You finished in 5 hours and you got to the part where you fight antlions with the help of the allies in the first 20-30 minutes??? Wow, you're ripping yourself off like that. In order to get to that point in such a short amount of time you must have moved from area to area continuously without pausing. You're missing half the game that way! I like to look around, admire the view, play with the gravity gun, poke my head into little corners. Did you find the travel-gnome statue under the bunk beds in the first building you come to? Did you notice that whacking a chainlink fence with your crowbar has a legit sound effect? Have you heard all the 'wise' things the vortigaunts say when you click on them? Etc, etc. Little props, bodies of dead allies and enemies, objects in the room, and artwork on the walls tell little stories too. A game like this which allows you to save at any point you want, gives you the confidence to explore, play around, build a ramp to drive off a cliff, or build a tower of exploding barrels if you want. Relax and appreciate all the work that the developers and designers put into it, and you'll get a longer game with more bang for your buck. Oh, and god bless Valve for making a stunning game that can run well on a year and a half old computer. Eye candy al-la Bioshock is great, but if my PC can't run it, then I'm bummed and the publisher lost out on my sale. Graphics are last on my list of requirements these days- we are truly past the point where graphics make the game. It's nice that Valve focuses on story and game play and gives gamers who would rather spend their cash on a legal copy of a game rather than a new video card, the chance to get in on the fun. Yes, I'm bitter that I can't run Bioshock! But I have my Halflife, so it's all ok!! Thank you Valve! [Edited by sherri on 2007-10-15 15:33:38]