For example, you may be firing away at random aliens, but then reach a point where you have to use that game’s innovative physics engine to, say, raise a lever to open a gate…The catch, of course, is that the lever is on the other side.

Half-Life 2 is the sequel to the popular Half-Life, and as such, has elements that relate to the original game. However, the game can be quite easily played without knowing any pre-background knowledge of the first game.
You play as Gordon Freeman, and you are awoken from some sort of stasis by a mysterious being known only as the “G-Man”. You leave the train that you are placed on to find a world taken over by an interstellar empire, and are roped in to a ragtag band of Resistance fighters, and that is where the game begins.
The game contains a large amount of different NPC’s such as these delightful fellas, who are all set to shove a gun butt or claw in your face.


It’s most defining feature is most probably its physics engine, which you play around with in the form of puzzles, and sometimes plain curiosity. Like, what will happen if you chuck a floating barrel under a submerged (and valuable) ammo crate?

Either way, Half Life 2 is a game that challenges the player to use his/her mind to solve what seem like simple challenges that turn into dodecahedron style nightmares. And, of course, there are many achievements, such as fighting through an entire level full of zombies with nothing but the Gravity Gun. 

All in all, Half Life 2 is a brilliant game which is playable by anyone that isn’t disturbed by zombies and less than excessive amounts of gore, and the mix of two genres will have most newborn PC gamers salivating at the mouth. A perfect entrée to the world of PC-and to an extent Valve gaming.

-Jason

Pros:

• Innovative, won't leave you bored.

Cons:

• Puzzles ridiculously challenging at times.
• Enemies aren't aren't jokes either.