So it's here at last. The sequel to what is generally considered to be the best PC game ever made. Six years in the making, broken deadlines, code theft & subsequent alpha leak, high profile legal argument with their publisher, and a revolutionary new software delivery system that is liked & loathed in equal measures. Probably the most highly anticipated game ever, with a fanbase so loyal that over 2 million people pre-ordered it. No pressure then. Initial impressions are what we hoped. The feeling of being in an alien world is palpable from the first step you take from the train. The graphics are definitely a step up from the previous generation of FPS games, on a par with Far Cry &, at a push, maybe even Doom3. Performance is reasonable even on a mid-range PC, though the auto-saving stutter can be an annoyance (most likely to be made optional via a future patch). Enemy AI seems reasonable (though by no means groundbreaking), and coupled with well designed & varying levels, plus weapons that are convincing & fun to use, the game is genuinely great fun to play through. One of the greatest strengths of the original Half Life was it's storyline. It was totally engrossing, and something of a breakthrough at the time. Unfortunately, this cannot be said for the sequel. In fact, the story is fairly thin, consisting of "take this vehicle & go there", or "go meet this person over here" type activities. There's the occasional scripted cutscene involving some people telling you where you have to get to next, and that's the main core of the story. Disappointing, and in my opinion the reason that holds this game back from true greatness. However... Very quickly, you learn the true hero of this story is in fact...the Source engine. How would you like to be able to pick up various items of furniture and throw them at the baddies? How about tear a radiator off the wall & hit someone over the head with it? Or chuck a TV out the window? Throw a pot of paint at your enemies & cover them in white emulsion? Or maybe you'd like to line up those bad guys & send a buzz-saw blade through five of them at once? Mega-killlll! Well, now you can...and let me tell you, it is an awful lot of fun!! For the first time that I have seen, you really feel like you have some control over your environment & the items in it. No longer is it just a walkthrough consisting of guns and ammo. Oh no, this time, you have a choice of how you dispatch your enemies. Throw a desk at them...then pick up the splinters of wood & throw them too...then perhaps finish it off with a couple of fire extinguishers? No problem. Of course, you could always be old fashioned and shoot them repeatedly in the head with a pistol, but where's the fun in that? So, for me, the story of Half Life 2 is actually the story of the Source engine. Without a doubt the most exciting development in FPS gaming for years. Valve will of course be licensing Source to other developers, so we can look forward to many more games built around this superb creation. I for one can't wait...and, just maybe, one or two of them could have the storylines to match the engine.
1998, half life comes out, rocks the planet. Six years later, half life 2 comes out, rocks the galaxy. Gordon is back and so is perfection. For six years the world has been waiting, and now it is here. The game play ... Read Full Review
First person shooters changed forever in 1998 when an unknown gaming developer known as Valve released a game known as Half-Life. It revolutionized the genre with cinematic gameplay, intense combat, and a story filled wi... Read Full Review
