Half-Life 2 gets a 9.2 at GameSpot

[Nova]

There you go (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/halflife2/index.html).

I'll wait for comments from 3DG'ers and other player reviews, but it looks like I might be skipping this one. A 9.2 is definitely a great score, but somehow I expected more. I don't really mind though, I was more interested in Bloodlines and the PK expansion.

[Cloudw4lker]

It's Gamespot what do you expect? :no:

[Rafal Dudek]

heh funny how everyone else gives HL2 a 9.5+ =P

Starting midnight PST the game will be unlock for everyone so I get to play it tomoreee weeeee =]

[Chylde Roland]

Yup, lookin forward to getting home from work tomorrow! And yeah, I find GS typically scores most games lower than the rest of the mainstream gaming media... They're either really stingy, or HL2 sucks.

[SupaTroopa]

So the game will be on shelves tomorrow also? I thought that it would be Wedsnday...

edit: well, any ways, after reading that less than stellar review (9.2 was given out liberally much like high scores were given out to Doom 3) I can wait til this weekend to play it I think, if not longer.

Seems like just another formulaic, 15-20 hour FPS game. I'm all too tired of those.

[Logan]

I wouldn't judge your opinion based on Gamespot's scores. They always seem bitter because they never get advance copies. PC Gamer gave HL2 the highest score they've ever given.

[MasterChief]

Gamespot's PC game reviews suck. They're always too low. A 9.2 is still good though.

[Bruenor]

I wouldn't judge your opinion based on Gamespot's scores. They always seem bitter because they never get advance copies. PC Gamer gave HL2 the highest score they've ever given.

Yeah, and PC Gamer's score for HL2 was only .1 or .2 higher than Doom III, another one of their exclusive reviews. If Gamespot is known for giving scores too low, then PC Gamer is known for scoring too high (just like Doom III), but that couldn't possibly have anything to do with them securing these exclusive reviews could it. :rolleyes:

The truth is likely in the middle somewhere. Personally I like my reviews harder on games than just giving me "OMG! It's HL2, greatest game ever!1!11 a 9.8 and we got the exclusive!!!"

What's really funny is that nobody here has played the game but so readily trashes the lower score (which was still an excellent score BTW) but readily accepts and embraces the high score like it was gospel (despite looking at the fact that it was an exclusive by the same publication who gave Doom III an almost same score and praise). Hate to say this guys, but all of you have some fanboy in you and at times like this it comes through with shining colors.

[Cloudw4lker]

and I didn't even play the first one...

[Mr. Natural]

I'm trying to shy away from any reviews, but I admit I'm glazing over a few of the early reviews. I want to play the game without any expectation or known spoilers. I know that's gonna be tough since I won't be playing it until holiday time. After reading some of the reviews I kind of felt a bit let down as well.
I think some of the early reviews are trying to not give away a lot in the game. It's definitely on my must have list though and I think any FPS fan should definitely check this one out. I don't think I'll be disappointed once I get to play it.

[Fzoulcmbyl]

:lol:

Bruenor......the voice of reason...

:p:


:lol:



Fzoul

[Quantum Ninja]

IGN gave it a 9.7 (http://pc.ign.com/articles/566/566202p1.html).

[Bruenor]

Game Informer gave it a 9.5.

THOSE BASTARDS!!!!! HOW DARE THEY SCORE THE GREATEST GAME OF ALL TIME 0.3 POINTS LOWER THAN PC GAMER!!! MAY THEY ROT IN OBSCURITY FOR THIS BLASPHEMY!!!

See how bloody ridiculous this is? People are bloody comparing a total difference .6 points (low 9.2, high 9.8), and actually complaining about it :rolleyes:. Who the hell cares when the marks are that high? Read the bloody reviews for their editorial content and ignore the score.

I loved the fact that Gaim thought outside the box when coming up for guidelines on reviews for PCGO and GMv, he didn't want a final score on the game.

[Cloudw4lker]

For future reference I don't care who scored what where, my first remark was just because I know that's what I and others feel about Gamespot.

I play games recommended to me by people or those I've played the demo's of and liked not those who scored high reviews here or there.

[MasterChief]

Bruenor, check gamerankings.com. The thing that you're missing is that almost every review there for HL2 is 96% or above. That's unheard of, even for Doom 3. Gamespot's is the lowest. I'm not "trashing" that particular review, I just commented that I don't like their reviewers. Granted, it's still a great score and who cares about 5% difference, but it's still worth noting. I agree though PCG definitely jumped the gun when they gave Doom 3 a 94%.

[RHooks]

That Gamespot score is ridiculously low. HL2 deserves at least a 9.25. Mainly because it has killer sound and dope graphics.

:rolleyes:

[Rattlesnake8]

I agree with Gaim. I can't believe how people are saying the review is crap and is scored to low, and the game must be crap.. 9.2 is not a crap game! 9.2 is a "superb game". Anything over 9.0 EVERYONE should own. People are just being to picky about HL2 now.

