeeeee *throws book at box*

Hah, I just finished playing it at my friends for hours each taking turns at the controls. Never had so much fun just throwing crap at people in a game ever. Half the time we were just going around trying to think off different things to throw. Damn fun game that's for sure.

HOLY SHIT ITS OUT ITS OUT FINALLY O GOD I LOVE YOU ALSO -=SHIKAMARU=- WHY DIDNT YOU HEAR OF THIS EARLIER YOU ARE A F'ING TARD FOR NOT BUYING THIS THE DAY IT CAME OUT!!!

Highly recommended. It's been awhile since I've been this excited to come home and play a game. Definitely worth the money. The most surprising thing is how smooth it runs. I've got:

AMD Athlon 2600+ (runs at about 1500Mhz)
512 MB Ram
ATI Radeon 9200

All settings are on medium and I've even nudged some up higher and it runs as smooth and clear as a bell. Hope that's helpful for any of you who are afraid of the Farcry/Doom 3 spec requirements.

I think the crossbow bolts pinning people to walls is a little perverted.

Actually, that sounds pretty fucking awesome to me.


Why must I be a poor college student who can't afford to play this game because of lack of money and abundance of coursework?

*curses the gods*

Its really good, I loved the game!! *Remembers the old time with HL..lol*