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Did I miss something?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 20
Date: February 18, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First, Half-Life itself. The game survives on its mediocrity.

Graphics - at the time, the graphics were good (thanks to the Quake engine), but by no meens exceptional in any way. Everything looks pixelated and like it's a sprite.

Sound - Everything sounds believable, but not 'real'. Every weapon in the game sounds like a muted version of its real life equivilant. The music kicks in every half an hour or so, and, at that point, is more of a distraction than a mood enhancer. The enemies are probably the best part of the sound department. However, because they're 'aliens' any sound you give them would sound believable.

Plot - Take away the psuedo-physic talk and replace 'another dimension' with 'Hell' and you pretty much have the same storyline as Doom; nothing special there.

Weapons - Probably the best part of the game is in the weapons, but, again, they're really only mediocre. On the plus side, you get about 300 weapons, but on the negative side, you probably won't be using a lot of them much. For example, the harpoon gun is used to fight underwater enemies, but is very ineffective on land which sounds good at first. Then, you realize that there are, like, two places that you're fighting underwater enemies. Another would be the trip mine. After considering it for some time, I can't think of a place that I would even consider using one in the game. And why would anyone wait for a 'zombie' to walk into one when you could blow them away with a shotgun instead.

Boss battles - There's not really much battling being done. The game either makes it very clear how to beat a boss or makes you wander around getting killed for about half an hour trying to figure out how to kill it. They went for a brains over brawn approach, but I want SOME brawn being used.

Elevator bug - Makes the game almost unplayable by my standards. The way this bug works is as follows: You hop on an elevator of some sorts (if the bug hasn't already stoped it), start either going up or down, freeze, slowly die, restart from whatever place Valve decided to save your game at. It's unbelievably frustrating when you have to retrace 15 minutes worth of work over something so stupid and relatively easy to fix.

Half Life multiplayer - There are about 6 multiplayer levels that come with this game, and all of them suck. You'll find yourself running back and forth through the same corridor (because the levels aren't circular like they should be) trying to find someone or a half-decent weapon.

About Day of Defeat and Counter-Strike - First, they are not Half-Life. Second, they were not created by Valve. They were mods created by gamers which were later adopted by Valve. They are not even included on this CD as far as I know. You must download them seperately, which would be fine with me if Valve actually gave their buyers working links to update and download their products.

Bottom line - Half-Life is a mediocre game, at best, that you can breeze through in a weekend. If you're looking for Counter-Strike, just buy the actual Counter-Strike CD and save yourself some hastle.

Smoking is safer.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 10, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game has me addicted for the 2 or 3 years it has been out. It is the most versatile game ever. Dozens of mods out (eg. Team Fortress and Counter-Strike). You can use models (eg.Yoda versus Spawn). You can spray paint (customize). There is so much more to it, but I am too lazy to list; besides, I know people have already done it. The programming is so good that there is hardly any lag, single or multiplayer (though I can't say the same for the mods that other companies made).

Valve is the best because they care about all aspects of the game: video, sound, power management, network etc... . This game deserves 10 stars out of 5. Don't think I am being generous because I am a very hard marker. Games are lucky to get more than 2 stars from me.

My conclusion: don't buy this game and you will get good grades in school.

Joan

Out of this world

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: April 20, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Half-Life is incredible. The story keeps pulling you along to see how it will all end. And with the incredible enemy AI and fantastic level design, it's utterly addictive! I like it so much because there are so many memorable scenes in the story. I played this game once before, but never finished it. Now that I'm playing thru again, I remember battles that were particulary viscious - Killing the monstrosity in the Blast Pit - having head crabs jump on you in the blackness of the tiny air shafts - fighting the soldiers as they lob grenades and work as a team - the ride on the railcar - ascending the nuclear core using the portals - ....

The game is HUGE as well - I've put in at least 2 or 3 all day/night gaming sessions, but I'm just now getting to the big build-up towards the end. I highly recommend this game and it is definitely deserving of all the 40+ awards it has received since it's release in 98.

Now if I could just figure out how to configure the level editor, WorldCraft 2.0, I think I would enjoy trying my hand at level design. I've never messed with level editors before, but WorldCraft looks and sounds like it's fairly intuitive (if I was a techie, I would have already figured it out).

AN ALMOST PERFECT FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 04, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Ever wanted to be a scientist, but never had the aptitude for it? Ever wanted to join the Army or the Marines, but couldn't because you were flat-footed? Well, you can rejoice now, because Half-Life will solve both those problems with one blow. You start off as an intelligent scientist named Gordon Freeman. You work at a place called Black Mesa, which is like Area 51. After an informative train-ride, you get off, have some chit-chat with the guards and get your suit. I was very impressed with how professional the level looked. Security guards, retina scanners, the works. This ain't your local bank. After getting your suit, you go to a room where an experiment is about to take place. You're a crucial part of it. But wait, the scientists are sounding as if something might go wrong. And then you push the specimen into the beam and . . . and shortly after that you'll be experiencing one of the finest moments in video game history. Remember that nice-looking level I was telling you about? Now visualize it with HEAVY damage, dead or dying scientists and guards and aliens popping out of thin air. AND YOU HAVE NO WEAPON! This is no Quake cake-walk with John Wayne heroics. You'll be CRAWLING in FEAR for most of the game. I think one of the main things that made this game popular was this: It touched on the common fear of going into the unknown and feeling ill-prepared for what lies ahead. Sure, you might have 200 rounds on the MP5, a rocket launcher, and whatever else, but believe me, it won't last long (especially on hard mode). Another thing that this game touched on was this: The fear of small spidery-creatures and large, ugly, T-Rex things that can run faster than you. Believe me when I say you'll jump when you stick your head in a tunnel and a snark or headcrab jumps out at you. After a while you manage to arm yourself and try and make it to the surface . . . only to find that Marines are attacking Black Mesa in an effort to cover up the severe accident! So now we have this ugly Bermuda Triangle of Marines, Aliens, and You. The Aliens are just plain bad. You're just trying to get your innocent rear-end out of there. And the Marines are just following orders. Makes for one whopper of a story and a game. But not all is run-and-gun. MANY times you'll be jumping like Mario, making well-timed decisions, and solving puzzles. But besides all that, there are three other things about this game that I like: 1)A flashlight. It's ABOUT TIME someone did something to light those dark levels. 2)Humor. Guards goof around with experimental technology--with disastrous results. 3)Well-lighted levels overall. The only FPS I've seen with more light is Serious Sam. Very rarely will you be squinting your eyes in this game. To wrap things up, my favorite levels are the beginning one and the one entitled Surface Tension. Despite some wonderful level design in this game, I really hated the alien levels. Sure, they LOOKED nice, but when you start playing them it's a different story. Also, the two endings are too short and unsatisfactory. But overall this is a GREAT game, worth getting even now (especially if you haven't played it before), despite the fact that Return to Castle Wolfenstein (and other FPS's) are around the corner.

