While Waiting for HL2 Ep2.....

I absolutely love the Source engine and I am eagerly awaiting Episode 2 along with TF2 and Portal, (That another post all together.) but in the mean time what is one to do? One of the joys of PC gaming is the ability to go on the interwebs and search for 3rd party mods, mostly free of charge. Although some of these mods have been out for a while I still find it useful to post for those of you who have not played them. I will also include my .02 for each mod in case you find it useful, which I'm sure you won't.

Coastline to Atmosphere - This mod will provide you with hours of great game play. While most mods use repeated scenery, this one does not. The terrain varies from beaches and water, to concrete waterways, and everything in between. The game play is very challenging, and there are many puzzles to be solved. This mod is also very long! It took me the better part of an afternoon to finish it, while only taking short bathroom and coffee breaks. By far the most memorable moment in the game was when you are drugged and begin to "trip out". Freeman begins to hallucinate and see all kinds of crazy things the likes of which you have never seen in a game. From one PC gamer to another, play this mod, as you will not be disappointed.

Mistake of Pythagoras - This is another great mod, which includes some interesting game play features. I have to hand it to this guy for his creativity, because some of the things in this mod are very cool. Throughout the whole game there is a weird flying mechanism that constantly tries to kill you, and each time it appears you are under pressure to find a way out before it gets too close. Another interesting aspect of the game is that the stalkers help you out, rather than try to kill you. Here and there numbers, yes numbers, fall from the sky. This adds to the games trippyness, (is that a word?) and uniqueness. Another thing worth mentioning is the soundtrack to this mod, which is actually quite good! The music always seems to fit the mood of the game, and my hats off to the modder for his effort. If you like games that take you out of the norm and into another place, this is the mod for you.

Metastasis 2 - This is a VERY well known mod among the HL2 community, and if you haven't played it you should be ashamed of yourself! One thing I like best about the game is the old modem sound effect that chimes in just before a text message appears to either give you hints or bring you up to speed on the situation. This may sound like small thing, but it's actually brilliant, since I'm sick of playing mods where I have to listen to some poorly recorded pre-pubic voice telling me where to go and what to do. The storyline is incredible, which makes you want to keep playing for the sake of knowing what the hell is going on. The mod has great use of unique textures and puzzles as well. Supposedly there was supposed to be a Metastasis 3, but I have yet to hear or see any buzz surround this. Of all the mods I have spoken of, this one could pass as an actual Valve product in my eyes.

Well, there you have it! All of these mods are just a quick Google search away, and trust me you can't go wrong with any of them. They may be slightly dated, but there has been a shortage of good mods lately, which is my reason for listing those mentioned above.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - I waited 5 years for this?

Wow, does this game suck! I go into everything new with an open mind, but this game truly bites! I find it hard to believe that this game took 5 years to complete, especially considering it took Valve the same amount of time to create Half-Life 2, which still blows my mind to this day.

They offered a "closed" beta of STALKER, which was released to the "lucky" few who got keys a couple days ago. I was able to locate a legit copy on Bittorrent, so I grabbed it and played this morning. I will now list the reasons why this highly anticipated game completely disappointed me.

1.) Graphics - Wow, these graphics are really bad. When you watch trailers for other games coming out this year like Crysis, Cell Factor, Shadowrun etc. you wonder if these guys who made STALKER really think they can compete or even keep someones interest past the demo! I'm going to make a bold statement here, but I honestly feel like I am playing Medal of Honor Allied Assault. I have all the settings cranked as high as they can go, and it still looks grotesque by todays standards.

2.) Physics - Non-Existent

3.) Gameplay - Very archaic feeling. I constantly feel like I don't have any precise control over my character. The movements are very sloppy, and having said that this game is more "run and gun" style reminiscent of the original DOOM circa 1993 .

4.) Sound - What horrible sound effects! Not even a Sound Blaster X-Fi and Logitech THX speakers can save this one!

I am a tough critic, but I am also fair. I know a lot of people who were looking forward to this game, and they are in for big disappointment. To be air, this IS a beta build, but considering the game will be released in just about 1 month I doubt they could polish it much more by that time. Do yourself a favor, and play the demo before you commit to anything. I guess I will have to wait for Crysis or HL2 Ep 2. before I can be blown away again.