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Half-Life 2: Episode 2, the discussioning

2456745

Posts

  • HozHoz Cool Cat Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Just finished.
    The end is my favorite vehicle sequence of any game ever. Just having that music blast as they're yelling "OH MY GOD MORE STRIDERS!" gave me a rush, but added to that the beautiful fucking car I was moving at turbo speed with, it was nirvana.

    Hoz on
  • bombardierbombardier Moderator mod
    edited October 2007
    Regarding Adam Baldwin as the resistance dude...
    hl2jaynecobb.jpg

    bombardier on
  • syrionsyrion Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    This feels really boring after Portal.. :(

    syrion on
  • RaereRaere Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    bombardier wrote: »
    Regarding Adam Baldwin as the resistance dude...
    hl2jaynecobb.jpg

    Why does your game look so much better than mine? Do you have all settings at max, and additional options or something?

    Raere on
    Raere.png
  • CharaChara Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Zzulu wrote: »
    Pharezon wrote: »
    The hunters are my favorite enemy ever because of what they almost achieved. The introduction of them. *STAB AND BEAT DOWN* <3

    True that. I did just not see that coming

    [€dit] Also, I thought a saw a scene of Alyx hanging at the side of a cliff in an ep2 trailer, but I don't think I saw that in the game?

    Commentary mode explains they were messing with ideas on... how the thing with Alyx... happens. One of the ways was her falling off a cliff. They thought that was too weak and not fitting to her character so they decided to go with something different.

    Chara on
  • sonictksonictk Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Finally finished Ep2, I am really not impressed with the ending, because instead of at least knowing that the train you were on probably wasn't going to escape the explosion in Ep1, now you have:
    2 Combine Advisors just getting the jump on you from out of nowhere
    And it feels like kind of a weak plot device to me. I mean, I just
    took like like a dozen Striders and a crapload of Hunters
    And somehow 2 Combine Advisors come out of nowhere? With no one actually realizing it? If so, why didn't the Advisors just stop the launch of the rocket?[/spoiler]

    I am placated a little by the fact that they finally decided to reveal a little bit more of the veil surrounding the G-man, though it really isn't that much. And to those who were saying Portal would be easier to understand after playing through Ep2:
    Um, it's just a ship that was done by AS with some technology that Eli thinks is too dangerous to let survive or be used. It doesn't explain ANYTHING about the A.I. in Portal. I like the subtle reference by Kleiner that AS 'skimped' on safety to save costs though

    Graphically I was expecting better, but still the art direction is fantastic, though I have to say the outdoor environments don't seem as believable as interiors, but then again even with the touted improvements the Source engine has had I still don't think it does outdoor environments very well. But then again I don't really care how something looks like as long as it doesn't make me want to quit.

    All in all Ep2 is a good game, but I still think that the plot should have been unraveled further for the player, because at this rate, it's becoming like Lost, with so many loose ends that I don't know how they're all going to tie up in the end.

    sonictk on
  • OrikaeshigitaeOrikaeshigitae Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2007
    I just played it for like ten minutes, and I'm not impressed with how they're handling the obvious Alyx falling in love with Gordon subplot.

    oh.. mr freeman........

    i can always count on you!


    She didn't seem the type to fawn in HL2, so it feels like she's breaking character here.

    Orikaeshigitae on
  • AHH!AHH! Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    So I stumbled upon an easter for LOST fans
    In the room with the vort with the suit
    lawk.jpg
    Behind the water tank... thing
    lawk2.jpg
    and a little to the left of that...
    lawk3.jpg
    those are the lost numbers. kinda hard to read because jpeg

    I thought it was cool

    AHH! on
  • bombardierbombardier Moderator mod
    edited October 2007
    Raere wrote: »
    bombardier wrote: »
    Regarding Adam Baldwin as the resistance dude...
    hl2jaynecobb.jpg

    Why does your game look so much better than mine? Do you have all settings at max, and additional options or something?
    Better how? I am running on max at 1920x1200, so that's resized quite a bit.

    bombardier on
  • sonictksonictk Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I just played it for like ten minutes, and I'm not impressed with how they're handling the obvious Alyx falling in love with Gordon subplot.

    oh.. mr freeman........

    i can always count on you!


