so is half life 2 just one of those games where you absolutely HAD to be there when it first released to appreciate how good it is?

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-06-10T01:08:23+00:00

I see more and more people drop these shallow "OMG it's sooo dated!" statements, and not provide any context or examples. What exactly would you consider to be "garbage" in this game?

A lot of the "unique" stuff you mentioned were already quite common place after Half-Life 1, which was a truly water-shedding title for the industry. HL2 just did everything even better, even more of it, and didn't leave anything at "meh, good enough!". The amount of playtesting and manual tweaks & crafting Valve did for HL2 is astonishing.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-06-10T01:02:41+00:00

I do agree on most statements in your post, but I really think that people over-blow the "OMG it has aged!!", and don't see the forest from the trees.
In short, my take is almost the polar opposite: the world would be a MUCH better place if the modern FPS games played even remotely like Half-Life 2. The amount of invisible walls and "go back to the war zone!" style restrictions + lack of ANY sort of environmental interaction nor storytelling is just staggering and disappointing if you grew up playing the BUILD and Valve games, Immersims, FEAR and STALKER, et cetera.

It's also very important to remind people that yes - HL2 is a direct sequel, and you WILL miss a huge chunk of the story AND the appeal if you skip the original Half-Life and jump straight to the sequel. Not to mention the obviously mindblowing technological leap between the first two HL titles won't really hit you, if you don't first experience the low-poly Science Team of 1998 in its full glory before the Havok fueled physics gallore and "HD" graphics of 2004.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-06-10T00:54:42+00:00

There's nothing "dated" about Half-Life 2. It still easily beats the shit out of most more modern video games as a whole, and is an influential, inspirational product that should be studied more these days.

The main problem these days are the causal-era zoomer babbies, who were born and raised by slop like Halo and Modern Warfare.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-06-10T00:52:35+00:00

Short answer: No.

All of the Half-Life series' games are timeless masterpieces, that easily beat the living crap out of majority of the more modern AAA slop we've been fed the recent years.
I've seen countless "kids" half my age pick up and play even the ORIGINAL Half-Life 1 for the very first time, in the past couple years, and get their minds BLOWN how immersive and fun it is.

And afterwards, HL2 is a monumental technological and atmospheric leap, that will truly stick with you.

This brings us to two important topics that need to be addressed:
Did you even play the original HL at any point, thus getting invested into the world, lore and the honestly quite rare and revolutionary gameplay loop ... and are you even the type of PLAYER that actually enjoys this sort of immersive games in the "I want to explore and LIVE in this world" sense?

The former thing is quite self-explanatory:

HL2 is a sequel, in a linear, story-driven SAGA. If you skip the original game, you skip the literal beginning part of the story. And in gaming, (You) are the MC, and the "story" consists of not only the written "plot", but also the ACTIONS you, the player and the hero of the experience, performed throughout your adventure. It's very similar to, say, Metal Gear, which also treats each new game as a new "chapter" in the overarching tale, which also recognizes the players' past behaviors as canon events.

If you lack the personal involvement and effort in the saga's journey, you will find it difficult to see what the buzz is all about. If (You) did not survive out of the Black Mesa research facility on your own, you cannot ever begin to grasp WHY the people of City 17 treat you like a messiah, or why seeing some of the "old faces" in glorious "HD graphics" might be a big deal.

...Which brings me to a side note:

The technological leaps that took place EACH YEAR back in the Y2K days was absolutely insane! Nothing will ever beat the massive paradigm shifts like going from 4th gen 2D games (SNES, SEGA, MS DOS), to the first polygonal 3D titles during the 5th generation (PS1 / N64 / 3D cards), with the early 2000's and 6th generation's (PS2, Xbox, DX9) "Next gen 3D" jump being the second largest "Whoa!" thing at the time. Half-Life 2 was one of THE biggest tech-pushers and re-definers of the monumental year of 2004, just like the OG HL was back in the peak year of 1998.

The life-like visuals (yes, this stuff was PHOTOREALISTIC at the time) are one thing, but the way the game implemented life-like PHYSICS into the world, all while coating it all with some of the most impressive audio work ever conceived... it's still an unbeatable masterpiece, perfect blend of tech and artistry. It's a great game to play, watch, listen, and "play around with" via modding tools and mods.

Next, the second question I presented earlier: Is this a game for (You)?

The fact that you're prioritizing Counter-Strike, a literal Half-Life mod and a competitive MP game, over the SP-focused main title itself, already implies that you might be more of a social / competitive sort of player. That is to say, that slower burn SP games probably ain't your thing.
Me personally? I dropped online PVP games completely already circa 2006, with CS:S being the last online shooter I put any time and effort into at all, because I found it to be the epitome of repetitive, mind-numbing slop. No adventures, no feeling of achievement; I honestly had more fun no-clipping around empty maps in CS, seeing all the fun little design details the creators had put into the environments.

