I HATE the driving levels in HL2.

jpinard · Post by **jpinard** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 10:09 am

Call of Duty, HL-2, Far Cry, all excellent games (I can name several others), but I absolutely HATE those stupid driving levels. Who decided a good game has to have you driving around blah blah blah?

For me it takes away from the total immersion of a great game. I HATE HATE HATE the driving levels in HL2.

bluefugue · Post by **bluefugue** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 10:21 am

I don't hate them but I wasn't a huge fan. The airboat stuff went on too long for my tastes. I liked the buggy better because there were more (and longer) "breather" sequences where you are on foot.

Putting vehicles in a shooter, well, it's just a way they try to add something different, I suppose. HL2 seems a little behind the curve given the deluge of vehicles in online shooters lately. It's okay, I don't really have a big complaint about it, but it's not exactly my cup of tea either.

My problem is I never really feel "at rest" in the vehicle levels... I always feel like I need to make sure I haven't left the buggy too far behind, that sort of thing. I feel sort of "suspended" between the real parts of the game. Silly, I suppose.

jonsauce · Post by **jonsauce** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 10:51 am

I LOVED the driving sequences. I thought they were fine because you would only drive for a bit, then you would get out on foot and do some stuff, then you would drive again for a bit. I thought it was a good enough mix.
I had alot of fun especially in the boat level before I got a gun. Running from the attack choppers was pretty tense for me and I was laughing and smiling the whole time

It was awesome!

martindemon · Post by **martindemon** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 10:58 am

I did not meet those levels yet but normally I too hate driving in FPS. If I want to drive, I'll buy a steering and driving games. Driving has no place in FPS. What I have is that I could be forced to decide where to go fast and I just don't like that. When had pressed, I would have the impulsion to jump down and KILL EVERYTHING shooting me. Then continue. That's this factor that made me dislike UT2004.

Ronin · Post by **Ronin** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 11:10 am

The driving sequences in HL2 are some of the best ever in an FPS. The Airboat has you frantically fleeing the combine with all the elements of a hollywood chase scene. The buggy thus far has a good mix of running and then stopping to reduce areas so you can move on.

Its not exactly like its a realistic interpretation of driving or piloting an airboat anyway.

Al · Post by Al » Fri Nov 19, 2004 11:20 am

While the driving isn't as good as Halo series on the Xbox (which is the gold standard for vehicle implementation in an FPS, period) I still like them. The airboat sequence was starting to get a little long just as they wrapped it up but all in all it was still fun to me.

bluefugue · Post by **bluefugue** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 11:29 am

The airboat sequences did break my suspension of disbelief somewhat. How many conveniently placed ramps could there be along the way...?

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 11:30 am

Al wrote:While the driving isn't as good as Halo series on the Xbox (which is the gold standard for vehicle implementation in an FPS, period)

Uhh, what? Let's try UT2k4.

Misguided · Post by **Misguided** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 11:50 am

Just as a side note, I know that someone made a rally racing game using the original HL as a base. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the same thing happen with HL2.

Al · Post by Al » Fri Nov 19, 2004 12:06 pm

Zaxxon wrote:Uhh, what? Let's try UT2k4.

I have. UT2K4 is Halo's implementation. I stand by my statement.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 12:44 pm

Al wrote:
Zaxxon wrote:Uhh, what? Let's try UT2k4.
I have. UT2K4 is Halo's implementation. I stand by my statement.

The Hellbender is Halo's implementation.

I think the full complement of UT's vehicles surpasses Halo's, but that's neither here nor there. I dislike Half-Life's.

bluefugue · Post by **bluefugue** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 1:22 pm

Sigh, I gotta get back into some Onslaught action one of these days... I feel like UT2k4 is the greatest game I never get around to playing as much as I should.

Two Sheds · Post by **Two Sheds** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 1:35 pm

I think Half Life 2's vehicles are a blast. To each his own, I guess.

jonsauce · Post by **jonsauce** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 3:53 pm

I loved the HL2 driving missions as much as the rest of the game.

disarm · Post by **disarm** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 4:28 pm

bluefugue wrote:How many conveniently placed ramps could there be along the way...?

maybe i'm wrong, but i went on the assumption that it's a regular transportation route for the underground...they have the airboat and have used that path to get around before. that would explain the presence of ramps along the way...they were put there for previous trips through the canal. it's probably a lot safer when the Combine aren't actively hunting someone out in the middle of nowhere...

bluefugue · Post by **bluefugue** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 4:34 pm

Yeah, I guess that makes sense, but you'd think the Combine would just knock some of the ramps down...

jonsauce · Post by **jonsauce** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 12:01 am

Yeah, I guess that makes sense, but you'd think the Combine would just knock some of the ramps down...

