Summary
Valve has released a new patch forHalf-Life 2less than a month after it received a major update. This patch fixes a number of issues withHalf-Life 2, and oddly enough, reverses a fix the update made, in an effort to please the community.
After the game reached a venerable age of 20 years old, Valve released amajor update forHalf-Life 2to celebrate the occasion. In addition to brand-new commentary, a documentary, and Steam Workshop integration, the developers also fixed a number of bugs that had been lingering in the title for years. The vast majority of these updates were well-received, but speedrunners found themselves stymied when Valve released the update.
The new patch forHalf-Life 2primarily fixes audio and display issues. Problems with music and commentary not playing correctly during or following level loads, for example, have been fixed.Gamepad stick sensitivitycan now be adjusted with a slider, gamepad buttons should no longer get stuck after saving, and players should see fewer crashes while changing episodes. One thing that stands out in the update notes, however, is the removal of collision from an underwater tube. Valve notes in the update notes that speed runners “enjoy” it, but had nothing more to say about it in the official update.
As noted byRockPaperShotgun, the underwater tube in question is in the sewers of the Route Kanal sequence. Speed runners discovered that their usual route had been blocked off with collision, preventing them from competing with established records using the pipe. This invisible wall was apparently always included in theXbox 360 version ofHalf-Life 2, but was absent on PC. Without the invisible wall, players used to be able to glitch their way up to the tube without having to turn a valve to flood the room first.
Updating a game as old asHalf-Life 2without breaking more than it fixed was likely a tough task for Valve. Patching a problem created by the update would be something players would expect of a good game developer, but it’s surprising to see a legitimate fix be undone in order to please a niche portion ofHalf-Life 2’s fans. However, the presence - or lack of - of the invisible wall should have no real impact on those who play the game normally, as they wouldn’t be able to access the pipe until they flooded the area anyway. Removing the blockage was a simple gesture that has likely pleased speed runners.
Half-Life 2
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- HALF-LIFE sends a shock through the game industry with its combination of pounding action and continuous, immersive storytelling. Valve’s debut title wins more than 50 game-of-the-year awards on its way to being named “Best PC Game Ever” by PC Gamer, and launches a franchise with more than eight million retail units sold worldwide.NOW. By taking the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original, and adding startling new realism and responsiveness, Half-Life 2 opens the door to a world where the player’s presence affects everything around them, from the physical environment to the behaviors even the emotions of both friends and enemies.The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people he cares about are counting on him.
