EP2 Ending Discussion (spoilers)

I enjoyed EP2 just like I enjoyed EP1 and HL2 and HL....(enough abbreviations??? for ya.)

HL2, etal is comfortable. If you are a fan, you know the tricks, youve seen most of the puzzles, the gameplay is very consistant. I expect some surprises in the story, but none in the game.

I expect a well balanced game that runs smooth and has no technical problems; and that is fun. Compare HL2Ep2 to Bioshock on my system, running Vista 64 bit. Bioshock is buggy as hell and HL2 runs smooth as silk.

Thats what I got.

Ending? Not bad, predictable. I wish Magnusson had been fileted.
Where's the story going??? The ghost ship no doubt.
What was lousy? spending too much time underground in those crazy antlion holes.
Man, I hate cobwebs, spiders adn narrow places anyway.....that part just creeped me out.
Best part......love it or hate it.....the Strider battle at the end. ( I just dont quite get how a rocket RPG somehow suddenly became less effective against the Striders)
 
So what happened to Barney? Unless I missed something, he wasn't even as much as mentioned in EP2.
 
Barney will show up on that ship in EP3

"Hey Gordon, did you miss me? You forgot something!' Hands you crowbar.

I was wondering that too, he was never even mentioned, like "I miss Barney" Or "Wish Barney was here"...he just became a non-item.
 
magoo said:
MIA.
Probably got blowed up when the Citadel went up in flames.
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Last we heard he was leaving the city on a train just like alyx and gordon. I'm pretty sure hes still around, but his train went to a different area. probably will see him in Ep3.
 
Damnit, just finished the game.

I was shocked with what happened, I was totally prepared to jump into a Helicopter and fly out of there, but no. Those damn brain suckers got us and now we have to wait another really long time.

Thats what gets me with this Episode business....Does it really work?
Just when the game starts getting really good, it ends.

I think I would prefer to wait longer for a longer game, instead of this little bits and pieces of a game and then you have to wait months or years for the next bit.
 
Hard to say if it really works, Valve never really tried releasing just episodic content.

Episode 1 brought on HDR, improved animations and updated facial animation, DoD:S

Episode 2 brought on an updated map engine, increased multi-core performance, as well as two games both with new technology in each, and new gameplay in each, and one of them in nigh untrodden territory(since Narbacular was really just a tech demo for them).

If they had just been sticking to Episodes and HL3 development(so that they have a full updated game ready shortly after the episodes are concluded) like other studios tend to do, perhaps episodic content wouldn't involve so much delay.
 
Well i like to think of it this way.... HL3 is in secret development and HL2 episodic content is basically the testing bed for a bunch of the new engines technology while filling in the gap between the two.

Consider that there was a whole hell of a lot that occured between HL1 and HL2...if the episodic content was going on, it might involve resistance members, the 7 day war, the aftermath of black mesa etc... (but no gordon).

In HL1, gordon freed the vorts from the combines control. in HL2, he freed (partially) earth. in HL3, i think we are going after the combine on there home territory.
 
lopoetve said:
No, it's not flamebait, and was never intended as such. I honestly hated episode 2: It's one of the worst games I've played all year. However, I loved the half-life series up till this point, so I'd like to know what happens so I can play Episode 3, which may very well be better, and not feel totally lost. I almost never cheat, unless I get totally stuck (STALKER got me to at one point), hell, I completed COD2 on the hardest difficulty legally (took me a month). But this... was honestly so boring, I just don't want to touch it anymore, and that's sad since the rest of Orange Box is awesome.

Someone has uploaded the final end to youtube since I posted my post. I now know what happens... and my personal feelings about the end fit the rest of the game: Mediocre at best. Killing eli, fine. That makes sense, in the storyline, but the brain bugs are such a cop out steal from ST it's not even funny, especially since once again, they pulled the "here, know it all! OOPS!" ending style. This whole episode felt like a cop out. Milking the cash cow and not adding anything.

