Half-Life

Publisher: Vivendi Universal

Release Date: 2001-11-11

82% GameRatio

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Description: Meet Gordon Freeman, a lowly scientist working at the secretive Black Mesa research facility. He's about to become involved in an experiment that will go monumentally wrong, causing hordes of mysterious alien creatures to start appearing from thin air, and sparking a major battle between the local Marines and the newly arrived extra-terrestrial visitors. Gordon may be a mild-mannered research scientist, but when you're stuck between a bunch of obviously hostile aliens and an equally hostile group of trained killers with orders to shoot on sight, there's only one available option - grab the nearest weapon to hand and try to stay alive.

That's the premise for Half-Life, the incredibly successful PC shooter that reintroduced the concept of storytelling to the FPS genre. From the moment the seminal opening sequence begins, showing Gordon travelling through the bowels of Black Mesa to meet his unfortunate destiny, you know you're playing something special. Superb level design, brilliant storytelling and some stunning set-pieces combine to make Half-Life one of the greatest FPS ever made.

That's quite a claim for a game that was first released in 1998, but Half-Life's continued dominance of the FPS genre over that period has been quite exceptional. The PC version's grip on the genre has been bolstered by countless modifications and updates, the most significant being the all-conquering online edition, Counter-Strike. Although the PS2 release of Half-Life lacks the (mostly unofficial) mods now available for the PC version, it manages to improve on the original code in a number of areas.

The biggest new feature is the curiously named 'Decay' mode, a two-player co-operative game with a brand new storyline. In Decay, players take command of Dr. Gina Cross and Dr. Colette Green, as they try and solve the mysteries of Black Mesa in a plot that runs parallel to the adventures of Gordon Freeman. The new storyline also boasts a new set of puzzles, many of which are designed to force the two Doctors to work together if they are to progress. You can even play Decay mode on your own, switching between the two characters with the Select key, although this is not recommended unless you're a real sharpshooter. The PS2 version also features a brand-new deathmatch mode for up to four players (with a multitap).

The single-player game has been left pretty much as it is, which is understandable given it's legendary status. The one big improvement is to the enemy AI, particularly that of the Marines, who have developed a number of worryingly effective tactics. They'll make good use of available cover, retreat to safer positions when necessary, toss grenades at your feet, and generally make your life even more difficult. They even look better than they used to, thanks to an across the board improvement in the game's graphics, with crisper textures and fancy lighting effects combining to make Black Mesa and it's inhabitants look better than ever.

The original Half-Life is one of the most influential titles in videogame history. The last four years have seen countless developers try to recreate it's blend of relentless action and tight scripting; almost all of them have failed miserably. With the addition of two excellent multiplayer modes, some beefed up AI routines and an injection of next generation graphical muscle, PS2 Half-Life brings this classic title firmly into the 21st century. It may be a well-known slice of gaming history, but it's also one of the best FPS games money can buy today, and will continue to be a benchmark title for a long time to come.

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