Trudging through Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 bleeds aged charm, making it easy to see why it was a popular game during it's time. Suffice to say, even with a to-current-gen-console limited polish, it's gameplay leaves a lot to be desired.

Granted, I haven't tried Ep1 or Ep2 yet, but I have my doubts I'll make it there. HL2 is still full of predictable annoyances, leaving it hard for someone who hasn't played it yet to enjoy it. There is little surprise on big fights to come due to level layouts and ammo locations. The levels drag on...just when it seems the end is in sight, it screams on in unnecessary excess. It makes me wonder why we expect 20 hours out of a game anymore. Patience has dissolved over time I think.

That said, I can appreciate the in-game story elements and the vehicle sections compared to other games of the era. There's about a dozen handfuls of weapons to go around. The mini-puzzles, such as the level with the priest, and head-crab surprises were done fairly well, although the latter certainly pales compared to AVP2.

A begrudged search on the internet reveals that HL2 drags on for 14-15 hours. At this rate, I'll be lucky to make it halfway through. An hours play climaxes by me losing interest. Enough is enough.