March 23, 2005 - Nearly seven years after the original groundbreaking entry into the first-person shooter market, Half-Life finally has a sequel. One of the best FPS titles ever released, Half-Life spawned many different variations and modifications, not to mention expansion packs. Yet after seven years, both the physics and graphics engine are definitely showing their age. Fortunately, that is where Half-Life 2, one of the most anticipated titles in recent history comes into play. Featuring some of the most intensive graphics ever produced, and a physics engine so realistic that it would baffle Einstein himself, Half-Life 2 is the defining benchmark for future titles in the genre.

It goes without saying that this has been one of the most anticipated titles in recent memory. Valve has been very secretive about the title throughout its development, and slowly key points began to emerge from the darkness. The story begins after the original; you are Gordon Freeman, awakened from a cryogenic sleep by the G-Man, your mysterious boss from the end of the Black Mesa adventure. The game opens on a train; Freeman is heading towards a repressed community called City 17. The city is patrolled by a clan of ominous looking guards, as depressed civilians walk lifelessly around the streets. The earth has been taken over by the Combine, a highly-advanced alien race, and as the plot unfolds you will discover more than you ever bargained for. As with the original, the storyline is linear and event driven, players are restricted to a fairly linear environment. If the game offered a more dynamic storyline with multiple endings similar to that of Deus Ex, it would be the ultimate combination, but with the complexity of the plot in Half-Life 2 it simply isn't possible. Albeit the storyline isn't quite as intriguing as the first, expect to see the Black Mesa facility in all its glory once again, and bump into a few familiar faces along the way.

Half-Life 2 begins a bit slowly. The installation footprint is massive, and Valve has taken a different route in distributing Half-Life 2. The software is available in a retail box or by digital download through their proprietary Steam platform. Steam is Valve's new authentication and copyright enforcement tool, allowing easy updates to the game and combining all of their future products into one digital distribution channel. Unfortunately, with this kind of simplicity, issues are bound to arise. Steam has been known to be troublesome, with reports of users unable to connect to the servers during high-traffic periods. I've only experienced this a few times, and it seems to resolve itself after a few attempts. These types of problems are especially troublesome considering every player must register through Steam, including those with the retail-box. The game must be authenticated with Valve before it is launched, even for single-player action. Steam has its advantages though, and once all of its minor quirks are worked out, it will be a much more reliable system to work with. After the lengthy install, a long process of decrypting of the data files begins, and finally the launch. Expect an installation time of at least fifteen to thirty minutes, perhaps more depending on your system specifications.

Unlike the previous version of Half-Life, the retail version did not initially launch with multiplayer support. Valve has recently added a Half-Life: Deathmatch mode available through Steam where players can step online and battle it out with all the new weaponry and physics. Unfortunately, at this point the online gameplay is a bit “laggy” due to the overhead of such a highly advanced graphics and physics engine, but is highly addictive nonetheless.

Graphically, Half-Life 2 is one of the most advanced titles ever produced. Environments are extremely-detailed, and facial expressions are second-to-none. The amount of time and detail put into each character, especially the body language and facial detail are outstanding. Characters lips move and their faces twitch realistically as they speak, and their facial expressions convey a sense of feeling and emotion. As with the character models, the environments are highly detailed as well. The lighting effects for some of the areas are unfortunately a bit dark, but textures and the variety of different landscapes are superb. Reflective water effects are absolutely mind-blowing. Visuals are one of the strongest elements in Half-Life 2, and that is an understatement.