It would have been nice if the save points were closer together, or if they had just utilized a "save anywhere" feature. And don't tell me it's not feasible. The Orange Box (the whole thing) could do that, it's just a matter of developers unwilling to relinquish that one bit of control to the player.
I'm with you now! I just got to this Leviathan business and it's a little tougher than I originally thought. Wish I could save right at the beginning or even in the middle of the fight. That would be nice. :)