Wait till you have played the game before you say you'll pass it up cause it's a disapointment. You can't judge a game on one review, especially when you havn't played it yourself.

[Bruenor]

Bruenor, check gamerankings.com. The thing that you're missing is that almost every review there for HL2 is 96% or above. That's unheard of, even for Doom 3. Gamespot's is the lowest. I'm not "trashing" that particular review, I just commented that I don't like their reviewers. Granted, it's still a great score and who cares about 5% difference, but it's still worth noting. I agree though PCG definitely jumped the gun when they gave Doom 3 a 94%.

I'm not missing anything, that's where I got that 9.5 score. The whole point is complaining about a score of 9.2 where the average is 9.6 and the high score is 9.8 is flipping stupid. In fact the whole scoring system is stupid, it simply takes away from the meat of reviewing the game. Many people saw that Gamespot, not just here, saw the score and flipped right out, without ever reading the review. I'm willing to bet that a lot of the people doing the complaining didn't read the PC Gamer or the Gamespot review, just compared scores on a game they're all hyped about, and started talking endless smack about Gamespot and how they're scores are so low, and how the site sucks, etc.

Whatever. See, now even I'm doing it. Instead of concentrating on what the reviews said, I'm talking endlessly about a lousy scoring system, especially about a game where there is only a 6 point difference between low and high.

Gaim was right all along, scoring systems suck.

[Chylde Roland]

hehe... for the record:

1) I have read both reviews in full.

2) I was being very sarcastic, because I do, in fact, realize that there's not much difference between a 9.x and a 9.x. They're both good scores.

3) I have always thought, and will always think, that GS's reviews suck. It's my opinion and it's not too likely to change anytime soon.

[Torsion]

Did you see the video review? They showed the footage fom the 2003 E3 vid!

[Rattlesnake8]

Id watch the video review, little hard to do though on a crappy connection :P
They showed 2003 E3 footage? I would have thought it would all be from the more recent trailers.

[Cloudw4lker]

For anyone who is VERY interested. The release date is tonight but it's at 12:01 PST (-8) so for those in my timezone (-5)you have to wait an extra 3 hours ontop of your midnight waiting.

btw I read the gamespot review and based on what it said I would've given HL2 a *lower* score. Of course I never take a review for how good a game is, just roughly. If everyone says that said game sucks then yes I believe it. I believe in a +- 5 points. If they rank it at 0 it might be as good as a 5 for me. If they rank it a 10 it might be as bad as 5 for me :)

[MasterChief]

Anyway, let's not forget that Gamespot has always scored PC games lower (on average) than console games. A 9.2 is almost unheard of...I don't see what those clowns are whining about. Nevertheless, the review still sucks.

[Gaim Mastr]

Gaim was right all along, scoring systems suck.

Thanks, Bruenor. But I'm afraid that you and I are probably in the minority on that one. Like you'd mentioned, some people only want to look at the number and never actually read the reviews.

To me, numbered scores do a disservice to the review itself. I mean, how can you really sum up a full-length review with a single number? At the very least, sum up a review in a good sound bite or something...

"If you like crawling through darkened corridors, fending off waves of demons in a rich graphical environment with scary sounds, then Doom III may very well be your choice for Game of the Year."

Now that gives a far better idea of a game than just a 9.2


I did read the GameSpot review of HL2, but not any others. You can usually tell when a reviewer rushes through a game, because they never really get into the 'meat' of it. My beef with GameSpot reviews is the same as the reviews from PC Gamer, GameSpy, IGN, etc., etc. They all just seem incomplete to me.

I liken them to most professional movie reviews. They spend their time over-analyzing certain aspects, just to make themselves appear more 'knowledgeable' than the average movie-goer. Or in this case, gamer.

For example, in the GS review of HL2 the guy made way too many comparisons to the original game. Granted, some comparisons are warranted. But if you've never played the first one, a large chunk of his review becomes totally meaningless.

And I certainly agree that people would be wise not to rag on low scored reviews of HL2 until they've played the game long enough for the new-game-euphoria to wear off and they're able to develop a more objective opinion of the game.

Have we learned nothing from Doom III ??

Got pretty high scores and the first two weeks were vastly filled with gamers singing praises of the game. By the end of the fourth week of release, suddenly the 'professional' reviews seemed a bit too high and D3 went from GOTY material to "overrated" and "hardly worth a second time through".

[Rattlesnake8]

Im waiting for all of your comments on the actual game. I dont see why people bother arguing about a review.. who cares about the review.. the game is what matters. A lot of people don't like GS reviews, so why do so many people still read them? I guess arguing over how bad the GS review is wastes time till the game is released. :P

[Gaim Mastr]

Well, a source of trustworthy reviews is important to a lot of gamers. Especially for those gamers not wanting to be burned by hype, because the marketing was better than the actual game content.

