So I'm Finally Playing Through Half-Life...

Post by **racketboy** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:10 am

So looking back, how do you think the scary-ness factor compares to the typical survival horror games?

Post by **roushimsx** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:41 am

racketboy wrote:So looking back, how do you think the scary-ness factor compares to the typical survival horror games?

I think most survival horror games are really lacking in the horror and stick to stereotypical monster & slasher movie schlock. The real scary stuff is in games that you wouldn't expect it, like the previously mentioned Thief and System Shock 2. Half Life has some genuinely tense moments (especially if you're playing on a higher difficulty), but I don't know if I'd actually say that it's really scary or comparable to survival horror. It's really just a well paced, brilliantly put together first person shooter that manages to tell a decent story, unlike most of the other first person shooters of the time.

The closest comparisons were Sin and Unreal, with Sin being a steaming pile of half-baked shit and Unreal's structure kinda falling apart after a bit and turning into "cool places to fight aliens". Not that Unreal was bad or anything, it was just no Half Life. Then again, it also came out a good bit earlier. Also, that part in Unreal where the lights go out one by one and the Skaarj warrior hops out of the monster closet (tm)? That was pretty wicked back then. Shame the rest of the game didn't have scripting like that.

Have you made it to the blast pit yet, btw?

There's some quality tension for you.

Post by **marurun** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:38 am

The Marathon games on the Mac can be quite scary, too. Good atmospheric sounds, good level design, and they get scary just because you know it's so easy to die.

Post by **Mozgus** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:04 am

I can't think of an FPS that scared me or even made me tense. Not even Doom 3, FEAR, or STALKER. For some reason the genre just doesn't work that way for me. The only game that ever came close to putting me on edge was Silent Hill 1.

Post by **marurun** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:08 am

Have you played System Shock 2? That game made me more nervous than any other I've ever played.

Post by **Mozgus** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:20 am

marurun wrote:Have you played System Shock 2? That game made me more nervous than any other I've ever played.

I tried it but never got it to work. It freezes up at the first load screen. I tried original isos as well as a so called "XP Edition".

Post by **roushimsx** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:30 pm

Mozgus wrote: I tried it but never got it to work. It freezes up at the first load screen. I tried original isos as well as a so called "XP Edition".

Windows games totally seem to hate you. You seriously have the worst luck of anyone I've seen when trying to run Windows-based stuff.

Aside from having to use the -lgntforce switch to install the game, I've never had a problem running it since the day I bought it.

Keep playing with it and try to get it running. It's worth it for the monkeys alone.

Post by **Ramatut4001** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:14 pm

I've never played Half Life, but I wouldn't mind trying to play through it before the Orange Box comes out. I have it for Dreamcast, and would like to play that just because I like the idea of playing an unreleased game.

Is there any really good reason I should play one of the other console versions instead?

I know I should play it on PC, but I'd rather play on a console. Sorry if I'm asking anything obviously searchable, Racketboy is one of the only gaming sites not yet blocked at my office (knock on wood).

Post by **racketboy** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:32 pm

Ramatut4001 wrote:I've never played Half Life, but I wouldn't mind trying to play through it before the Orange Box comes out. I have it for Dreamcast, and would like to play that just because I like the idea of playing an unreleased game.

Is there any really good reason I should play one of the other console versions instead?

I know I should play it on PC, but I'd rather play on a console. Sorry if I'm asking anything obviously searchable, Racketboy is one of the only gaming sites not yet blocked at my office (knock on wood).

Just fair warning, the load times on the DC aren't much fun.
And you should count yourself lucky, my site has been blocked at my work for about a year now...

Post by **racketboy** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:33 pm

Mozgus wrote:I can't think of an FPS that scared me or even made me tense. Not even Doom 3, FEAR, or STALKER. For some reason the genre just doesn't work that way for me. The only game that ever came close to putting me on edge was Silent Hill 1.

You must have nerves of steel or something.
You aren't even startled by a head crab jumping out of nowhere or anything?