Half-Life
2 replay:
I’ve replayed most of the classics
to near death, but there’s an odd one here or there that I haven’t revisited
much. One of those is Half-Life 2, a
game that I love but, despite having replayed its predecessor thousands of
times, have only replayed once or twice, and those times years ago. I’ve kicked
around the idea of going back through it again for a long time, and recently,
on a whim, finally started it up. As soon as the menu opened up to the City 17
plaza scene and I heard the Combine soldiers’ radio communications, I knew I
was in for a treat and that neglecting Half-Life
2 all these years had been a mistake.
The G-man intro and Dr. Breen’s
welcome weren’t as mystically amazing as they were in 2004, but I was drawn in
nonetheless and soon wanted nothing more than to live in Half-Life 2. It’s a great game.
The pacing is just right. There’s no
overlong intro, you almost immediately are moving around in the gameworld, the
characters, classic Black Mesa staff and newcomers like Alyx, are introduced in
timely succession, references to the first game and fan service are present but
not overwhelming, and soon enough you’ve got a crowbar. From what I remember of
my earlier playthroughs, and as I’m sure I’ll come to find out again, the
pacing remains perfect throughout the game. This includes shooting, solving
puzzles, experiencing scripted narrative sequences, and controlling vehicles.
Each component is served up just right in good time, with nothing outstaying
its welcome.
The atmosphere is well done in that
it’s Half-Life but also successfully
dystopian city. I remember reading somewhere that part of the creative
direction for Half-Life 2 was to create
the Half-Life feel in a new setting
by establishing the same elements from Black Mesa and placing them into City
17. Valve certainly succeeded. I’m in a dystopian city…but it’s definitely Half-Life.
I appreciate more design elements
now than I did back in 2004. This is the principle I’ve experienced of
appreciating the finer aspects of art and entertainment—and I guess of
everything—as we grow older. One such moment came near the end of Water Hazard when I took out the
helicopter. The pesky thing that had been bothering me for much of the latter
half of the level I was finally allowed to destroy—and just when the chopper’s
destroyed husk crashed on the ground, a well-timed music cue played. Perfect!
This little detail I had never noticed before.
Speaking of music, I love the music,
both new and original. The audio is another area in which Half-Life 2 has new content but also enough classic content to make
it feel like Half-Life. My only gripe
is that some loading zones can cut a music track short before its intended time
to stop. A minor gripe, yes, and perhaps my only complaint with Half-Life 2.
I want to post more on this
fantastic game as I continue my journey through it. I’ll end this post by once
again citing the pacing as this game’s greatest strength. How elements from the
first Half-Life, and one unique to
this sequel, are introduced is very well done on Valve’s part.
Well, then, on to Black Mesa East, and then Ravenholm, and then the dune buggy, and
then…ah yes, it’s all coming back to me!
