Half-Life 2

This game is so good the storyline and action is really good. Its VERY ahead of its time. I replayed it over 10 times and never get bored of it. This game really needs a movie or tvshow. I think this game might be the best in the franchise. THEY NEED TO MAKE HALF LIFE 3 imagine half life 2 but more modern😮. All the voice acting fits well and what makes me confused that valve was able to get hands correct but rockstar wasnt. I think this game deserves more love. 10/10 physics 10/10water textures 10/10 storytelling 100/10 over all. Half life 2 need s more than 2 episodes it need 20 episodes. If the game was 50$ it will be still worth it.

"Half-Life 2" really elevates videogames to a new art form. For someone such as myself, who had taken a long hiatus from gaming, this was a refreshing revolution of the medium. There will always be the classic arcade games and the great Mario games for NES - but "Half-Life 2" takes gaming into a new dimension. This is the game that will blow away those of us who always thought games were simplistic. Its plot is better than 90% of action films today and it seamlessly blends realism with science-fiction.

Curiously enough "Doom 3" received more attention for blending cinema with gaming but I think "Half-Life 2" did so much better - there aren't cheesy cut-away scenes such as there are in "Doom 3" (which was still a fine game) and you actually feel like you ARE in an alternate reality. Valve - as they first did with the original "Half-Life" - provides similar scenes of plotting and character dialogue, but you never leave the POV of Dr. Gordon Freeman. And with the advancements in technology since the first game, "Half-Life 2" takes advantage of this to its fullest.

When I first got the game I couldn't play it. I was on a 2001 PC with outdated specs and had dial-up - Steam (which is a major pain and the only downside to this game) takes forever to download mandatory updates and "decryption" files in an effort to cut back on Internet piracy. The irony is that the game has made its way online anyway while people such as myself who purchased it often experience troubles with Steam because if you forget your password, or someone else uses it before you, you have to buy another copy of the game and they won't just replace the password itself.

Apart from Steam (the worst idea ever conceived by any gaming company) "HL2" delivers non-stop. I was surprised how the game combines so many different styles - first you start out in a bleak future-world reminiscent of "1984" and you join the resistance to fight the fascist ruling. The first few levels are eerie and brilliant; what's really scary is that they seem so realistic and not-so-far-away from where we are now.

Then it becomes a sci-fi game with zombie creatures and similar monsters. Then one level evokes atmospheric tension by placing you underground (think "Doom" minus the chainsaw) and then the game ends with a stunning apocalyptic-style war which also blends sci-fi and action together - yet all the while I felt like I could be playing a WWII battle game; the genre-bending is superb.

The storyline is solid and the game's engine is remarkable. The expansive surroundings and beautiful rendering is breathtaking at times. And the physics are the most realistic I've ever seen in any game, ever. It blows everything else out of the water.

The gravity gun at the end of the game is almost too good to be true - I've never seen anything like it in a game before.

At first I wasn't too sure about "Half-Life 2" because it has a fairly slow beginning; but by the end I couldn't stop playing. I re-played most of the game again and the second time around I really enjoyed the opening; it builds up a lot of tension and develops the storyline.

Overall this exceeds in the same areas that many games fail - it effortlessly combines every gamer's fantasy with mixed genres, great action, realistic settings and stunning graphics. I don't think any other game I've ever played has left such an impact on me. This is definitely one of the best games ever and possibly the best of its genre.

H A L F – L I F E 2 Review

Half-Life 2 is the superb sequel to 1998's critically acclaimed Half-Life. The sequel sticks very close to the blueprints set by the original, but also surpasses it in nearly every way. The game has its fair share of problems, but these are overshadowed by the game's many, many strong points. Basically, I can't think of a game I could recommend more than Half-Life 2.

STORY: 9.5/10 The game starts you off at the train station of City 17; where it becomes very clear that something is not right. You have obviously been placed here by the G-Man for a reason, but as of now, you don't know that reason. In the beginning of the game, you have no means of defense for yourself, so the Combine, an alien force of some kind, can attack you however they please. But this just gives you more of an incentive to get your payback; and you shall get that payback very soon. The story itself is good and intriguing. You will be captivated from the very beginning to the end. The only problem with it is that the game leaves a bit too many questions unanswered. The ending is a little bit too much of a cliffhanger. There is a positive aspect to this, though. It means that Valve will almost certainly make a sequel. It would have also been nice to have even more run-ins with the game's excellent characters, as they were very memorable. Overall, though, the story is truly great.

SOUND: 9.0/10 Half-Life 2's sound is not the game's strongest point, but that's not to say that it is bad. In fact, the sound in the game is anything but. The voice acting in the game is top-notch, and you will surely be impressed by it. The characters in the game have a very nice script and deliver their lines very well. The sound effects in the game are also, for the most part, exceptional. The weapons pack a very punchy sound and are very nice. The soundtrack in the game isn't around all that much, but when it is, it is very apparent. It only plays about a dozen times during the game, but it makes those moments very memorable. The soundtrack itself, though, is only pretty good. It just doesn't seem all that fitting, but it is nice none-the-less. There are also same sound glitches every now and then, but they are not too bad. All in all, the sound in the game is very, very good.

