Never played the original, so I cannot compare it but I will say it's amazing game and I can see why people love Half-Life.

The story is simple but very good. A lot of lore bits are spread everywhere.
What I really have to praise is the atmosphere. Sometimes it's spooky, sometimes it's intense but then you have Xen. Xen blew me away. I love the whole vibe of this game.

The level design is top tier. There are secrets everywhere and every inch of the levels is used well. The soundtrack fits the atmosphere as well.

PLEASE PLAY THIS.