Simply an awesome game with lots to offer. This is one you don't want to miss.
User Rating: 9.6 | Half-Life 2 PC
After many delays, Half Life 2 the long awaited game has finally arrived in a time of several game releases, yet it still manages to rise to the top in PC game sales even after 3 months of being released. What is the game about? Well on one hand you have Gordon Freeman who appears to be whisked in to some time in the future to City 17 by the G man and deal once again with an alien invasion (the combine). You will be traveling through many different environments and parts of the city and will meet some new and old friends from the first game. You are basically in a prison-city environment that the combine currently controls and it is up to you and some freedom fighters that you will meet through out the game to put a stop to the iron fist of the combine. There are also some side stories that will bring other characters lives and history, further details to the plot of the story and while there is not a overabundance to these stories, there is enough to keep the story moving along and add interest to the feel of the game. The game also features lush environments and very good graphics. The graphics are probably not the best around for today’s standards but very close. This game is also very taxing on a PC system so to enjoy the most the graphics has to offer you will need to have a powerful PC with one of the newer graphics cards that supports direct x9+ with shadow texturing. Not that you will not be able to enjoy this game with a lower system, as I assure you I do not have the latest graphics card in my machine yet and everything still looked awesome, just not the best it could be. The other amazing thing about this game is the physics. I can’t even begin to really say enough about this. Not only does everything seem to look and feel as if you are playing in the real world but they also play into the puzzle solving aspects of the game as well. From the items that you can stack, items that will float, and items you can send flying with the gravity gun and more. Start a chain reaction by shooting a flammable barrel in an area of several flammable barrels and watch the fun begin. You can even interact with different parts of the environment as well. Certain wooden items can be bashed with the ever famous crowbar. Hit them again and again and watch them splinter into small pieces of wood. Look for things up above eye level that you can interact with and cause to fall on your enemies. Also enjoy using the different vehicles in this game as well from air boat to the dune buggy. Use them to interact with the environment as well. Watch out combine, were coming through. If you buy this game of the shelf it will also be bundled with Counter Strike source a multiplayer online game that puts two teams against each other, the terrorists and counter terrorists. You can find out more on this game on a separate review. To validate your Half Life 2 game you will also need an internet connection and allow “Steam” to be installed on your PC. Steam will also provide you with directs updates and patches and will also allow you to play other games that Steam offers. Some are for free like Death Match and others require payment. I hope that this review has helped you make your decision to buy this awesome game. If you have any questions or feedback on this review please send me a PM.