    She didn't seem the type to fawn in HL2, so it feels like she's breaking character here.
    Near the end , you should hear what Eli says.

    Nice easter egg find. :)

    sonictk on
  • MutePrezMutePrez Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    So I feel like they didn't really reveal that much about the advisers, apart from us seeing what they look like and how they get information. Did I miss something?

    Other than that, great fuckn game, i'll probably play through it again with commentary soon

    MutePrez on
  • tyrannustyrannus i am not fat Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    HOLY FUCKING SHIT

    i just finished it

    FUCK
    FUCK
    FUCK
    :(

    tyrannus on
  • The_SpaniardThe_Spaniard It's never lupines Irvine, CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Question about the Garden Gnome achievement. Do you find random garden gnomes throughout Episode 2? Because I just found one hidden under a shelf in the first 5 minutes of the game and am wondering if I need to carry it all the way to the end of the game for the achievement or will I find more along the way along with one right before when I need it?

    The_Spaniard on
    Playstation/Origin/GoG: Span_Wolf Xbox/uPlay/Bnet: SpanWolf Nintendo: Span_Wolf SW-7097-4917-9392 Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/Span_Wolf/
  • electricitylikesmeelectricitylikesme Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    All I can really say about the ending of Ep 2 is
    Damn, I'm going to need a bigger gun.

    Also re: Alyx
    While I think they're overplaying their hand a little bit with her and Gordon, they mostly are pretty good at keeping it in check. A lot of the dialog kind of plays out depending how you choose to perceive it.

    But also, seriously, Gordon has saved her life several dozen times now. I can't help but think "cue horrible death" in Episode 3.

    EDIT: Oh and also
    I just need to say again that the final fight with the striders was pretty much the best level I have ever played.

    electricitylikesme on
  • DarlanDarlan Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Finished! Short, but sweet. I think my favorite part was
    Eli talking about about the G-man. It was such a relief to finally get things going there, too bad you never talk a whole lot about it. Still, what an awesome moment...it's like finding out someone else has been talking to your invisible friend.

    I liked it, but I have to admit I felt a bit of "been here, done that" more than I would've liked. New weapons would've been nice.

    Darlan on
  • ZekZek Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    God dammit. I got out of the mines with 331/333 grubs squashed. Is there any reasonable way to single out the ones I missed in a later playthrough?

    Zek on
  • Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Re: The Borealis
    I REALLY hope we get to choose whether to destroy it or not; like the end of Half-Life 1

    Undead Scottsman on
  • SceptreSceptre Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Well, just finished it, loved it.

    General Plot spoilers:
    Did anybody else really enjoy the relation between Kleiner and Magunsson? I thought that character was so well done, and it added a lot of well needed relief to the game. I know there was some mention of meeting Magnusson with a microwave and a casserole, but have we seen him anywhere before?

    Also, during the last strider battle, whenever I picked up a magnusson device to attach it to the car, I always found myself thinking the same thing. "I wish I could take more of these babies... But that's alright. I only need one."

    Cue me charging into the car, and turboing into the distance.

    Sceptre on
  • InsiderInsider Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Just beat it.

    Great like always.

    Now I just want Ep 3 :(

    Insider on
    Steam
    Sneaky..
  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I'm... not sure what I need to do here.
    Under the Radio, I'm not quite sure how I should go about approaching the autocannon without getting autocannon'd. What am I missing?

    Dehumanized on
  • Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I'm... not sure what I need to do here.
    Under the Radio, I'm not quite sure how I should go about approaching the autocannon without getting autocannon'd. What am I missing?

    If you don't want to get shot, then don't let it shoot you.
    Look at everything available to you.
    Crouch down behind the cars; the autocannon can't hit you if you close enough to the car

    Undead Scottsman on
  • bombardierbombardier Moderator mod
    edited October 2007
    Sceptre wrote: »
    Well, just finished it, loved it.

