Half-Life

"There goes our grant money"
This game is awesome, it has some bugs and some parts are unfair, you'll probably have to check a guide for a couple small sections, but when its working, its great. Lots of exploration and puzzles, good roster of weapons, and lots of unique enemy types and environments that always feel fresh. I really enjoyed the story and lore as well, I wish there was a novel series, its one of those games my dad would really like if he played games, I was hoping for novels I could recommend but they don't exist.

it is really had no matter what difficulty your on and i heard the game is hard no that hard tho

Great storytelling and a historical milestone for video games, that being said, the game is more than 30 years old at this point, its gameplay has aged and is obviously not quite comparable to its sequels or games that innovated on its ideas. But despite that fact still stands up relatively well even considering what I said, still worth experiencing in my opinion.

This is easily the best game of millennium. Story, combat, weapons, the environment. Everything is perfect. You can play this game for 97 times and it'll still be enjoyable.

ITS A GREAT GAME. Its full of so many things that make me scream for no reason though. Like i be screaming left and right. Its a really good for a game made in the 90's. Love how you can step on the roaches. SO GOOD

was suprisingly one of the better games I've played ever. A little buggy at times but than again the game is almost if not 30 years old so its expected

WOW! Honestly cannot believe that it took me until I was 22 years old to play this game. Even though it took my whole life, it was very well worth the wait! This game is beyond fantastic. This game is so good, that I just beat it for the first time, and all I want to do is play it again. I think I have to go buy the second one like right now. The story 10/10, the game play 10/10, mechanics 10/10, enemies 10/10, weapons 13/10. I got this on the last day of the 2025 Spring sale for $1.99, and it was the best two dollars I have spent in a very long time. If you are having any reservations whatsoever about purchasing this game, just do it! You will not regret it! I would have paid $20 for this game.

This game is very inspiring and has an amazing art style with the Xen Aliens this game would be amazing for Alien fans and the graphics really remind me of MGS1 if it was first person. This game is amazing don't play Half Life Source play Half Life 1998

>be me
>PhD in Theoretical Physics
>also probably a redneck who grew up hunting with dad since age 6
>MIT accepted me between cleaning deer and fixing the pickup
>get job pushing buttons in underground science hellhole
>accidentally open rift to alien dimension
>everyone dies.exe
>grab crowbar
>muscle memory kicks in from hunting days
>start slapping aliens like they owe me child support
>government sends soldiers to clean up
>they get cleaned up instead
>gameplay smooth af
>some levels are hard but whatever god_mode 1
>feel like Rambo with a physics degree
>10/10 would become theoretical redneck murder machine again
>I recommend the game

challenging but makes for a very immersive and rewarding adventure, and the extensive modding scene is a great bonus

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Review:

Half-Life is one of those games that changed everything when it came out, and honestly, it still holds up. Released back in 1998, it blends action, storytelling, and exploration in a way that feels way ahead of its time.

The story of Gordon Freeman, an unassuming scientist just trying to survive after a disaster at the Black Mesa Research Facility, is told entirely through gameplay. No cutscenes or boring exposition, just you in the world, reacting to everything as it happens. That was such a unique approach for the time, and it still feels refreshing. You get fully immersed in this chaotic, tense world where every corner could hide a new danger.

The AI was top-notch for its era. Enemies actually seem to think and act intelligently, so combat never feels like a simple "shoot everything in sight" kind of deal. There’s a good mix of puzzle-solving, platforming, and action, which keeps things from feeling repetitive. Some of the puzzles are a bit tricky, but they always feel fair and rewarding when you solve them.

The graphics may look a bit rough by today’s standards, but honestly, the atmosphere still works. It’s that old-school charm. Sure, some sections might drag a little, but the thrill of exploring the creepy halls of Black Mesa and figuring out how to escape keeps you hooked the whole time.

All in all, Half-Life is a classic for a reason. If you’ve never played it, it’s totally worth experiencing, even if you’re a younger gamer who’s used to more modern shooters. It’s a piece of gaming history that still delivers.

