For the first time in what feels like a million years, I play a game on PC. This was a game I've been meaning to properly play through for a very long time, and the opportunity just so happened to present itself recently. BACKGROUND:
As I may have pointed out numerous times before (or not; I don't keep track of my ramblings), I didn't grow up playing games on PC. Most of my childhood was spent playing games on consoles and Nintendo handhelds, so for majority of my early life, I didn't know shit about PC games. I wouldn't learn about and get into this facet of gaming until I was older, and even now, there's still games I've yet to play. The Half-Life series is certainly one of the games that fit into such a category, but then again, I was a toddler when it came out, so it couldn't be helped that I missed out on it. I did learn of it eventually, but most of my experience with the games have either been very brief, or was spent in other games that were deeply connected to the series (like Counter Strike or Garry's Mod). For all intents and purposes, this is my first proper playthrough of the game. PLOT: You are Gordon Freeman, a scientist who works at the Black Mesa Research Facility, a cutting edge facility developing all sorts of incredible technology and making breakthroughs in various scientific fields. The game kicks off when a seemingly routine experiment goes completely awry and sends the entire facility into chaos. It seems what you've done has set loose a horde of aliens into your world, and you'll have to fight all throughout the facility to survive... and hopefully take out the alien menace. I love sci-fi stories, and Half-Life is a fantastic example of one in game form. It has some horror elements, gets into some conspiracy territory in the latter half, and the sci-fi shit (like the other dimension, all the cool tech, the creatures) was all cool. I can't say this for sure since I have no memory of 1998, but from what I can tell, there weren't many games with this complex a narrative that wasn't a fantasy game or an RPG (or both). If that's the case, I can see why this game captivated audiences at the time. The way the story is told was also rather unprecedented in that it was seamlessly woven into the gameplay. Instead of interspersing cutscenes between gameplay sections, or assaulting you with text boxes, Half-Life keeps you in control of Gordon as scripted sequences happen around you to advance the story, adding a level of immersion that didn't really exist at the time. It really feels like you're an active part of the story (or, at least, have a stronger connection with Gordon's experience thanks to your agency within the game) because of this, and perhaps that's one of the reasons why this game left such a lasting impression on people. The game doesn't have much in the way of characters, as Gordon Freeman is a silent protagonist, all the NPCs are a bunch of no-names who share the same four models (they do have important dialogue and occasionally say funny shit, though), the enemies are pretty much fodder (except perhaps for the human enemies, who actively communicate with one another), and the one guy who could be potentially interesting doesn't show up until the end. I personally didn't find this a problem, but if you're a stickler for narratives, you may find this a sticking point. PRESENTATION: Early 3D era games can be hit or miss when it comes to aging gracefully, and Half-Life leans towards "hit" for the most part. The models, while clearly on the low-poly side, look decently clean, though the textures do show their age a tad when you look up close. Designs vary greatly in quality depending on the context (e.g. NPC designs are repetitive, alien designs are freaky in a good way, and the locations don't look generic). The music is usually more on the nuanced end of the spectrum, but in big moments, you get an assortment of techno jams to tap your foot to. The sound design in general is pretty impressive, with a good variety of audio cues (including plenty of alien gurgles that warn you of impending doom) and a great sense of volume in relation to space. GAMEPLAY: As established, Half-Life is a first person shooter. The goal is simple: move around, shoot, and try not to get shot. Since this is a single player experience, the usual objective of kill everything isn't necessarily the endgame; there's plenty you have to do to succeed. Instead of arena-type areas like the ones you see in multiplayer FPS games, Black Mesa is a sprawling complex filled with nooks and crannies to explore. The game will mostly have you traveling from point A to point B, but there are instances where you have to backtrack, and there are areas that make you feel like you're in a Counter Strike death match. Overall, it's a blast to go through the entire facility, and the fact that it's one continuous experience (as opposed to a game split up into individual levels) makes the journey more impactful. To progress through the game, you have to do more than just shoot some aliens. There will be some puzzle solving (ranging from basic switch-pulling, to more ingenious things like using tank cannons to blow open a new path), a few escort missions (where you have to escort a guard or scientist to open specific doors), a touch of platforming (jumping around, basically), and a lot of looking around (the next place to go is often not in plain sight). A good FPS is defined by its arsenal, and you have an impressive one at your disposal here. In terms of regular firearms, you can acquire a basic pistol, a revolver, a shotgun, an assault rifle, and a rocket launcher. While you can get by sticking to your favorite weapon, all these weapons excel in various situations, and I found myself switching between weapons regularly. Some of these weapons even have an alternate firing mode when you hit right-click (e.g. the shotgun gets a super shot that uses two shells at once, and the assault rifle has a grenade launcher). You also have access to a crowbar (your melee attack), a scoped