Half Life 2 Review 2

Game_Name: Half-Life 2
Platform: PC
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Vivendi
Genre: First Person Shooter
ESRB Rating: M
GamePlay Rating: 9
Graphics Rating: 10
Replayability Rating: 9

---

Half-Life 2 rode onto the scene in a double decker bus full of hype. Did it peel out or did it get a flat? Read on to find out what the hell I’m talking about.

He’s back, baby

Half-Life 2 plants you back in the shoes of Gordon Freeman, scientist extraordinaire. At the end of the original Half-Life, the G-man gave you the option of either working for him or dying. If you had died, the sequel would have been called No-Life and also wouldn’t have existed. Assuming that you accepted G-man’s offer, the game starts you on a train with that blue-suited goofster whispering sweet nothings into your ear. City 17 is a genuinely frightening dystopian society, complete with patrolling security, a puppet government, and more propaganda than you can shake a stick at. Taking place at an undetermined amount of time after the Black Mesa catastrophe, a mysterious and chilling new foe called the Combine have taken control of the planet and altered it to their liking, creating the dystopia around you. However, it isn’t all fun and cavity searches. Before you know it, you’re leading the uprising against "the man," and you won’t get a chance to rest until humanity is free and the Combine have been exterminated.

It Should Be Called Fun-Life

Game_Name: Half-Life 2
Platform: PC
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Vivendi
Genre: First Person Shooter
ESRB Rating: M
GamePlay Rating: 9
Graphics Rating: 10
Replayability Rating: 9

---

Half-Life 2 rode onto the scene in a double decker bus full of hype. Did it peel out or did it get a flat? Read on to find out what the hell I’m talking about.

He’s back, baby

Half-Life 2 plants you back in the shoes of Gordon Freeman, scientist extraordinaire. At the end of the original Half-Life, the G-man gave you the option of either working for him or dying. If you had died, the sequel would have been called No-Life and also wouldn’t have existed. Assuming that you accepted G-man’s offer, the game starts you on a train with that blue-suited goofster whispering sweet nothings into your ear.

City 17 is a genuinely frightening dystopian society, complete with patrolling security, a puppet government, and more propaganda than you can shake a stick at. Taking place at an undetermined amount of time after the Black Mesa catastrophe, a mysterious and chilling new foe called the Combine have taken control of the planet and altered it to their liking, creating the dystopia around you. However, it isn’t all fun and cavity searches. Before you know it, you’re leading the uprising against "the man," and you won’t get a chance to rest until humanity is free and the Combine have been exterminated.

It Should Be Called Fun-Life

I was never hyped about Half-Life 2. I enjoyed the first one immensely, but I just wasn’t a big PC gamer at the time. All of that changed when the demo hit. To say that I was blown away wouldn’t do the game proper justice. The graphics, the sound, the atmosphere, and the sheer fun that I was having was nothing short of amazing. The physics engine, which was a large portion of all the hype, not only met expectations, but left them in a cloud of dust; a cloud of dust with fell to the ground in a manner which was appropriate according to the laws of physics.

The gameplay in Half-Life 2 is remarkably fun, especially once you receive the gravity gun, which allows you to suck up items from across the room and then shoot them. I have no doubt in my mind that the gravity gun’s existence is pure fan service to show off the new physics engine, but I could care less. Any game in which you can get derailed for hours trying to make a seesaw out of a wooden plank and a rusty paint can gets flying colors in my book.

It should be said, however, that Half-Life 2 would succeed fine without the gravity gun. It’s a solid shooter with more than enough varied situations to keep the action from getting stale.

A Memorable Experience

One of the most memorable (and downright frightening) moments in the game is when you’re trekking across the city rooftops. Every now and then you’ll hear a clanking sound, you’ll look around to see what is causing it and find that the building’s drainpipe is shaking violently. If you dare to peek over the edge to see why it is doing so, you’ll see a hideous creature clawing its way up to kill you.

The game really shines when it utilizes the gravity gun in these breathtaking moments. An example of this is when you’re traveling along the coast, which is infested with underground creatures that sense vibrations in the ground a la Tremors. Using the gravity gun, you have to use anything in sight to make a pathway to follow, as stepping on the sand calls for the horrible sand monstrosities.

Visuals and Audio

The graphics and audio are fantastic and work beautifully in creating an atmosphere that successfully envelopes you into the world of Gordon Freeman. The voice acting is top notch as always, plus it’s always great to hear familiar voices.

Wrap-Up

Half-Life 2 is a masterpiece of a game. You will find yourself so deeply immersed that you won’t want to leave. The physics alone make it one of the most fun games that I’ve ever played, and is enough to warrant a second play-through by itself. On top of that, for such a gorgeous looking game, it doesn’t appear to be too much of a system hog. Half-Life 2 is definitely worth checking out for fans of any genre.