How do you follow up perhaps the greatest FPS ever? Simple, do everything the original did, as well as the original, but add cutting edge graphics and possibly the best weapon ever conceived in a game of this type.
Graphically, for open spaces and character animation at least, nothing beats this game. Far Cry comes close with the crytec engine and Doom 3 beats it during indoor scenes, but the wonderful attention to detail afforded to the landscapes are awe inspiring. Never has a game given you such an artistic vision of the world and wrapped it up in such a dangerous environment. The character models and lip-synching are exceptional and are almost up with the ill-fated Final Fantasy film in attention to detail.
The physics engine is another area where this game shines. Move anything in this game or throw something and the object reacts more realistically than any other game. To think that the woeful Tresspasser actively advertised the real world physics on it's engine and was unable to add a playable experience to the gimmick shows what Valve have achieved with their hard work and perseverance. This extends to the balance of control the player can exert over the various vehicles that can be commandeered and wrecked with guilty pleasure.
The sound is constantly updating you aurally with what is going on and, play the game in a darkened room with 5.1 surround on and bring new meaning to the word immersive. From the great voice acting and chatter of soldiers with their radios to the scary sound of the various creatures that inhabit the HL2 world, the player is always aurally informed with relevant information to Gordon Freeman's surroundings.
The puzzles in the game are very well thought out and add some brain to the brawn of shooting the hell out of anything that moves. The real beauty of the game is in the one gun that rules them all...the gravity gun. Set to be copied in one form or another by many other developers trying to jump on the bandwagon, this exceptional piece of programming showcases the ability shown by Valve. It is a thing of beauty, not in looks, but design. Never have I despatched a soldier in such an unorthodox manner than when I took him out with a barrel to the face. Doing it with an explosive barrel was twice as satisfying, though I probably shouldn't have been standing so close. Ouch.
So, why does this game not deserve top marks then? From everything I have read about this game it probably should. Probably due to my own lack of ability, I have managed to get stuck on a shootout level in a prison and cannot for the life of me last long enough to get out. Positioning motion tracking machine guns and hiding in a corner doesn't work, being brazen and trying to shoot my way out doesn't work. If anyone has any ideas how to get past this level, without resorting to putting the difficulty level down please let me know. I had the same problem with the original, getting stuck on levels and going back to them after a period of time to get a little further.
In summary, the best PC game of the moment and destined to be a classic.
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