For a game made 8 years ago it still has better qualities than most modern first person shooters.
I bought this game because I wanted Garrysmod. So one day it came in a bundle on steam. I bought it and played Garrysmod for a long time, then one day I started Half-Life 2 up and after I had seen the graphics I turned it off. I said to myself, Wow what a sh*** game. Then after awhile I had an urge to try it again, so I started it up and was actually amazed that I never played it sooner.
This is a truly remarkable game. I'm amazed at how a game made back in 2004 can be somewhat of a superior game than most of the First Person Shooters we have now. Now this review is coming from someone who was not a fan of the series and had never played a Half-Life game before May 2012. So there's no nostalgia that could influence my score.
(Core Gameplay)
This game shows the innovation and creative thinking that games in the past had always showed. This is not Call of Duty or Halo 4 so don't expect it to be. This game teaches you to interact with your environment, there's no way points, there's not a huge compass telling you where to go, you have to figure it out yourself. There isn't a golden glow on objects that might be important, you have to think. Because of this, Half-life 2 feels...realistic. Your health wont regen by itself, you have to explore and find health and ammo. There are bridges you can knock down to drown enemies or keep them from firing at you, there are clever mechanisms that require weight or some other physics mechanic to work. However none are too complicated to figure out with careful observation. On a side note, one thing I came to appreciate is that there isn't any scripted events, its nice that the core gameplay drives the story. Its also nice that there isn't any cut-scenes, if I wanted to watch a movie I would watch one :D. The game has a nice change of scenery as well. As you progress throughout the story you'll find that you appreciate the next setting, even if it is a mineshaft filled with monsters. The AI is in fact weak, they will occasionally look like they are struggling to find the player or cant figure out how to get to the player if they are surrounded by objects or clutter. The AI still does a decent job though and it still should be feared! The game on the normal setting is quite easy. I haven't played hard yet but I would imagine that it would feel more like "normal" than hard. I rate the core gameplay mechanics with a 9/10.
(Graphics Story and Sound)
Honestly...I can't be fair with the graphics. However, I have to be :D. The graphics for an eight year old game are...as to be expected. However since many people remember the game for high quality graphics (back in the day) and given that I can actually tolerate them I will rate the graphics with a 9/10.
The story on the other hand isn't exactly all that thrilling but it is better voice acted than some of the games we have now. The story ,to me, doesn't seem as entertaining as shooting zombies or figuring out the next puzzle. Since the game spends so little time explaining, it feels pretty much like "Your really important, your a clever scientist with an armored suit, and you shoot stuff and need to get rid of the bad guys." So I will rate the story + voice acting with a 6/10. Luckily I don't factor in the story as such a big deal.
The sound is well...sound. There are music tracks that kick in at just the right moment, It seems Valve is rather good at that. There are some decent ambient noises that make the environment feel realistic. Everything has a different sound effect to show that an oven is an oven and a headcrab is a headcrab. The music can get intense and provide just the right atmosphere for the setting. I rate the music and sound effects 10/10.
(All in All)
All in all if you have never played Half-Life 2 before I promise this is a very innovative classic shooter that ,while still being an old game, will still give you many hours of enjoyment. However, you have to be able to withstand the dated graphics first, and that is something to consider. This is a must play for any FPS fan, especially old-school gamers. If you can snag this game on a steam sale, more power to you.