So, really wasn’t sure where to put this one, it’s sort of a rant, but definitely sort of entertainment based, but anyways…



Introduced in 2004. Had no idea it has been that long!

My wife decided it would be good for me to burn off some stress with “those games you used to play shooting the zombies and stuff”. So of course, she went and bought “us” the best video game. An XBox Series X.

How does this relate to the XBox you ask? Well, sit yourself down, pour a couple fingers of your favored refreshment and read on…

So, I have been always, ALWAYS, a PC video game guy. And that was like a decade ago at best. But I used to play COD games, I especially like the WWII ones. And some others, including Half Life 2.

Now I admit, the graphics on this XBox thing were amazing. 4K, etc, etc. But she got me one of the COD games, and holy hell!

(Rant Section Follows)

What a total mess of ridiculous, fast twitch, ADHD, spastic, clusterfuck so called “gameplay”! I remember being able to play a game that allowed you to move around, shoot the bad guys, and generally have fun. This is more like you get to open the game, get blown up immediately and then… open the game, get blown up immediately, repeat as many times as you like!

Admittedly, the 4K graphics give you an utterly awesome cinematic view of the painstakingly rendered jungle as you cartwheel through the air after being blown up for the 3,478th time. Occasionally, you avoid being blown up long enough to look around at the perfectly depicted period appropriate vehicles, weapons, and uniforms!

Then you get blown up. Again.

It’s not all the game itself, of course. Let’s talk about the “controller”. The very word itself would tend to predicate the act of controlling. In this case, presumably control over one’s character in the game. Like with a PC, you use the keyboard to move around, and the mouse to control where you look. Some other buttons on the keyboard do other things.

Instead we get a plastic thing that you hold. Buttons everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. Sprinkled around like needles on a Seattle street.

Not just one joystick thingie, which in and of itself would be more than enough with which to deal, but TWO of the never to be sufficiently damned things! Move this one and you move, move the other and your field of view swings around like a local town council member chasing the cause du jour in a feeble attempt to stay relevant. The combination seems designed to guarantee entertainment to one and all as you flop, flip, and stagger through the game. Until getting blown up. Again.

So. Enough. I close the new COD game, consigning its perfect 90FPS gameplay and stunning 4K visual cortex massage to the depths of the internet.

I find out you can play some XBox 360 games on the newer version. Including… Half Life 2. Sold! A reasonably quick trip to a Game Stop store (brick and mortar video game store, how quaint, and I am the proud owner of a disc containing the “Orange Box”! Load that sucker up and here we are. Twenty years ago, like it was yesterday. (Excepting the damn “controller”. Heck, they even upgraded the resolution to a supposed 4K. All I know is it looks good. Real good! And the pace is slow enough that I have been able to work on figuring out the stupid controller thingie.

Still feels like work a bit, instead of mindless fun, but I have to admit it is probably doing the brain a bit of good figuring all this out, and it can’t be bad for hand eye coordination, either.

Anyway. Half Life 2. Cool game then. Cool game now.

Even with the x thingie controller.

Bill R

Definitely more intricate than Pong, huh?

I don't play many video games anymore. When I do, they're racing games. I do have the Orange Box though, and it is an undeniably good game. I never played it on PC.

When I do play a video game, it's old(ish). I have an Xbox360, PS3, and original XBOX. I'd keep a PS2 as well, if they were more reliable.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KSGM,

I played the original Half-Life. I remember playing the demo that came on a demo disk from PC Gamer.

What a great time.

So 15 years ago, I was PC gamer, could not get the controller down. but some of my friends were xbox fiends. So they talked me into a 360, it took months of just getting smacked down to finally get the gist of it and even get pretty good.
NOW those idiots only play on PC and I am the only one that plays XBOX. go figure.

^
I'll never be able to learn a console controller enough to play against anyone.
Those discs from PC Gamer were great.

I love(ed) that game. What I hear you saying is that with an Xbox X I can play HL2 now? Shit, that alone might get me to buy one. I have an "S" and I guess I might need to "break" it for a replacement.

I got the combo pack of Blue Shift and Opposing Force and always enjoyed it.

quote:

Originally posted by Loswsmith:
I love(ed) that game. What I hear you saying is that with an Xbox X I can play HL2 now? Shit, that alone might get me to buy one. I have an "S" and I guess I might need to "break" it for a replacement.

XBOX One S is backward compatible so it should work just fine too.

"The Orange Box" I have is for 360; they released it for PS3 as well. It has a HL2 expansion, Portal, and the MMO "Team Fortress" as well.