    General Plot spoilers:
    Did anybody else really enjoy the relation between Kleiner and Magunsson? I thought that character was so well done, and it added a lot of well needed relief to the game. I know there was some mention of meeting Magnusson with a microwave and a casserole, but have we seen him anywhere before?

    Also, during the last strider battle, whenever I picked up a magnusson device to attach it to the car, I always found myself thinking the same thing. "I wish I could take more of these babies... But that's alright. I only need one."

    Cue me charging into the car, and turboing into the distance.
    He's the one scientist that says something like "Gordon doesn't need to hear this, he's a trained professional!" in HL1, and I love his character.
    I'm pretty blown away by the game, to be honest. I've played through it twice today, once with commentary, I will play it again for achievements and screenshots/fraps tomorrow probably. The plot has never been in your face, and what they do reveal is never concrete plain in writing.

    bombardier on
  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I'm... not sure what I need to do here.
    Under the Radio, I'm not quite sure how I should go about approaching the autocannon without getting autocannon'd. What am I missing?

    If you don't want to get shot, then don't let it shoot you.
    Look at everything available to you.
    Crouch down behind the cars; the autocannon can't hit you if you close enough to the car
    Ah, thanks... it hadn't occured to me to crouch and hide behind the cars... I kept trying to use barrels as a shield.
    oh companion cube, why can't you be in every game?

    Dehumanized on
  • electricitylikesmeelectricitylikesme Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I am disturbed
    that the companion cube has become so instantly pervasive.

    electricitylikesme on
  • SkabSkab Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    sonictk wrote: »
    Um, it's just a ship that was done by AS with some technology that Eli thinks is too dangerous to let survive or be used. It doesn't explain ANYTHING about the A.I. in Portal. I like the subtle reference by Kleiner that AS 'skimped' on safety to save costs though
    Portal doesn't take place on the ship, it takes place in the past at the AS lab.

    Skab on
    steam_sig.png
  • InquisitorInquisitor Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I just played it for like ten minutes, and I'm not impressed with how they're handling the obvious Alyx falling in love with Gordon subplot.

    oh.. mr freeman........

    i can always count on you!


    She didn't seem the type to fawn in HL2, so it feels like she's breaking character here.

    Cause lord knows people can't warm up and open up to people over time, especially when they save their life over and over.

    Inquisitor on
  • HozHoz Cool Cat Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I'm not a sociopath or anything but I really like the new blood in Episode Two. It's just right.

    Hoz on
  • tyrannustyrannus i am not fat Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Inquisitor wrote: »
    I just played it for like ten minutes, and I'm not impressed with how they're handling the obvious Alyx falling in love with Gordon subplot.

    oh.. mr freeman........

    i can always count on you!


    She didn't seem the type to fawn in HL2, so it feels like she's breaking character here.

    Cause lord knows people can't warm up and open up to people over time, especially when they save their life over and over.

    no use arguing with him, he and angry are embittered and love bioshock way too much

    tyrannus on
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Also, you blew up his microwave casserole in HL1. It's like Barney.


    Minor easter egg spoilers.
    What was that 8 1/2 pound differential?
    Oh my, did anyone look inside the missile before it launched?
    I'm going to miss Lamar...

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • sonictksonictk Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I don't recall this in the game, and there's no corresponding sound file for it. Shame. Would have been fun
    To hear G-mam laughing like a demented maniac.
    screenie2kf8.jpg
    note that #7 is missing too. along with others.

    And I really wanted to her "But we will persevere", so much shit in trailers never made it into the final versions which is annoying as hell.

    sonictk on
  • AHH!AHH! Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    nice script

    AHH! on
  • ZzuluZzulu Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    syrion wrote: »
    This feels really boring after Portal.. :(


    I thought the other way around, actually.
    sonictk wrote: »
    Finally finished Ep2, I am really not impressed with the ending, because instead of at least knowing that the train you were on probably wasn't going to escape the explosion in Ep1, now you have:
    2 Combine Advisors just getting the jump on you from out of nowhere
    And it feels like kind of a weak plot device to me. I mean, I just
    took like like a dozen Striders and a crapload of Hunters
    And somehow 2 Combine Advisors come out of nowhere? With no one actually realizing it? If so, why didn't the Advisors just stop the launch of the rocket?[/spoiler]

