Even after 25 years, Half Life remains an impressive achievement in video games. It has aged like fine wine in so many of its strengths. While I did not really end up personally connecting to the game, thanks to its tight gameplay, incredible level design, memorable moments, and immersive world, it was a very enjoyable way to spend the nights for the last two weeks.

There were some real game-breaking glitches that frustrated me. The biggest one was having to redo a whole level over. Another one was having to reload a previous save often because I would get stuck in the floor after loading a new area or just interacting with an object.

One aspect that did age surprisingly well actually was the atmosphere. I still felt tense fighting hordes of aliens, and the gore and viscera still gave me a sense of dread. This is despite the old graphics, which did make me chuckle especially with the npcs, hah.

Half Life's incredible game design has really impressed me, though, and it promises really bright things for future entries. Without the bugs, honestly it could've been a 9, but maybe the sequels will help my appreciation grow. I think it could go either way, but for now I'll sit at an 8.