Pros:
- Great storytelling without interrupting gameplay
- Smart AI that makes combat challenging and fun
- Diverse gameplay (action, puzzles, exploration)
- Perfectly captures that tense atmosphere

Cons:
- A little dated visually
- Some slower-paced sections

But honestly, the good far outweighs the bad here. It’s a must-play for any gamer, and it’ll make you appreciate where modern shooters came from!

This was my very first video game and I loved it. I had some difficulties but I can't help but love it.

that was a great game,even in 2025 this game is better than most fps games nowadays.
but "WTF" happened to another half of life valve?

the best video game of all time. the loose, beautiful movement, the punchy, varied weapons, the iconic sound design and the amazing level design make for a game that ill forever love. i prefer this game to its sequel any day

Classic game, a pioneer for all FPSes. It does suffer from a few obscure mechanics (Crouching while jumping makes you get into places you otherwise can't), and random difficulty spikes in the last third of the game, but it's still a classi well with the price. Don't be picky about referring to a guide if you get stuck though, as it lacks a lot of modern hand-holding in it's narrative.

best fps game and the graphics even if they are outdated they arent that bad as they look its quite the opposite they look very good even if they dont look like they have much detail games dont need the best graphics to be good

Very good for a first game, storyline is amazing and the weapons are really great! 10/10!

Fun ride with some frustrations, but overall definitely an impressive game considering the time it was released.

The gunplay is kinda terrible and it doesn't have the wacky physics of HL2, but as a game, it's a much better experience.

game's aged like milk, but I still like it. It has vibes.

Still a good game even for today. Difficult, but really good and entertaining. Pleasure to play this game again. Good job Valve.

The game that started it all.
It's a staple of valve games, and even though it's over 25 years old, i think it still is an enjoyable experience. The one thing i disliked a bit is the fact you can easily get lost or don't know what to do or where to go, but i guess that's how most of the old games are.
Apart from that i really liked the gunplay and the story of this game. It was a surprise to find many references to it in the sequel. Truly a classic that still holds up today.

14.8 hrs - to finish it on HARD (max. difficulty) both the main game and demo (Uplink)

It was awesome experience. It definitely tested me a bit. Still very much fair. I think this is the way. On HARD you will have to think harder and use weapons to your advantage. Lower difficulties in games often rob you from full experience and I believe it would be the same in Half-Life. If you enjoy a little bit of challenge. This is the best way to play it/

It felt a little bit 'stiff' and spongy comparing to cs 1.6 but it was more and more adventurous with time and I have stopped thinking about it. Still awesome game in 2025. You can only imagine what a breakthrough it had to be in 1998... There's so much gameplay squeezed in. There's always something fresh to the very end. Even the demo was amazing experience/ A separate little episode. A true timeless CLASSIC/

I have played it a few times in the past but I think this was the first or second time I have finished the game/

---{ 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

This game was the first FPS that I've ever played, so this review might be a little biased.
This game is perfect, absolutely perfect to the last minute details (excet Xen, it sucks). The guns are great, the levels are great, the AI and the NPC's were very advanced for the time.

10/10. A must-try for any gamer. First time I played it was in '99 and multiple times over the next 25 years. And I'm still playing it in 2025. Graphics may be outdated but everything else still holds up. Goes to show the impact HL has had on video games. Revolutionary would be an understatement.

---{ 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

Fun game, not super long if you know what you're doing. Holds up extremely well for being over 25 years old. Worst part of game is the flashlight, Gold Source flashlights don't really work.

This game is great to play through at least once for the history behind this. After all, this was Valve's big breakthrough game, this was the one that helped set the stage for FPS games on PC along with System Shock 2.

The game itself is pretty great. The only complaint (if any) is that the gameplay hasn't aged too well, but it isn't completely unplayable, it just takes some getting used to. This is the case for a lot of the older games.

🎯 Rating: 9.5/10

📜 Overview
Half-Life is a groundbreaking first-person shooter developed by Valve and released in 1998. It follows the story of Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist who becomes trapped in a research facility after a disastrous experiment opens a portal to another dimension, releasing alien creatures and military forces. The game is known for its seamless blend of narrative and gameplay, minimalistic storytelling, and innovative AI and physics. Half-Life was a significant influence on modern FPS games, setting a new standard for how stories can be integrated into action gameplay.

