Every now and then a game comes along that has such a significant impact on the gaming industry as to redefine a specific genre. While some genres remain relatively stable, few have seen as much innovation as that of the first-person shooter. This is probably because the genre is still fairly young, beginning with “Wolfenstein 3D” back in the day and then “Doom”, which defined the genre and paved the way for other games which used the same formula. Most of these games were focused around navigating through corridors and shooting anything that moved with an assortment of weapons at your disposal. Sometimes keys would need to be acquired before moving on to the next area, usually through the deaths of powerful monsters holding or guarding them.
Half-Life redefined the genre by doing things differently. Instead of mindlessly gunning down wave after wave of monsters, the game makes you think by impeding your progress through the application of several clever and dangerous puzzles instead of the usual locked door and key system that Doom started. In Half-Life, players are required to think on their feet and react quickly to enemies, which can teleport in randomly as well as blockade themselves in areas with lots of cover.  Couple this with an intriguing story that is engaging and unfolds as you play without ever being truly revealed and you have on your hands the science fiction phenomena known as Half-Life.

The Half-Life story begins with Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist and graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is just an average day for the scientist, despite coming into work a little late. Today is the day he is scheduled to help the scientists in the research lab test a pure sample of some hazardous material of unknown origin. Upon setting the material in the test chamber however, things go horribly wrong, and the energy funneled into the material triggers a catastrophic “resonance cascade” event that not only destroys the lab, but opens a portal to another world that draws the attention of unfriendly aliens. Having survived the destruction of the labs, Freeman must make his way through the ruined Black Mesa complex in the midst of an alien invasion and try to figure out how to put a stop to it. Complicating matters are the U.S. marines, which have been given orders to kill anyone found at the labs.

The first game in what would become an extensive series in an epic science fiction story, little tidbits as to what actually is going on are revealed as you play, leaving the player to discover the story as he or she progresses through the game. The end result is that several facets are still open to interpretation as the story is never fully revealed to Dr. Freeman (and thus, you, the player). Possibilities as to why the aliens are invading are hinted at, but never revealed, even as you face the mastermind behind the invasion at the end of the game. And then there is the enigmatic G-Man, who can be found behind the scenes occasionally as you make your way through the game. It is clear that he has had a hand in the events leading up to the resonance cascade, though exactly how or why is never revealed. There are many theories regarding the whole story behind the Half-Life series of games, and speculation among gamers of this popular series is rampant, leading more credence to the game’s status as one of the legendary ones.