Half-Life 2

A bleak dystopian society where evil alien overlords dominate the human race to the brink of extinction, sounds familiar doesnt it? Although this is a very common theme, you have never seen it before like you will see it in Half-Life 2.

You take the role of Gordon Freeman, a scientist who formally worked at Black Mesa and was deeply involved with the events there. You come alive on a train headed for City 17 under the words of a mysterious man, codenamed The G-Man. As soon as you step off the train, you know you are in for something epic. The city feels very alive with vibrant characters, however this slow pace quickly ends and you forced to run through the city from the evil Combine, an alien race dominating earth with the help of a human traitor named Breen.

Quickly you run into a group of rag tag rebels with a major plan to disrupt this invasion. Here you can see why everyone praises the characters that valve has made. They all have great personalities and will make you think you actually know them. Valve has also kicked it up a notch by adding the most realistic facial expressions you will ever see in a game. It will definitely make you attached to the characters and you will not want anything to happen to them. It also helps that every character feels integral to your mission as they come up every now and then to help or hinder you.

The combat is a fast paced adrenaline rush from beginning to end, where it is running from Combine soldiers in a desperate escape, fighting zombies in a dark infested city, pushing up on beach stronghold commanding a steady stream of vicious bugs or trying to take down huge walking organic tanks called Striders, you will always feel on the edge of your seat and in a good way. You can hold all of the weapons in the game on you at once, although it is very unrealistic it lends itself to frantic combat very well as you will often be on the edge of running out of ammo of your favorite weapon. One gripe I have is the lack of enemy types; there are the few same combine enemies and the same few zombies throughout the entire game. Although it feels a tad bit repetitive at some points, the developers did a good job of making every encounter feel unique. Later on in the game you will be able to control squads of allies, although it sounds like a good idea, it actually is not all that great. The A.I. can be a bit troublesome and will often end up hindering you more than they are helping.

The graphics in the game are top notch, even some year after its the source engine still holds up. Character models are super detailed and faces are sculpted in such a realistic fashion you might think it is a photo. It also has super flexibility because it can change from a cramped dark interior to bright and vast outdoor spaces. The sound acting is also bar to none; it is something you would expect from a movie and not from a video game. It just adds another level of depth to the characters.

The story is well paced and has several interesting plot twists throughout. An interesting choice was made in having a totally silent character; Gordon never speaks a word regardless of what is happening around him. Although this seems a bit wonky at times, it leads to a very solemn hero who never cries or rejoices, he just continues with his mission. Secondly the companion character named Alyx sets a bar for companions; she always is there to help but almost never hinders you. She also feels like a living breathing person and you will not want to die or be harmed, this adds much impact to the game.

In the end, Valve has created a masterpiece with this game. The combat is enthralling, the characters are dynamic, the graphics are awe inspiring and story is one of the best you will ever find in a game. One point worth noting is the disappointing ending, although it leaves room for a sequel, it feels very unsatisfying and leaves you wanting more, much more. However Valve has released Episodes 1 and 2 and should definitely not be missed by anyone and as they continue this excellent series. If you consider yourself a fan of Sci-Fi, First Person Shooters or video games in general, you owe it to yourself to play this series. You will not be disappointed.