Half-Life 2

Reviewed by Todd Hanni
February 2005

Developer: Valve Website: Click Here Publisher: Vivendi Universal Platform(s): PC, Mac Genre: FPS ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

It takes a lot to call yourself the best.  What's the next best car?  The next best football team?  The next best movie? I'd be lying if I told you that I had a clue, but here's one thing that I'm confident of…  Half Life 2 is the best first person shooter on the market right now. The next evolutionary step in gaming has been ushered in by Mr. Freeman and his crowbar.

The story picks up right where it left off, with Gordon on the subway train from the first installment of Half Life listening to the eerie X-Files-looking smoking man. The first thing you'll notice is how sharp the detail is in the smoking man's face and how his lips actually move in conjunction with what he's saying. As soon as the train stops at the station, you're herded like prisoners through a simple maze of fenced in turns and boxed in areas.  The heavily armed military suited cops are called the Combine and have no qualms about planting the butt of their rifles in your face with a little attitude.  Apparently some guy that resembles Richard Dawson in looks and vocal pitch (the game show host from "The Running Man") is running the show in town and has the Combine thinning out the numbers of the resistance.  That's where you come into play and tip the scales heavily in the favor of the underdog.

The array of weapons hasn't changed much from the first game with the trusty crowbar along side handguns, a shotgun, crossbow and a stinger missile launcher. The new addition to the arsenal happens to be an extremely important tool as well as a weapon: A gravity gun. Pick up barrels, move vehicles and debris, even bad guys in later levels, and have the ability to launch them impressive distances. It's very rewarding strafing Combine with gunfire, then picking up an enemy thrown grenade with the gravity gun to return their explosive to them with a little bit of arrogance.  The introduction of vehicles helps to give a little variety in game play and helps give Half Life 2 a bit more fluidity joining the levels together.  No more magically appearing at the next starting point without a clue as to how you got there; the dune buggy and air boat do themselves justice when you hit a ramp and take to the air.  The physics engine got a healthy boost in this sequel as well.  Stapling a Combine soldier or alien creature to the wall with the crossbow definitely has a humorous look to it while showing off the physics by watching the body go lifeless.

The puzzles are still here and in good form. Creativity in the design of these levels is another testament to Valve's drive to be the best. Using your gravity gun to move boxes in front of a window to climb through or floating barrels under ramps in the water to raise it for an air ride with the boat just shows that this game isn't a re-hash.

Upon starting the game you're thrown five years into the future and meet some familiar faces, some nice new ones, shoot some bad guys, drive some cool transportation, save the world, and as sharply as it started, it abruptly ends.  The smoking man appears and gives you a little pat on the head and it's off to make a trilogy of the greatest first-person- shooter gaming dynasty this world has ever known.  This game is worth working a second job in order to buy it.