Half Life 2: Lost Coast

Okay, we've all heard of Half Life 2, the multi-million seller game that puts you again in the shoes of Gordon Freeman in an intense, high-quality shooting game that can't be beat with a beating stick. We've also played Counter Strike and CS:S, both games worth their weight in gold. Also, Gametrash went over Day of Defeat Source, the best WWII shooter ever. So what's left?

Half Life 2: The Lost Coast. The Lost Coast isnt exactly an addition to Half Life 2 like we want it to, because Valve is mean like that. Half Life 2: the Lost Coast is a tech demo to showcase Valve's new technology, High Dynamic Range Lighting. Essentially, HDR is taking the gorgeous lighting of Half Life 2 and turning it into something beautiful. Something very beautiful. Something that will bring you to tears on your knees.



I'll do this review, for the sake of fun and to do something different, from two perspectives: the gamer side of me, and the tech-savvy coder in me.

Gamer:
WOW! Look at this! It's so freakin real. And my magnum is all shiny now! Time to shoot some bad guys!

Tech Savvy Coder:
Holy s***! Does Valve actually spend the time doing all this? My god, this is impressive. I mean, that lighting is actually bouncing off the waves! They generate the sea three times, for god's sake. This is freaking AWESOME!

Gamer:
Whoa, look at the old dude. He's like, old.

Tech Savvy Coder:
And the light bounces off his face realistically, instead of shiny-like, such as in Doom 3! And the Bloom effects are phenomenal!



Gamer:
Going up that cliff was like awesome. It reminded me of Half Life 1. And how they blew up that staircase was especially awesome.

Tech Savvy Coder:
It's also impressive they've taken the fight to vertical fights instead of plain-old horizontal battles. The Directors Commentary in this game kicks ass.

Gamer:
Whoa, a chapel. And I get to blow stuff up!

Tech Savvy Coder:
I think I just peed my pants a little. Look at the light reflecting on the grooving of the chandalier! Look at how it emulates particle effects in the air! Look at how they've mixed church paintings with the technological aspects of Half Life 2!!!!

Gamer:
Whoa, enemy time. Time to kill s*** with the shotgun.

Tech Savvy Coder:
The particle effects on the blood even are effected by the light. Fighting like this is so much more fun than bland shooters.

Gamer:
HOLY SHIT COPTER.

Tech Savvy Coder:
Whoa, you can see the whole area in the background as I fight this thing. That's not even expected. I could, like, throw a grenade down and hit that roof. Holy s***. Plus, the bloom effects go over the textures in the sand below... I don't know if it's covered by water or not. I wonder if I can jump.

Gamer:
LETS JUMP!

Tech Savvy Coder:
Shit, we're dead, you tard.

Gamer:
Whatever. I autosaved back there.

Tech Savvy Coder:
Awesome. Time to look at the lighting effects again.

Overall, this gets 5 stars. This is the best use of graphics I have EVER seen. If you have STEAM and the ability to play this, do so.

(PS: STEAM will let you download this game no matter what system you have, but you cannot play it unless you have a processor over something like 2.7 ghz. This is primarily because this pushes every facet of any system to the absolute maximum. This absolutely cannot be played on a laptop, Grandma's computer, or a school library computer. Be warned.)

5 star(s) out of 5

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