Half Life noob, which version to start with?

C14N

Despite being mostly a PC gamer for a few years and owning all the Half Life games, I've somehow never really gotten through them. I want to remedy that this year though so I can finally be annoyed about Half Life 3 not coming out like everybody else.

In the past I have dabbled with the series. I played a bit of Half Life 2 a few years ago when I got the Orange Box although I got stuck early on (lost in a level that has you driving around the desert) and for whatever reason, just gave up. I also bought Half Life 1 in my first Steam Sale and played it to maybe about half way before again, giving up for some reason.

So now a slightly older me is planning on going through it for real in the right order this time, but there are 3 versions of HL1 now and I don't know which one to start with. As I mentioned I got about half way through on the original 1998 version but my save file is gone so I'd be starting again anyway. So the 3 versions are:

Half Life (1998)
Half Life Source
Black Mesa

Now I have to be honest, as someone who really only started gaming on a Gamecube and who has adjusted to pretty PC graphics, playing HL1 with it's blocky graphics and crappy sound was a bit of a slog and I can't say I was enjoying it massively. I still want to finish it so I can go on to HL2 though. I was planning on playing Black Mesa instead since it's completely redesigned and modern but then I heard it's not really finished yet and they still have some later stages left to add in, is this true? I do want to get on to HL2 this summer so if waiting for the devs to finish BM is necessary to go that route then I don't want to waste my time with only part of the game.

That would kind of make me want to play Source instead since it's somewhere in between but is this much of an improvement aesthetically? Is it worth spending a few Euro on?

Cravez

Black Mesa is incomplete in regards the story, you're best playing the Half Life Source version if you can and then maybe give Black Mesa a go afterwards.

Generally Source is not a HUGE improvement over the original 1998 but definitely sharper textures, some new models etc. But if you want the full canon story then you need to play it.

C14N

Cravez wrote: »

Black Mesa is incomplete in regards the story, you're best playing the Half Life Source version if you can and then maybe give Black Mesa a go afterwards.

Generally Source is not a HUGE improvement over the original 1998 but definitely sharper textures, some new models etc. But if you want the full canon story then you need to play it.

Alright, reckon I'll do that while I'm still in Canada so I can pay the much cheaper Canadian price. Is the BM story not canon then? Did they change the story in some way?

Skerries

Black Mesa is as long as the original game in length but they haven't done the part where

he goes to Xen

which most people aren't a fan of so I would play Black Mesa with it's shiny graphics and read up on what happens at the end of HL1

Sarky

Aye, you're really not missing out on much by skipping Xen, unless you really, really want to deal with awkward platforming that really didn't gel with the rest of the game.

I'd stick with Black Mesa, it has pretty much all you need. Just imagine the bad platforming, a giant scrotum on insect legs, and you can just watch the ending on Youtube.

C14N

Does the Xen part affect the story in any way? If there's some big reveal or confrontation I wouldn't want to miss out on it, I wasn't really playing for the gameplay anyway to be honest.

Sarky

Not really. Most of the plot is resolved before you travel to Xen. The only exception is the end cutscene.

gouche

Am I the only one that didn't think Xen was that bad?
Played it before I got broadband and didn't understand all the hate it got on forums when I finally got online!

The gameplay and mechanics in Half-Life 1 make it one of the best PC games ever and I think it stands up quite well graphically compared to other games out around the same time.
Replayed it recently along with Opposing Force and Blue Shift and really enjoyed it.

If I was just starting now I'd go Half-Life: Source and then Opposing Force and Blue Shift if you really wanted to but they're really not necessary.

Sarky

Oh Xen's not bad exactly. It's just not great. It's awful compared to the rest of the game's quality shooting/puzzling/more shooting.

TheFullDuck

half life: source
half life: blue shift
half life: opposing force
half life 2
HL2: ep.1
HL2: ep.2

in that order

im jealous of you, to go back and experience the games and story again for the first time

*awaits HL is overrated brigade*

CiDeRmAn

TheFullDuck wrote: »

half life: source
half life: blue shift
half life: opposing force
half life 2
HL2: ep.1
HL2: ep.2

in that order

im jealous of you, to go back and experience the games and story again for the first time

*awaits HL is overrated brigade*

What this guy said.
I played them on PC, PS2, Xbox, Dreamcast and 360, and love them all.
You might want to stick Portal and Portal 2 on the list as well, seeing as they form a separate game entirely but with a narrative that runs in parallel with lots of derogatory opinions of the losers at Black Mesa from the intrepid Aperture Science boys and girls. For Science!

