I won’t bother with any preamble about the influence this series has had on FPS games or the seemingly eternal wait for Half-Life 3, you all know about that by now. But what do I think you might be asking, assuming you didn’t see the star rating already. Well, yeah it’s pretty good.
Ok but in all seriousness this game is absolutely kickass and has almost no right to hold up this well after nearly 20 years since it’s release. Right off the bat the presentation is way more unique than any other game I’ve played thus far. The game doesn’t have cutscenes in the traditional sense as you’re still allowed movement during most important story moments, albeit with limited mobility. On the one hand this does result in a lack of great cinematography for the most part like the Halo series could often achieve, but on the other hand it makes for one of the most immersive experiences I’ve had with any game.
Regular gameplay is also pretty solid, as I’d expect from one of the major innovators for the genre. The gunplay isn’t amazing or anything, but it’s really tight and responsive, which coupled with really solid enemy A.I makes for many tense and fun set pieces. One thing I appreciate over other shooters though are the puzzles, which make a nice way of breaking up the pace of the regular gameplay. What I don’t enjoy quite as much are the vehicle sections, which while not necessarily awful felt way too finicky and sensitive in terms of controls. Admittedly this may be a victim of a PC control scheme being modified to fit with an Xbox controller (I played this through The Orange Box collection) but even still those sections weren’t any less cumbersome.
Another great aspect would definitely be the soundtrack and sound design. Whilst the former is used quite sparingly, it makes every instance of music all that more affective, with Apprehension & Evasion and Triage at Dawn being my personal highlights of the soundtrack. What the game makes up for in its sparse use of music however is the sound design. The heavy emphasis on ambience over music for most of the game once again adds to the immersion, while also making the horror moments a lot more effective.
Of course I’d be remiss without mentioning the story, which also is unsurprisingly excellent. I do find the borderline deification of Gordon Freeman among the freedom fighters to be a bit overplayed at times, but it’s more than made up for by the great cast be it big players like Alyx and Dr Breen, to more minor characters like Father Grigori. The plot treads a fine line between being entirely episodic and a more linear narrative approach really well, yeah you can divide the game up into particular sections with their own little mini stories carrying through, but it all plays a bigger role in building up to the finale which while really intense and fun, can’t help but feel a bit anticlimactic. Of course I get that this is just one part of a (still) ongoing story so I’m willing to excuse that, especially since a certain someone even alludes to the anticlimax during the ending. If you know, you know.
Overall a pretty awesome game, and one I’d consider a new favourite. Yes I’m super original in my takes on most highly revered media, aren’t I? 10/10
Ok but in all seriousness this game is absolutely kickass and has almost no right to hold up this well after nearly 20 years since it’s release. Right off the bat the presentation is way more unique than any other game I’ve played thus far. The game doesn’t have cutscenes in the traditional sense as you’re still allowed movement during most important story moments, albeit with limited mobility. On the one hand this does result in a lack of great cinematography for the most part like the Halo series could often achieve, but on the other hand it makes for one of the most immersive experiences I’ve had with any game.
Regular gameplay is also pretty solid, as I’d expect from one of the major innovators for the genre. The gunplay isn’t amazing or anything, but it’s really tight and responsive, which coupled with really solid enemy A.I makes for many tense and fun set pieces. One thing I appreciate over other shooters though are the puzzles, which make a nice way of breaking up the pace of the regular gameplay. What I don’t enjoy quite as much are the vehicle sections, which while not necessarily awful felt way too finicky and sensitive in terms of controls. Admittedly this may be a victim of a PC control scheme being modified to fit with an Xbox controller (I played this through The Orange Box collection) but even still those sections weren’t any less cumbersome.
Another great aspect would definitely be the soundtrack and sound design. Whilst the former is used quite sparingly, it makes every instance of music all that more affective, with Apprehension & Evasion and Triage at Dawn being my personal highlights of the soundtrack. What the game makes up for in its sparse use of music however is the sound design. The heavy emphasis on ambience over music for most of the game once again adds to the immersion, while also making the horror moments a lot more effective.
Of course I’d be remiss without mentioning the story, which also is unsurprisingly excellent. I do find the borderline deification of Gordon Freeman among the freedom fighters to be a bit overplayed at times, but it’s more than made up for by the great cast be it big players like Alyx and Dr Breen, to more minor characters like Father Grigori. The plot treads a fine line between being entirely episodic and a more linear narrative approach really well, yeah you can divide the game up into particular sections with their own little mini stories carrying through, but it all plays a bigger role in building up to the finale which while really intense and fun, can’t help but feel a bit anticlimactic. Of course I get that this is just one part of a (still) ongoing story so I’m willing to excuse that, especially since a certain someone even alludes to the anticlimax during the ending. If you know, you know.
Overall a pretty awesome game, and one I’d consider a new favourite. Yes I’m super original in my takes on most highly revered media, aren’t I? 10/10