Review: Half-Life

Act 0: Black Mesa Inbound

When I was 5 years old, my family got our first home computer. The year was 1997. The computer was a Sony VAIO. I didn’t have a clue what a computer was at the time. When Dad booted up the computer that first time, I heard the Windows 95 boot up chimes, I saw the intro sequence of the VAIO-space software, and I was hooked. (Between the chimes for Windows 95 booting up and the iconic MacOS9 chime, the 90s truly had the most memorable startup sounds of all time)

Equally memorable would be all the software that came with that PC. Playing around in Paint, I spent so much time just using the brushes to write my name or to make a smiley face or simple drawing. Nobody knows what the selection iconography was trying to depict but it was so complicated and whimsical that it was my favorite tool. I’d just click and drag the box and move stuff around. I was introduced to the world of PC gaming from this first PC. I was captivated by Chip’s Challenge, Ski Free, Rodent’s Revenge, Hover, all the card games with the cool, customizable images on the back, and the classic 3D Pinball.

Every family had to have one of these elaborate computer desks in the 90s

These were just the games that were bundled with the computer. Soon I would learn the joy of seeing Mom or Dad coming home with a big box that software used to come in. Putt Putt, Freddie Fish, and Pajama Sam were the extent of my PC gaming library in my early years. As an elementary school aged kid, the more mature possibilities of shooters eluded me. Our computer did come with Mech Warrior 2 and my Dad would occasionally play it. But the PC was a budget and tax preparation machine for my father at the time. He never bought any more games for himself on the PC.

My uncle, in his early 20s (the oldest of my mother’s younger siblings) around the turn of the millennium, was an avid gamer. The best memories of visiting Grandma’s always included playing video games with my two uncles. As a small child, I was mostly interested in playing Mario and Donkey Kong on the Super Nintendo. And Tekken, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro on Playstation.

Grandma had their family computer in the corner in the dining room. Most of my life, I ignored it. There were adventures outside to go on with my aunts and sports and video games to play with my uncles. Occasionally I’d see my uncle on the computer and not think much of it. I figured he was doing his taxes or whatever 20 year olds do on the computer. One day, when I was 8 or 9, we were visiting Grandma and I thought I heard a familiar sound coming from the computer while my uncle was using it. The sound of wheels scraping across the concrete, metal clanging, and rock music playing in the background. It sounded like Tony Hawk. I had no idea that a computer could play a real game and not just edutainment games starring a purple convertible. He showed me a PC gaming magazine he had and showed me a demo disc that came with it. The demo was for Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2. I loved the game on Playstation and I asked if I could watch him. He even let me try to play. I spent the rest of the visit on the PC with my uncle as he proudly showed me his software collection. I remember him showing me the Namco arcade collection, a 999-games-in-1 shareware disc with games such as “Watch Out Willie!” and “Micro Man”, the PC port of Sonic R, Unreal Tournament, and this curious shooter game called Half-Life.

The THPS2 demo is archived over at the Internet Archive

Half-Life really intrigued me. Unlike other shooters of the era, it wasn’t loud, gibs-flying, run-and-gun mayhem. You spent more time with a crowbar than a gun. You run and jump like Mario, Crash, or Spyro as much as anything. On later visits, I didn’t care as much about Tony Hawk or the other games. I wanted to watch more Half-Life. My uncle would let me play the hazard course and part of the first act and I loved it. The early game monsters like the Hound Eyes and Bull Squids were mesmerizing. I never cared much for the jumpscares of the Head Crabs and the grotesque Zombies. The game would eventually get too intense for me around the level “Office Complex”. I loved the opening act of Half-Life, it was revolutionary to my young mind.

I hold these memories with endearing nostalgia. Not only was Half-Life revolutionary to gaming when it released in November of 1998; it also made a lasting impression on me. And yet, I never really made it past the first few levels. At home we never had a family computer that was fast enough to play 3D games like Half-Life (nor would have my parents agreed to get me it at that age). When we finally did, they no longer sold Half-Life at retail. I finally bought the game on Steam and PlayStation 2 years later. I played it off and on a few times. I never made it far before losing steam (pun not intended). Once I made it past the parts that I had nostalgia for other games and responsibilities became more important.