But in my experience on gaming forums, those gamers who are able to resist the hype and don't want to waste their time and money on less-than-entertaining games tend to rely most on the reviews of fellow customers and less on the 'professional' reviews.

That's why I'll wait not less than two full weeks after release before I consider buying HL2 at the full retail price, or if I'm going to wait for it to hit the $30 or $20 mark.

[Rafal Dudek]

Alot of us dont want to read the reviews due to spoilers.

I still remember the good ol days of picking up a game not knowing if its a bad game or a good one. Just the experiancing the game without a shred of knowledge about a game makes it more compelling experiance.

I remember when I bought the original Half Life at a computer show... they sold it for 25 bucks when it retailed for 50 =P I saw that PC Gamer gave it a very high score (didnt bother reading a review) so I said... what the hell. I picked up the game and it was one of the most rewarding games ever made for me. It was my first game I went to play online and kicked everyones ass. The only game I played TFC for free and was one of the top players in it. Ah, the memories =]

Dont get me wrong, not all games were perfect. I picked up Clans and Lands of Lore 3 without reading reviews only to find out their crappiness =P

[Nova]

I post a link to a review and look what happens. :wink:

I'm not basing my decision off the GS review alone. As I said, I'm waiting for player comments. Besides, I never bought into all the hype in the first place. I'm not THAT interested in HL2.

[MasterChief]

Yay GoGamer shipped my copy this afternoon, it should be here when I get home on Wednesday from school. Woohoo!

In other news, MC's school-related productivity is likely to see a sharp decline in the coming weeks.

[Bruenor]

Hey! Is it 12:01 Eastern Time tonight that it will be unlocked on Steam?

Yay if it is, that's only a little over an hour away, and only 10:00 local time, so I'll get to play it before hitting the hay tonight.

[Cloudw4lker]

way to read my post bruenor.

it's PST 12:01 as in just after midnight tonight.

[Bruenor]

I tend to ignore you most of the time :p:

Damn Pacific time, screws everything up. Wonder if I can be sick for work tomorrow? :yes:

So in other words, 1:01 AM for me. Bah!, won't get to it until tomorrow night I suppose.

[SupaTroopa]

Sorry didn't mean to cause a hub-bub, I have no problem with Gamespot's reviews, it's not rocket science, it's someone's in-depth opinion of a video game.

But as with most big name releases and/or sequels, Gamespot's actual review doesn't always seem to add-up to the score it's given. So I just read the review and if it gives away too much I quit reading.

Considering the dev time, I expected at least a 25 hour game, more like 30, considering the length of the 1st game also.

15-20, eh, guess that's par for today's FPS games, which are becoming horribly redundant and no longer excite me very much honestly.

More than anything, I am just tired of the hype and build-up for these sequels that are just money sponges and focus less on the art and in-depth quality of a game now-a-days and more on a proven formula that drives profits.

That said i'll certainly get HL2 at some point in the near future, I'm just not nearly as excited about it for various reasons I suppose. By no means do I mean to poo-poo on the HL2 hysteria.

[OldsterHolster]

No poo taken, Supa. Heh, heh. Good thread, huh? I like it when people get excited for whatever reason, including reviews. I agree totally with Gaim in that everybody relies more on reports from fellow gamers than professional reviewers, and I, especially at my age, just take it all in and then ultimately make my own decision. Hell, Armed and Dangerous was rated seven point something, and I just had a good old time with it, so the numbers don't mean much, anyway.

I'll freely admit that I'm excited about this one. I, also, said I was going to give it a couple of weeks to read the opinions of others and let the price fall some; but that was baloney. I know damned well that I'm going to play it no matter what anybody might say, and time's a wastin', so I ordered it and will get it on Thursday. Oh boy!

In retrospect, I will have to admit that Doom 3 didn't satisfy my craving for good shooters; so I'm really looking forward to this one. Even if it is very similar to the original, that's OK with me; and, if you ignore the numbers, the Gamespot review sounded wonderful to me. I'm not looking for a religious experience, just a good shooter; and, like Far Cry, this one promises to be just that. I hope so, anyway. Edward.

[Gotanypop]

It is everything I can do to not go out and buy this game today. I am waiting to see what is on the list at my wife's work for staff discounts. next saturday. They always put some new release game at less than half price. I got FarCry for 30$ CDN just after release, same with Doom3. I am so tempted though. I do not have to go to work until 7 pm tomorrow night Atlantic Time and could spend upwards of 10 hours playing that game today...must resist....reaching for car keys....must not submit...to temptation...arrrrrghhhhhh.

[SupaTroopa]

Pop is at the game store right now i'm guessing....:)

I, also, said I was going to give it a couple of weeks to read the opinions of others and let the price fall some; but that was baloney.

Lol, welcome to PC gaming addiction Ed!

[Gotanypop]

NOPE lol..haven't given in yet.