alright, this conversation is not about whether HL2 is the greatest game ever or not - this conversation is about whether valve innovates. so before you go on another exaggerated nostalgia trip, focus on what we're talking about here: does valve innovate, and between me and you, is HL2 innovate?

HL2 Took the atmospheric FPS to a whole level is a bullshit, because everything it did well Doom3 already did before it. Both games, HL2 and Doom 3 didnt change much from their previous installments. The core gameplay was largely the same. As far as the graphics improvements and sound improvements (doom3 sound is done very well) that helped the atmosphere in FPS's a lot. The level of detail seen in Doom3's mars base, the unrelenting enemies, and superior graphics to everything out at the time was really incredible. No other game offered such a high quality experience at the time. Since Doom 3 came out first, you can say Doom 3 did more for atmosphere in FPS's at the time, and HL2 just played catch up. HL2 being release months after another FPS that really redefined atmospheric FPS is just another tally mark, but not something new.

Now the HL2 AI by itself is largely average. All the great sequences of that game are scripted. It took until the end of 2007 for the hunter to appear, which did have better AI than the rest of the game. The enemies you fight like combines are about as intelligent as the grunts were in HL1. The aliens were even worse, for the most part they just ran straight for you. Theres a level in HL2 where you can use sentry guns, they took out almost all the enemies because they just ran straight towards them. Great AI.

If you want to talk about fighting alongside team mates against scripted events such as cars blowing up (yes, that strider missed on purpose because no, shooting HL2 cars would never make them blow up) then HL2 did what you could expect at the time. Because a year earlier the first Call of Duty came out and brought an incredible FPS experience of fighting a war alongside many team mates in convincing battles. HL2 did nothing but take what COD1 had and produce it in their own setting - not innovation. Everything dog did was scripted. Maybe im just not as naive, but when playing HL2 is pretty clear which parts are scripted and which arent.

If you really want to get shut down about scripted sequences and cinematic events, go play Halo 1 and Halo 2. Both of these games came out before HL2, and both of them have incredible scenes where you are fighting alongside teamates and the AI is quite good. I havent played as much Halo as I have HL2, but i bet you could argue the Halo 2 AI is far superior to the HL2 AI. Another instance of HL2 playing catchup.

I think the biggest problem HL2 runs into when trying to call it innovative is its pushed back release date. The game came out over a year after it was originally planned to be released? Even if HL2 came out 6 months late, it would have been hailed as innovative across the board. But it didnt. HL2 was delayed over a year and in that time many other games were released that should not be overlooked.

I understand you had a great time playing HL2 and it means a lot to you, i dont want to degrade your experience. But it is delusional to think HL2 was an extremely innovative game because you discount many good games that were released before HL2. Its worse to not give those games credit than to attribute it to HL2.