I loved Half-Life 2. It's one of the best games I've ever had the opportunity to play. I am not much of an FPS fan; this was the first FPS I ever played, and if it was all about shooting-- no matter how good-- I probably wouldn't enjoy it. (Go ahead and attribute it to me being a girl as that probably is the case.) A lot of the experience for me was in the puzzles and the universe. The creatures are awesome and I loved helping the rebels out. I did play the original Half-Life after playing Half-Life 2 and I didn't enjoy it as much. I'm sure it is a great game but it was lacking in the elements that made HL2 "tolerable" to me-- the same elements which appear to annoy others.
I completely agree that HL2 had some awful pacing involved. The episodes were short but the action was much better paced. Does anyone remember that part where you had to climb underneath this bridge from one end to the other, and back? I don't remember the driving parts as long or dull, but I hate them anyway because the only driving I can do is in zigzags or circles.
Episode 2 is definitely my favorite. That strider battle at the end was just epic and is one of my FAVORITE maps to play co-op.
I'm actually working on some Half-Life 2 related costumes at the moment. I'm dressing my little brother up as a zombie and I'm throwing together rebel getup for myself. I have pictures if you're interested but I think that kind of thing belongs in the art section.
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