What game was the Spectrum's Half Life?

[SteveSmith]

Half Life was a milestone in gaming with its excellent storytelling, interaction and plot. Did the Spectrum have an equivalent? Ignoring the 3D aspect, which Spectrum game had the best storyline (not including the terrible plots that could be found on the inlay cards) that really engrossed you and felt like you were in a living breathing environment that you could interact with?

[Gears of Games]

I was really impressed with the world of Valhalla. I could never get anywhere in it, but I loved walking around trying to convince the various characters to do stupid things! Same thing with The Hobbit, you could do some absolutely silly things in there too and the world always seemed a bit different each time you played.

I will have to have a further think about this, I am sure there are others ...

[Jbizzel]

Maybe jet set willy is to manic miner what half-life is to quake 2.

[stupidget]

I recon Lords of Midnight would be a good contender.

Some text adventures had genuinely engrossing storylines and most of Level 9’s releases were pretty in depth.

I’d also say Fairlight gave you the feeling of being in a living breathing world. First time I played that I was utterly engrossed .

[Gears of Games]

I recon Lords of Midnight would be a good contender.

Oh yes! Lords of Midnight and Doomdarks Revenge were amazing! Loved exploring their worlds...

[EdToo]

That is quite tough. Half life and many games before could load extra levels from media at lightning speed compared to tape load. Half life had the cinematic opening on the tram. Puzzling element escaping the facility, first person shooter, etc. The Spectrum can only hope to capture a tiny section of any of that. I honestly can't recall any games that gave me a Half life vibe (very sad the Half life series never completed). Amaurote for some reason is a game that always gave me a feeling of tension similar to the one I experienced in Half Life.

[Joefish]

I'd agree Fairlight is a good comparison. It took the 'Isometric 3D' genre and completely re-wrote it. No more blocks on a grid; no more identical backgrounds. Each room was a custom layout and drawing, with larger open areas to walk around, and no limit on moving objects (or guard helmets) from room to room. The whole game felt like one big environment. Which ironically is not quite like Half-Life or Half-Life 2, since although they gave the appearance of free movement they were actually fairly linear spaces.

[Sham Mountebank]

Yes to Lords of Midnight and Domark's Revenge.

Yes, also to Fairlight. As technically amazing as Knight Lore and Alien 8 were, they never had the sense of world building that Fairlight gave.

Valhalla did something interesting with the world, the characters seemed to have their own needs. They weren't doing anything different to the characters in The Hobbit (walking round, picking up and dropping stuff, and having fights) but being able to see figures do this rather than just reading it really made a difference.

Skool Daze as well. A small world but it ran on it's own lines and you could pick your own agenda, and do things which affected other characters and made them react.

[Mpk]

Skool Daze : the characters all talk except Eric. Also did the living environment thing pretty well.

Fairlight, Lords Of Midnight are good shouts.

[worcestersource]

Can I propose Where Time Stood Still and, to a lesser extent, The Great Escape?

I remember playing WTSS and feeling like this was a huge game with a massive plot. I guess Laser Squad and Lords of Chaos game me similar feelings, but for different reasons.

[ParadigmShifter]

I've only played Half Life 2 :/

Probably needs to be an adventure game with fun puzzles but only 2 exits (forwards/backwards - sometimes backwards is blocked off though) from every room except if you do a search you maybe notice another exit which leads to a secret in a dead end.

[catmeows]

I would say Castle Master is close (Driller and Dark Side are fine, but I think that castle and dungeon fits better limitations of engine - in Driller and Dark Side you are told that you are on a moon, in CM (or Total Eclipse) you see that you are in front of castle (or pyramid)).

[71owl]

I remember MINDSHADOW a graphic adventure by Activision. You start on a desert island not knowing who you are or why you are there. The whole adventure is about piecing together what's happened to you in the past and finding your true identity.

Come to think of it, it sounds like the day after a night out in Newcastle?

[Oloturia]

For me it was Dun Darach.
It wasn't sold in Italy so it arrived only as a bootleg, without instructions, so I just walked randomly in the city, talking with strangers, buying and selling things.

[Timmy]

For me, something like Marsport would be the equivalent of Half Life.

I have not finish either of them, and both are very overrated.