Half-Life 2

This game, its just.. AMAZING! The really good engine, physics, and story make this game what it is and, i really love this game so much! 10/3

went to ravenhomle or however u spell it
shot 100 innocent people and 500 zombies
went to jail
got out of jail
and played half life 2

It starts with one, one thing, I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme to explain in due time
All I know, time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day, the clock ticks life away

It's so unreal, didn't look out below
Watch the time go right out the window
Tryna hold on, d-didn't even know
I wasted it all just to watch you go
I kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart
What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when

I tried so hard, and got so far
But in the end, it doesn't even matter
I had to fall to lose it all
But in the end, it doesn't even matter

One thing, I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme
To remind myself how I tried so hard

In spite of the way you were mockin' me
Actin' like I was part of your property
Rememberin' all the times you fought with me
I'm surprised it got so far

Things aren't the way they were before
You wouldn't even recognize me anymore
Not that you knew me back then, but it all comes back to me in the end
You kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart
What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when

I tried so hard, and got so far
But in the end, it doesn't even matter
I had to fall to lose it all
But in the end, it doesn't even matter

I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this, there's only one thing you should know
I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this, there's only one thing you should know

I tried so hard, and got so far
But in the end, it doesn't even matter
I had to fall to lose it all
But in the end, it doesn't even matter

It was full of action shooting sequences with varied environments and objectives. The classic shooter formula. There is enough happening to keep you engaged.

Nearly thirty hours of playing Half-Life 2, finishing the main story and both episodes along with it.
Looking at what seems to be such a simple game at the beginning becomes a sensational realisation on how it actually came to be Game of the Year on multiple occasions.

The games design was so perfectly presented by developers, the setting and additional lore, some passing from the original Half Life: Black Mesa puts to so much good use in one game, seeing how one timely event had impacted an entire civilisation because of one scientific company and one crystal. One crystal was enough to bring an entire colonisation and have peak interest while also slaving mostly the entirety of humanity or at least, shutting most of their freedom out and barricaded window. You, play as a seen liberator of humanity, Dr. Freeman, Gordon, now titled 'The One Free Man' or just 'Freeman' a previous protagonist played in the original Half Life era.

Level designs go to so much, almost being environmentally story-telling on most missing parts, Ravenholm can be presented as an example, showing the small piece of destruction the Invasion of Xen had shown, showing a connection between events of the original Half-Life when Earth was being overrun by Xen.

The game can come as a masterpiece, ValVe themselves encourage this game as they have on multiple previous occasions such as constant sales, as well as making the game entirely free after an exciting celebration. It's worth every penny, and it comes even better since they support mod imports.

Much better then the first game. literarly 100X times better, totaly worth playing.

I would like to thank Valve for making these games for us. Games like Portal (1-2), Team Fortress (OG-2), and the game (which the third might never come out) Half-life (1-2-Alyx-etc).

The ultimate and classic modern fps game.

one of the best games ever made. still holds up and is superior to many modern games.

I have no words this is literally PEAK and they even added steam workshop support so it's EVEN BETTER

I really enjoyed Black Mesa and I'm really enjoying Half-Life 2. Great game and great plot at the moment.

*Game released: November 16, 2004*
*20th Anniversary Update for Half-Life 2*
*Now supports the steam workshop*

My half-life 2 campaign with mods made my experience perfect.

Twenty-years later, it's still crazy that this is a 2004 game.

revolutionary, still looks and plays great, and is overall a fantastic game, deserving of its many accolades.

personally however (UH OH ALERT!!!!!) it's a bit of a letdown when compared to the first game. way stripped down enemy and weapon variety and the last few chapters are a slog to get through. vehicle sections, while nice to soak in the atmosphere, get very stale on the 30th playthrough....but that's just it. this is a 20 year old game you WANT to play 30+ times, which i think is a testament to its design.

also the problem with not using cutscenes is that you need to sit through so much nothingness on repeat playthroughs. chapter select somewhat alleviates this.

