unbelievably dense and actually schizophrenic. maybe the worst controls in any game I've ever played paired with some of the best style and dialogue. the back and forth between Transmission and Placebo is incredible as well, especially with how they intertwine later on. you can kind of tell the two paths are written by different people, but I actually think it benefits the game a lot, especially since Akira and Tokio's narratives are so different. very much so looking forward to the next games, beyond kino

edit 3/14
actually goated 5/5

KILL THE PAST

An insane improvement on the first game that keeps itself faithful to the ideas that make Half-Life the game it is, while also building the depth of the world and gameplay far past what the first achieved.

Every chapter presents a mostly unique and individual setting with a distinct atmosphere and way to play that keeps the gameplay constantly refreshing, paired with a variety of opponents that cause for utilization of every tool you're given (unlike HL1). How individual chapters progress is also smooth and incredibly well laid out, with very deliberate directions that lead you in the correct way without directly telling you where to go. It's pretty genius how the game uses it's visual cues, as you constantly feel you're going in the right direction solely based on very quick twists and turns that meet your gaze in the perfect moments. The settings and map design were my favorite aspects of HL1, but there is really no comparison with HL2's constant uniqueness and sense of direction.

The introduction of the gravity gun + chapter dependent vehicles showcase the range of ideas that makes HL2's gameplay and mechanics constantly fun and refreshing, as there is always an unknown variable waiting for you in every level. The movement and item mechanics are unbelievably fun, making the gunplay feel significantly improved from the mindless unloading of clips into tanky grunts that was present in HL1. Every item serves it's purpose, while every vehicle feels distinctly different and necessary for the individual chapters. For a game that is 20 years old, it's hard to believe how competitive the mechanics feel to currently releasing FPS games.

HL2's narrative is also incredibly different from the original, while also feeling like an appropriate progression that was needed for the depth this world presents. The incident at Black Mesa caused world changing events that both integrated alien technology into human culture as well as put Gordon Freeman on a pedestal garnering both hate and praise for being the legend of the incident. How these developments lead the plot and world of HL feels like the only direction it could have taken, while still maintaining the feeling that you're at the will of The G-Man pulling the strings from above. I'm very interested in seeing how the series follows the events of HL2's ending, as the consequences of Gordon's actions seem very drastic...

The only large gripes I have with this game is that it's way too easy and the second half fails to feel as innovative as the first. HL1 was unnecessarily difficult, even on normal difficulty, with a ton of chapters just tossing bullshit obstacles in your path that will likely kill you at least once. This was coupled with chapters that would be strangely easy, creating a jarring feeling going from level to level. HL2 majorly improves on the feeling of consistency, but in a way that just significantly drops the level of difficulty, while also providing you with an excess of heals, ammo, shields, and then support from rebellion members (also these dudes sucked and just body-blocked me 90% of the time). I would be more forgiving of the difficulty if certain chapters didn't feel unnecessarily long, as the more time I spent on foes and tasks that were laughably easy, the more I wanted the levels to end.

The later half of HL2 also feels significantly less interesting than what is presented in the first half of chapters. The beginning of this game constantly presents you with completely unique settings with differing allies, enemies and ways to play the game. Going from the airboat chase of Water Hazard, to the zombie survival of "We don't go to Ravenholm...", to the fast-paced travelling of Highway 17 is incredible and also distinctly loss in what follows later in the game. "We don't go to Ravenholm..." is likely my favorite chapter of this game, as it completely subverts expectations by throwing you into a horror environment with fully-unique gameplay that focuses on escaping this town as fast as possible. Your escape is also completely at the will of Father Grigori, who is the sole resident of Ravenholm, as well as the shepherd to the flock of zombies that he laughingly deals with day to day. Although the later half of chapters is far from bad, it loses this psychotic and unpredictable nature that makes the beginning so intriguing. This becomes most noticeable as you start to head to the Citadel, where the gameplay feels more akin to HL1 than 2. I will say the final 2 chapters do get back to a nice sense of uniqueness, but still a bit lackluster in comparison with the start.

The Half-Life series is an obvious historic achievement in the progression of video games, especially FPS. After finishing HL1, I was very skeptical to how the series would continue, as the first game felt obviously dated and just unenjoyable during many chapters. HL2 completely re-envisions what the first achieves while constantly paying respects to the base of what makes HL1 the game it is. HL2 has aged incredibly and still stands as a great, innovative FPS game that has clearly left it's permeant influence on the genre and industry as a whole.