Half-Life, Half-Life: Source, or Half-Life 1 Anthology?

[YAOMTC]

This past summer I've purchased the Orange Box for the first time, and beat Portal, HL2, and HL2: Episode 1. (I'm still working on Ep. 2.) Now I want to play the original Half-Life. I'm just not sure which way to buy it...

I have no problem with graphical downgrades (I still play my Super Nintendo and N64 from time to time), but I'm not sure if I really need the "original experience" or not. And is paying the extra $5 worth it for Opposing Force and Blue Shift (in the Anthology)?

 

[Cat]

Get the original + expansions and wait for black mesa source.

 

[bhamv3]

I forget who said this, but I think it's pretty accurate:
"Half-Life:Source basically just added ragdoll effects and bugs."

Generally speaking, the Source version of HL1 isn't worth it. In addition to the bugs, you also lose the ability to play mods of the first game. All you get in exchange is a slightly, very slightly, prettier game experience.

I would say Blue Shift and Opposing Force are worth a play through. Opposing Force is by far the better of the two expansions though, Blue Shift is cool but awfully short and lacking in variety.

Also, as Cat mentioned, a fan-made mod called Black Mesa is coming out. (Valve asked them to drop the Source from their name) The trailer, released, last year, said it's coming out in 2009, but no news has been released since then. Personally I'm skeptical about a 2009 release date, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

 

[Icarus]

Half Life 1 + expansions were amazing games 11 years ago but they *have* aged. The lack of physics, blurry textures, etc. may harm the experience compared to what the game felt like 11 years ago.

The good thing is, that the combat is still fun. Don't expect the expansions to last long though.

 

[figmentPez]

And is paying the extra $5 worth it for Opposing Force and Blue Shift?

Yes, Opposing Force is one of the best games in the HL series. It's got some awesome weapons that are a ton of fun to use, and some great levels as well. A lot of my favorite moments from the older HL games are in OF. Blue Shift is good, but pretty short and doesn't have any of the new wepaons introduced in OF. It's fun to play but nothing special. Well, I guess being the first HL game to not fall apart with a lousy end boss makes it special, though it just feels cut-off instead. (Azure Sheep is a fan mod made to be what Blue Shift wasn't.)

 

[Telephius]

One of the things like loved about the Half-life expansions is: {putting in spoiler tags to be safe}

Spoiler

That you are essentially playing the same story from three different angles, the scientist, the guards, and the military clean-up force. To make it feel like it is all the same event happening there are times when the charaters will be a part of a crucial or noteworthy moment just in a different area/view at the time that event happens.

 

[YAOMTC]

Well, that's that, then. Anthology, it is. Thanks everybody.

 

[Covar]

Half Life 1 + expansions were amazing games 11 years ago but they *have* aged. The lack of physics, blurry textures, etc. may harm the experience compared to what the game felt like 11 years ago.

The good thing is, that the combat is still fun. Don't expect the expansions to last long though.

I just remind myself that its running a modified version of the quake engine. Then I become hella impressed and amazed all over again

 

[YAOMTC]

Stupid transaction error... :angry:

 

[JONJONAUG]

Half Life 1 + expansions were amazing games 11 years ago but they *have* aged. The lack of physics, blurry textures, etc. may harm the experience compared to what the game felt like 11 years ago.

The good thing is, that the combat is still fun. Don't expect the expansions to last long though.

I just remind myself that its running a modified version of the quake engine. Then I become hella impressed and amazed all over again[/QUOTE]

VERY heavily modified. When you get right down to it, about half or so of all 3D first person titles use either the same, something similar, or some method evolved from the Quake engine for graphical output. Hell, even the modern Source engine still uses Quake source code.

That said: Take a look at the full Quake 2 source code sometime, it's pretty cool. It's a prime example of beautiful code and also "oh my god like three different people worked on this function and John Carmack needs to learn to comment his god damn code". It is somehow both really good and one of the most unorganized vile works ever (for instance, there are multiple functions that repeat something in the function that would have to have called it, functions that will never reference their parameters, functions that do things that never actually do anything at all, etc).


More on topic: I actually preferred HL: Source more. I never encountered any bugs, and actually encountered more bugs trying to run the original HL1. Plus, I can never stand pre-anisotropic filtering games, they make my eyes go all funny.

 

[figmentPez]

and actually encountered more bugs trying to run the original HL1.

LOL, I don't think I can count the times I got stuck in the floor of an elevator and had to reload and then jump continuously to avoid getting stuck the next time.