I’m just rating it at a higher standard. And you have to admit, enemy and weapons variety is lower in HL2. And that always disappointed me, personally. It disappointed me so much, I post the above rant (sorry for the length) every time this topic comes up. I didn’t realize what an uproar it could cause, I didn’t want to offend anybody or discredit Valve, if that is how you feel.

Striders, manhacks, friendly turrets and roller mines are the only enemies that I can come up with, that are quite as fresh in HL2 as the enemies in HL1 were in 1998. Most others are remakes or remixes of HL1′s portfolio (nothing wrong with that, but not quite as fun and new).

I thought the term “wtf” is as common as “lol” on the internet, I apologize, if it confused you (it means “what the fuck”). I used it as an expression of startled surprise towards the fact that the assassins from HL1 are in any way related to fast zombies in HL2. Same for “IMO”… it means “in my opinion”.

Also, if you think of it, you will find hardly any “three party fights” in HL2. Maybe an occasional zombie or headcrab jumps out of a corner and attacks a combine soldier, but it’s rare compared to HL1. I just always liked those scenes… Note that I mean 3 rivaling factions, which excludes citizen fighters, for example (who are a bunch of barneys, in comparison).

I also just don’t buy the “we’re having better enemies because we just have 3 instead of 5″ explanation anymore. You can make combine soldiers as perfect as you want, I love them, but I’d rather see one new enemy instead of adding a third skin/weapon/hitpoint to an existing enemy (elite soldier).

All in all, man, I really wasn’t prepared for this response. I don’t want to become your personal, HL2-hating, “cliquey-cypher-using” enemy or something… Seriously, I didn’t kill your cat or anything. And I don’t appreciate you calling yourself more “evolved” than me. I also haven’t done anything for HL1 in about 6 years.

Lastly, I deny that the Hunters were a brilliant new concept. They’re small antlion guards with a gun. They’re also pretty cool and a reason I like Episode 2 so much (that and the fact that you can fight along with Vortigaunts). More new stuff like that for Episode 3, please!

The zombies, headcrabs as well as the antlions are not a fun enemy to take on in combat. To be shot at is much more realistic and challenging.

“They’re smart, stealthy, deadly” Rubbish, they just jump about impossibly – are you fan of those silly and impossible to believe martial arts films?
“third zombie type whose primary strategy is… running towards you, fast and screaming.” Yes, and they can take a lot of life if you do not get it right first time – unless you play easy skill all the time.
“From there on, it’s a downward spiral.” WRONG WRONG WRONG. HL2 and EP2 are hugely superior to HL. However HL was the seed for the far better games. Do not get me wrong, I loved HL in its time – it was brilliant.
““two completely different enemies” would almost go too far” How silly is that? What are you getting at?
“HL1 enemies were abandoned in HL2″ Hooray Steam/Valve grew up.
“if there were enough new and original replacements. But that’s simply not the case:” Oh but there are. An analogy -They are in the stone age compared to modern man but both are were/are men nonetheless.
“Striders, manhacks, friendly turrets, roller mines… hmm, I’m struggling already” with what? Besides I’m very fond of Striders.
“Alyx, Gregori and the citizens are just barneys with better writing, but gameplay-wise, insignificant” Your right but with the exception of Gregori who is very significant. Alyx and Barney are wastes of space, Alyx in EP1 was a huge in-your face irritation.
In addition, why do we need Gordon? Alyx always gets there first any old how.
““three party fights” anymore (like human soldiers vs alien soldiers vs player+barney in HL1). There are entire chapters consisting of just 2 or 3 types of enemies.” Have you been playing the same game as the rst of us?
“But IMO” there you go again, hiding behind some sort of cliquey cypher.
“But with HL2, they lost focus” Rubbish, they improved the focus – and the game play intelligently.
““quality over quantity” trap ” So you want quantity in preference to quality – I find that hard to believe.
EVOLUTION. HL evolved to HL2 which evolved to EP2 and evolution will lead us to even better games to come. I welcome evolution, without it we wither and are consigned to rest with fossils.
No evolution, no HL2, No ep2, No EP3, worst of all No Strider Mountain!!!!
Finally, I ask, were not the Hunters a brilliant new concept. Deny that if you dare.
Remember always that HL and HL2 and EP2 were games with humour and fun – why else in HL2 do we spend a vast of amount of the game desperately leaving the place we started from only to struggle to get back to it!!!!
A modern (and evolved) game player strikes back against an obvious HL modder, player and fanatic.
Meanwhile, the moo cows are about to give birth and need help. Someones got to do it and guess who drew the short straw. This means I’m in a field where you cannot find me! Brill.

As for the gravity gun, where can I buy one?

The 3 different kinds of headcrabs/zombies might actually be an example for my biggest gripe with HL2. Let me explain:

I fist realized it when I heard that Valve scrapped the “combine assasin” in favor of the fast zombie. WTF? The assasins in HL1, although only showing up twice in the game, are still among my favorite enemies and a good reason for why HL1′s enemy design is so good. They’re smart, stealthy, deadly… Now they got rid of this type of enemy- in favor of a third zombie type whose primary strategy is… running towards you, fast and screaming.

The differences between the 3 types of zombies and headcrabs are meager at best. Basic, stronger, faster… it’s like in the early 1990ies where the same sprite was used with a different color and more HP to print “over 50 different enemies” on the back of the package. Next: The “3″ types of soldiers. Pointing out the differences between combine police, combine soldiers and elite soldiers is almost ridiculous. They’re the same enemies, with different hit points and weapons. HL1 had as much variety in just one class: the grunts. Another example: combine gunships and helicopters. They, again, are basically the same (even both using a rotor to fly, thus moving similarly). Their primary weapon is the same. They look different, have different secondary attacks… but calling them “two completely different enemies” would almost go too far.

From there on, it’s a downward spiral. With the exception of a few iconic ones, many of my favorite HL1 enemies were abandoned in HL2. I wouldn’t have any problem with that, would even welcome the new variety and updates to old enemies– if there were enough new and original replacements. But that’s simply not the case:

Striders, manhacks, friendly turrets, roller mines… hmm, I’m struggling already. Antlions are cute, but essentially, over-sized snarks (with a bit of tentacle-style sensitivity to sound thrown in at the beach levels). Alyx, Gregori and the citizens are just barneys with better writing, but gameplay-wise, insignificant. And can we really call those scanner things an enemy?

As a result, there are hardly any “three party fights” anymore (like human soldiers vs alien soldiers vs player+barney in HL1). There are entire chapters consisting of just 2 or 3 types of enemies. It’s HL2′s biggest flaw.

The gravity gun (almost) made up for the lack of enemy variety. But IMO, just almost. The same thing, by the way, is true for weapons. I would have gladly traded the second machine gun for something totally crazy and fun like the gauss, tripmines or the hornet gun.

Don’t get me wrong, Valve does detail and I love them for it. But with HL2, they lost focus. And fell for the “quality over quantity” trap that made so many developers of this decade believe there can’t be both…