Sweet.
Story-10/10
With a new great plot that rolls-over from Half-Life, Half-Life2 brings new twists and turn around ever corner without distracting the player from what their goals are.
In the beginning of the game, you (Gordon Freeman of course) are greeted by the famous G-Man. Remember him from the ending of Half-Life?
After he gives you a speech about your new job, you are transported to City-17, where you and many other "citizens" are being kept from under the thumb of the combine, an alien race that has taken over earth and used it as their own. Also leading the combine is Dr.Brien, who you see in various sections of City-17 talking to the general public. As you move on through the city, you meet one of your former friends from BlackMesa. Good ol' Barney. He's working with the combine "civil protection" under cover, and now that he's found you he tells you to find your way to Dr.Kliener (scientists that worked for Black-Mesa). Exploring the City and avoiding Civil-Protection, you make it to Dr.Kliener's lab where you are given the HEV suit once again. You are lead there by Alyx, the daughter of Eli, who was also a former Black-Mesa scientist. Rather than keep you there in the lab they decide to teleport you to Eli's lab. Big mistake. The teleporter malfunctions and simply sends you outside of the lab behind some buildings. Barney finds you again, and tells you that you'll just have to find your own way to Eli's by foot.
Being assisted by a net-work of refugees which help you avoid the combine, you make your Eli's lab, where at this point I will stop because I don't want to spoil the rest of the story for you. Sorry it's just all too good.
Gameplay-10/10 Well yeah! It has great shooting action and mind puzzles with multiple solutions to each one depending on how you use your surroundings. There are weapons that are almost the exact same from Half-Life such as the 9mm pistol, the magnum, and the sub-machine gun! And even (*gasp) the trademark trusty crowbar! Yeah! (And it still works great on Head-Crabs to!)
In addition to this collection of weapons you are at some point in the game given famous Gravity-Gun, which can pick up objects at a distance and throw them at enemies. You can pick-up things such as soda cans and boxes, to wardrobes and explosive barrels! You can even pick-up grenades thrown by the combine and throw them back from the direction they came from.
Featuring great qualities that everyone has loved from Half-Life, there's not a part in the game where the camera takes control of the action. You are in complete control 24/7, and the only exceptions are the credits and intro. And introducing new tactics, such as driving in a buggy and airboat.
Sound and VoiceActing-9/10
Controlling squads of rebels is almost entertaining from the point you hear all the things they say such as "Hey Gordon Freeman! You're not leaving without me!" and "Get down Freeman!" or even "HEADCRAB!!!".
The voice actors do a very good job on their part, making the scripts even better. Voice actors from Half-Life are even brought back, such as the same voice actor that did some of the scientists voices, and even Barneys voice actor as well.
The sounds are pretty nice, especially to noises that objects and vehicles make as they are scrapped against one another. Gun noises are all different, sound very real, and are well synced with the animations. Other noises just seem to become repeating, but only a little and that's after so many times playing the game over again.
Controls-10/10
The controls can be customized via a menu, and any action can be preformed by any key you want. Actions you perform put you in great control of the game, since you can even choose which key lets you swim up and down in addition to the "previous weapon" key.
Graphics-10/10
Graphics have improved tenfold since the last game.
Textures have perfect lighting and respond differently depending on room environment. Characters are extremely detailed and they move their faces in exact sync to what they say. Every pore on Gman's face can even be seen in detail up close, and it's just amazing.
Water reflects everything including wooden floating boxes, close by enemies, and the rest of the world put together.
Shadows aren't TOO great, but they are detailed enough for satisfaction.
Your hands and guns have high polygon counts (as does almost every model) and reflect/react to nearby light sources accurately depending on how close you are to them or where you are standing around them.
Overall-9.8/10
The game brings back great stuff we all have loved about Half-Life and updates them with an all-new sequel that amazingly isn't a turn down for the series.
Buy it any way you want-if your computer can run the game, then BUY IT. NOW. It is an amazing game that has inspired so many other games. It's won awards that other games can only dream of achieving, and this game has deserved them by far.
Great job Valve!