Kiith

If you do play Black Mesa, make sure to watch the ending on Youtube. Might be a little lost if you jump into HL2 after that :P

As above though, i'd absolutely love to be able to experience them for the first time again. Half Life 2 for me was probably an unmatched experience for me. I was constantly blown away by it, and it remains one of my favourite games to this day.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

i dunno
hl2 was pretty stunning for the world it created at the time but every time I try replay it I get so bored so fast

it's just not that... good

Hank Scorpio

HL1 source no other place to start, you have to finish it. Black Mesa is awesome its just a shame they haven't released the second part yet

Play Half Life Source with the model upgrade, think it's a free downloadable mod.

*Edit*
Below is the guide;
http://hls.gamebanana.com/skins/15204

Then Play Opposing Force (Love It)

Play Black Mesa after but you really need to experience the Original first to apprieciate it.

Epic Trailer for OF;

ronkmonster

I found source harder than the original. A lot more recoil on the MP5.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/13750-13-source-harder-original

gouche

M!Ck^ wrote: »

Play Half Life Source with the model upgrade, think it's a free downloadable mod.
Then Play Opposing Force (Love It)

Play Black Mesa after but you really need to experience the Original first to appropriate it.

Epic Trailer for OF;

That trailer makes me want to play opposing force again!

gouche

gouche wrote: »

That trailer makes me want to play opposing force again!

See here for the remake ala Black Mesa

http://tripminestudios.com/forum/portal.php

C14N

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

What this guy said.
I played them on PC, PS2, Xbox, Dreamcast and 360, and love them all.
You might want to stick Portal and Portal 2 on the list as well, seeing as they form a separate game entirely but with a narrative that runs in parallel with lots of derogatory opinions of the losers at Black Mesa from the intrepid Aperture Science boys and girls. For Science!

I've already finished both Portals though (I finished the first one twice) so I'm grand. It was looking up Portal earlier today that made me want to play HL.

It sounds like there's no firm agreement but I think I'll go with the Source version anyway so I can get the full story. I don't have Blue Shift or Opposing Force, guess I'll keep an eye out for future sales, are either of them long?

Vicxas

They're not as loan as HL but they both have some good bits. Especially in Blue Shift where you intersect the main storyline

Monotype

If you found the original boring before, then maybe play it with a friend using Sven Co-op. Takes a little work to get it going (the person serving needs to forward ports on the router so have it ready before you sit down for a game), but having a companion can take the edge off the slower parts. TBH, I hardly see the point in HL:S.

Monotype

Monotype wrote: »

If you found the original boring before, then maybe play it with a friend using Sven Co-op. Takes a little work to get it going (the person serving needs to forward ports on the router so have it ready before you sit down for a game), but having a companion can take the edge off the slower parts. TBH, I hardly see the point in HL:S.

This will end up having the opposite effect, having a coop partner run through this defeats the purpose of the first play through for a game of this caliber. I would love to be able to forget it all and play through it all again. Use a headset when you play it.
Sven-Coop can be enjoyed after.

C14N wrote: »

I've already finished both Portals though (I finished the first one twice) so I'm grand. It was looking up Portal earlier today that made me want to play HL.

It sounds like there's no firm agreement but I think I'll go with the Source version anyway so I can get the full story. I don't have Blue Shift or Opposing Force, guess I'll keep an eye out for future sales, are either of them long?

Just buy the Half-Life 1 Anthology if you want the vanilla experience its only 15 euro for Half Life 1, Opposing Force & Blue Shift & use this guide;

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1445333

Blazer

Tried playing HL2 during the week but the loading scenes just annoyed the hell outta me so I uninstalled it..
I remember the day it came out having to lug my pc from Limerick to my parents house 15 miles away and having to activate the bloody thing over a 56k modem and then having the brother drive me all the way back into Limerick to play it again

Mr E

Same here. I had a massive patch to download over 56k before I could even play it. My first experience of Steam was not a positive one.

o1s1n

Mr E wrote: »

Same here. I had a massive patch to download over 56k before I could even play it. My first experience of Steam was not a positive one.

