![]() This amazing piece of work came from a newcoming developer that we didn't even know about at the time - Kirkland, Washington-based Valve Software. ![]() What more could you want? But the most surprising aspect of all is that Half-Life didn't come from a high-profile developer at the time (like 3D Realms, id Software, or Raven Software). You've got a crowbar (for melee combat), pistol, revolver, machinegun, shotgun, crossbow, rocket launcher, particle gun, flamethrower, alien arm (which shoots out lethal "bugs" and has an infinite ammo supply), grenades, pipebombs, laser trip mines, and a cute alien bug that runs up to enemies to bite the crap out of them. In fact, there's probably more weapons than any other shooter at the time. I'm not joking around! This is as good as video games could look and sound at the time! You've also got an excellent variety of weapons. Overall, the graphics and animations are just so good, they even make Unreal's graphics look lame. To top that all off, a skeletal animation system makes for extremely realistic character animations. Half-Life has higher polygon counts, better lighting, and more detailed textures than in Quake, making the graphics that much more believable. Half-Life uses a heavily modified version of the already stunning Quake engine, which broke new ground in 1996 for creating realistic environments and characters with polygon-based true 3-D graphics. ![]() The disturbingly realistic graphics and sound (for the time) also combine with the gameplay to further immerse you into the experience. Of course, the gameplay isn't the only thing that Half-Life has to offer. However, since the game is pretty fast-paced, having to pick up items manually would have been quite frustrating in the heat of battle. The only thing I can think of that isn't realistic about Half-Life is the fact that you simply walk over objects to pick them up. Other innovations include seamless level transitions, having to reload your weapon occasionally, and a passable excuse for a heads-up display (since your character is a scientist, he must wear a hazard suit that comes equipped with HUD readers for health, shields, weapons, and ammo). Half-Life does NOT disappoint when it comes to fooling you into thinking that you're experiencing all of this in real life. This means that there are no cutscenes, no early explanations of the backstory, and that your character cannot talk (giving you room to talk during the game, if you need to). The biggest innovation is that the game NEVER shifts away from your perspective of the action. Half-Life pioneered many firsts in the genre when it was released in 1998. I highly recommend this game to all audiences.Īs far as immersion goes, you simply couldn't have done any better than Half-Life. In addition, it will run smoothly on nearly any PC setup. This game does it all and is beautiful-looking to boot. When in a firefight with Marines, you will feel a rush of adrenaline. When stuck on the alien planet Xen or trying to find signs of life after the initial disaster, you will feel isolated and alone. And the many places you visit along the way are extremely convincing. When you finish Half Life, you will look back on your adventure and truly feel like you have taken a journey. Most important is the atmosphere this game creates. Quick save and quick load are done better than any game to date. Difficulty level is not a concern you can make it as hard or as easy as you like. There isn't a single point in the game where you wish you could skip ahead to the next area. It doesn't short-change you in length, like most games do these days. This is, quite simply, the best PC game ever.
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