This game is a true masterpiece of the gaming industry. I was 7-8 years old when I first tried it, and since then, I’ve still enjoyed the memories. I’ve played the entire campaign more than 20 times, including both Ep.1 and Ep.2. This game will never grow old, just as it will never be forgotten.

People who live in post-Soviet countries will definitely feel this depressive, pale, grey vibe—the understanding of inevitable horror, the senselessness of life, and the absence of a future. I was overwhelmed by all these feelings every time I played Half-Life 2.

This is my childhood. This is my nostalgia. This is my favorite game.

I played this game 10 years ago but never finished it. I recently downloaded it again, and to no surprise, it still holds up today. It's tough as shit in some spots, but just as fantastic as I remember.

Pros:

Half-Life 2 is a game I've heard endless praises for years and finally decided to give a go. And after finishing the final episode, I am left baffled wondering why the hell I put it off for so long. Half-Life 2 is a MASTERPIECE, plain and simple. Even more impressive of a game whenever all the minor details of it constantly remind you that it was released in 2004 and still plays manages to be this good.

The game features a linear story where you're mostly just shooting through enemies with a variety of guns and weapons in order to get to the next section. On paper and in first reaction it seems standard and repetitive, but the level design, enemy types, and atmosphere constantly evolve in such a cinematic way that it never gets tiring and always feel immersive and challenging and ABOVE ALL: UNIQUE. The level design is OFF THE CHARTS here. Each chapter of the game's world so immersive that it feels like a movie unfolding in your hands. You feel the stakes, you feel the action, you feel the emotions, you feel the terror. Every aspect of the game design is an effort of 10/10 craftsmanship.

AND THIS GAME CAME OUT IN 2004?!?! From the start of the game to its end you feel such a sense of progression that really is movie-esque. I keep referring to it as film-like but there really is no better way to describe it; Half-Life 2 is a proper story. A unique and bizarre one with an atmosphere that is addicting to taste more of. Though the combat isn't crazily impressive, it's paced perfectly to allow the story all the room it needs to shine, which further immerses you the deeper into the Half-Life rabbit hole you get. And don't even get me started on the brilliant pick up/gravity gun system that allows for an absurd amount of creativity in how you chose to traverse a level or - furthermore - to fight (when guns aren't cutting it for you anymore).

Half-Life 2 is undeniably one of the greatest games of all time. I've heard it said for years and now I can finally say it myself. Definitely worth the purchase and full play through, and if you like it, you'll join the club of people impatiently waiting for a 3rd.

(ps. It's never coming is it?)

Great gameplay, story, and lore

I first came in contact with HL2 when the, uh, "prototype" released. There was nothing like it during the time, I played the leaked demo over and over and over again, ignoring the graphical artefacts and eventual crashed on my Radeon 9200.
Still nothing really tops the immersive gameplay of HL2. The Lost Coast expansion is a cherry on top of this legendary cake.
A bit of a sad realisation is, that not much improvement has been done in the genre since this title released over 20 years ago now. Besides better fidelity in graphics, not many comes close.
It's a legendary title.
Just play it.

I didn't think too much of this game when I played it for the first time as a teenager. That was a long, long time ago. I've been well into adulthood for an equally long time now. I couldn't have possibly appreciated this series back then like I can now.

The 20th Anniversary update made me decide to replay the game and the episodes. I've been lost in Gordon's life for a week or two now. At the end of Episode 2, I watched in horror. The screen faded to black, and I cried.

I know my submission here will undoubtedly get buried by the mountains of reviews before and after mine, but I needed this game because of where my life is at right now. It was a necessary escape into fiction.

It felt so real.

So I recently found the gem know as half life one from a Youtude video so I waited for the steam Autumn sale
and loved every moment of game play so I skipped the DLC and went straight to Half-life 2 and both its episodes and loved it due to how cheap i got the games I felt like I was scamming them and now I wait like every body else for Half-life 3.

Definitely in the top 3 of the greatest first person shooters of all time, on every measure from story to graphics (at the time it released of course), and overall gameplay experience, combat, exploration, etc.