I thought the Combine didn't know about it until the time you were going through it? Early in the Canal mission the different stations seemed to be panicking because the Combine had finally figured them out. They kept letting me know I was probably the last one who would ever be able to go through.

disarm · Post by **disarm** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 1:44 am

jonsauce wrote:
Yeah, I guess that makes sense, but you'd think the Combine would just knock some of the ramps down...
I thought the Combine didn't know about it until the time you were going through it? Early in the Canal mission the different stations seemed to be panicking because the Combine had finally figured them out. They kept letting me know I was probably the last one who would ever be able to go through.

exactly...the path was a secret in the middle of nowhere until the Combine chases you there. if they were aware of the route before, you'd think they would have found out about BME at the end a lot sooner...

as for the driving...i just got out of Route Kanal and entered Ravenholm. i think the airboat trip was great...some very well-designed areas, great action, and just the right length. if you had stayed in the boat the whole time, i think it might have seemed to long, but taking breaks on foot along the way kept it from getting boring for me. as it is, i think it's an great chapter and a lot of fun 8)

knob · Post by **knob** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 1:45 am

I hated Halo. The vehicles didn't really excite me much, either.

I love the driving sequences in HL2. The airboat was great, but (To be a bit different), I didn't like the parts where you had to get out to open a gate or something. I wanted to stay in the boat.

Mini-Spoiler

I absolutely loved the part where the gunship flew over dropping mines. It was close to orgasmic.

jonsauce · Post by **jonsauce** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 1:58 am

I absolutely loved the part where the gunship flew over dropping mines. It was close to orgasmic.

I cranked my speakers as loud as I could during that point. The exploding mines sounded awesome! I felt like I was at the Fourth of July fireworks

jpinard · Post by **jpinard** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 2:20 am

Well, now that I've almost finihsed the buggy sequence and am no longer lost, it's not so bad. For me, I don't like the disorientation. Sadly I had to turn my speakers down during the depth charges dropping, as my wife was waking up.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 3:03 am

jpinard wrote:Well, now that I've almost finihsed the buggy sequence and am no longer lost, it's not so bad.

I concur, cap'ain! I was a bit frustrated early on in both the airboat and buggy sequences, but now that I've completed both, I find myself looking back and thinking, 'yeah, that was cool!'

bluefugue · Post by **bluefugue** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 5:48 am

My problem with the gunship bit, it was definitely impressive, but I always find boss battles to be stressful. I have trouble actually enjoying them becuase I'm just trying to get through them...

Chesspieceface · Post by **Chesspieceface** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 6:22 am

bluefugue wrote:My problem with the gunship bit, it was definitely impressive, but I always find boss battles to be stressful. I have trouble actually enjoying them becuase I'm just trying to get through them...

I agree completely. Its hard to enjoy fighting to stay alive in a sea of explosions. It was pretty sweet, but i felt like I might put a finger right through the keyboard I was so tense.

Napoleon · Post by **Napoleon** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 6:39 am

bluefugue wrote:My problem with the gunship bit, it was definitely impressive, but I always find boss battles to be stressful. I have trouble actually enjoying them becuase I'm just trying to get through them...

While I would normally agree, as I tend to hate boss battles, I think up till now (I'm somewhere halfway into the buggy mission) the boss battles have been a lot of fun, and also pretty easy.

I really liked the airboat sequence, although it went on about 5 minutes too long. The driving so far is also a lot of fun. The handling of that buggy sucks ass though

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 11:00 am

I agree that the buggy controls suck ass. I started to look back at the boat with fondness at the end, and the boat sequence was a bit too long.

I don't feel like I'm on the vehicles for any length of time before hitting a puzzle or having to jump out and run around. If you have to break up the vehicle puzzle sequences so much, maybe that's a hint the vehicle is getting boring. Honestly, I'd rather get on a vehicle for a mad dash to point A and get out once or twice before getting to point A and leaving the vehicle behind.

There were some cool moments, but just enough to make the vehicles tolerable. I am desperate to begin the serious Combine beat-down.

naednek · Post by **naednek** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 2:13 pm

wow kinda shocked to see this.