The patch to play HLDM on the Valve servers back in the day was 85Mb at one point. If I remember correctly, it took about 7 hours to download. :eek:

And I remember doing that before things like DAP. There were a couple of occasions when the download either got interrupted (dial up being knocked off) or the end file was corrupt for some reason

Would love to have gotten a hold of the Dreamcast Version of HL, it's seems to be mega rare from looking at Ebay, can't see one copy.

o1s1n

That's because it was never released . It was cancelled before it hit the production lines.

It was leaked online though so If you see any copies on ebay they're fakes.

o1s1n

o1s1n wrote: »

That's because it was never released . It was cancelled before it hit the production lines.

It was leaked online though so If you see any copies on ebay they're fakes.

Just copped that now thanks. My Ps2 version will have to suffice for couch play :P.
It looks like the dreamcast could essentially read cdrs

o1s1n

Yeah if anyone fanciest giving the DC version a go it's just a matter of sticking it on a disc and popping it into the console.

The PS2 multiplayer version is a bit mad. It runs pretty well split screen but the maps are downsized and sections are just walled off/left out.

If you're very familiar with the PC maps (Especially Stalkyard) then it's very unsettling to suddenly run into a wall where you expected a corridor

Mr. CooL ICE

Loved HL back in the day. Played it through again when HL2 was released (didn't have my own PC) and it felt very dated, even back then.

Didn't play HL2 until about 2007 and although it was fun, it seemed slightly dated as I had been hooked on FarCry and Crysis around then. Finished it, started Ep1 and thought "meh".

Late last year, I bought Orange Box as I wanted to play through Portal and decided to go through HL2, ep1 and ep2. Ep1 and ep2 really are fantastic playthroughs. They play like what HL2 should have been. HL2 seems to have put too much emphasis on showing off the source engine and what it can do, but the expansions really made an awesome game.

o1s1n

o1s1n wrote: »

Yeah if anyone fanciest giving the DC version a go it's just a matter of sticking it on a disc and popping it into the console.

The PS2 multiplayer version is a bit mad. It runs pretty well split screen but the maps are downsized and sections are just walled off/left out.

If you're very familiar with the PC maps (Especially Stalkyard) then it's very unsettling to suddenly run into a wall where you expected a corridor

I found that the single player is essentially a stripped down version also, I remember playing the 'On A Rail' Section and getting slightly confused.

super_furry

Honestly I'd say skip the first and go straight to the second. While ground breaking at the time, Half-Life is a pretty bog standard shooter by today's standards - everything that came after it took what it did and tried to improve and expand on it. Half-Life 2 on the other hand still stands up today and still looks pretty damn amazing on even an old PC.

Monotype

Blazer wrote: »

Tried playing HL2 during the week but the loading scenes just annoyed the hell outta me so I uninstalled it..

Get an SSD, those load times nearly melt away.

super_furry

super_furry wrote: »

Honestly I'd say skip the first and go straight to the second. While ground breaking at the time, Half-Life is a pretty bog standard shooter by today's standards - everything that came after it took what it did and tried to improve and expand on it. Half-Life 2 on the other hand still stands up today and still looks pretty damn amazing on even an old PC.

Blasphemy!

keane2097

I was never able to play either HL1 or HL2 because they gave me motion sickness - true story.

johnny_ultimate

Honestly, I'd say simply follow the order they've been released in. You could go for the Source version of the first game, but honestly I feel the standard first game and its expansion actually hold up well and have a certain charm about their early 3D graphics. Maybe have some of the texture mods etc... installed if you so wish, but it's a game I have never felt to be in desperate need of redrawn characters or upressed detail.

Amazing looking at Half Life 2 today and seeing how extraordinary it still looks a decade (!!!!!!) after release. Character models are still absolutely exemplary. You have to wonder what those magicians at Valve will come out with when Source 2 arrives, as the original must have been one of the most brilliant, robust engines in gaming history - heck, it's still being adapted by the likes of Titanfall.

TheFullDuck

I forgot to add, HL2 is worth it alone for the level Ravenholm. perfect blend of action, puzzles and tension the whole way through! still one of the best levels in a single player game I've ever played.

Kiith

Download the FakeFactory Cinematic mod for HL2 as well. Makes it look absolutely brilliant, even by today's standards.

Just don't activate the utterly **** custom models. Unless you like pornstar Alex and Baywatch Barney.

Blazer

Monotype wrote: »

Get an SSD, those load times nearly melt away.

I have ...Samsung's latest 512GB one
Still annoys me but I might give it a another shot.

