H A L F L I F E 2 Review
Half-Life 2 is the superb sequel to 1998's critically acclaimed Half-Life. The sequel sticks very close to the blueprints set by the original, but also surpasses it in nearly every way. The game has its fair share of problems, but these are overshadowed by the game's many, many strong points. Basically, I can't think of a game I could recommend more than Half-Life 2.
STORY: 9.5/10 The game starts you off at the train station of City 17; where it becomes very clear that something is not right. You have obviously been placed here by the G-Man for a reason, but as of now, you don't know that reason. In the beginning of the game, you have no means of defense for yourself, so the Combine, an alien force of some kind, can attack you however they please. But this just gives you more of an incentive to get your payback; and you shall get that payback very soon. The story itself is good and intriguing. You will be captivated from the very beginning to the end. The only problem with it is that the game leaves a bit too many questions unanswered. The ending is a little bit too much of a cliffhanger. There is a positive aspect to this, though. It means that Valve will almost certainly make a sequel. It would have also been nice to have even more run-ins with the game's excellent characters, as they were very memorable. Overall, though, the story is truly great.
SOUND: 9.0/10 Half-Life 2's sound is not the game's strongest point, but that's not to say that it is bad. In fact, the sound in the game is anything but. The voice acting in the game is top-notch, and you will surely be impressed by it. The characters in the game have a very nice script and deliver their lines very well. The sound effects in the game are also, for the most part, exceptional. The weapons pack a very punchy sound and are very nice. The soundtrack in the game isn't around all that much, but when it is, it is very apparent. It only plays about a dozen times during the game, but it makes those moments very memorable. The soundtrack itself, though, is only pretty good. It just doesn't seem all that fitting, but it is nice none-the-less. There are also same sound glitches every now and then, but they are not too bad. All in all, the sound in the game is very, very good.
GAMEPLAY: 9.5/10 Even if everything else in the game was great, if the gameplay wasn't good, the game wouldn't be good. But gameplay is another place where Half-Life 2 stands above the rest. In most ways, the gameplay of Half-Life 2 isn't revolutionary or innovative, but it sure is fun. The amount of variety in the game is also pretty impressive. The most interesting item in the game is the Gravity Gun. You are able to pick up objects and throw them, both in combat and in use for the game's several puzzles. The puzzles in the game are pretty simple, but are a nice change of pace. It would have been nice to see some more puzzles in the later stages of the game, though. There are also two rather lengthy sequences in the game that involve vehicles. The vehicles in the game are a little awkward to drive, but are, however, fun. The weapons are pretty well balanced, for the most part. The only real balancing issues are that the pistol can be a little too useful at times, and the last weapon given to you in the game feels very overpowered. You will go up against a variety of enemies in the game, from the menacing Combine soldiers, to zombies, to antlions. The Combine are the most advanced enemies in the game, from an artificial intelligence standpoint. The zombies just tend to lumber over to you pretty slowly. The artificial intelligence in the game is great. The game's length is also more than satisfactory; coming in at close to 20 hours for the average player. There are three different difficulty levels to choose from in the game; easy, normal, and hard. Easy will definitely be too simple for the vast majority of players, but hard should suit even the better players. You will be fighting alone for most of the game, but in the later stages you will sometimes have allies. The allies in the game are not as helpful as you might have hoped, but they are still a nice gameplay addition.
GRAPHICS: 10/10 From a technological standpoint, Half-Life 2 stands above all else. The graphics in the game are truly stunning, and are some of the best, if not the best, graphics out there. Everything from facial animation, to shadowing, to textures is astounding. The game also holds up at an impressive frame rate, even on older computers. The art direction in the game is also a sight to behold. Everything about the game conveys the look that was intended; and the result is nothing short of spectacular. All the explosions in the game are also great. Lighting and shadowing is also beautifully mastered in the game. The superb facial animations truly bring the characters to life like no other game has been able to do. But what is even more amazing than Half-Life 2's graphics, is its incredible use of physics. Graphically, the game is virtually unsurpassed.
MULTIPLAYER: 9.5/10 Originally, Half-Life 2 shipped with only Counter Strike: Source; but was soon updated with a death match mode. The better of the two is easily Counter Strike: Source, although Half-Life 2: death match is better than you might expect. Counter Strike: Source is just a graphically updated version of the hit game Counter Strike.
Overall Score:
9.6
out of ten.
