zzzspace 2 Posted November 16, 2004 STEAM loads/confirms three final files and then its ready to play. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chaingun 0 Posted November 16, 2004 unlocked and fired up this morning, looks good. Unfortunately, now have to go to work. Looking forward to this evening. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MadJeff 3 Posted November 16, 2004 unlocked and fired up this morning, looks good. Unfortunately, now have to go to work. Looking forward to this evening. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm swinging by to pick it up today. You know what I'll be doing tonight! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Fates 63 Posted November 16, 2004 I'm swinging by to pick it up today. You know what I'll be doing tonight! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Working on the PF Review? LOL Fates Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MadJeff 3 Posted November 16, 2004 Working on the PF Review? LOL Fates <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I knew that was coming. Actually, I worked on it quite a bit last night because I knew tonight was going to be a bust... ;) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MadJeff 3 Posted November 16, 2004 Couldn't wait, ran by EB by my office and picked it up. Yesss, my preciousssss, we's have it now... Now to duck out of work early and get home. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Fates 63 Posted November 16, 2004 Hope you have better luck then me. And I hope this game is better then the installation that I just went thru...what a bummer. 5CD's, things seem to go along ok, but there nothing to do....no fancy video, no slideshow, no music, just a retail box and a CONTROLS card to read during the 45 minutes installation and registration process. All this crap...only to get this: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MadJeff 3 Posted November 17, 2004 No kidding on the install, that was the most painfully slow install I've ever endured. I got the same thing you show above (that is after I could finally connect) but then I clicked on the "Register A Product I Already Own" link and put in my CD-key. Now it's been downloading and unlocking the game files for the past 15 minutes. All I can say is this BETTER be the best damned game I've ever played to have to sit through this just to get to the first screen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Fates 63 Posted November 17, 2004 From what I've seen so far, you will not be dissapointed.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MadJeff 3 Posted November 17, 2004 I'm stuck in the dam buzzsaw room with all the barrels and the pool below. Can't... get... past... arghhhh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Fates 63 Posted November 17, 2004 Spoiler inbound MJ <C> Fates Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MadJeff 3 Posted November 17, 2004 Spoiler inbound MJ <C> Fates <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks for that, although I figured it out right after I posted the message. I was missing the damn valve. it was frustrating, as I knew what I needed to do, just wasn't seeing the switch to accomplish it. In the canals now on the aircycle, damn that thing's a hoot! Especially running over bad guys with it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lexicon 0 Posted November 20, 2004 I beat the game already!!! But it was on easy and I spent two days on it. Now I can say that this game is a big step forward in gaming technology. It reminds me of a movie so I think one day instead of movies there will be interactive movies. Real-time rendering is 10 years away but this game definitely sets a new standard in graphics and game play. I think it even out does Doom 3 but only in small margins. The game also causes motion sickness because the physics are so realistic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zzzspace 2 Posted November 22, 2004 Yeah, that's the impression I got, like a dynamic interactive movie, and the characters seem much more 'alive'. I'm on the third last level and it keeps getting better. I think the last FPS I bothered to complete was 'Descent,' in about 1995. Even the original HL was way too boring, same with FarCry, and Doom3; they looked and sounded great but lost interest very quickly. Maybe it's the combination of physics, continual puzzles and movie-like distraction from shooting stuff which makes HL2 really worth playing. Or maybe it also just runs much smoother, has better variation and contrast between levels, and the scenes were more developed and compelling. I don't like silly monsters, much prefer AI human character opponents, and in that respect, HL2 was more tasteful done with far fewer mindless monster pop-ups per level. I liked the ant-lions to, they reminded me a lot of the bug-movie StarShip Troopers, as do the auto-fire weapons sound and the sounds they make when they are attacking (I guess the devs of the new StarShip Troopers game got ‘gazumped’ here…). Whatever, HL2 pressed the right buttons. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+howling1 0 Posted November 22, 2004 I think mine is one of sorry horror stories about getting the retail version to work. Spent 5 hours fighting steam to get to the "Too Busy To Process You Registration" screen, then about 30 minutes into the game, suffered a 30 second power outage and found on bootup that the game wouldn't run in offline mode until my registration had been completed. 14 hours later, finally got my registration approved. Game is great, but I strongly doubt that I'll buy another Valve game anytime soon, if they continue to use steam... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zzzspace 2 Posted November 23, 2004 Finished it last night, and it does get better and better, it looked and felt like a sci-fi movie in many places as it built up with 'Cecil B DeMille' style cinematic grandeur, to a towering crescendo ... the disappointment was the ending script which seemed to be far less considered. If you watch the closing moments before the credits roll it's almost like they didn't know where to go with it. The inevitable HL3 was clearly setup during it (" ... although, I'm really ... not at liberty to say ... Dr. Freeman ... " ;) ), but the sequence they did it with was almost like they made an initial 'place-holder' ending ... then tacked some more on to it ... then added a bit more ... then they inserted a final scene to cue the credits. It does the job but doesn't 'resolve' this crashing-rushing apocalyptic vision of cataclysm you've just been running on the leading edge of … in the sort of way a well-written piece of intense dramatic music neatly 'resolves' itself to a perfectly natural harmonic end, which 'fits' perfectly with what went before it. Other than that, holy cr@p, it was upper-case FUN! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
