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Half Life 2 Review
Posted 13th July 2006 at 9:03pm by M1ke, tagged as Games, Review | Commenting Closed

There is little to say about this game that hasn't been said before, due to my writing this bout a year and a half after the game hit the shelves worldwide. The game also hit the internet in the form of Steam - you could buy the game from Steam and download it, but those who bought the game in the shops were also required to install Steam, create an account and register their key in order to play the game. This caused alot of consternation, much complaint and three changes of government in South America. However the Steam hate has passed and regular readers of this blog will know that I myself am an advocate of the system - to the extent where I may review it separately. For that reason I'm not planning to mention Steam again during this review.

It is good to view something in hindsight - it saves you taking on hype as opinion and allows you to have had time to reflect on your experience, rather than being left slightly cold at the end, as with most other games. I recently completed Half Life 2 for the second time, and it was probably as enjoyable on this play through as it was on the first - albeit with some of the amazement replaced by smug knowledge of what was going to happen. If you haven't played it then I would hazzard that you'll still be amazed by the game - if not as smitten with the graphics as you would have been playing it upon release. Don't get me wrong the Source engine still looks wonderful and feels much more real than the engines in other next gen shooters which, whilst very nice and flashy, can sometimes make things look a little too shiny for their own good. The more matt textures in Half Life make it more believable. Facial animation is still on a par with the current shooter crowd, and the voice acting combined with this feature of Source means that you can believe the characters. Apart from the rebels in later levels, but we shall come to that later. Safe to say that the story of this game is told in the same way as the story in the first, except this time it's been alot better thought out. Valve stick to their guns and don't rely on movies or out of body experiences to carry it along - you're in Freeman's body the whole time, if not always able to move.

A game is not made by its story however - the story is important to give it some substance, but the bare bones of any game are its gameplay. Half Life 2 follows the standard format of moving through areas, killing enemies and occasionally solving puzzles to progress, so nothing so original there. But it's how it does this that makes the game so great. For a start, the first two levels you don't have a gun and aren't even meant to kill anything. It's just for you to walk around in this strange city you've found yourself in, a city occupied by the mysterious combine. It's in the style of an eastern European city, but with stuff clearly not of this world blended in. The populace is oppressed, some of the vortigaunts (those lightning enemies from the last game, now friendly) turned to slaves, but they talk of the 'One Free Man' who will save them. After the combine decide you're a citizen in the wrong place and following a very sudden and exciting chase you meet Alyx Vance, who brings you to see your old scientist friends Doctor Kleiner and Barney from Black Mesa. Events transpire and you find yourself making your way to the new Black Mesa East on the outskirts of the town. The progress is excellent fun, the scripting sublime. From a well placed audio cue when Barney first tosses you your crowbar to some exciting fights along a working train line the action doesn't abate - even if it does change pace. The guns have to be mentioned here - there arent a great deal of weapons in this game, but each one feels like it has a use at a myriad of different points, and it isn't just a question of picking the most powerful weapon for each situation. Again the Source engine proves its worth, as combat feels visceral and satisfying despite not having the brutality of games like Quake 4 and FEAR. You will come to love the sound that emenates from the Civil Protection soldier's helmet when they are taken out.

One weapon of note and which you would have to have been living under the proverbial rock not to have heard about (or just, not be really interested in games) is the Gravity Gun. Originally made for a tech demo to show off the physics, it was made into a real weapon and whilst it doesn't allow you to kill things directly, plenty of objects are left lying around to chuck at things that want to hurt you. It is also integral to a few puzzles, though these never impede on the action or your progress overly much. You do get to fight with allies in a few of the levels. The first time is pure genius with you controlling the creatures that have been attempting to kill you for the past few levels, and using them against the combine. The second is a bit of a lower point, when you fight with the rebel soldiers. Don't get me wrong they can be handy and you feel safer with them around but they can be frustrating. Whether its standing in stupid places and getting themselves killed (you wouldn't really care, but they can make tough fights easier) or saying the same stupid phrases as they get in your way yet again (I'm a scientist cum alien slayer, I know to reload my gun!) it just grates a little when everything else in the game is so wonderfully fitted together. But should you get more annoyed than myself about these and contemplate giving up, don't. The last levels are worth it, and a bit of a departure - though not in the awful way that Xen was in Half Life 1.

It's been a long review, but there is much praise for this game, and I've tried to cover all the points. At the end of the day the game is just enjoyable. It feels good, it's not too difficult but it isn't a breeze and you'll get a fair bit of play time for your money - especially if you play it twice through like I did. I expect you'll be off to get it now, so visit a retailer for a boxed copy, or get it from Steam - just remember that if you buy it boxed, the PC it installs on must have a net connection at the time of install. My one last word of advice would be that once you get to the last level, don't stop playing until you reach the end - you'll find it that bit more satisfying, which is saying a lot with a game of this calibre.

• Link to Steam

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