Half Life
8.7
10
10
10
Good in 1998, Good in 2012.
Half life is a good game. I suggest you get it on steam, but get this one for co-op. Steam you can get lots of addons.
11/8/12
This is a challenge but really fun to play!!
At first I didn't get the game AT ALL but eventually I got the hang of it and it got so fun! It has a great story line and just really fun to play.
12/27/11
good game, bad aiming
this is a pretty fun shooter, the graphics are pretty good, the shooting is polished, and this has some interesting enemies. but the first chapter is kind of slow, and with the aiming, when you push the right analog stick up, you aim down, and when you push it down, you aim up, and the aiming wears the game down. but this is a pretty good game
9/5/11
After All These Years It's Still An Excellent Game
Half Life was released in 1998 for PC. It was Valve's first game and one of their most successful. It received positive feedback and reviews for its engaging story, impressive game play, and how it brought life back into the FPS genre. In 2001, Gearbox Software ported the game to the Playstation 2. It featured extras like Decay (a co-op campaign).
In Half Life's campaign, you play as Gordon Freeman, a 27 year-old physicist who works at the Black Mesa facility and specializes in hazardous materials. During an experiment with an otherworldly crystal, it reacts with a beam and causes a catastrophic event known as a Resonance Cascade, which causes hostile aliens to start appearing in the vicinity, attacking anyone they come into contact with. Having survived the Resonance Cascade, Gordon Freeman now has to escape Black Mesa. But to make matters worse a military team has been sent into Black Mesa to clear up any evidence of the Resonance Cascade. Unfortunately, this includes any survivors. Fighting back at any Xen Aliens or Marines that come after him, Gordon quickly becomes a primary target to the Marines and the G-Man, a mysterious man who has been observing Gordon since the experiment.
After finally putting an end to the alien’s invasion by destroying their leader on Xen, Gordon finally comes face to face with the G-Man. He says that he and his "employers" agree that he has "limitless potential". He then leaves Gordon with two choices; Step into the portal and accept employment, or be plunged into a battle against hundreds of hostile alien soldiers without any weapons. You can choose either one of the two different endings, But according to Half Life 2's story, Gordon must have accepted.
Game Play: it's mostly like a standard first-person shooter. You can hold every weapon you find and select them using the D-Pad. Most weapons have a primary fire and a secondary fire. For example, one weapon had submachine gun fire as primary and a grenade launcher as the secondary fire. Another uses a rapid laser blast as primary and a charged blast as secondary. But the most iconic weapon in the game is Gordon Freeman’s crowbar. Gordon also has a flashlight to illuminate dark areas like air vents, but you won't need it that much through the game. You can also acquire a long jump module that allows you to jump long distances by double tapping the jump button. This is mostly used on the final levels with their oddly placed floating platforms. The PS2 version of the game also include a lock-on feature which is helpful for shooting small flying enemies, since the analog sticks are more awkward for aiming than a mouse. Jumping can also be a little awkward, especially if you grew up with platform games. Since the weapon you're using is the only thing you can see and Gordon doesn't cast any shadow, jumping is hard to determine. Half Life doesn't allow you to kill enemies with headshots. If anything, aiming for the head does less damage than aiming at the torso.
Decay is a game where you and a friend can play through a campaign that takes place the same time as Gordon's quest but in different areas. You and your partner are rated on kills; accuracy and the amount of damage you take to increase the competition while you're working together. Most of the co-op skill is required to beat a puzzle, which require two people. It is possible to play Decay alone, but it kills the fun if all you're doing is pressing Select to swap between characters.
Sound: effects are also stellar. From the piercing noise of each new mysterious creature to the thunderous explosions and distinctive weapon blasts, Half Life's sound effects work well in conjunction with the detailed atmosphere and scripted sequences to envelop the player in an absorbing ambience. Even though music isn't heard much throughout the game, it is very nice sounding. Valve’s in-house composer, Kelly Bailey, composes the soundtrack. He also composed the music for some of Valve's other games like Half Life 2, its episodic expansions and Portal. One of my favorite compositions in the game was the credits, it made the final moments with G-Man seem more epic and the message that came up while I was listening to it made me want to play Half Life 2 even more.
Overall, I enjoyed Half Life and this is the one game that got me into the FPS genre when I played it on my computer year’s back. After hearing that everyone said it was one of the best games ever made even if it was made in 1998, I just had to try it. When I found a copy of the PS2 version, I just had to buy it for myself. I recommend this if you have never played the PC version and can't get your hands on it. If you are a total graphics nut who will only play a game with impressive visuals, don't come looking here.
5/3/11
the game a good game but only decay works
I like half life but the game has half life and half life Decay my half life didn't work I am mad:(
2/12/11
Great Game for it's day and a great game today
Okay This game was way better than I expected. The graphics, sure aren't very good for today games but they still aren't horrible. If you have a ps2 and are a fan of valve, this is a must get. The game play is excellent and definitely worth the $12. Anybody who is looking for a good ps2 shooter should get this game without second thoughts.
