Recent reviews by Fry McFly

Nope!

My thoughts on this game are as convoluted as its history.
So I'll keep it short and to the point: 7/10

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!

Actually, I had been looking forward to the release of this mod for a long time. After all, it's been a long time since a really significant mod based on the Source Engine was released. Besides, I liked the predecessor very much. Nevertheless, I am unfortunately underwhelmed by the result.
Yes, the production values are high. Yes, the quality of voice acting is very good. Yes, the game offers a lot of SP content.

Still, the spark just can't jump over. But what is the reason for that? Well, I can't really put my finger on it. But at least a couple of things have struck me badly during the game.

The start is strange and confusing
You run around in a combine base to do.... well, things. Like crawling around in ventilation shafts, overhear conversations, kicking away headcrabs and in the end shooting your comrades. Without knowing what for, why or wherefore. To make matters worse, you have a strange blurry vision the whole time.
What was that all about? Why can in such a strictly secured area like a combine base headcrabs just run around like that? I don't know! In any case, I was glad when this diffuse and strange chapter was over.

The story doesn't hock
After that, our alter ego starts somewhere in the middle of nowhere and gets the mission to stop / kill Judith Mossman. In addition, he has to deal with an "evil clone" who is not quite clear whether he wants to help the protagonist (if you want to call him that) or be a hindrance. " Quite incidentally" he also "stumbles" into a secret aperture science facility. And to top it all off, he is also searching for his missing daughter.
The story has the appearance of an unofficial spin-off to the never released Episode 3, where everyone involved in the project could throw their story snippets and ideas into a big blender and the whole thing was then vigorously mixed. - The result is a convoluted mess.
I don't know about you. But I prefer the much more understandable and focused story of the first part over this one.

Outdated gunplay, movement and graphics
I don't know if the modders have ever heard of the MMod. Basically, there is a life before and a life after the MMod. Just check out this streamlined gunplay and much smoother movement! #1 And the icing on the cake are the graphic and sounds effects! What a blast for the eyes and ears!
So it would have been an absolute MUST to bundle the MMod in whatever form with EZ2 from the start! And is there what? NOPE! Nothing at all!
I already graphically polished HL2 and other Source Engine mods a while ago with the help of this guide #2. This suddenly gave me a much more visually appealing gaming experience. Finally, no more washed out and outdated textures!
Now you'd think that if even I can pull this off, and even modding teams like Black Mesa's have done it before. That then this mod will be delivered in a graphically polished form. But no, also in this case: Nothing at all!
Compared to the graphical gaming experience I created for myself and that of Black Mesa, this mod clearly falls flat! The textures are anything but up to date! Also the lighting looks outdated / technically underdeveloped and partly strange.
I have already tried to "polish up" this mod with the help of the guide. #2 But the tips described there and linked HD texture packs are not compatible with EZ2.
To put it bluntly, the modders have simply failed to deliver their mod in a contemporary state. Both technically and in terms of gameplay. And this despite the fact that there are corresponding templates of how it should have been done right! But so they can not avoid that their mod is received as outdated! - Too bad!

What remains are interesting or even pretty set pieces. Like our alter ego bad cop. Who is not as one-dimensional as he might seem at the beginning. Or the turret we find in the secret aperture science facility, which, if we want it, becomes a kind of unofficial companion cube. Which can even talk. Or the few new weapons and enemies that this mod has to offer. - But that's just not enough to recommend this mod.


#1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fl_gJFHkP4

#2
https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=689642599&tscn=1661324516

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

NOPE!!

After an hour I had to uninstall the mod immediately to avoid risking my sanity.
'Great looking garbage' is a very generous description for this mod.
It is incomprehensible to me why this mod was able to get into the Steam Store at all. - Don't they have any quality control?
I can only strongly advise everyone not to play this mod. Unless you're in the mood for a trash game or a surreal gaming experience.

Yes I could have put more effort into my review and structured it better. But when the developers didn't care. - Why should i?

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Absolut nicht empfehlenswert!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcdupdw_uhU

I don't know why, but somehow the game doesn't click for me.
I've tried it several times now, but I've never been stuck for long. I still like playing CoH I (with mods) and I like Steam / DieselPunk. One of my favorite RTS games is Rise of Legends.

Why isn't the game clicking now?
I can't really put my finger on it. But one problem is that I never know exactly which unit is shooting at whom, and who is under fire. As silly as CoH I "tracer ammo" may be to some, it helps to read the game very well.
Also, the campaign (as far as I've played it) essentially consists of the enemy throwing endless waves of units at you. - Not a particularly exciting mission design.

TLDR: I'd really want to like this game, but it just won't let me.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

If there had ever been extensions for HL2 by external developers, as there were for HL1, this mod would have been one of them. It's the best mod that lets the player experience the events in the world of HL2 from the perspective of the Combine.
A must play for every Half Life fan!

Eine der wohl besten HL2 Singeplayer Mods die ich je gespielt habe. Wenn man nicht mehr will als HL2 Standardkost, aber wohl bekömmlich zubereitet, dann könnt ihr bedenkenlos zugreifen. Die Mod hat ein gutes Pacing, Levelaufbau, Spezialeffekte und erzählt eine interessante Geschichte. Erfrischender Weise spielt ihr nicht zum xten mal Gorden Freeman oder müsst zum xten mal aus City 17 entkommen. Euer alter Ego ist in Ungnade gefallen und muss eine geheime Combine Basis auf einer Insel infiltrieren und heraus finden was dort vor sich geht.
Gibt es auch was zu kritisieren? Leider ja. Es nicht immer klar wo es als nächstes lang geht oder was zu tun ist. Um es anders zu sagen: die Spielerführung ist ausbaufähig. Ich hätte die Mod ohne die Hilfe eines YT Videos nicht beenden können.

Wenn du dir dein Spielerlebnis aka. Spielmenü aufpeppen möchtest kannst du dir noch die MMOD dazu installieren und MINERVA damit spielen.
https://www.moddb.com/mods/hl2-ep2-enhased-mod

Die Mod bietet nichts Besonderes oder gar Herausragendes. Man beginnt abrupt irgendwo im Nirgendwo. Es gibt keine Dia- oder Monologe, die einen in das Wie, Wann und Wo oder in das, was zu tun ist, einführen würden. Man rennt ziellos herum, schießt, löst ab und zu Rätsel. Am Ende gibt es einen unspektakulären Bosskampf. Und nach etwa einer Stunde ist alles vorbei. Die übliche HL2-Mod-Standardkost eben.
Es gibt keine neuen Waffen, Assets, Gegner oder sonstige Ideen.

Fazit: Ein HL2 Singleplayer Mod, wie viele andere zuvor. Wer sie nicht gespielt hat, hat nichts verpasst. Wer allerdings von HL2 nicht genug bekommen kann, kann gerne reinspielen. Es kostet schließlich nichts.