I have yet to finish Half Life 2, and I know it's one of the great shooters out there, but even it pales in comparison to the glory that was on display in a shooter that stood way ahead of its time.  That'd be the first Half Life.  It may look old and dated today, but when it came out, it was without a doubt one of the best games ever made in any genre.

Every shooter before that game had enemies that were always slower than you, just stood around in thier designated spots or strolled along an obvious preprogrammed route, and when you shot them, just walked in a straight line towards you. The first time I saw those human soldiers duck behind crates and cover each other, as one of them ran up and threw a greande in my face while yelling fire in the hole, was one of the best immersive expirences in my life.  And the time when I finally grabbed a rocket launcher in that bunker on the cliff and blew the Apache that had been harassing me for half an hour out of the sky was pure magic.  And who would forget the time when you came around the corner to see the invisible Ninja babes hunting you.  Or when you witnessed the firefight between humans and Xen aliens while noone paid any attention to you.

And every game before had weapons that were placed in the middle of the corridor spinning in midair as if left their by a weapon fairy.  Not so in half life.  Evey item there was in a logical place, or taken off a fallen enemy.  From the first moment when the train ride started, to the end of the portal to Xen you were in a real world, and never doubted it.  The only thing bad were the last few levels, and the final boss was terrible.  Depsite them, the innovation that was the first Half Life was absolutely stunning then.  I wouldn't recommend a playthrough today, but it was the most well concieved shooters ever.  Everything after, even Half Life 2, owes a lot to that game.

@Onyxmeth

While I agree that Metroid Prime, GTA4 and other adventure games where shooting isn't the MAIN focus of the game are out of HL2's league (as in they aren't the same and can't be compared, not in terms of quality) Gears falls right into the Half-Life territory, along with Halo, CoD, and other games where shooting is the main focus of the game. HL2 has to be the absolutely worst adventure type game if we are comparing it as such.


The only Gears reason is not in first person is because of the cover system, which it would have not needed had it been 1st person since with a crouch button EVERYTHING becomes a cover. It's effectively an FPS plus a gimmick thrown in.I think we can also agree that BioShock is a System Shock 2 clone and not a HL clone.

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.

Yes it definitely reminds me of RE4 so we can definitely see where RE4 got some of it's elements from.  And yea I can see the debate being made on RE4 being a predominant shooter but shooting just seems to be the mode but not the highlight.  I mean the atmosphere, levels, story, characters, and gameplay for the most part are akin to that of a survival horror.  Only reason it's got the gun is because it's set in modern times.  If it was set in Roman times then couldn't call it a shooter now could we.  But the argument can be made for RE4 that it is more of a shooter.

Every game has flaws.

According to Screwattack Goldeneye wins that crown =p.

Although I strongly disagree with Doom, Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark being the pinnacles of the FPS genre prior to Half-Life 2, I must strongly agree that Half-Life 2 is the best FPS ever. A great variety in terms of gameplay and fantastic level design make me occasionally replay Half-Life 2 to this day.

@Zucas
Half Life 2 (and the 2 Episodes, especially 2) is the best FPS EASILY!
But it is obvious that either you haven't played many FPSs or you are just biased against the genre and you keep bashing top games of the genre and confuse about what a FPS or a shooter is just for the sake of it.
Every experienced FPS or shooter gamer knows that there is not so much in common between Gears and Half Life, between RE4 and Halo, between Mass Effect and Doom 3 or Return to Castle Wolfenstein, between Quake and System Shock.
I've been playin FPSs since the original Doom and I still think that as long as Half Life 2 is the best FPS ever made, Gears of War (the first one cause I didn't try the second part yet, it waits me in my room wrapped in plastic) is the best TPS.
What's the difference? The lovers of the genre know. Believe me.
Unfortunately, despite the fact I totally agree with your conclusion, your opinion that "in shooters you shoot things so they are all the same genre" is almost not worth commenting on.

I agree completely Zucas.

I don't know much about shooters but Portal was awesome so I guess HL2 can't be bad!