I felt that HL2 had the best vehicle controls in any pc games including BF1942. It just feels so natural.

Not to mention, how fun it was

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 8:08 pm

Does the game support a force feedback steering wheel? If so, woohoo!

jpinard · Post by **jpinard** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 11:04 pm

Jaymann, it does support joysticks, but probably not FF steering.

TheMissingLink · Post by **TheMissingLink** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 1:52 am

I have finished with the airboat stuff...I enjoyed it. I thought it was exciting most of the time and wasn't really bothered by any part of it. It was badass

jonsauce · Post by **jonsauce** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:21 am

My problem with the gunship bit, it was definitely impressive, but I always find boss battles to be stressful. I have trouble actually enjoying them becuase I'm just trying to get through them...

I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't even think of it as a boss battle. I was playing on Normal so maybe that's why it was so easy for me. That was actually one of my favorite parts of the level because I love big explosions and there were a lot!

I usually hate boss battles, but I liked them in Half Life 2 since I didn't actually know I was fighting a boss

bluefugue · Post by **bluefugue** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:38 am

I was playing on normal too. I'm a wimp.

martindemon · Post by **martindemon** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 7:58 pm

Lets just say that I did not know that there was boats in HL2 when I bought it. When I saw it for the first time, I did not like it as I prefer pure types of games (FPS or RPG or strategy... but NOT racing.) Why do I dislike racing? Because I'm not good at it. Why I'm not good at it? Because I don't like it. Now, if I had known that transportation means were all over HL2 I would have thinked a lot more before buying. I'm not finished with the boat and I'm already bored to death of it. I was bored at the first gate... Is it so hard to shoot and drive at the same time

Is it so hard to jump already NOW without having to stop completely?

Hopefully, I will finish the boat soon so that I can at least begin to enjoy the game again

Incendiary Lemon · Post by **Incendiary Lemon** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 9:45 pm

The buggy levels will be far more forgiving Martin, its no race and you can explore very much at your will.

ChrisGwinn · Post by **ChrisGwinn** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:29 pm

I thought the driving parts were OK. The boat was fun before you had a gun because it was sheer panic. I tend to like levels in FPS where other characters drive and you get to shoot really big guns. I seem to remember a "blow up planes from the back of a jeep" level in Medal of Honor: Allied Assault that I enjoyed quite a bit.

martindemon · Post by **martindemon** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:43 pm

Let's not forget that I also HATE fleeing. I never flee except in games where I'm forced to do so if I want to see the end of it. And lets not forget that a bullet in the eye can kill any man, even the pilot of the F...ING HELL HE COP TER

But not in HL2,... like in HL1... I would trade all my weapons and a terticle for just one damn rocket launcher and one rocket. I know, I'll get them soon...

jonsauce · Post by **jonsauce** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:50 pm

Sounds like this game just isn't for you bud, sorry.

martindemon · Post by **martindemon** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:55 pm

jonsauce wrote:Sounds like this game just isn't for you bud, sorry.

Well, the game is for me except the moments when I'm fleeing defenseless. That happened in HL1 but it was not so long from what I remember. And it's too late now, I already paid 115$ on the collector's edition and I'll not sell it with 50$ loss. I'll try again to like it and I'll see.

(edit)
I just got the gun so problem solved, about time! As long as I'm not fleeing, I can enjoy the game.

disarm · Post by **disarm** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 11:19 pm

martindemon wrote:
jonsauce wrote:Sounds like this game just isn't for you bud, sorry.
Well, the game is for me except the moments when I'm fleeing defenseless. That happened in HL1 but it was not so long from what I remember. And it's too late now, I already paid 115$ on the collector's edition and I'll not sell it with 50$ loss. I'll try again to like it and I'll see.

don't worry...the game shifts gears again once you get past the airboat. when you get to Ravenholm, you'll be back into land-based action that goes at whatever pace you like...and you get the gravity gun. that weapon alone changes the dynamic of the whole game...

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 1:18 am

I just got to the boat level and thought it was the most fun so far. You can always pull over and hoof it for a bit if you want.

I love the physics of the game. The nearly full interaction is what most games promise, but few deliver. The only thing that disappointed me so far was when I piled up some boxes to scale a fence, but hit an invisible barrier because I wasn't supposed to be in that area yet.