Six years… Six years in the waiting for the sequel to what was perhaps the greatest PC game of all time. I say 'was' because Half-Life 2 is finally here and the wait was worth it. Valve made fans drool with beautiful screens, expositions of the realistic physics, and clever new gameplay mechanics. The wait was long, but Half-Life 2 shows that us that good things do indeed come to those who wait.
Being a sequel, Half-Life 2 handles similarly to the first game. But the experience is very refreshing. The levels are once again wonderfully designed, with environments that the player can interact with. The realistic physics apply to nearly everything. See a wooden bridge? Blow it up and watch it fall. Gordon can pick up a cinderblock but he can't pick up cars. So, throw a grenade and let the explosion move it. Environmental interaction may not appear to be very important, but with the extremely brilliant A.I. and puzzles it will play a very important role. Move around debris, boxes, drums and many other things to manipulate the environment to your advantage because the enemy will do the same. Combat in this game is more difficult then it was in the first and requires a player with insight on the situation. Battles are rarely the same so you never know what to expect from the enemy. Even if the combat is somewhat difficult, it is always very fun and never frustrating. When you're not partaking in combat, you'll have to figure out how to progress through levels. The levels usually challenge the player to find their own way to continue. Puzzles are no longer about stacking boxes; some areas require you to make your way through using nearby objects. The weapons department was carefully selected to balance between strong, weak and just plain cool weapons. A few more weapons would've been nice but the weapons themselves are unique. The gravity gun is one of the best ideas ever. Use it to pick up objects and fire them at the enemy. It is also used to solve puzzles and clear paths. The laser guided rocket propelled grenade launcher is another great weapon- use a laser to guide an RPG (basically a missile) to its target. But no great game goes without some minor complaints though. The single player adventure will last for about 15 hours on normal and because of how great the game is, a longer lifetime would've been nice. The friendly A.I. is not up to par with the enemy A.I. which is strange as the enemy A.I. is so good. But the overall experience is extremely enjoyable all over because of the variety of ways you can do a mission. The game was done very nicely and shows that the people at Valve did not want to disappoint the fans and new players.
Though the single player game may not be as long as many may have hoped, the game does come packed with two great multiplayer games. The first is Counter Strike Source, which is a graphically updated version of one of the most widely played online game, Counter-Strike. Counter-Strike has so many players because of the fun, terrorist versus counter-terrorists combat. The second is Half-Life 2 Deathmatch which is just regular or team based deathmatch. What makes this Half-Life 2 Deathmatch so great is that it has the same weapons that Gordon uses in his missions, the RPG launcher, gravity gun, etc. Does it really make the deathmatch that much better? Yes. Deathmatch is hectic, unorganized and (sometimes, literally) a whole mess of fun.
Moving on to the graphics, it's really hard to say anything bad about them. The enormous levels are lush with detail and each level attains a certain quality by design that makes it unique. The characters have substantial elements to them; the facial animations alone are eerily realistic. The game lacks many special effects but that's not to say it really needs a lot. All the effects are really nice and the lighting is beautifully done. Even with all the detail and high polygon count, the game runs very smoothly (taking it that you meet the minimum requirements).
If one compares the soundtrack of Half-Life 2 to that of the original, they would find the tracks to be very different. But the music is still perfectly fitting for whatever trouble Gordon finds himself in. The ambience could have used some more variety though. The voice actors all do a fine job. From regular NPCs to the main villain, everybody deserves an award for their outstanding voice work. Sound quality is nothing look down upon either, especially the quality of the surround sound. Everything from people talking from a distance to explosions behind you is perfectly herd.
If Half-Life 2 has one flaw, it is the story. The story begins with Gordon and several other members of humankind entrapped in City 17. The people are being oppressed by the Combine and hope is all but gone. That is until you, Gordon Freeman, show up. With the help of some of your old buddies as well as some new ones, will join the rebellion against the Combine oppression. The story is one interesting, if a bit plain, journey. But the cliffhanger ending really makes the player want more. But the ending leaves the series open for a third installment (hopefully).
It seems as if it has taken an eternity but Half-Life 2, after many obstacles, has arrived. Valve definitely wanted to make sure that the game, though late, arrived in style. Half-Life 2 had some big shoes to fill and by all means, it did a fantastic job. It excels in all departments of technological and creative achievement, and delivers a delightful gaming experience. Outside of the somewhat short experience, Half-Life 2 is a PC tour de force.
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