THIS GAME IS SO SWEET!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 17, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Every once and a while a first person shooter comes along that is just like every other first person shooter, dark tunnels, dum enemies, only 3 or 4 weapons...NOT THIS GAME!Half Life takes place in the Black Mesa research facilty. You play as Gordan Freeman, a scientist who's experiment blows up in his face, and next thing you know, the whole place is infested with aliens. Here is the 5 things that make this game so great... 5.Enemy AI: In this game, Aliens can hunt you down and military guards can call for backup and consult via walkie talkie. 4.The Weapons: You get tons of cool weapons including a magnum, handgun, machine gun, and an alien that serves as a weapon. 3:The Setting: Although it only takes place in one building the game has many different and interesting areas. 2:The Fear Factory: This game made me jump in tons of locations and the idea just sends chills up your spine. 1:The Mystery: Who is the MAN IN SUITE? WHAT does the MILITARY want? play the game and find out.

GAME OF THE YEAR

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: September 30, 2002
Author: Amazon User

THE game of the year. Perfect visuals, eirie sound effects and a desent PLOT are the ingredients (not to mention 'LOVE'!) required for a title to recieve "game of the year" award so many times. The game begins with a long train-ride to work: the first of many small touches which add to the feeling of involvment and immersion when playing "THE HALF" (as I often refer to it as). A disaster at the lab in which you work (involving something caled a 'resenece cascade')opens a link to our world, from an alien world, ZEN.
The alins appear to be less then friendly, so, you, Gordan Freeman decide to kill them all. I only found one major set-back in the GAME: after all the development of the plot and the characters (an astounding amount for a GAME), HALFLIFE ends considerebly weakly. However, after playing right through the game, battling aliens, Marines, and finaly defeating the the NILLAH (one of the hardest GAME BOSSES ever), you will probably fail to notice this.

Even my good BUDDY, who NEVER plays games, except 'Jules of Anuba', helped me to finish the GAME, with usefull ideas on what to shoot at or where to go.

"Let the BIG MAN step in" he said, before trying his luck on killing Marines (who, by the way, are the most advanced AI enemies ever to get smacking the keyboard screaming things that I wont mention here)

"Halflife, game of the year" is a valuable addition to anyones game collection. BUY IT NOW.

thank you.

No such thing as a definitive review--but here's my story...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: January 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Play Half-Life and find yourself hard-pressed to find a more beautifully laid-out, strategized, and perfected (on a relative scale, of course) game to come out of the industry. Easily within classic status among the best of the best, Half-Life still manages to have detractors. My best guesses as to their reasoning are to a couple of factors: strict console gamers would have a hard time developing a liking for PC style first-person shooters, and, quite honestly, the game is odd. Your vantage point never leaves the first-person, you never hear your character speak, he is never out of your control--cutscenes or otherwise--and you're often presented with gruesome scenes of carnage and death. Plus, the game feels powerful, which can be slightly discomforting. Guns recoil and grenades are lobbed with incredible realism (for 1997, but still true for today), and the artificial intelligence is so seemingly real that you'll be surprised to see you aren't hooked up to a network.

The fact is, Half-Life is an experience, and it may not be for everybody (although sales figures would suggest otherwise). The emotions, sweat, and stress caused by playing Half-Life are the results of developer Valve's desire to up the ante for the video game market. And, boy, did ever they succeed.

GAME OF THE YEAH... DUH!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 07, 1999
Author: Amazon User

This is simply the most versital game I've experienced. Not only does is standard half life game an amazing experience, but it also include team fortress. Team fortress is in it's own right the best internet game for team tatics and mock war. If you need even more, the website offers mod's of the week that are nearly as amazing as the original game themselves (My favorite is the counter strike mod, it's a killer.)

A pageturner of a game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 05, 1999
Author: Amazon User

This must be what they call a pageturner in the world of books. You just can't stop playing it. It has one of the best story lines in a game ever, and without doubt the best story in a FPS ever. This one is going to be hard to follow up, and it must be seen as the new standard in FPS, from now on you'll be talking about Half-Life clones, instead of Doom and Quake clones.

Treat yourself with the luxury of Half Life, and you'll never regret it.

Half-Life Fan

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: November 19, 1999
Author: Amazon User

Half-Life restored my faith in gaming! Simply destroys any quake game, including that Pentium III and super 3d accelerator graphics stupid game that is QUAKE III - Arena. Half-life is the best pc game i've ever seen...

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