12/22/10
Good game
If you like FPS, you will love half life. this game is insane. from the enemy AI to the weapons, half life will keep you hooked. but if you can, download steam onto your computer and buy it there. on steam you can have the two expansion packs, blue shift and a different one. but if you want multiplayer get this one.
11/20/10
WOW
Half-life is a first person shooter released by VALVe. The challenge is pretty dang hard with or without a walk-through. The A.I. actually covers behind something when you shoot them. The controls are frustrating so you probably will need to customize your controls. The graphics/animation are not as good as today's ps2 standards but being made in 2001 this game is pretty detailed. The interface is pretty advanced for an old ps2 game and does not spoil anything in the game. The length is 40 to 60 hours for Half-life 1 and its expansion Half-life Decay. For Half-life one it should take you 25 to 30 hours. While Half-life Decay takes you 20 to 25 hours. The sound is perfect but music seems to come at random moments. The storyline for half-life is great but that is not what half-life is known for. What half-life is known for is its storytelling because this is the first game that actually does not use cut scenes but tells you its story by its NPC. I recommend this game to anyone.
5/7/09
Half-Life, an amazing game
Half-Life came out in 1998, which is a lot of years ago. It's gameplay amazed many, and it's graphics were stunning back them. But, what is good about Half-Life? 1) It's story line. It's the story about a scientist (you) that came to work in the Black Mesa research facilities. Then the engineers start to have some technical problems. You need to go in the test chamber and that's where the interesting story starts. Some weird creatures from other dimensions are getting teleported in the Black Mesa research facilities. The government sent mercenaries to kill the beasts and everyone that is there (which obviously includes you). So what you need to do is to... GET OUT OF THERE! 2) It's graphics. While they are now outdated, the graphics were stunning back then. Almost any games in stores now will look better. The animations of the people, however, are well done. We see their mouth moving when they are talking, even some new games have problems with that. 3) It's gameplay. Half-Life includes amazing gameplay, a lot of action, etc. You will find this very interesting as you get in the action. It's gaining a huge point in this area. You are going to encounter mysterious creatures called Head-crabs, which are green crabs that jumps toward you and hit you. What is interesting is that they are hard to kill. I think it's the most innovative thing this game has: Headcrabs.4) It's innovation. Half-Life revolutionized the genre of First-Person Shooters. It's the first good FPS in gaming history. And the characters in the game as well as the creatures (like the beloved Headcrab) are very well imagined. And for a 11 years-old game, this is stunning. 5) Sound quality: There is no music through the game (only sound effects), and I must say this ruins the experience a bit. However, HL: Source for PC has musics through the game. 6) Bottom-Line: If you really want to play a good action game, pick Half-Life 2. Even if it's old, it's a game that revolutionized the gaming world and it is a must-have. Despite the weak graphics engine, this game is awesome! If you want the PC version of this game, you can order it through Steam. I've actually never played the PS2 version, but it's supposed to be the same thing. So if you did the right choice, welcome to the Half-Life world!
3/22/09
Jaw droppingly beautiful
Half-Life, 60 hours of pure hell. From little headcrabs, to the gigantic Gargantuan. Dating back to its' 1998 release, Half-Life is a MUST For any "hardcore" gamer. If you think your good because you beat Halo without a walkthrough or cheats or anything, good luck with this game. Half-Life will leave you SO puzzled at times you will want to kill the people who made it. Though nearly 15 minutes after you thought that, you figured out the puzzle. The custom Source engine, to fit the PS2 requirements is stunning. I never bought HL1 Source for the computer because I didn't like the way it looked. The PS2 version brings high detail and a new update to an old weapon: the MP5. Instead of having an MP5 in the game, you have an M16. The shotgun actually looks like a SPAS-12. The updated sounds for weapons is amazing. The AI is really unparalleled. You will never know what the horde of zombies is gonna do next. You won't know if you should run, stay and shoot, or run and shoot. The grunts are ruthless killing machines and will do anything in their power to stop you. Guaranteed you'll enjoy running for your life and killing enemies with the most original weapons arsenal ever created for a video game based in 1998. How many Gulon guns were in FPS games back then? The only MAJOR con about HL1 is the beginning with the tram. You can't move around in the tram like you can in the PC version, but you get a chance to admire the stunning visuals. The graphics look a bit dated, but believe me. After the "incident" you might as well lock your door and swallow the key until you're finished. Few words of advice, a quick save doesn't save directly to your memory card. Get HL1, now. If you have a PS3, it's compatible with that. You can't miss this chance. Winner of over 50 game of the year awards, you can't pass this game up. See what everyone has been talking about for 10 years. Happy 10th birthday Half-Life on November 19th! VALVe started the FPS trend for PC. VALVe continues to make excellent games and each one is a new experience.
11/26/08