🌟 Pros
✅ Innovative Gameplay – Half-Life broke from traditional shooter conventions by combining narrative-driven gameplay with puzzle-solving and environmental interactions.
✅ Immersive World – The game’s environment feels alive and dynamic, with intelligent enemy AI and a consistent world that reacts to the player’s actions.
✅ Groundbreaking AI – Enemies show impressive tactics and adaptability, making combat feel more intelligent and engaging.
✅ Atmospheric Storytelling – The lack of cutscenes and exposition allows players to learn about the story through the environment, dialogue, and their interactions.
✅ Timeless Appeal – Even after more than two decades, the game remains captivating, thanks to its intricate level design and engaging mechanics.

⚠️ Cons
❌ Aging Graphics – While impressive for its time, the visuals may feel outdated by modern standards, especially for new players.
❌ Difficulty Spikes – Some sections can be frustratingly difficult, and the game lacks the hand-holding features of modern games.
❌ Limited Replayability – Although the game is brilliant, its linear structure and fixed narrative make it less replayable than more open-ended titles.
❌ No Multiplayer – While Half-Life's campaign is phenomenal, the game lacks a multiplayer mode, which later games in the franchise would rectify.

💬 Player Sentiment
Positive Reviews: Half-Life is often cited as one of the best FPS games ever made, with its innovative gameplay, compelling story, and atmosphere. Players praise the seamless integration of narrative and action.

Negative Reviews: Some players may struggle with its dated visuals and occasional difficulty spikes, which may deter modern gamers used to more streamlined, modern shooters.

🎯 Target Audience

FPS enthusiasts and gamers interested in classic titles that helped shape the genre.
Players who appreciate narrative-driven experiences in action games.
Those interested in a historical perspective on game design evolution.
🏆 Rating Breakdown
🎮 Gameplay: 10/10
🎨 Graphics & Art Style: 8/10
🧩 Puzzles & Challenges: 8.5/10
⚖️ Balance & Mechanics: 9.5/10
👥 Community: 8/10
Overall Experience: 9.5/10

🎯 Final Verdict
Half-Life remains one of the most influential and memorable games in the first-person shooter genre. Its innovative gameplay, intelligent AI, and atmospheric storytelling set new standards for the industry. While its graphics have aged and its linear design limits replayability, Half-Life’s legacy continues to inspire and shape modern gaming. If you’re a fan of shooters or narrative-driven experiences, Half-Life is a must-play.

This is a fire game, even thought I played the second game first, it is as good as the second. And it has very good written lore. Suggest this to people who like shooters, and violence, and stuff like that.

the main appeal for me of half-life was further appreciating the sequel. Took a lot of save scumming and frustration to beat. Personally recommend playing till you get too frustrated and then trying out Half-Life 2, the first game probably has less general appeal and isn't my cup of tea. Given that its cheap and in bundles its worth trying.

Still perfect, wouldn't change a thing. Maybe would add more customization, but that's absolutely it. Iconic.

One of the most significant games in the gaming industry among shooters. Over the years, it has literally become a timeless classic. It is hard to overestimate its influence on the development of games

A good game if you have a potato pc.
And it has GREAT mods to choose from (which also run on potatoes!), from brutal half-life, to hlrally.
(I was playing on windows 7 before, and OpenGL was lagging that time, so what worked for me, is to update the graphics drivers!)

It holds up to this day I would even say a touch difficult? I had to save several times throughout playing and some sections were difficult but still fun. I would say the ammo spawns and health spawns felt very rare and it made it difficult and sometimes frustrating but it was still fun overall. Strafing would get me like slightly motion sick but the game was good. Ive never seen any gameplay before so it was fully blind.

não tem muito o que dizer sobre esse jogo que já não foi dito, só joga e aproveita

First time playing this classic; loved it! If Doom-style graphics doesn't turn you off, enjoy being Gordon Freeman going into work and having an interesting day. Checking this one off my gaming bucket list.

Great and interesting game! I love the various situations Gordon has to get himself out of using a mixture of ingenuity and brute force. It has kept me entertained for many hours.

A really incredible game that still holds up 27 years after release, definitely worth playing!

