Well, for you morons who didn't buy the game
jk
Posted this on another forum. My personal review of the first few minutes of the game.
Currently I am in Ravenholm....
OWN
*****Warning: Some spoilers!!!*****
Well, the loading and verifying and activation of HL2 took a good ten minutes. Those have to be the longest ten minutes of my life. Bringing the game itself to the screen took another two, and loading the first level took a good minute in and of itself.
And what better game to wait for.
The opening scene, just as in it's predecessor, begins with a nostalgic, albeit brief, train ride, into City 17. The train's two other passengers observe you with haggard eyes and questioning looks. Upon exit from the train, a scanner droid takes your picture. You glance around at the dreary station, littered with refuse. A monitor at the end of the station shows the face of a man, welcoming you to City 17, and assuring you that "it's safer here". Combine soldiers, the policeman of City 17, patrol the station. A worried woman inquires about her husband, whom she says was supposed to be on the train. The beleaguered citizens look at you with cold eyes, mumbling to themselves or worrying over this or that, conveying a sense of fear that borders on terror.
It's quite simply the most engrossing PC game experience I've ever encountered. And that's just the first 5 minutes.
The characters are so well created, the lip syncing and voice acting so perfect that it's surprising that you are in a game and not watching a pre-rendered sequence. It's such a surreal experience that I found myself letting the game play itself while I sat back and watched character interactions... the harsh Combine soldiers using their electric prods against citizens (and you, in some cases), the random conversations that strike up from time to time, the worried, hushed, conspiratorial meetings of the unhappy citizens. When the time came that I was actually required to play the game, it was terrifying. The sense of realism that the game imbues draws you in so far that you are really there. Your character as well as your friends begin to matter to you in a way that no other game has ever accomplished. The first run from the Combine is simply gripping.... and absolutely wonderful.
You meet up with friends from the past, who set you on the right course (and return to you the beloved crowbar of Half Life 1). Then, it's up to you. Armed with your crowbar, you go off to face the minions of the Combine and the aliens alike.
In the words of Barney... "Good luck... You're gonna need it."
[edit] Sparky, I'm diggin the 1hp in the 3rd pic
I was at 2 when I got past those damn missile trucks and into the long tunnel... and then the one dude with the SMG smoked me. I like the fact that this one is harder
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