Anyway, back to the portal advanced levels. :)
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Yeah, they stole it from starship troopers...

becaues the brain bugs flew around with telekenetic powers amirite?

just because they suck brains doesn't mean it's a stolen tactic. It makes sense that the badguys be brutal. and it shows you how they go to be so superior.

main difference. the combine advisors are 10x more badass than the ST brain bugs.

the brain bugs are weak ass little bitches.
 
w00t69 said:
Yeah, they stole it from starship troopers...

becaues the brain bugs flew around with telekenetic powers amirite?

just because they suck brains doesn't mean it's a stolen tactic. It makes sense that the badguys be brutal. and it shows you how they go to be so superior.

main difference. the combine advisors are 10x more badass than the ST brain bugs.

the brain bugs are weak ass little bitches.
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Plus, advisers don't looks like lumpy vaginas. :D
 
lopoetve said:
I didn't expect everything to be new, but I didn't expect a rehash of the worst parts of the prior games. I didn't find much of anything that was new.

I enjoyed Ep1 for the same reasons you did. I had a blast with that night fight, especially barely making it. Striders with sillymines and hunters are just, well, meh.
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Ok so the worst parts of the prior games are???? Puzzles have always been a part of HL and you should know that. And obviously you were expecting many things to be new. How much time do you think passed between EP1 and 2? No time at all so why the hell would there be gobs of new enemies besides the hunters and advisors?

Oh and how the hell could you enjoy the final fight of EP1 but not 2? Oh and you say you'd rather use rockets than the Magnussons. Ok let's see, it takes like 5-6 rockets per strider so do the math: 1 magnusson vs. 5-6 rocket. Your opinion on the game is stupid.:rolleyes:
 
TekSomniaK said:
Ok so the worst parts of the prior games are???? Puzzles have always been a part of HL and you should know that. And obviously you were expecting many things to be new. How much time do you think passed between EP1 and 2? No time at all so why the hell would there be gobs of new enemies besides the hunters and advisors?

Oh and how the hell could you enjoy the final fight of EP1 but not 2? Oh and you say you'd rather use rockets than the Magnussons. Ok let's see, it takes like 5-6 rockets per strider so do the math: 1 magnusson vs. 5-6 rocket. Your opinion on the game is stupid.:rolleyes:
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Worst parts: Bad controls on the driving sections. Deep, dark tunnels. the physics puzzles were fun when new, but the fifth time I have to stack bricks on a ramp to work gravity it gets old.

I don't expect everything to be new, or even many things, just some steady growth and improvements, and at least the same quality. Instead, we got dialog written by a 5 year old, race stereotypes on some characters, and a car that controls like a broken sled. Not to mention that the characters are often totally out of character.

The final fight of Ep1 was interesting: Avoid the strider while using his weapons to build a path. Ep2: Why the hell use a 2 stage device that requires me to drive a car that barely functions, when a bunch of guys with rocket launchers could do the job? Messing with a gravity gun and goofy balls is silly, imho. Just let me shoot.

My opinion is mine to have. Don't flame me.
 
Suiseiseki said:
I guess I'm a little confused.

Where did it say Advisors can suck someone's knowledge out of them?

BRAINS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY! GOOD NIGHT!
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Experiments have been done with earthworms, I think, where they teach them something (don't ask me what, or how) then grind them up and feed them to other worms and somehow those worms know how to do it too, even though they were never taught.
 
My favorite quote from the whole game:

"Freeeeman is a quick thinker....and a faaast moooover!" -Vortiguant
 
lopoetve said:
Why the hell use a 2 stage device that requires me to drive a car that barely functions, when a bunch of guys with rocket launchers could do the job? Messing with a gravity gun and goofy balls is silly, imho. Just let me shoot.

My opinion is mine to have. Don't flame me.
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Maybe they ran out of rockets and they had to improvise.
 
good grief.

it took me 7 hours. i knew it would be short so i set it to hard. i didn't even try to run over the hunters, that wouldve made it too easy i think. :p

i enjoyed it a lot more than ep1. the environs were great, the graphics looked decent...and as always source games just plain run, no bugs. the battles were more intense, and the only downside is waiting another year for the next damn installment.

how about this, valve? just take a year and a half and turn out a complete game. no more 4-7 hour episodes - just one badass 30 hour beast of a game. JUST DO IT. that is all.
 
mastercheeze said:
good grief.

it took me 7 hours. i knew it would be short so i set it to hard. i didn't even try to run over the hunters, that wouldve made it too easy i think. :p

i enjoyed it a lot more than ep1. the environs were great, the graphics looked decent...and as always source games just plain run, no bugs. the battles were more intense, and the only downside is waiting another year for the next damn installment.

how about this, valve? just take a year and a half and turn out a complete game. no more 4-7 hour episodes - just one badass 30 hour beast of a game. JUST DO IT. that is all.
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It took them a year and a half to make THIS game, which was 5-6 hours for most people. I don't think the 30 hour game thing is reasonable, unless you want to wait another 7 years.
 
