Should I play the original Half-Life before playing Half-Life 2?

[Magikarp]

I just purchased Half-Life 2, and it's been installed and what not.. but before playing, I thought that it might be a good idea to get a good idea of where the story is by playing the original Half-Life.

I was just curious.. are the two chronologically related? I've never really played the first one.. all I know is that the hero is a scientist named Gordon Freeman.

I've started to play the first one, and it's been a decent experience.

 

[Nicholas The Slide]

i dont believe its nessacary, but if you really wanted to i guess you could

 

[Bjornita]

They are chronologically related. You should probably play the first one before the second, if only because it's awesome and you won't be as confused by the next game, which you most definitely will be if you jump right in.

 

[TrongaMonga]

Yes, you should most definetely play the first one.

 

[Malcom Sex]

The first one greatly adds to the effect of the second. play the first first

 

[Korittke]

You shouldn't give a too big shit about a 7 years old game. Half-Life 2 is 10 years after Half-Life 1 and the locations are totally different, actually Doc Kleiner is pretty much the only character from Half-Life 1 in-game.
Plus the story isn't at all understandable because it mostly revolves around G-Man.
Finally the happenings in Half-Life 2 don't have any relation to the ones in Half-Life 2. The only thing you have to know (and this is being said several times in HL2 too) is that Black Mesa was a kind of research facility where they had an 'incident' and you had to escape with the government trying to smother up everything and aliens running around.
It doesn't matter if you played HL1 or didn't because the stories are -at the most- linked by Dr Kleiner and G-Man. The other characters from Black Mesa were just thrown in for HL2 but they didn't actually appear in HL1. HL1 doesn't help you understand who G-Man is, but HL2 does. Either way you will be confused at the beginning and end of HL2. Not inbetween though, so why give a shit? You're not missing anything HL2-wise if you don't play HL1.
You're probably just missing a great game with totally outdated graphics and all.

 

[Brandon]

Yeah try Half life source, then half-life2, makes alot of sence and makes things crazyer!

 

[G37Z]

heh, you really should play the first one to get the entire feel of how far half life has come and to get the storyline down

 

[Magikarp]

I decided to play through Half-Life 1 since most of you recommended it.

I'm not too sure how far along I am now.. I only play a little bit each day, to savor the expierence, I guess. I'm at the part where the giant tentacle-esque alien has inhabited one of the giant.. silos? Whatever it is, you have to be quiet when walking around it.

Koritke, is G-man the guy in the suit with the briefcase who keeps appearing and walking off? Don't tell me who he is , just tell me if he's G-man and if he has anything to do with Half-Life 2.

 

[Master.America]

It's ok, no one really knows who/what g-man is, anyway. All we know is that the only thing in that suitcase he has is a stash of porn.

 

[Brandon]

Hey BTW i always wonderd the point of HL so i wante dto quit and like when b4 hl2 came around and like later on its gets gay and you'll wonder whats the point and yeah its weird,

 

[Ntrik_]

Just look for Half Life 1 story line and Half Life 2 story line instead of playing it....

 

[TrongaMonga]

Yes, G-Man is the suitcase guy. And that's the part I remember the most, in Half-Life, that giant plant or whatever that is

 

[Zeroth]

All we know is that the only thing in that suitcase he has is a stash of porn.

actually, the G-Man has a laptop, a few pens, and a pencil or two in there... Don't believe me? Enable "NoClip" and go into it!

back on topic...
the only thing linking HL1 to HL2 is the G-Man, Klinner (or however you spell it), Freeman, and Calhoon (however you spell it...). And the voltigrunts, who happen to be good this time around.

You would understand the HL2 story without playing HL1...