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	[quote name="Worm"]There are three stages of any game. <B>AFTERGLOW:</B> Okay, lets do this. It has a physics engine. That is to say the game uses physics, If you throw wood into water it floats, if you throat a brick in there, it won't float. Now buckets won't fill with water, but soldiers will roll up the "hood" of your "car" and over your "windshield area". It has a physics engine. Now you can't use anything as a weapon ala Trespasser, you cannot use things to distract people like Garret. Though you can pick anything up and throw it. Now throwing that stuff doesn't do damage like in Farcry. I'd like to be using anything as a weapon, but frankly that'd require better bullets. The physics engine is perfect as far as I'm concerned. I can understand not doing a Trespasser type thing because picking up a decent long object was like super powered. This physics engine that the game has is perfect. Where Halflife 1 had pushing crates, jumping, jumping with hazards puzzles HL2 has all that, but with a physics engine. Some things you have to work a lever and fill one thing up with other crap, but ultimately you're just moving crates, instead of pushing them you are moving them. The physics engine out of ten is a twenty. It's basically all you could want, enemies lean over bars when killed, they sprawl out, everything seems very concrete and real. It's not only that there is a physics engine but the ability to pick up almost anything in your hands (and later on with the gravity gun) really let's you use the physics engine if you want as opposed to simply witnessing it in action when you kill people. When I couldn't find a way around something I could make a bridge, ladder, or even my own crate fort to protect me when I was informed troops were on the way. It takes anything previous physics engines have given you and smashes it, that shit doesn't matter. I don't know who did the physics engine, but he is one hardcore motherfucking gangsta in my book. Physics 20/10 Okay, now as for dialogue. Wait, this is a FPS and it has dialogue which is good, right? The facial expressions and dialogue really help the game along. Granted Gordon's last name might as well be tight lips. Maybe they do that because people realize that gamers don't have personalities and would be overridden by Gordon's, though responses during the times of pure dialogue would have been a nice addition. The scripting for these encounters are all really good too, facial animations, inflections, and such all add to it. Many of the things are really for people who've played the first one, though even in inaction the game is very enjoyable, albeit, breif. Unprecedented 7/10 Story It was a good story. It continues from the first game and even you have played the first you probably need it explained to you unless you've played Blueshift, Halflife, Opposing Force, and still I don't even know the aliens names or any of that shit. It's a wierd story, but it's satisfying and I think I'd like it if I was reading a net novella, so that's good right? 9/10 Graphics Really, really, really great. Not just for how they look, but for facial structures, lip sync, skin palettes, tones, gait, body language, something about breasts (not that anyone in the game really has any), and the shine on eyes. Every model is not simply high-res, but they are also detailed and very well skinned and drawn. 10/10 Gameplay Unlike the first this eliminates what Metriod, Megaman, and The Japanese baby eaters have taught us about boss fights. In G.I. Joe you may have faced a Cobra that was twice your height, but in HL2 there are no real bosses, with the exception of one tough motherfucking helicopter. There is Military hardware like gunships, helicopters that you have to take down, enemies flooding your position, striders (Think of the strider things from Morrowind, but robotic). All the combat feels very insurgentish, and I might submit a "KILL WHITE DEVILMEN IN OUR COUNTRY" mod to MODDB later today. The normal combat is very good. I feel that one level does what Doom 3 attempted, another does was squad based games have been attempting, another does what army games have been attempting. The driving is very arcade like and fluid. 11/10 Multiplayer DON'T GOT NONE CEPT COUNTER STRIKE 5/10 Of course this isn't including the horrible disc install <B>AFTER THE AFTERGLOW</B> Okay, let's boil this down. It's a great game, built on an amazing engine. I think much more could have been done. But right now, right here, this is the best thing I've played as far as FPSs. I think applying better ideas to this engine will hopefully create some great games. Halflife 2 was really great. Ultimately I'm upset that it angled for a sequel, and ended in a familiar manner. I wish it had been less of a Halflife fan's sequel. Multiplayer would be nice, but Gamespot and all the other gaming press having been handing out fine scores to Arena games like Quake 3, Tribes, and Unreal Tournament regardless of their lack of single player. So fuck that double standard. I miss the horribly obvious "I AM A BOSS CHARACTER" types of bosses. Now, I guess I'm waiting for Halflife 3. <B>AFTER THE AFTERGLOW AND DURING AN INTERNET FIGHT:</B> Christ, I don't even get why people sob about shit being on rails. The best we can get is a track switch, but open ended is a fucking lie. I'm sorry that you can't create a flash bang out of some kids chemistry set MacGuyver. Also, you're stuck in a game that is on rails? What are you fucking retarded? <B>DURING REALITY</B> Maybe sequel fury blinded me, maybe I'm lying to myself, but it really didn't feel like a rail shooter. Shooters that attempt to cover up the rails piss me off, let's all accept the limitations of the technology, the Industry, and the people. Let's get real motherfucker. You aren't going to see terrain deform, you won't see true A.I., and you won't get true open ended gaming, and companies trying to emulate all the twinkle in your eye bullshit are what is producing shitty games. I never gave a shit about my Ostrich's motivation, I didn't care where Vaus came from, or where he was going, and I sure didn't give a shit if my Karate Champ fufilled his dreams. That is why I liked HL2, it had some honest arcade fun in it, something the world forgot, and something the world doesn't have the fucking reflexes for. I loved the thing, though those fuckers at Valve can do so much better. Really I believe the modding community is what is going to make the game a real blast. It's almost like a version of Codewarrior that comes with a pretty decent premade game, and that's why I love Halflife, it doesn't stand for company games, it stands for faggot who lives in his mothers basement games. I'd really like for you to try something with the SDK, because the game is just an engine. 12/10, given the current limitations of people, technology, and industry. <B>DURING REALITY AFTER THEY PUT IN HL2DM</B> With two levels it feels very Quake 3 Arena demo (or was that a beta?). Though the gravity gun is fun enough to counter anything. The weapons really don't feel multiplay balanced, which is refreshing. I would rather not give immediately killed from looking at another guy who has a Magnum but it's fun, and it's a death match, you're supposed to die.[/quote]