This game's graphics are still somewhat impressive for its age. Alyx's hair is well detailed even in low settings. This game is packed with lots of content. 10000/10 game :D

I hadn't played the Half Life franchise until the past two years and I can say even in the 2020's this game is one of the best I've ever played. Incredible experience.

Honestly... I just don't like it.

The original Half-Life had a cartoony vibe mixed with a Horror-like setting. What was happening was serious, but the game never took itself too seriously. The HECU were imposing, but comedic at the same time.
This game trades that in for a far more serious tone. The Combine is an incredibly dark villain, the setting is bleak, and the characters are designed far more realistically. This is more subjective, but I preferred the almost 40k tone that HL1 had.

In terms of gameplay... This just isn't it. The earlier chapters almost feel like you're just supposed to take damage at parts. Enemies spontaneously appear and you're forced to just run through them. The game almost seems to know this and shoves health down your throat, but it doesn't make it fun, just repetitive.

The Combine also feel way worse to fight than the HECU. Against the HECU, you needed fast reflexes and a keen mind to fight them in the various layouts of Black Mesa. They responded quickly and were just more fun to fight. Combine soldiers just feel sluggish and bland. It doesn't help that most of the game is just a flat surface to run through, giving you less and less ways to interact with your foes.

Although the story is great and it was definitely a groundbreaking game when it came out, I just ain't a fan.

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☑ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☑ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☑ Potato
☐ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☑ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 15% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☑ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☑ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☑ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☐ Average
☑ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☐ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☑ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☑ 10

---{ Author }---
☑ https://vojtastruhar.github.io/steam-review-template

I got the game when it was free (November 2024) and just played it with all DLC's to 100% and I can just say what great of an experience it was! The Gameplay, the physics, the graphics, I loved them all. And none of the achievements (except Lambda Locator) were really annoying, more like a fun challenge. I would say that the gnome achievement was my favorite one. I already bought most of the other Half-Life games and I'm looking forward to play them. Thank you Valve for showing me such a great game :)

This game was one of the best games I've ever experienced, some parts were hard but managed to pass them, such an amazing game. 100% worth playing

The best game of the century... No objections. Either you agree or you are wrong. It is valve's magnum opus. VALVE's best game, that they have EVER made. The same company that made the Portal series, L4D, TF2 and the Counter Strike series. Just let that sink in.

It's a alright game I like Half-Life More then Half-Life 2. I know how this changed gaming forever just like Half-Life Hell this game made Garry's Mod one of my favorite game's of all time but Half-Life 2 is just a bit over rated I just don't like this one as much but still a really good game.

The sequel to one of my fav games is an amazing one, a great respectful sequel with an interesting story and wonderful gameplay. This is overall a much better game than half life 1 but hl1 got the level desing much better than this. 9/10

Probably can't say anything about this game that hasn't been said before. Easily one of the most influential shooters ever made. The game is still fun as all hell and technically impressive years later, in fact I'd go as far as to say this game has actually gotten better with age. Every time I come back to half life 2 I find something that makes me appreciate the game even more. An absolute must play for anyone who likes fps games.

penultimate video game. updates welcome.

I grew up playing the former "Half-Life" in the days of WON -before Steam with all the joy of all the various community mod's (CS, DOD, Natural Selection, ESF). Then came Steam and HL2 and we could all enjoy not only the story and content, but the engine and its design focused on the community's ability to mod in it. I can only speak praise for all Half Life games and Steam. They steered the industry toward building their game/engine to be mod able. This was outlined as the main success of the HL series and Goldsource and Source engines.

This game changed my life forever. I'd never be the man I am today. Thanks to this game, I feel like I can live in 2025 and still enjoy the game. This is a timeless joy that never will vanish. It is nostalgic.

Thank you Valve, you're amazing!!!!

Played first time in 2004 and it was mind blowing for it's time. I'd say it still holds up today even and now with workshop integration it's way better. This and specially HL1 are responsible for many games we love today such as Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat.

Over twenty years later and this game is still a masterpiece. Every level, every weapon, every situation has a purpose. The physics are groundbreaking even to this day. This is my third time playing it in two decades (playing it on Steam Deck OLED this time) and it still manages to amaze, enchant and entertain. Bravo, Valve. I wish they would release games more often. While I enjoy the Portal series, this game holds a special place in my heart.