They were doing alot of other things along side with this release, portal, TF2 and console ports as well, guessing them making console ports took a good chunk of their time.

Honestly if they want their engine so bad stop trying to make it look better then the last, the original HL2 looked good enough for that game already, just make the damn game! or release a book to tide us over in the mean time...
 
I bet they were waiting to release with 360.

The PC version was probably done for a while.

They also announced they were working on EP3 a long time ago, so hopefullyit'll be sooner rather than later.
 
The18thLetter said:
Yeah, that was a really emotional ending, but I saw it coming... well, not Eli having his brain sucked out by the Advisors, but Eli dying.

Just before the Combine portal was destroyed and Eli told me that we'll talk when I get back, I just KNEW he was going to die soon.
Either way, it was emotional...
What really shocked me, though, was the fact that that was it. I mean, I just checked my Steam Community times and it says 5.4 hours for Episode 2. What? What happened to "double the length of Episode 1" or whatever Valve was promising us? IIRC, Episode 1 took me just as long.
Blah.

Anyway, it was still a great game, don't get me wrong. Here's hoping Valve drops Episode 3 on us in less than a year and 6 months (or whatever it was).

Oh, and the Aperture thing. When Kleiner said they disappeared off the map, do you think they meant Portal's ending??
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I was going to make a post about that. And, as much as I love the entire Half Life series, but that 5 hours it took me to beat Episode 2, should not have taken a year. Hopefully with Episode 3, it will be quicker since they won't be working on console versions, and they won't have Portal or TF2 to make. So, hopefully all the effort will go to making Episode 3, and it'll come out sooner than a year from now.
 
Its simple, just take whatever value Valve give you in hours for expected gameplay length, and divide by 2...

Ep1 and Ep2 I completed about twice as quickly, and portal in about 1.5 hours, when the expected was 2-3
 
I don't understand why people complain about length when they rush through the game.

When I play Valve games, I turn up the difficulty and take my time to take it all in. Not that I die or get stuck, I just slow down to appreciate the atmosphere.

And for those who were upset about EP2 being a rehash of EP1, I don't mind that because I barely remember EP1, it was so long ago. I enjoyed the continuation of the story and can't wait to discover the Borealis.
 
zamardii said:
I was going to make a post about that. And, as much as I love the entire Half Life series, but that 5 hours it took me to beat Episode 2, should not have taken a year. Hopefully with Episode 3, it will be quicker since they won't be working on console versions, and they won't have Portal or TF2 to make. So, hopefully all the effort will go to making Episode 3, and it'll come out sooner than a year from now.
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I honestly doubt it has anything to do with the ending to portal, one super computer destroyed and a lab, in the world of gaming that rarely ends up being the end result of something big like the company. Its just a fun game that gives you a tickle of what the company was like.

Also whats weird is how there is no one working at their stations, wonder they told everyone to vacate that place once you broke perimeter?
 
mastercheeze said:
good grief.

how about this, valve? just take a year and a half and turn out a complete game. no more 4-7 hour episodes - just one badass 30 hour beast of a game. JUST DO IT. that is all.
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No offense, but you do have the option of not playing HL2 at all until episode 3 is released, and the you can play HL2, HL2ep1, ep2, then ep3, and have that long bad-ass beast of a game you are talking about. With the way Valve is selling things, it would be cheaper, too...

But yes, you do have the freedom to do what you discussed...

(Unless you expect the quality of the game HL2 thru ep3 will be to be able to be developed every 1.5 years, then your expectations might be a bit high...)
 
Trimlock said:
I honestly doubt it has anything to do with the ending to portal, one super computer destroyed and a lab, in the world of gaming that rarely ends up being the end result of something big like the company. Its just a fun game that gives you a tickle of what the company was like.

Also whats weird is how there is no one working at their stations, wonder they told everyone to vacate that place once you broke perimeter?
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Interesting theory, but that has nothing to do with my post. I was only saying that it took way too long for Ep. 2 to come out, and that with development that went into TF2, and Portal alongside Ep. 2, hopefully ep. 3 will not take nearly as long to complete since nothing else will release with it.
 