    I am placated a little by the fact that they finally decided to reveal a little bit more of the veil surrounding the G-man, though it really isn't that much. And to those who were saying Portal would be easier to understand after playing through Ep2:
    Um, it's just a ship that was done by AS with some technology that Eli thinks is too dangerous to let survive or be used. It doesn't explain ANYTHING about the A.I. in Portal. I like the subtle reference by Kleiner that AS 'skimped' on safety to save costs though

    Graphically I was expecting better, but still the art direction is fantastic, though I have to say the outdoor environments don't seem as believable as interiors, but then again even with the touted improvements the Source engine has had I still don't think it does outdoor environments very well. But then again I don't really care how something looks like as long as it doesn't make me want to quit.

    All in all Ep2 is a good game, but I still think that the plot should have been unraveled further for the player, because at this rate, it's becoming like Lost, with so many loose ends that I don't know how they're all going to tie up in the end.
    Well, yes, you did just destroy 12 striders with their hunter escorts. Perhaps this epic battle that took all the resistance attention to deal with made it possible for the combine to sneak up on the rear end of the base in ambush for the resistance leader. I mean, by killing him, they gain all the knowledge there is about the resistance, and almost kill the resistance messiah (gordon) along with his partner.

    Also, what are all the lose ends you are talking about? I count "the mystery of the Gman" and the "stopping the alien invasion" thing as the only ones. The rest is the adventure of getting there.

    Zzulu on
    t5qfc9.jpg
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Hey... during the hot tea scene...
    I swear, I saw a silhouette on the screen out of the corner of my eye. That giant 9 screen grid? I.. I caught it out of the corner of my eye, because I wasn't paying attention.. anyone else see that?

    Also, another quick glance..
    There was an Advisor on the screen after the weak transmission on the road.

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • ZzuluZzulu Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Gman can also be spotted walking on the bridge where you find your car

    Zzulu on
    t5qfc9.jpg
  • Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    sonictk wrote: »
    I don't recall this in the game, and there's no corresponding sound file for it. Shame. Would have been fun
    To hear G-mam laughing like a demented maniac.
    screenie2kf8.jpg
    note that #7 is missing too. along with others.

    And I really wanted to her "But we will persevere", so much shit in trailers never made it into the final versions which is annoying as hell.

    It's actually something the vortigaunts in HL2 say if you talk to them enough. Along with "Our cause, seems hopeless."

    Undead Scottsman on
  • Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Skab wrote: »
    sonictk wrote: »
    Um, it's just a ship that was done by AS with some technology that Eli thinks is too dangerous to let survive or be used. It doesn't explain ANYTHING about the A.I. in Portal. I like the subtle reference by Kleiner that AS 'skimped' on safety to save costs though
    Portal doesn't take place on the ship, it takes place in the past at the AS lab.

    Does it? Some of the quotes from the AI lead me to believe the Combine are running around Earth.

    Undead Scottsman on
  • GarthorGarthor Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    I'm having major problems right now. I just got the car, and...
    How the hell am I supposed to keep the gnome with me? That fucker's gonna fall out the second I take a turn.

    Garthor on
  • autono-wally, erotibot300autono-wally, erotibot300 love machine Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Seeing as there apparently was an "accident" in the apperture science lab involving portals, the lab could be anywhere

    autono-wally, erotibot300 on
    kFJhXwE.jpgkFJhXwE.jpg
  • BrilliantInsanityBrilliantInsanity Charleston, WVRegistered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Easter Egg pertaining to Portal?
    ep2_outland_110000.jpg Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out :D

    BrilliantInsanity on
    steam_sig.png

    Sixty -40- on Origin for some ME3 goodness.
    http://steamcommunity.com/id/brilliantinsanity/
  • JAEFJAEF Unstoppably Bald Registered User regular
    edited October 2007
    Well, just beat it. Magnificent, really. I only wish there was more.

    JAEF on
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