However, I would rather eat my own foot than play Interloper again that piece of shit fucking rushed repulsive trite chapter.

For any steam user, Half-Life is THE essential game for your library! It is, without a doubt an all time classic.

Considering this was Valve's first ever game, they really popped of with this one. Half-Life's story is extremely engaging from start to finish, and it makes you keep coming back for more with the sheer amount of solid world building, interactivity, and combat.

Half-Life is where this amazing series began, and I am truly grateful for its existence. It's the Game that made me care about story and narrative and world-building in a video game.

Better than all other valve games in terms of gameplay, not to mention everything else

I got to say, even though this is pretty old now, I'm really surprised how much I enjoyed this game. Looking forward to play the second one now.

Technically groundbreaking at release, however definitely struggles holding up in current day. I personally, have no nostalgia goggles on when playing this. I played to get a feel for the mechanics that made its way into CS1.6/Source/2.

Graphically, it holds up ok, controls are clunky at times, especially during parkour. Sometimes you're stuck on low health and you're basically hotline Miami'ing it. Story engaged me greatly, though I wish I got more of it as the combat because tiresome very quickly. Couple clipping bugs here and there which forced me into using noclip to stop a death loop.

Overall I'd recommend this, purely to see where it all started. By todays standard, it doesn't hold up too great, but playing what is essentially a CS beta is interesting. With nostalgia goggles on, I'm sure it would be better but honestly, it doesn't do it for me

Even though Half-Life looks and plays like a bland FPS game, it's a lot more than that. Half-Life tries not to force you into anything no cutscenes, no "failed" screen when you get caught in a place where you're supposed to be stealthy because of the billion enemies around you; instead of this, you just die.

The game gives you a lot of weapons and lets you do anything with them. You can try to play it like DOOM, but this will not work on normal and hard difficulty. You can lure enemies and use mines or bombs to kill them immediately, or you can use the crossbow to silently kill enemies. You can't finish the game with just one weapon. Trial and error is one of the game's strongest aspects. You need to solve some encounters like puzzles and beat them in the most efficient way to avoid running out of ammo or health for the next encounter.

Considering the age of the game, movement feels slippery and janky sometimes, parkour sections can be frustrating, but the option to save and load anytime you want makes it more bearable.

Storytelling can feel bad or lacking for gamers who are used to modern games that continuously try to show or remind you what’s happening around you in the most unnatural way, making you feel like some stupid kid with severe amnesia.

Half-Life is not like these games. Most of the time, you're clueless about what's happening around you, just like every other human and creature NPC in the game. Nobody is in this situation by choice they are all ordinary people. Every creature in the game is a pawn of someone else, like soldiers for the government and Xen creatures for the Nihilanth. Everyone is there because their employers put them there, even the most mysterious one, G-Man.

Has a a handful of parts where the mechanics don't work, and it's not perfectly polished. But, it's definetly a masterpiece in game design. Everything this game sets out to do, it does it almost flawlessly. Everyone should play it at least once.

So this game is slapping. The gist of this is: ability to FUCK from a thousand meters away with a pump-action shottie, aliens with beans (is that cool to say? is that a cool meme? did you laugh?), el balognah from barselona (bars for my debut rap single: To da top #selfpromo), a science experiment goes wrong...you know those mentos in coke videos?, big stinkin aliens that run real good and are kinnndddddddddaaaaaaaa scary, YOU ARE GORDAN FREAKMAN, usa military, zombie, car, and the last but certainly not least: it's a shooting game with crouch-jumping.

Cult classic, one of the most influencial games of its time, must-play for any FPS fans. Holds surprisingly well to this day. I've played through the campaign several times.

Wow this game was made like in the early 2000s or late 1990s but the graphics, mechanics, the story just feel so different to the games that were published around then. this is a very good game, definately a classic must play

was blast to play the old graphic help add to strangeness of the world game play is fun if not tad janky at time story is blast level design is top notch and atmosphere is so good sound track i mean come on its top tear actually what are you still doing here go get this game its usually goes on stale for next to nothing and if you use steam then i implore you to see game that in my opinion put valve on the map you wont regret it

Only reason I recommended is because of the story line. I personally was super shit at this game and hated every moment.