Quick HL2 impressions Ok, have only gotten through a couple chapters before indigestion forced me to curl up in a prone position on my bed.

Graphics: It's not just that the graphics look incredible, but the game runs extremely smooth on my machine (P4 3.3ghz / 1GB PC3500 RAM / ATI 9800 PRO). Huge difference compared to Doom3 which ran horribly (and was too damn dark!). Textures are richly detailed, as are the character models. When you meet Alyx for the first time, the facial animation is VERY VERY impressive. Think more Pixar than playstation. Just the way the NPCs look at you seems so real. Voice-sync is perhaps the best yet for any video game. The voice acting is also great so far. There are a lot of cool graphical effects, making use of DX9 pixel shading. The great thing is that they aren't just "WOW LOOK AT ME" type effects, but rather are integrated seemlessly into their environment. Doom 3 has better lighting and shadowing, but HL2 definitely has some nice lighting effects as well. Plus you're not in the damn darkness all the time ...

Gameplay: So far got the gun and da crowbar. To me there's just such a sense of nostalgia while playing this game. Barney ... crowbar ... stepping into the suit again. Everything just feels perfect so far. Such a joy to be able use the flashlight while holding a gun! (take notes ID)

The physics are probably the most talked about new feature, and rightfully so. Once you realize you can pick up virtually any object and hurl it around, you'll spend a bit of time just messing around with the environment. At one point I picked up a bicycle and was trying to walk through the door with it. Also amused myself by throwing random objects at the NPCs. Valve shows off by dumping you in a lot of cool settings. For instance, early on you encounter a playground with swings, slide, and teeter totter. Tons of fun. I'm loving it and I haven't even gotten the gravity gun yet.

I will play more tomorrow ...  ¶ 1:47 AM