Dom Robinson reviews

for Xbox

Distributed by
EA Games

There are a number of good things to this release. As you begin to play, you get the same feeling you had when embarking on the original mission first time round. We've been waiting for 7 years to reprise the role of Gordon Freeman. One of the first new enemies I came across were the Manhacks, little buzzy things that looks like personal mini-fans flying around, but with the deadly intention of hitting you and inflicting damage. These are best twatted with a crowbar, same as with the headcrabs that make a reappearance. Also back are the barnacle creatures which eat you up after sucking you all the way up to the ceiling. You can get caught out by them at some very inopportune moments such as when you're racing along on a waterboat. As you make your way through the lush, detailed landscapes, you must pick up things and throw them at enemies, such as oil drums - particularly when it's an explosive one and you're using the gravity gun, or go one better and get those white-headed freaks to walk under a car then crush them! I did think about going one smarter and smashing wooden plank 'bridges' so your enemies can't follow you, but then realised that I'm not going to visit the places where I did this, so far... and they weren't following me anyway. It's a nice thought if I do come across one though. In fact, going back to the gravity gun - as I do frequently - you can even pick up tables and planks of wood and blast them through doors, resulting in them splitting in two and then you can use the remainders against the baddies at your will.

I also enjoyed having a blast on the aforementioned water boat, which is like riding Steve McQueen's bike in The Great Escape. There are some neat graphical effects such as the smashing of glass and when you do come up against something that seems tricky at first such as the best way to make a ramp elevate to the right position, you'll find the puzzles are relatively simple so you can get on with the game. I've also enjoyed the sections that involve a gunship blasting at you as you've got enough going on around you, just in a bid to stay alive, and the ability to shoot at far-off objects and see the dust return off a building as your gunshot hits it. However, while I do find this long-awaited sequel relatively enjoyable, it is very linear. You don't always mind this too much but it rather feels like it has Love Actually sydrome - i.e. you get into it while taking part, but when you exit out and have time to reflect it just doesn't feel as good as it was meant to.

Half Life 2 also doesn't feel as *busy* as the first game, or even as engaging. Maybe things have moved on in terms of what we expect from a high-profile title such as the complex-deep-down-but-easily-accessible GTA series? That said, on the Xbox the frame-rate was noticably not as good early on as the PC version, but on that platform for some reason I never managed to get the widescreen mode working properly (half the image was always missing, if you'll pardon the sort-of pun) and nor did the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound come out of all the right speakers. I'd get everything at the front verging towards the center-to-right-hand-side and the rears came out of the front like mono. I tried this on two different PCs, bought two years apart, and never had this problem on other games on the same equipment. You'd have thought that given Valve's propensity for forcing the dumb PC game to check for updates every bloody time you start the thing they'd have fixed this as a matter of priority, but no. What exactly were they doing that necessitated in this happening each time?

Still, look on the bright side with this release - there's none of signing up to online agreements before the gameplay begins, and nor does it ever bug you similarly from that point on. Phew! Hopefully, as it hasn't appeared in a simliar fashion on other games that the manufacturers will see that the public don't like their PCs being hogged by pointless files hanging around in the background and it'll become as unliked and disappear just like the 'anti-piracy' code put on CDs which just stop legal customers from playing it in their PCs or games consoles. Going back to the graphics and the quality of them are also lacking in comparison to that on the PC, such as when you get up close to walls and doors, as you approach them, and the detail just goes to pot. Continue on and after things speed up to a more acceptable level, there then still comes slowdown during the game. In fact, the framerate is far better on the menu demo than it is in the game(!)

But to be more positive, try out the sound. There were no problems with the DD5.1 sound here and it was an absolute triumph from the off. Aside from the fact there are very haunting sounds throughout, just try being surrounded by zombies and then turning round so the sonic placement turns round with you. That, and the explosions giving your subwoofer a workout, is a real treat for the ears and will have your neighbours phoning the council for a Noise Abatement order on Monday morning! On the other hand, there are times when the game will have you screaming - not because of the horror to be witnessed, but down to the button layout on the controller. Getting about is largely fine, but sometimes it's too easy to accidentally zoom-in while in the middle of a gunfight, forget what you've pressed and have the insides of your head consumed by zombies before you can sort it out. Also, the loading times come far too often. That said, it's very addictive while Half Life 2, but ultimately, when you've had time to disseminate the information you've just taken in, after you've finished playing for a session lasting a few hours, it feels rather soulless and doesn't leave the lasting impressions of greatness that the original did.

GRAPHICS SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC PLAYABILITY ENJOYMENT
OVERALL

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2006.