Half life
Format : PC
Review by : REWAGE
Players : 1 - 32
Type : 1st person shooter
I know many of you out there, if you haven't played Half Life, are annoyed with all the hype that the game got. Well I am here to explain from a player's point of view why Half Life is such an exciting and wonderful game. I will also try to explain why Half Life is such an advancement in gaming technology.
Once again this review is from a gamer's/player's point of view so please bear with me.
I know there are many of you who are thinking, "How can anyone who plays First Person Shooters (FPSs) have not played Half Life yet?” Well I know a few people who haven't played the game because they didn't have money when it came out and now they just don't see any reason to play a FPS. Well trust me if you enjoy detailed game play, intreguing plots and you think that a FPS game can't have these features, well just play Half Life. Trust me it will feel as if you are dropped into a character in a movie. You have to relearn how to win and I must admit I wasn't fully prepared for that. I thought, "Killing things, ooh ok this is just going to be another FPS". Then I bought the game. When you don't have the fire power to kill a monster what do you do? Well let’s just say I was taught a lesson in alien disposal. Trust me, you will love the game and the immersive environment.
Why is this game so different?: Well this is where it gets interesting. The environment is realistic in the way that I had never seen before in a FPS. This was largely due to the scripted sequences and the Artificial Intelligence (AI). Normally in a FPS there have to be cut scenes with movies to develop a plot. In Half Life the movies are "performed" by other characters and during these sequences of actions you as a character are free to move around in most cases. There are a few cases that the movie is very important so you are only allowed to look around, but those situations are few and far between. Now that there is an environment that pulls you into the game, the game has to become interesting to hold the player and keep him/her there. This is done with a plot with lots of questions, and an Artificial Intelligence that keeps the environment intriguing. The Plot is detailed and in-depth you can get the scoop by:
The AI is the part I find very interesting. There are different types of monsters/aliens naturally, but unlike Quake's AI, Half Life has several different styles of enemies and they don't have a perfect set reaction. If an enemy is in a position to attack they do, if they will most likely loose miserably, then they may look for help. Situational reactions seem to give enemies a frightening realism. There are the overconfident ones that run at you while firing/attacking. Then there are the defensive characters that run away to find others to assist them in destroying you. These defensive enemies are the most dangerous because if they get away, you may have to deal with a swarm of enemies instead of just the one or two. Then there are the intelligent Black Ops troops that take shots, run away, shoot from around crates, jump, and hide, then attack again. These Black Ops characters, are deadly and frightening quick.
Now there is another part to Half Life I find particularly interesting. It is all 1 huge level. Unless a ceiling collapses behind you and blocks of a doorway you just went through, or some similar catastrophe, you can always go back. This is done with strategic loading points. You may think these loading points to be a nuisance during your early days of playing, but they are a great second or 2 break when you have been playing for several hours. It is just enough time to massage your hands and get ready to go again. The Technology behind Half Life and the editing tools that come with the game are going to push huge advancements in Role Playing Gaming and FPS gaming. With Q3 Eye-candy and Half life functionality and great game play I see great things in the future of computer games.
Sound :
8/10
Gameplay :
10/10
Difficulty :
10/10
Graphics :
9/10
9/10
Overall :
Review by : REWAGE