Half Life 2 is the Best Shooter... Ever

[Zucas]

Onyxmeth said:

Zucas said:

Onyxmeth said:

I don't get it. You lumped every shooter, regardless of quality, features or innovations into one pile. Red Steel and Killzone in the same sentence as Halo and Call of Duty? Seriously?

Also you seem to be under the impression that every game that takes place in first person and features projectile weapons should be considered a shooter and all judged under the same criteria. Your three current best all have the same thing in common. They are all more adventures than they are shooters. Two of the three don't even feature a gun as the default weapon. I'm not under the mindset that the first person perspective is the exclusive domain of shooters, and other genres can be included while still featuring guns.

Your opinion seems to lie with you enjoying first person adventures more than you like first person shooters, which is fine. Half-Life 2 is the pinnacle of first person adventures. The fact that you put Bioshock on the good list while everyone else got put on the copy cat or bad list surprises me. If any game over the last four years was a complete knock-off of Half-Life 2 it's Bioshock.

Half-Life 2 is not the best shooter to me, but I haven't finished it either. The reason I say that is, what makes Half-Life 2 so great is the narrative, atmosphere, physics, etc. but I have played games that I have enjoyed the shooting portions of much more.

You're also putting it up against games you haven't played or aren't even out yet.

Bottom line is, Half-Life 2 is a superb game, but it has no business being in a comparison with something like Gears of War 2(or insert other shooting-focused shooter here) because they are just so different in their strengths and weaknesses.

 

Your right I do have no business comparing the 2 becuase they aren't on the same level. Gears is too primitive to compare fairly.

You see people love to give these stereotypical shooters a break by putting the great shooters in another category. It was done with Metroid Prime and Bioshock and now it's being don with Half Life 2. Save your self some trouble when arguing that with me becaue I don't buy into the bullshit. If you want to give those games lead way by putting it on a scale that is less intense as HL2 then that's fine but your only proving my point more.

Proving what point? Your definition of shooter is vague and seems to encompass anything with a first person perspective and guns, other than you throwing in Gears for good measure. What about Resident Evil 4? It's a pretty steriotypical shooter right? Dementium? Condemned? Grand Theft Auto?

I don't remember Metroid being called a shooter back when it was 2D. Metroidvania games from Konami all get labeled adventure. Now suddenly Metroid goes into first person and its genre switching? If Metroid Prime isn't an adventure game then describe to me what an adventure game would have to do in the first person perspective to still be considered an adventure? Not have guns?

They don't call Fallout 3 and Mass Effect shooters, and I'm pretty sure what you do most of the game is shooting.

Just because a game features guns does not make it a shooter. Compare games that are similiar. Halo, Gears of War, Call of Duty, Resistance, etc. are not trying to be Half-Life 2. They are carving out their own space, but you would rather give the credit to a complete HL2 knockoff like Bioshock.

 

My definition of shooter is what it should be.  Games that are dominated by the genre are shooters.  Metroid Prime is dominated by shooting elements but has other elements to it.  Half Life 2 is dominated by shooting elements but has other elements.  Bioshock is dominated by shooter elements but has others as well.  But Gears of War is dominated by shooter elements and nothing else.  Halo is dominated by shooter elemtns and nothing else.  So now I'm supposed to separate these games out because these series are WEAKER than HL2.  Am I the only one that sees that as a copout? 

Ya see here's the thing... how is Metroid Prime or Half Life 2 an action adventure.  YOu state this is the main genre yet I can't see how it is.  IN HL2 you do similar things from most shooters in you go from point to point.  The difference from the other shooters is the gameplay dynamics and mechanics are so unique throughout the entire game that it's remarkable.  In Metroid Prime you may be able to win a case on because of the open world element which is akin to the action adventure theme but none of the gamepaly in that open world fits an action adventure... as the basis of the main story is the linear shooter progression and the side quests are almost always puzzle based or RPG based.  How can it be much of an action adventure if it's only element is the open world and it doesn't even use it like your normal action adventure.  When I play Metroid I don't feel like I'm playing a Spyro game or whatnot. 

So even if you could argue Metroid Prime you can't argue HL2.  It's almsot impossible as it has no action adventure elements whatsoever.  I mean a lof of it's world elements are akin to most shooters today.  Remember what I said separates it is the gameplay dynamics and progression.  It just not a dominant action adventure and probably has no elements from the genre whatsoever.  I don't see your point.