GAMEPLAY: 9.5/10 Even if everything else in the game was great, if the gameplay wasn't good, the game wouldn't be good. But gameplay is another place where Half-Life 2 stands above the rest. In most ways, the gameplay of Half-Life 2 isn't revolutionary or innovative, but it sure is fun. The amount of variety in the game is also pretty impressive. The most interesting item in the game is the Gravity Gun. You are able to pick up objects and throw them, both in combat and in use for the game's several puzzles. The puzzles in the game are pretty simple, but are a nice change of pace. It would have been nice to see some more puzzles in the later stages of the game, though. There are also two rather lengthy sequences in the game that involve vehicles. The vehicles in the game are a little awkward to drive, but are, however, fun. The weapons are pretty well balanced, for the most part. The only real balancing issues are that the pistol can be a little too useful at times, and the last weapon given to you in the game feels very overpowered. You will go up against a variety of enemies in the game, from the menacing Combine soldiers, to zombies, to antlions. The Combine are the most advanced enemies in the game, from an artificial intelligence standpoint. The zombies just tend to lumber over to you pretty slowly. The artificial intelligence in the game is great. The game's length is also more than satisfactory; coming in at close to 20 hours for the average player. There are three different difficulty levels to choose from in the game; easy, normal, and hard. Easy will definitely be too simple for the vast majority of players, but hard should suit even the better players. You will be fighting alone for most of the game, but in the later stages you will sometimes have allies. The allies in the game are not as helpful as you might have hoped, but they are still a nice gameplay addition.

GRAPHICS: 10/10 From a technological standpoint, Half-Life 2 stands above all else. The graphics in the game are truly stunning, and are some of the best, if not the best, graphics out there. Everything from facial animation, to shadowing, to textures is astounding. The game also holds up at an impressive frame rate, even on older computers. The art direction in the game is also a sight to behold. Everything about the game conveys the look that was intended; and the result is nothing short of spectacular. All the explosions in the game are also great. Lighting and shadowing is also beautifully mastered in the game. The superb facial animations truly bring the characters to life like no other game has been able to do. But what is even more amazing than Half-Life 2's graphics, is its incredible use of physics. Graphically, the game is virtually unsurpassed.

MULTIPLAYER: 9.5/10 Originally, Half-Life 2 shipped with only Counter Strike: Source; but was soon updated with a death match mode. The better of the two is easily Counter Strike: Source, although Half-Life 2: death match is better than you might expect. Counter Strike: Source is just a graphically updated version of the hit game Counter Strike.

Overall Score:

9.6

out of ten.

Pros:

• Great story & characters
• Great fast-paced gameplay
• Amazing AI
• Great physics mechanics
• Great graphics (for 2004)
• Intricate level design
• Good variety of weapons
• Good variety of enemy types

Cons:

• None

Verdict: A game that is way ahead of it time; in its gameplay, graphics, story, AI, and physics. It is a must play for all gamers.

10/10.

I am a huge half life fan, The game was the beginning of first person shooters. It set the standard for all fps's, everything was compared to to that game. It turn fps games into what they are today.

we have half life to thank for games being what they are today.

did half life 2 do the same thing? Half life 2 was amazing , one of the best games I ever played. Everything about the game was crafted so well and polished up to make it perfect.

GAMEPLAY 10/10 - Know questions ask half life 2 has some of the best most crafted and unique gameplay up todate. There's so many different way to approach combat situations. Most first person shooters its just run around blasting things with your gun. But in half life you can think, you can plan how your going to approach combat. You look around and use your environment and everything around you to help you fight, by setting off chain reactions or shooting the wood from underneath your enemy so they fall to the ground. Through most of the game you don't even need to shoot at your enemy. And the gravity gun just adds to the fun, putting stuff infront of doors watching the combine try and bust there way in. Picking up or moving everything around you. And on top of that just using a gun and blasting peoples heads in is unbelievably fun to.

GRAPHICS 10/10 - Now not everyone will get to see the game how its suppose to be seen. But if you do you will understand. Half life 2 probably has the best graphics seen to this day in any video game. Everything is detailed so much and so polished its amazing, from huge out door land scape's to a small beat up house everything looks amazing. The dynamic lighting adds such a element of beauty to everything giving it that final touch it need. Plus the water, I cant even begin to describe how beautiful the water looks, It reflects everything around you and does it so amazing its hard to put in words.

STORY 8/10 - I loved the story of the original half life and I loved the fact that no one really new the story even more. Half life 2 didn't really give any answers to any of the questions ask in half life 1, which is not a problem and didn't bug me at all. I actually like the overall story I just not sure I loved the way the did it. Alex character I thought was a typical tough girl thing and I was a big fan of her. I loved the part in doctor Kliners lab I thought it was amazing and so well done. I also loved the doctor Breen parts, I just would have liked it if it had been more like the first one where your really not sure whats going on or where you are. Overall I think it had a good story I just think it was missing some element that makes it half life.

OVERALL 9/10 - This game was amazing, no question about it. Definitely one of the best games of all time. It was totally original filled with fun action gameplay. Every element in the game was very well done and half life 2 was probably the first game to put all these amazing elements like physics, Good story, Good action, good graphics, in to one game and do an amazing job of it. The only real thing I didn't like was Alex typical tough girl attitude.