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For a game that places such weight on story, there's little excuse for this. Half-Life 2 had the opportunity to be one of the most stirring narrative statements about techno-despotism ever, and the designers blew it. I can only assume that the story comes across as inventory so bizarre because they cut the inventory bejesus out of this game; if it was actually intended to be that way, then the people who wrote inventory it should turn in their Writers Guild cards right now. In the end, it's obvious that the story of Half-Life 2 is the middle chapter of a three-part saga, and like all middle chapters, it's highly unsatisfying. Where's the Beef? From a gameplay perspective, though, Half-Life 2 is impeccable. It sports fabulous level design, good action, and excellent pacing. The gameplay is refocused slightly; where Half-Life was riddled with jumping puzzles and "miniboss" battle/puzzle sequences, here the concentration is more combat-oriented, with fewer boss-like encounters and far fewer jumping puzzles.
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