This game is still impressive despite being more than 20 years old. Additionally, with low hardware requirements, this game is super accessible.

puzzles are hard but its fun

gaben invented cute blasian girls that are nice to you in 2004 and we haven't been able to replicate the technology since

A classic game that still holds interest after so many years. Graphics were advanced then and now are a bit out of date but gameplay is great!

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Review:

Half-Life 2 is one of those rare games that lives up to all the hype and even exceeds expectations. It’s been over a decade since its release, but it still holds up as one of the best first-person shooters ever made.

The game picks up where the first one left off, with Gordon Freeman now in a dystopian world controlled by an alien race known as the Combine. The story is told in such a seamless, immersive way—there are no cutscenes, just you moving through the world and piecing things together as you go. It’s one of the best examples of world-building in a game.

The physics engine is a game-changer. The way you can manipulate objects in the environment with the iconic gravity gun adds so much fun to the combat and puzzle-solving. It's one of those simple ideas that feels revolutionary. Combine that with some of the most memorable set pieces, and it’s hard not to get sucked into the world of City 17.

The AI is still impressive even by today’s standards, with enemies reacting to your movements and using the environment to their advantage. The combat is diverse, and there’s a nice mix of shootouts, vehicle segments, and platforming. Plus, the pacing is spot on—there’s never a dull moment.

Visually, Half-Life 2 was a stunner back in 2004, and while the graphics might look dated now, the art design, lighting, and atmosphere still give it a timeless feel. The environments, from the ruined cities to the eerie coastlines, are still some of the best-designed in any game.

Half-Life 2 isn’t just a great shooter; it’s an experience. The narrative, the gameplay, and the world it builds come together in a way few games can match. If you haven't played it yet, you’re missing out on a true gaming classic.

Pros:

Incredible world-building and storytelling
Revolutionary physics with the gravity gun
Diverse and satisfying combat
Great AI and smart enemy behavior
Stunning atmosphere and level design
Cons:

Some sections can feel a bit slow or repetitive
Graphics are a bit dated by modern standards, but the atmosphere still shines

This is one of those games that set the bar for first-person shooters, and it’s still an absolute must-play. If you haven’t played it yet, what are you waiting for?

Wake-up Mr. Freeman

i interloped all the interloper's interlopusa on the interloping floor

(look at umbrella grafiti in ravenholm alley)

beat the game a couple of times now, i love the story; gameplay is a bit difficult BUT i Am playing it on Hard so there's that. the point is, this game is my all-time favorite, along with a few other Valve games

It's my first time playing it (on old hardware too) and I must say this game is great. I didn't know much about it before starting it but it horror aspect reminds me a but of the "Last of Us" tied in with "Halo"

This includes episode 1 and 2 and my feelings are identical to portal 2 with this game, while I love the expanded story the game does have more pauses in gameplay to tell said story and I just tend to prefer freedom of gameplay than sacrificing that for a more complex story. 4.5/5

Honestly, I prefer the context of the first game, portrayed by the community remake (Black Mesa) for a modern experience of the series. Haven't played it myself to this day while managing to be spoiler free; opened the game and got lazy to continue, went to watch full history explanations, theories, speedruns etc.

The game is technically impressive for its time, the story is well written but feels disconnected from the first game. The stuff left for interpretation and open ends are great for wondering and conspiring what could have been à la Portal style. The problem is that modern games have built on top and improved on what Half Life offers, and I didn't particularly catch the originals, so I lack the nostalgia and baseline reference of when the genre was revolutionized.

I also have played wayy too much Gmod/TF2, so I grew up kinda sick of the Source Engine. I acknowledge my complex position as a post 2010s player and what the game has done for the industry as a whole, have my humble thumbs up.

A classic that many people have already given praise for, and it deserves more! The art direction, levels, the graphics, and story are superb especially for a game this old. I cannot recommend it enough for people who like video games in general.