Half-Life 2 is the superb sequel to 1998's critically acclaimed Half-Life. The sequel sticks very close to the blueprints set by the original, but also surpasses it in nearly every way. The game has its fair share of problems, but these are overshadowed by the game's many, many strong points. Basically, I can't think of a game I could recommend more than Half-Life 2.
STORY: 9.5/10 The game starts you off at the train station of City 17; where it becomes very clear that something is not right. You have obviously been placed here by the G-Man for a reason, but as of now, you don't know that reason. In the beginning of the game, you have no means of defense for yourself, so the Combine, an alien force of some kind, can attack you however they please. But this just gives you more of an incentive to get your payback; and you shall get that payback very soon. The story itself is good and intriguing. You will be captivated from the very beginning to the end. The only problem with it is that the game leaves a bit too many questions unanswered. The ending is a little bit too much of a cliffhanger. There is a positive aspect to this, though. It means that Valve will almost certainly make a sequel. It would have also been nice to have even more run-ins with the game's excellent characters, as they were very memorable. Overall, though, the story is truly great.
SOUND: 9.0/10 Half-Life 2's sound is not the game's strongest point, but that's not to say that it is bad. In fact, the sound in the game is anything but. The voice acting in the game is top-notch, and you will surely be impressed by it. The characters in the game have a very nice script and deliver their lines very well. The sound effects in the game are also, for the most part, exceptional. The weapons pack a very punchy sound and are very nice. The soundtrack in the game isn't around all that much, but when it is, it is very apparent. It only plays about a dozen times during the game, but it makes those moments very memorable. The soundtrack itself, though, is only pretty good. It just doesn't seem all that fitting, but it is nice none-the-less. There are also same sound glitches every now and then, but they are not too bad. All in all, the sound in the game is very, very good.
GAMEPLAY: 9.5/10 Even if everything else in the game was great, if the gameplay wasn't good, the game wouldn't be good. But gameplay is another place where Half-Life 2 stands above the rest. In most ways, the gameplay of Half-Life 2 isn't revolutionary or innovative, but it sure is fun. The amount of variety in the game is also pretty impressive. The most interesting item in the game is the Gravity Gun. You are able to pick up objects and throw them, both in combat and in use for the game's several puzzles. The puzzles in the game are pretty simple, but are a nice change of pace. It would have been nice to see some more puzzles in the later stages of the game, though. There are also two rather lengthy sequences in the game that involve vehicles. The vehicles in the game are a little awkward to drive, but are, however, fun. The weapons are pretty well balanced, for the most part. The only real balancing issues are that the pistol can be a little too useful at times, and the last weapon given to you in the game feels very overpowered. You will go up against a variety of enemies in the game, from the menacing Combine soldiers, to zombies, to antlions. The Combine are the most advanced enemies in the game, from an artificial intelligence standpoint. The zombies just tend to lumber over to you pretty slowly. The artificial intelligence in the game is great. The game's length is also more than satisfactory; coming in at close to 20 hours for the average player. There are three different difficulty levels to choose from in the game; easy, normal, and hard. Easy will definitely be too simple for the vast majority of players, but hard should suit even the better players. You will be fighting alone for most of the game, but in the later stages you will sometimes have allies. The allies in the game are not as helpful as you might have hoped, but they are still a nice gameplay addition.
GRAPHICS: 10/10 From a technological standpoint, Half-Life 2 stands above all else. The graphics in the game are truly stunning, and are some of the best, if not the best, graphics out there. Everything from facial animation, to shadowing, to textures is astounding. The game also holds up at an impressive frame rate, even on older computers. The art direction in the game is also a sight to behold. Everything about the game conveys the look that was intended; and the result is nothing short of spectacular. All the explosions in the game are also great. Lighting and shadowing is also beautifully mastered in the game. The superb facial animations truly bring the characters to life like no other game has been able to do. But what is even more amazing than Half-Life 2's graphics, is its incredible use of physics. Graphically, the game is virtually unsurpassed.
MULTIPLAYER: 9.5/10 Originally, Half-Life 2 shipped with only Counter Strike: Source; but was soon updated with a death match mode. The better of the two is easily Counter Strike: Source, although Half-Life 2: death match is better than you might expect. Counter Strike: Source is just a graphically updated version of the hit game Counter Strike.
Overall Score:
9.6
out of ten.