Well I just finished and....wow just......wow. I for one did NOT see Eli kicking the bucket. The second that screen flashed in the hangar I said "OH FUCK!"

Poor Eli :( I wanted to pull out my shotgun and blow those flying brainsuckers into little pieces. Can't wait for EP3 I want some vengeance on those damned bugs.

Oh yea and the strider battle was awsome!


Suiseiseki said:
BRAINS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY! GOOD NIGHT!
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Haha oh Morbo...
 
zamardii said:
Interesting theory, but that has nothing to do with my post. I was only saying that it took way too long for Ep. 2 to come out, and that with development that went into TF2, and Portal alongside Ep. 2, hopefully ep. 3 will not take nearly as long to complete since nothing else will release with it.
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Actually i ment to quote The18thLetter, my bad.

Oh and I agree with that post as well.
 
It was a great game and I really enjoyed it.
Sadly I found out that Eli was going to die before I beat the game and wasn't as sad when it happened. I have to say I really enjoyed Portal as well and It made up for the short play time of Ep2.

HL2 Ep 3 is going to be the end of the Half Life series so I really Really hope Vavle takes it's time (1 year+) and gives us Episode 3 packed to the tits with content and story. I don't mind waiting for the climax of this great story if the game takes 15+ hours to beat.

Either way... The Apature Science tie in to HL should be interesting in EP 3, I can't wait to find out what exactly is on the Borialus (Portal gun maybe?). I think if EP 3 has the portal gun and presents a puzzle-ish way to play through parts of Ep3, it's going to be awesome!

Great game and I can't wait for the next!
 
Yeah some douche posted a pic of his brains getting sucked out... and i just HAD to see it even tho it said spoiler. So the ending wasnt as great for me too.
But still great :D

Majin said:
...
Sadly I found out that Eli was going to die before I beat the game...
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Just finished it today after starting it yesterday. Another great addition. :D
 
Just finished today. I was sad that Elie died, but it didn't shock me like it did for some. I knew that someone was going to die, just didn't know if it was going to be Alyx, Dog, or Eli. Can't wait for Episode 3...
 
for a moment i either a. expecting g-man to show up at the last minute b. somebody dying c. the rocket was a complete bust.
 
Wow, what an ending! What an amazing game this is. I agree that this must be one of the greatest endings ever. When the Advisors impaled Eli Vance, I was stunned. Rarely has an ending had such emotional impact - I felt helpless, angry and saddened at his death. It's testament to Value's brilliant storytelling and rounded characterisation that you care so much about these characters. I really can't wait for Episode 3 and Half-Life 3. Value you are geniuses.
 
Very good ending, certainly one of the best I can remember but not as good as Portal. One thing bothered me, I dont like how Eli was all calm and collected in his last moments, talking with the same tone of voice as in the rest of the game. It kinda make him look like a cartoon instead of a real emotional character, nobody is going to act like that as they are about to die.
 
I was dismayed by the whole episode ideas, and it wasn't until the free gifts of EP1 did I play, and that was very very short. I had heard it was short but damn, that was crappy...Im glad I didn't pay for it. EP2 felt a lil bit longer, the final battle was awesome, I killed myself 2 times to try different ways to kill and use different weapons the hunters. I found using the gravity gun with the logs 2-3 times works wonders when your not in the car, and the crossbow did well too.

EP2's ending was awesome I must say, it left me wanting the next one which EP1 didn't. All in all it was a shitty idea to do "episodes", but at least EP2 was a bit better IMO.

Anyone else laugh at the whole Alex and freeman getting together and having babies plays throughout the EP?
 
lopoetve said:
I know that's. I have no interest in finishing the fight. That would be like taking a screwdriver and jamming it into my toe: I really, really don't want to ever run that program again. I want to see the end so I know what happens going into Ep3, and then delete the thing off of my drive to free up space for other things. I've been bored with it for all but maybe 30 seconds of the entire time I've been playing, and this final fight is the capstone of said boredom.

I LOVED HL2 and Ep1, played both at least 5 times through. But I have no intention of every playing Ep2 again. It's a sad joke compared to the other two, in my humble opinion. Like Valve was laughing at us :(
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You're not making much sense...ep2 is not such a dramatic deviation from the other two hl2's to warrant such a negative response. Flame bait as the other poster said.
 
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