crossbow (the closest thing you have to a sniper rifle), and an assortment of explosives. You have regular grenades, trip mines (which explode when you cross the beam of light it emits) and remote explosives (click once to drop, click again to detonate). It always bugs me when I never find an opportunity to use secondary weapons, but thankfully, there are plenty of great situations to resort to explosives. The most interesting weapons in your arsenal are, unsurprisingly, the sci-fi shit. As you progress through the game, you can acquire special weapons developed within Black Mesa, and they are a lot of fun to use. What's more, you can even weaponize certain aliens, like the Snarks (little bug things that relentlessly chase down and munch on the nearest creature) and the hornet gun (it shoots hornets, believe it or not). I kinda wish they were more prominent because they're a lot of fun, but the fact that ammo for these weapons is rare makes them feel all the more special. Gordon is pretty much just a regular guy with all these weapons, but he has one more tool that helps even the odds against the alien incursion: the HEV suit. This hazmat suit can be charged to essentially give you armor, allowing you to take more hits and survive certain hazards without losing health. It can also be upgraded to give you a long jump, which is cool until you realize it's kind of weird to execute. Power-ups are strewn about the facility, and unless you're a guns-blazing shoot-everything-on-sight maniac, you'll rarely be strapped for ammo. There are also health kits and recharge stations for the HEV suit where you can replenish health and armor respectively. I love that the devs tried to make sense of an inherently video game concept like power-ups by adding a sense of logic to their placement; you can get pistol ammo from dead security guards, and rifle ammo from the soldiers you just killed, for instance. It's one of those things that most people won't fault you for if you don't justify it, but the fact that they went the extra mile is commendable. The enemies come in all shapes and sizes, from the iconic headcrabs, to annoying Vortigaunts. Most of them are no joke (some can kick your ass one-on-one, while others gang up on you with ease), and figuring out the best weapon for dispatching a room of enemies is always satisfying. Enemy variety plateaus once you're deep into the game, but increasingly difficult enemy placement in later areas, plus their uncanny ability to work together in groups do more than enough to compensate. In addition, you will also encounter human enemies, such as trigger-happy soldiers (who are somehow god-tier at throwing grenades at you) and what appear to be ninja-looking assassins. There are also automated sentries, attack helicopters, and tanks that will absolutely wreck you. There are a few bosses in the game, but the fun thing about some of them is that the way to beat them is by solving a puzzle as opposed to laying into them with pure firepower. For example, one big bad alien requires you to lure them into a generator and electrocute them, and doing so unlocks the rest of the area. It's a clever way to handle level progression that both rewards your ability to use brains over brawn and keeps the flow of the story seamless. The last few bosses do require you to fight them the old fashioned way, though that's still fun in a cathartic sense (going full Rambo on some alien bastard's face is never not satisfying). Although the game pretty much takes place in one location, there's still plenty of variety in terms of visuals and gameplay. Many areas are your typical corridors and rooms situation, but there are sections where you swim through flooded sewers, scale ladders, weave through minefields, and even use teleportation devices. Hazards are equally varied, as you have to brave through electrified platforms, pools of radioactive waste, and other unique ways to die. As mentioned, there are a few platforming sections as well, and they're the moving platform kind (i.e. have fun falling to your death at least three times). The only gripes I have in terms of gameplay are the loading zones (which really kill the flow of the game, but I get why they're there), and the somewhat slippery movement (this is especially annoying in platforming sections). I'd also like to give a special mention to ladders, which are irritating to navigate. Once you're done with the ~10 hour campaign, there is little else to do in Half-Life. Most of the secrets you'll encounter are stuff like extra ammo or health, so you're better off finding them on the first run-through as opposed to playing the game again just to see those secrets. The Steam version also has multiplayer, but considering CS: GO is free to play these days, I don't really see a point in checking this mode out unless you're into the novelty of reliving the olden days of late '90s multiplayer FPS action. VERDICT: After spending my weekend playing through Half-Life, it was easy to see why it's still regarded as one of the all-time FPS greats. It weaves its intriguing sci-fi tale with gameplay in a seamless manner, features an expansive, dynamic environment to explore, gives you a good variety of weapons and tons of enemies to use them on, and boasts presentation that still kinda holds up today. There's no doubt in my mind that Half-Life is still a fantastic game in 2020. This is another one of those games I'd call "essential"; that is, this is a game that made a huge impact and left an indelible mark in gaming history. I'd argue that "essential" games like this one are games one must absolutely check out (especially if you're just getting into games), as they are historically significant, and they tend to be great games on their own. If you haven't already, you owe it to yourself to play Half-Life at least once. Here's a link to the game's Steam page. Go on: https://store.steampowered.com/app/70/HalfLife/ - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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