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Light Me Warm (Dec 6, 2005)

One of my favourite things about HL2, one of the things that set it apart from so many other FPS's, is the lighting. It managed to remain realistic (more so than most games), but also engaged the "wow, we can do real shadows!" era of Quake, where strong, well-defined shadows were cast everywhere. HL2 is awash with spotlights and bold colours combined with otherwise casual lighting.

Of course, the first HL1 got the lighting right too. One of my favourite scenes is at the end of the training section, when you come to a small flatbed train in a large, dark room lit only by the light from the windows.

I remember getting to that room, having played the training, and feeling warm. You know the lighting is right when you can feel aspects that you shouldn't (since you're actually limited to just the screen and sound.)

Ambience is something that is very powerful when done right. Even if the player only feels it the first time they play, it's something they'll associate with the map and remember for a long time. HL1's boot_camp still reminds me of a warm, clear Sunday morning simply because that's what it felt like when I first played it, and that makes it all the more engaging.

What got me babbling on about this? Well, Nuke, of course:

First time I saw that room I felt warm, again (yeah, again.) The brilliant, harsh sunlight brings a lot to a room that is otherwise fairly empty. It could have been populated with a hundred props and details, but it would have been wasted compared to this.

...of course, just to complete this post, here's a screenshot from HL2:

Not quite as effective as in Nuke, but I like taking these screenshots, so there.

So I guess the moral of this post is: lighting rocks when done right. Do it right. Bye!

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user comments

Atrocity at 05:30 on Dec 8, 2005

lol do it right. Well I agree with you. I love strong shadows in levels. I love levels where you can hide in the shadows, but can be easily exposed from the high contrast of light. I think that lighting can easily make or break a map, thats why it's so damn important.

Frog at 14:36 on Dec 8, 2005

If done EXTREMELY well, contrast might even be able to stop those cheaters who up their gamma, in my opinion, but it would require a LOT of careful planning

smeerkat at 15:56 on Dec 10, 2005

I prefer the HL2 screenshot, where the light is going through all those small window panes. Cool!

Lawl Lawl at 21:03 on Dec 10, 2005

Please - does someone know why the text in a box in dust_2 are named RIP Justin DeJong?

SilLy qUeStIoN I KnOw HIGHIHIHHIHIHIHIHIH!!111oneone

But please answer though.

Adam aka Egon at 22:23 on Dec 10, 2005

I googled the name, and it seems he commited suicide...

Quoted from cstrike-planet.com: "docks was originally created by Justin Dejong aka N0TH1NG, who committed suicide around 3 years ago(RIP"

J. Webb at 09:29 on Dec 11, 2005

Wasn't just Docks he created Siege aswell.

JamesBond0070 at 16:38 on Dec 11, 2005

How about the lighting on the new HDR-rendered BMS dam Dave?

Atrocity at 19:50 on Dec 11, 2005

I like how it's being said o BMS HDR, I compiled my HL2CTF maps with HDR, however unless you pack the lost coast dlls in with your mod then you can't use it.

reaper47 at 18:39 on Dec 17, 2005

I'm glad the end of the hazard course got some attetnion here. It was always one of the most inspiring visual moments in HL1. It's how the light bouces of the ground, subtly lighting the walls around. Most hight tech real-time-shadow engines, including Doom 3, can't bounce light. That's why I still prefer HL2's lighting.

I badly miss the warm midday light in HL2, it's always so cold.