Game's not out yet so it could still theoretically surprise, but this is why I held back on judgement for HLA. See, I watched all of HL2's videos as they trickled out before release, and nearly all of them were jaw-dropping in one way or another due to either graphics, technology, or premise and creativity. Even for someone like me who played Half-Life without getting obsessed and buying the headcrab plushie on release, there were still plenty of reasons to be excited about HL2.
That was over 15 years ago. Like it or not, Valve as a company has changed since then, from a gaming company to a games distribution platform first and foremost. The magic and imagination that was there in those trailers was not mirrored in the trailer for HLA. How could it? They have the possibility of innovation here with more fluid VR movements, but apparently it may not be up to snuff against a game like Boneworks. Contrast that with HL2, where nearly
every bar was being raised.
I would like another renaissance to occur here, even for something so overpriced as VR, but the last decade or so has shown just how reliable it is to pin all your hopes on brand loyalty so I'm not jumping into it with reckless abandon, even for a company like Valve.
[EDIT]: Might as well take this moment to reflect and ask everyone which HL2 trailer was your favourite at the time? For me it was either the Coastline or the Striders trailers that were the most impressive. I guess Coastline was my favourite because it made me habitually check every other video right up to release.
