Probably the best game i've ever played!! A Blast from Beginning to End
User Rating: 9.8 | Half-Life 2 PC
As with most games that receive the hype that Half-Life 2 did before release, i was expecting to be dissapointed. The sluggish Steam activation process only lowered my expectations. However, as the game finally booted up for the first time, it certainly proved me wrong. The graphics are simply stunning, perhaps not with the beauty of FarCry or the detail of Doom 3, but you really can see how much the technology has progressed since the first installment. The introduction to the game, letting you explore City 17, really immerses you in the world, so much more than cutscenes could ever do. Although it is nice to sit back and watch pre-rendered cutscenes, HL2 tells the story through the game, helping you to lose yourself in the story and really feel connected to the other characters. Most of the weapons in this game you will recognise from the first game and most other FPS's: the machinegun, Rocket Launcher, and of course the trusty Shotgun. However, HL2 features probably the most innovative and imaginative weapons in the history of FPS's: the Gravity Gun. Although most of the time, you'll be using this to stack boxes (which didn't have to feature as often as it did), the fun really comes when slicing zombies in half with circular saw blades or hurling explosive barrels into a crowd of combine soldiers, really showing off the games fantastic physics engine. Despite being an extremely good game, it is definitely not as ground-breaking as the original. You get the sense that you are just experiencing the same old FPS formula: shoot some bad guys and solve the occasional puzzle. However, in HL2 this somehow seems fresh, almost innovative. The action is presented in so many different ways: one minute you'll be piloting a boat through sewers and rivers, the next you'll find yourself commanding a squad from house to house hunting combine. The game never lets you think that you are being guided through the game, it gives the false impression of non-linear gameplay with scripting meaning that if you die and reload, you won't be repeating the exact same sequence that you just have. Despite being one of the best single player games i have ever played, HL2 does have it's flaws. The lengthy loading breaks between areas can really disrupt the flow of the game and the ending, although leaving the door open for a Half Life 3, is fairly unsatisfying. Once you have completed the Single Player game, however, there are the great Multiplayer games to get stuck into. Counter Strike has been updated in the Source engine, but despite the new varnish, the great gameplay is still the same as the original, so i needn't go into that. What i find myself playing most is Half Life 2 Deathmatch, released through Steam after the games original launch. There is simply nothing better than squashing your mates with a well aimed toilet or having them hurled across the map after a good shot with an explosive barrel. In conclusion, you won't be dissapointed if you buy this game. Great gameplay and graphics and gameplay make this probably the best FPS I have ever played. Plus, with CS: Source included, it's great value for money. If you have a good enough PC, buy this game! 
