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| Game: |
Half Life 2 |
| Genre: |
Action/Shooter |
| Developer: |
Valve |
| Publisher: |
Sierra |
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| Related Links: |
Coming Soon. |
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Half Life was released for PC in November 1998 and subsequently won over 50 awards across the globe. With its refreshing blend of Steven King type of horror and mixture of all out edge of your seat action, Half Life was worthy of its praise. Spawning add on games such as the famous Counter strike and Team Fortress to name a few, it seemed Half Life was a game that was going to stick around for some time. In November 2001 half Life came to console with a release on the PS2. However it was heavily criticised by the gaming press for looking rather dated in terms of the graphics. Well that was then and this is now and for the last 4 years a sequel has been in production. All bow down to Half Life 2. Appearing sometime in 2004 on Microsoft’s excellent machine. Owners of the console will be treated to the best of the best as it debuts as the first Half Life game to appear on Xbox.
In the original game players assumed the role of research scientist Gordon Freeman (the toughest gaming character sporting specs since superman). Gordon witnessed first hand the experiments at Black Mesa which went horribly wrong and thus caused the invasion of aliens. The finer details regarding the story of the sequel are pretty much a secret as of now, but we do know that Gordon will have to eradicate aliens from a downtrodden Earth.
Half Life 2 features some of the most impressive graphics seen in a video game to date. With an unprecedented level of detail Half Life 2 promises to be extremely realistic. Features from the first game will make a welcome return , however they have been somewhat refined. The classic crowbar will return as the standard melee weapon (ideal for splitting crates and heads) however Gordon wont find these lying around. Gordon will actually be given them as he interacts with the many NPCs that will join him on his travels. There will also be a huge number of weapons available to the player as the story progresses. These range from pistols to massively destructive rocket launchers to pheromone bombs that will let you control certain species of aliens for a limited time. The issue of health has also changed as Gordon’s health will be replenished not by the machines and medic kits that were in the first game, instead he will have to actively seek out actual medics to heal him. This feature adding a certain extra element of depth to proceedings. Also promised is far more interactivity with the surroundings than before. Objects can now be destroyed, manipulated to an even greater degree, even being used as weapons themselves when ammo is running low. These features offering a more believable depiction of an alien invaded Earth and creating more tactical elements to the game play. As with the original, Gordon will have many allies in the game who will fight alongside him. These NPCs are said to have an even more realistic AI than previously and will provide Gordon with covering fire or ask for assistance depending on the situation.
Half Life 2 will also feature a number of vehicles which can be used by the player to help achieve goals. These range from buggy type vehicles to heavily armoured APCs. The concept of these opening up a whole range of possibilities and game play elements and again emphasising the finely tuned interactivity of the levels.
Details regarding whether the game will support any sort of Xbox Live or multi player features are unknown at present. However there is a significant amount of support for the PC version for all those add on mods that have made the original such a classic. Fingers crossed that Xbox will have some kind of multi player element such as co-op play via split screen at the very least.
What more can one say about Half Life 2? There is too much for mere words to describe. Offering a totally rich and believable cinematic experience to gamers and more game play elements to get really excited about. Here lies another game that makes the agonising wait for 2004 even more painful. Lots of aliens, team based firefights, awesome weapons, excellent graphics and direction. Vehicles, varied and interactive environments, incredibly realistic AI, all make one want to place oneself into a cryogenic sleep with the timer set for early 2004. Similar to the aliens within the game, This is going to take over when it finally hits shelves. Just make sure you have pre-ordered to avoid missing out. Half Life 2, is coming and you would better believe it.
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