20 years of Half-Life 2. Remembering one of the best shooters in history

On November 16, 2004, the second part of the Half-Life series hit the shelves. The development lasted for six years, and it was accompanied by difficulties and scandals. However, in the end, we got an excellent shooter that was ahead of its time. Today, we will recall why Half-Life 2 seemed like a brilliant project 20 years ago, and we will tell you how it is perceived today.

The original Half-Life was the debut project for Valve. In 1996, Gabe Newel and Mike Harrington founded their own studio. They set a goal — to release a first-person shooter with horror elements. To do this, they acquired the then-current engine of the first Quake. The game changed several concepts, but eventually came out two years later and turned out to be a real revolution in the genre. The main focus was on high-quality plot production using scripted scenes. This ensured the game's sales, and the approach itself was later used in almost all shooters.

In addition, the first Half-Life can be praised for the variety of locations and gameplay situations, as well as smart opponents and bosses, battles with which resemble solving puzzles. Moreover, the game surprised until the very end, because the action of the last levels unfolded in the parallel world of Xen, which lives by other laws.

By modern standards, the plot seems simple. A catastrophe occurs in the Black Mesa research laboratory, which is associated with the study of a strange crystal. As a result, portals open through which aliens arrive on Earth. And the military, instead of saving the scientists, simply eliminate the witnesses. The main character, Gordon Freeman, resists them and at the end of the game kills Nihilanth, who led the alien invasion.

You need to understand that in the 90s, shooters generally did without a full-fledged script. Therefore, even such a simple story was perceived as a real revelation. We can say that it was after Half-Life that they began to add a serious script to games of this genre.

The project received three add-ons that allow you to see what is happening through the eyes of other people. The DLC received high marks from the press, but many fans were waiting for a continuation of the main story. It was released only in 2004, six years after the first part.

Work on the Half-Life sequel began six months after the release of the first part. Gabe Newell wanted to revolutionize the genre again, so he spared neither money nor time. The game worked on its own Source engine, which was later used in third-party projects. During development, a variety of options were considered, including the use of a fire extinguisher and a flamethrower, the addition of several factions, including conscripts, workers and synthetic people, and female assassins could fight in the service of the Alliance. At E3, they showed blue hydras that could instantly kill the main character. The release was originally planned for late 2003, but in October, a raw version of the game was leaked online, which pirates recorded on blanks and sold as the official Half-Life 2. Gabe Newell decided to postpone the release for a year, get rid of unsuccessful developments and bring the project to a flawless state.

If Half-Life 2 had been released in 2003, it would have had virtually no competition. But 2004 turned out to be incredibly rich in high-quality shooters. In March, the first Far Cry was released, in April — the old-school Painkiller, in June — the innovative Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, in August — the hotly anticipated Doom 3, to which we dedicated a separate article. And if we take into account games for the original Xbox, we can also note Halo 2. Standing out against such a background was not easy. But Valve succeeded again.

The first thing I want to draw attention to is realistic physics. Valve was one of the first to make it work for gameplay. We are talking about puzzles using objects and the gravity gun, which allows you to attract objects and throw them back at enemies. This way you can kill opponents without wasting ammo, and also throw them at large grenade and mine stations.

Controlling a squad of fighters can hardly be called something unusual. But even here Half-Life 2 surprised, because we had countless hordes of antlions at our disposal, with the help of which we were offered to storm the enemy fortress. At the same time, the aliens will not be able to do all the work for you — you need to turn off the devices that scare away the aliens and constantly move forward.

If the events of the first part took place in laboratories and the world of Xen, then the action of the sequel unfolded on Earth. While Gordon Freeman was away, the planet was captured by aliens, they established a totalitarian regime and are slowly finishing off those who are still trying to resist. The main character meets people he knew from Black Mesa, leads the rebels and destroys the occupiers.

The script is simple, but it made an impression due to the atmosphere. At first, we have a classic dystopia in the spirit of George Orwell's «1984», then a horror about the living dead, which gives way to a fight with bugs like in «Starship Troopers», and what happens closer to the end of the story is completely reminiscent of «The War of the Worlds» by Herbert Wells.

With the change of locations, not only the atmosphere changes, but also the gameplay. The walking simulator in the first chapters turns into a lively shooter using vehicles. Battles with headcrabs and zombies are not at all like battles with Alliance fighters — you have to use improvised means, from circular saws and fuel cylinders to activating homemade traps. Battles with sand lions, which arrive again and again, will be replaced by the ability to control them. Fights on the streets of the city against ordinary opponents and huge tripods are conducted together with allies to whom you can give orders. The finale takes place in the Citadel, where the main character has only an enhanced gravity gun left from his weapons. But it is so powerful that it allows you to get rid of a large squad of enemy fighters in a couple of seconds.

Let's recall how things were in other projects of 2004. Doom 3 and Painkiller did not change during the entire passage, and Far Cry simply alternated open spaces with episodes in cramped laboratories. In The Chronicles of Riddick there were more unique situations, but they did not differ from each other as strikingly as in the Valve project. And although 20 years have passed since then, and we have seen hundreds of new shooters, Half-Life 2 still remains unrivaled in terms of diversity.

On June 1, 2006, the first add-on for Half-Life 2 was released, called Episode One. It simply completed the plot of the original game. A year and a half later, a more detailed Episode Two was released with new types of enemies and a lengthy story mode. Unfortunately, the announced third episode never went on sale. There is no need to even talk about Half-Life 3 — over the past two decades, this game has become a local meme, which many are waiting for, but no longer expect to see.

On March 23, 2020, Half-Life: Alyx appeared on Steam, a prequel to the second part of the series, which allows you to play as Alyx Vance. The game contains a lot of important plot information with a clear hint at the continuation of the main story. Unfortunately, Valve chose virtual reality headsets as a platform. However, with the help of fan mods, it can be launched without VR devices.

20 years is a huge period by the standards of the gaming industry. Of course, today Half-Life 2 does not produce the same wow effect as in 2004. However, due to the variety of gameplay, unusual game situations and a well-developed universe, it can still bring pleasure to shooter fans. Of course, now the second Half-Life is already old school, because here you need to monitor your health and armor, as well as look for first aid kits. Note that Valve regularly improves the game's picture, so we recommend playing it on a PC or Steam Deck.

If you have completed the original Half-Life 2 and both episodes, we recommend checking out Black Mesa. This is a high-quality remake of the first part, which is made using the technologies of the second.

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Have you played Half-Life 2? Or missed the game for various reasons, including your own age? Share your opinions in the comments!