![]() ![]() ![]() The opening train ride into City 17 gives you a taste of the world you spend the next 10 hours or so inhibiting and liberating. The opening level is a masterclass in "show, don't tell" game design. Valve CEO Gabe Newell saw a gap in the market to create an iTunes-style storefront for games, but to sell the idea, he needed a blockbuster to make it worthwhile. In the early 2000s, digital storefronts became a part of the internet experience, but before then, players would have to go to their local electronics retailer to pick up the latest hit game. ![]() Outside the peerless gameplay and world design, 'Half-Life 2' changed the gaming landscape in another way: it helped pave the way for Steam. It is a liberating experience, and just one of the many ways 'Half-Life 2' set the standard for gaming in general. The game doesn't grind the pacing to a halt to show off a fancy pre-rendered cutscene, and the story is told right in front of you. The story of 'Half-Life 2' unfolds right in front of the players eyes, and if players are so inclined, they can jump on a desk or fire their weapon while a character is giving exposition. 'Elden Ring' showed earlier this year that giving players the choice to either blitz through the game or drink in the lore is a major part of the appeal, and it owes a lot to 'Half-Life 2' in that regard. Valve are industry-best at environmental storytelling, and players can have as little or as much agency as they like in trying to put the pieces together. ![]()
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