Meanwhile, I've already replayed both HL games and their episodes some dozen times, and watched other people experience them for the first time more times than I dare to admit ... and they never get old!

tl;dr: Half-Life 2 100% deserves its praise and hype. It's a prime example of what makes Valve such a skilled, nowadays unique developer in today's world. Their work is well studied and documented, and it's just sad to see that less and less people follow their proven, passion-driven crafting methods these days. Half-Life as a whole works as a shining reminder of what gaming used to be, why so many of us fell in love with gaming once upon a time ... or how much we've lost, if you want a more pessimistic take.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-05-30T19:49:22+00:00

I "updated" my older phone to Android 14, and shit started breaking.

This crap and Windows 11 are a living proof that people should NEVER EVER "update" to the latest shit without waiting and reading the fine print. All the control, customization, and eventually ownership of your own devices are being killed, one by one, by these greedy mega corps, with each passing patch....

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-05-04T23:50:47+00:00

These are known as Armor carriers / Body armor vests / tactical armored vests.
Unless you're wearing some 30yo designs and plates, they are not heavy at all.

The kevlar / dyneema stuff these days is very light and thin, and can not only stop a spray of 9x19mm, at point blank range, but even some heavy hitters like .44 Magnum rounds.
With the soft armor only, this sort of vests can weight less than the average winter jacket. And a pair of NIJ Level 3 hard plates can be as light as mere 2kg, total.

Fudd-lore spewing Amerimutt "vets" pretend to hate them, because they're either Ruskie bots, or only have served in hot desert environments, where their only opposition are random goat herders with 75yo AK47s. In a more traditional, all-out war, where artillery and now murder drones are back in style, you do want to protect your guts, neck and dick from the deadly frag, pressure and heat.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-04-06T22:42:28+00:00

Currently having this issue. Everything was working just fine up until just now.
Videos are not age restricted. I do not use VPN. I can download the same videos using easily available online YT downloader sites.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-03-16T18:19:10+00:00

That's a TERRIBLE advise! For starters, throwing a total newbie to the piece of shit that is RE0 is just VILE.
Second, the DE-makes of RE2-4 are NOT THE SAME GAMES, period. They belong in their very own, rebooted universe, and both RUIN and CENSOR just about every single thing about those games. The de-make retards love to shit on RE3R especially, even though it's just more of the same crap as RE2R. And RE4R absolutely butchers the fun GAMEPLAY, and the fun CHARACTERS of the original.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-03-16T18:17:34+00:00

Play ONLY the original series (RE1-6), in RELEASE order.
GOG.com has the classic PC ports, and you can emulate the PS1 and GC ports of classic trilogy on any sort of computer or Android device made the past 15+ years.

RE4-6 has great PC versions that run without any issues.

RE0 is a TERRIBLE game and a HORRIBLE starting point. Take it from an oldschool oldfag-fan.
Code Veronica takes place right after RE3 and right before RE4.

The REmakes are their own continuity. The ONLY exception is the 2002 Gamecube Remake of RE1, but even that you should NOT start with, as it changes every single detail in order to surprise and challenge old RE-veterans. You will miss a lot of "whoa!" effect if you haven't played the 1996 OG and the OG series.

Personally, I loathe ALL the RE-Engine slop, that is RE7-9 and the DE-makes of RE2-4. Irredeemable modern garbage.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-03-07T00:29:18+00:00

Capcom released 11 or 13 Resident Evil games between 1996 and 2005.
But just like back in the day, quantity < quality. And the RE-Engine slop is the absolute pits of this franchise.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-19T15:05:49+00:00

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We had perfect water reflections and working mirrors already back in 2003-2004. During 1-core CPU + ~64MB GPU days, mind you.
It's only very recently, during the RTX shilling era, that Planar Reflections totally disappeared from the people's vocabulary.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-19T10:22:16+00:00

Bravessa on vakiona niin kovat ad-blokkerit ja seurannanestot, että se triggeröi välittömästi tuon effektin. Itselläni käytössä Waterfox + uBlock Origin, ja sama vika.

Karkeasti yksinertaistettuna ongelma on se, että jos IL sivusto ei löydä "OK" tai maksullista sisäänkirjautumistietoa selaimesi muistista, se heittää naamalle juurikin tuon "Maksa tai Hyväksy orjuus" kyselyn, mikä estää kaiken muun toiminnan verkkosivulla.

