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- Retro Game Review - Half-Life (PC)
Retro Game Review - Half-Life (PC)
- By Adrian Tallent
- Published 10/4/2009
- Reviews
- Unrated
Adrian Tallent
A former student of Spartanburg Technical College and overall geek, I enjoy listening to music, reading books, playing video games, and watching movies. Sometimes I write about them.
View all articles by Adrian Tallent
The Run-Down
Graphics: Not very good compared to some other games, but at the time it came out it was more than adequate as a truly 3D first-person shooter. The environment actually looks better than the sprites used for the monsters and Black Mesa personnel (of which there are only a few, so they all look the same). The weapons look as they should, and the environment makes frequent use of rust and darker tones to enhance the overall feel of the game, lending to the world the distinct look of industrial decay.
Gameplay: One of the game's best qualities along with the story, the gameplay is actually pretty standard as far as first person shooters go, with the exception of the ingenious puzzles that the game will throw at you to solve. While there are locked doors that bar your way, you will never find yourself wandering around aimlessly in search of keys. There are machines to be activated, crates to be moved, makeshift platforms and much more. The monsters are menacing and the firearms are responsive and deal different amounts of damage. You will find yourself using each of your weapons about equally, as some are more effective in certain situations than others.
Sound: Sound in this game is fantastic. While there isn't any music aside from the occasional pulsing electronica sketch that plays during moments of high significance, the casual game sound effects are perfect for this game. Monsters sound just like they should, and in some cases it is the sound that actually makes them more frightening than they otherwise would be. The firearms sound pretty realistic, with most of the standard ballistic firearms echoing when you use them.
Even the alien weapons and more fantastical guns sound about how you would expect them to. Couple this with the environmental buzz of industrial equipment humming along in the background and there is much to be heard in this game. Some voice acting is present when Gordon interacts with various other survivors, and some of it sounds garbled when competing with all the other sounds; the game would probably have been much better with captions. Still, voice acting is great, with some of the best lines coming from Nihilanth and the G-Man.
Story: One of the game's best qualities along with the gameplay. The story is revealed to you in bits and pieces as you play, usually through interaction with NPC's or overhearing things said by enemies. By the time you reach the end of the game, you will have more questions than answers, but you will know just as much as Dr. Freeman does surrounding the events at Black Mesa. What tidbits the game does give you are tantalizing in a way similar to the television series "Lost". You will feel compelled to play the other games in the series, if for no other reason than to learn more about what really happened at the Black Mesa facilities, and who was pulling the strings behind these strange events.
Replay Value: Once you've beaten the game, there really isn't anything more for you to do. You might want to go back and play it again to see if you've missed anything, as there are a lot of little things hidden away behind the scenes, G-Man sightings and the like. However, you won't find any new material unless if you play the other games in the series.
Half-Life
Platform: Multiplatform (version reviewed is for the PC)
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Sierra
Graphics: Not very good compared to some other games, but at the time it came out it was more than adequate as a truly 3D first-person shooter. The environment actually looks better than the sprites used for the monsters and Black Mesa personnel (of which there are only a few, so they all look the same). The weapons look as they should, and the environment makes frequent use of rust and darker tones to enhance the overall feel of the game, lending to the world the distinct look of industrial decay.
Gameplay: One of the game's best qualities along with the story, the gameplay is actually pretty standard as far as first person shooters go, with the exception of the ingenious puzzles that the game will throw at you to solve. While there are locked doors that bar your way, you will never find yourself wandering around aimlessly in search of keys. There are machines to be activated, crates to be moved, makeshift platforms and much more. The monsters are menacing and the firearms are responsive and deal different amounts of damage. You will find yourself using each of your weapons about equally, as some are more effective in certain situations than others.
Sound: Sound in this game is fantastic. While there isn't any music aside from the occasional pulsing electronica sketch that plays during moments of high significance, the casual game sound effects are perfect for this game. Monsters sound just like they should, and in some cases it is the sound that actually makes them more frightening than they otherwise would be. The firearms sound pretty realistic, with most of the standard ballistic firearms echoing when you use them.
Story: One of the game's best qualities along with the gameplay. The story is revealed to you in bits and pieces as you play, usually through interaction with NPC's or overhearing things said by enemies. By the time you reach the end of the game, you will have more questions than answers, but you will know just as much as Dr. Freeman does surrounding the events at Black Mesa. What tidbits the game does give you are tantalizing in a way similar to the television series "Lost". You will feel compelled to play the other games in the series, if for no other reason than to learn more about what really happened at the Black Mesa facilities, and who was pulling the strings behind these strange events.
Replay Value: Once you've beaten the game, there really isn't anything more for you to do. You might want to go back and play it again to see if you've missed anything, as there are a lot of little things hidden away behind the scenes, G-Man sightings and the like. However, you won't find any new material unless if you play the other games in the series.
Half-Life
Platform: Multiplatform (version reviewed is for the PC)
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Sierra