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Half-Life 2 reviewKyle 'Dace' Brunette
Date added : 2009-11-18
Half-Life 2, originally released in 2004, still holds its own.
Half-Life 2 is a game that, much like its predecessor, rocked the foundations of the gaming world. 5 years after its initial release, the source engine still delivers graphics comparable to modern day engines.
Half-Life 2 is set aproximately two decades after the events of Half-Life 1, in which Gordon Freeman was party to an experiment involving transporter technology which led to a 'portal storm' - the opening of thousands of portals between the Black Mesa complex and and an alien world called Xen. Eventually (as covered by Half-Life 1's various expansion packs), Black Mesa was destroyed and the 'portal storm' spread across much Earth's surface. Taking advantage of this rip between dimensions, the Combine - an alien empire - invades Earth. The war between humanity and the combine lasted aproximately seven hours, after which mankind was totally subjugated, and Earth was turned into, for all intents and purposes, a police state controlled by the combine.
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The game starts on a train headed to City 17, where the 'G-Man' has placed you for reasons which are not yet apparent. Upon entering the city, it quickly becomes apparent to Gordon (the protagonist of both this and the first game) that humanity is suffering under the heels of the combine. Gordon is soon spotted by old aquaintances from Black Mesa, some of whom are working undercover with the Combine in an effort to undermine the alien opressors. Gordon joins up with them, and the uprising begins...
Half-Life 2, while primarily a first person shooter, also provides some vehicular combat and physics puzzles to keep your attention. There are two vehicles you can use; the first being an airboat, the second being a sand buggy. Both of these vehicles are given to you for specific parts of the game, and, tragically, are taken away from you afterwards at which point you will find yourself back on foot. Both of the vehicular sections are entertaining and well thought out.
| The FPS fare isn't bad either; the varied environments, weapons, and tactics make for an interesting time. The AI is not overwhelmingly smart - it does generally follow the 'run out and get killed' technique with a few exceptions, but this does not detract from the gameplay much - it's still fun. Several of the enemies from HL1 make a reappearance, most notably the 'headcrab' and the 'headcrab zombie' (now repurposed into a biological weapon by the Combine). In addition, you will face Combine troopers ('Civil Protection') of all kinds, their various bio-mechanical vehicles, and quite frequently, the environment itself.
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Half-Life 2 is quite a long game, although not nearly as long as its predecessor. Overall, it is still worth playing, even today. It is a worthy successor to Half-Life 1.
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| Pros |
Cons | + It\'s Half-Life!
+ Vehicular Manslaughter!
+ Headcrabs! |
- Slightly suspect AI |
| | Review Score | 89 | | Gameplay | : | | 90 | | Story | : | | 90 | | Technical | : | | 90 | | Replayability | : | | 75 |
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Copyright © 2009 by Kyle Brunette.