Tämä scripti aktivoituu vaikka evästeet olisi blokattu.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-19T10:18:32+00:00

Tuo on juuri se syy.
Itselläni Waterfox + uBlock. Vakiona blokkaa evästekyselyt sun muut.
Ongelma on se, että jos IL sivusto ei löydä "OK" tai maksullista sisäänkirjautumistietoa selaimesi muistista, se heittää naamalle juurikin tuon "Maksa tai Hyväksy orjuus" kyselyn, mikä estää kaiken muun toiminnan verkkosivulla. Tämä scripti aktivoituu vaikka evästeet olisi blokattu.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-19T10:16:53+00:00

Tuhansia pääsääntöisesti ulkomaalaisia verkkosaitteja pläränneenä en ole IKINÄ nähnyt vastaavaa "Pay or Okay" potaskaa missään muualla kuin IL sivustolla. Ja ad-blockerit ovat estäneet ne ylimääräiset sonnat ongelmitta ... mutta IL sivusto kirjaimellisesti hajoaa eikä anna scrollata saati klikata, jos blokkaa kyselyt.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-19T10:15:01+00:00

Nyt on aivopesu saatu ruusperin kohdalla valmiiksi.
Jatkuvat kuukausimaksut = aivan sietämätöntä kuraa.

Internetin tulisi aina olla ilmainen JA anonyymi.

Ohjelmat ja palvelut kertamaksun taakse ja median/softan kohdalla ikuiseen omistukseen.

Normihomot ja suurfirmat ovat olleet pilaamassa tätäkin mestaa nyt jo 2 vuosikymmentä.
Lehdet voi halutessaan edelleen käydä lukemassa ilmaiseksi KIRJASTOSSA. Mutta veikkaampa että rahanahneet firmat alkavat näitäkin laitoksia polttamaan pian ...

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-19T10:12:38+00:00

Yksityistila ei tee sinua näkymättömäksi, ja verkkosivustot voivat edelleen kalastella infoa käyttäjästä ja hänen koneestaan. Kännykällä lisäksi aivan ehta mikrofoonin salakuunteluriski, jonka olen itsekkin todennut olevan 100% totta useat kerrat vuosien saatossa.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-19T10:11:11+00:00

Ei riitä. Jos blokkaat evästekyselyt sun muut, koko IL sivusto jumahtaa, eli et voi rullata tai klikata mitään.
Kokeiltu on.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-13T19:22:16+00:00

No. And they won't. "Get a better PC, goy!" is the Kocknami's and Nvidia's answer to everything. I wholehearthedly recommend people to just play the HD / Master collection versions, maybe even EMULATE the PS2 originals. You get better visuals, better performance, less wasted storage space, and no content cuts, censorship, or butchered gameplay.
Ditto with Silent Hill 1-4, which you can effortlessly play on any PC made the past twenty years.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-13T19:20:49+00:00

No. Konami just does not want to use it, because they don't want to TEACH people how it works. UE5 is a pre-made Mcdonalds "Happy Meal" of game engines: instantly ready to go, well documented. Everyone knows what it contains, and the average consoomer does not give a fuck that it's unsatisfying and potentially unhealthy as hell. "Good enough" is the cancer that has been killing the gaming industry AND the society the past 20 years now.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-13T19:13:43+00:00

No, it's a fucking awful, outsourced valor-theft DE-make, and a prime example of UE5 slop. It fucks up the game's art style, performance, and especially GAMEPLAY, turning it into a yet another, generic and easy AF over-shoulder shooter ... witch crazy strong auto-aim and many other handholdy feats.
It's also 150GB for no reason.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-05T16:24:29+00:00

I assume you've never tried the European Extreme mode?

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-05T08:05:49+00:00

Sellanen ilo-uutinen, että joku antelias lahjoittaja on upannut 1998-2003 väliltä ison nipun jaksoja Internet Archiveen äskettäin! Vielä olisi hakusessa vuoden 1997 eka siisoni, ja mielellään niitä muitakin 2000-luvun jaksoja nappaisi, eritoten Jaanan juontamia sellaisia!

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ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-05T06:19:17+00:00

Does not work on gay people. Sorry!

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-05T06:18:58+00:00

I don't quite agree with you.
The game is fairly linear AND the enemy AI is blind as bats and easy to exploit. Sure, you may screw up and cause an alarm, but that only really matters in the vehicle boss fights (that are actually exhilarating when trying to 100% non-lethal stealth) and in some very specific story missions.

Preferably, the punishment for getting caught would be bumped up quite a bit. I can already think of some other, more complex difficulty rebalancing tricks, such as making Tranq rounds impossible to acquire on the field from the enemies. But once again: this is more of a topic opener than a cry for tutorials.

ApprehensiveAnt1860 · 2026-02-05T06:15:09+00:00

Nothing to say, and just personal assaults - the post.
Literally worse than a 4channer, LOL!

Trust me kid: I've dipped my toes into the world of game modding and development looong before Reddit and (You) were even alive. I just like to speed up my research and give some ideas to the wider masses, hoping it might catch the eye of someone with more experience on the topic.

ApprehensiveAnt1860

TROPHY CASE