Cravez

All this talk is making me want to go back and play them again....

C14N

super_furry wrote: »

Honestly I'd say skip the first and go straight to the second. While ground breaking at the time, Half-Life is a pretty bog standard shooter by today's standards - everything that came after it took what it did and tried to improve and expand on it. Half-Life 2 on the other hand still stands up today and still looks pretty damn amazing on even an old PC.

I really just want to play it for the story. I've often heard that it's a very good early example of storytelling through gameplay and I want to look at that. I was also very confused about what was going on in HL2 at the start having missed the story from HL1.

TheFullDuck wrote: »

I forgot to add, HL2 is worth it alone for the level Ravenholm. perfect blend of action, puzzles and tension the whole way through! still one of the best levels in a single player game I've ever played.

I've actually played Ravenholm twice. It was included in the demo for HL2 and it was one of the first games I ever played after building my PC. I got that far again on my HL2 playthrough. I completely agree though, that level had me completely on-edge, I literally jumped a few different times playing through.

Kiith wrote: »

Download the FakeFactory Cinematic mod for HL2 as well. Makes it look absolutely brilliant, even by today's standards.

Just don't activate the utterly **** custom models. Unless you like pornstar Alex and Baywatch Barney.

Are mods easy enough to install for HL? I remember fiddling around with Skyrim mods and had to get a friend to help with the extra software and editing .ini files and everything.

Cravez

Nah it should be alot easier, it's mainly texture/mesh file dumps rather than scripting and config file changes like Skyrim can have.

Mr. CooL ICE

TheFullDuck wrote: »

I forgot to add, HL2 is worth it alone for the level Ravenholm

We don't go to Ravenholm any more...

Vicxas

God Ravenholm, the memories

Kiith

C14N wrote: »

Are mods easy enough to install for HL? I remember fiddling around with Skyrim mods and had to get a friend to help with the extra software and editing .ini files and everything.

Yeah, they are easy to install. It's a file you run, and then select what you want to install (character models, textures etc...). Takes a few mins to install, and then you just run it through the shortcut that gets created on install.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

you have to run each game, hl2, ep1 and ep 2 once before you install the mod though

just start a new game and exit out of it once it loads

Maximus Alexander

I would hate to have missed out on Half-Life, to date the experience of playing it for the first time back in 98/99 remains the best gaming experience of my life. The following 5 years of mods and multiplayer aren't far behind either.

To be honest, I think that it's still good enough to hold up today if you can get over the graphics - there are shooters which have come out in the last couple of years that don't have a patch on it. If you stick on some headphones and immerse yourself in the world you'll have a blast.

Thargor

Im constantly tempted to replay HL2 but Im saving it for the Oculus Rift!

Cravez

For me personally, the year 1998 onwards when I started playing Half Life and then subsequently the mods afterwards like Counter Strike (very early version), Action Half Life, Team Fortress etc were probably some of my favourite gaming years to date.

Maximus Alexander

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

I would hate to have missed out on Half-Life, to date the experience of playing it for the first time back in 98/99 remains the best gaming experience of my life. The following 5 years of mods and multiplayer aren't far behind either.

To be honest, I think that it's still good enough to hold up today if you can get over the graphics - there are shooters which have come out in the last couple of years that don't have a patch on it. If you stick on some headphones and immerse yourself in the world you'll have a blast.

Yes, from alot of posts here people are suggesting he should ignore it and move straight to HL2 which is wrong.

Three great games to play before he ever needs to touch the full blown sequel.

allybhoy

HL1 & 2 got me basically into PC's and gaming. I bought a graphics card donkeys ago and got a demo of the first 2 r 3 levels of HL1 with it, never heard of it before, and was utterly hooked. Went straight out and bought it, and then blue shift and opposing force.

When HL2 ws released i went out and built a custom rig especially for it complete with 28 inch monitor, i can remember the first time it loaded up, my jaw as on the floor with the texture and modelling on G-MAN's face, then as i went out the door into City 17, i was speechless. I must have played that opening 10 minutes 200 hundred times and demo'd it to 50 people, friends, parents, relations, all amazed at what was in front of them.

I dont think a series has ever been so complete and ahead of its time and i dont think we'll ever see the likes of it again. Every minute detail was perfect, the sound in particular of the weapons was so crisp... Dat Magnum in HL1, or when you gave the shotgun both barrels at the same time.