Half-Life 2 Review

Published by Valve, Half-Life 2 is the 2004 sequel to the first Half-Life that came out way back in 1998. Half-Life 2 carries on the narrative thread of the first game, making it perfect for hardcore fans. In this first-person shooter, you play as protagonist Gordon Freeman, who wakes from stasis after 20 years and must battle the evil alien Combine that has taken over Earth.

Even though Half-Life 2 is over 15 years old, it remains relevant and worthwhile today. Named “Game of the Decade” by Spike TV in 2012, here’s why Half-Life 2 is still worth your time.

Truly Cinematic

The first thing that I need to say about Half-Life 2 is that it’s a beautiful game.

When you imagine firing up a game from 2004, you might think you’ll be wading through a bunch of ugly and low-res textures. However, this game looks absolutely amazing, and even the most basic modern PCs will make it run as smooth as butter.

A large part of this beauty comes from how cinematic it is. The game makes great use of light and shadow, and you’ll be forgiven for thinking some of this is pretty enough to be a cutscene.

However, the game doesn’t really do cutscenes: everything uses the in-game engine, and you watch it all from the POV of your character.

The end result is a game that is breathtakingly beautiful, even when it’s being absolutely terrifying.