I wanted to play it all the way through. The timing was just never right. In November of 2023, Valve released their “making of” documentary on Youtube for the 25th anniversary of the release. I was hit with the nostalgic wave of memories of first seeing my uncle playing it on his beige Packard Bell. This was the motivation I needed to grab a controller and pop in the disc into the PS2.

Half-Life was never extraordinary because of its genre. The market had been full of “Doom Clones” for years by 1998. None of the mechanics in Half-Life were completely novel. Instead Half-Life took its shooter mechanics, other gameplay aspects, and level design and interwove them to create a narrative experience that breathed new (half-)life into the genre. Each act of Half-Life has its own gameplay focus that makes it feel like 3 types of games in 1. Act 1 sets the stage with its action thriller elements, exploring in the dark depths of an underground facility. Act 2 raises the shooter stakes, featuring skirmishes with both Aliens and HECU soldiers. And Act 3 a platformer as it explores the strange formations and low gravity of the border world Xen. Typically my ordinary reviews break up the game into 3 aspects such as gameplay, sound design, and graphics. I usually give each aspect a separate rating on a 5 star scale before giving my overall rating of the game. Half-Life is no ordinary game, however; it deserves a review format all its own. Each act of Half-Life is a showcase of the certain game design elements I usually consider. I find it appropriate then that I should rate each act of the game separately before giving my overall score.

Act 1: Unforeseen Consequences

In a “Boomer Shooter” like Doom or Quake, you just start the game with a gun and enemies in the first room and one objective. Find the Exit. If you wanted a story, you should have read it in the manual. Half-Life opens with a lengthy tram ride into Black Mesa, a government scientific research facility located in the desert. Credits roll while you ride into the depths of the game’s setting. Not only does it make the experience feel more like a movie opening than the opening of a typical video game, it establishes the atmosphere of unknown science and uneasy technology. Levels in Half-Life are completely interconnected and unbroken, only separated by a second or two of loading. Unlike other games, levels aren’t broken up into missions; disparate locations meant to be flashy set pieces broken up by cutscenes. Story events happen while the game unfolds in front of the player. Instead of taking control away from you as you play it, the level design informs you of the story. The tram ride ends and you are late for work. The NPCs let you know about it too. They act and talk in a very natural way that was impressive at the time. From these conversations you learn to put on the HEV suit and head to the test chamber. Throughout the game, NPCs react to the events happening around you. Scientists heal you when injured, guards fight alongside you. Friendly NPCs open locked doors, and keep you clued in on what’s next. Almost everything in the environment is interactable. Half-Life trains the player on how to use the environment to their advantage in its opening moments. To get to the test chamber you will have to open doors, elevators, and press buttons. Later, valves and levers require interaction to open doors, turn on systems, and solve the game’s puzzles. On your way to the test chamber, scientists mention a mysterious sample that the administrator insists to be analyzed at 105% power. Computers are literally exploding due to being pushed beyond their operating limits, culminating in the disaster that kicks off the first act.

After your test goes horribly wrong and alien monsters start filling Black Mesa, Half-Life uses thriller elements (you could consider them horror elements, if you are 8 like when I first played) as a clever device to introduce the early game monsters. Initially unarmed, you have no choice but run from the Head Crabs that start teleporting in. Soon you find the iconic crowbar and have a melee attack to fight back with. Head Crab Zombies take several melee hits to fight but if they manage to take out a guard you can pick up his handgun to handle them in a few shots. Hound Eyes and Bull Squids are tough to defeat with a melee attack but can be taken care of in a few well placed pistol rounds. Vortiguants, the first intelligent alien species you encounter, have a ranged electrical attack. They are best faced with the hand gun. Trying to escape the Black Mesa facility, you will be tested by the puzzles and hazards of the underground complex, jumping from box to box to make it across a big pit or making an impromptu staircase to get around blocked paths and locked doors. These platforming challenges increase in difficulty as the game progresses, preparation for the final act on the border world Xen. If you use wits to explore and solve these puzzles, it often results in being rewarded with additional ammunition and health power ups. The first act perfectly blends elements of shooter, thriller, and platformer, introducing them at a slower pace to help you get your footing. The setting, the atmosphere, the story all come together to get you hooked and invested to see what happens next. Act 1 is 4 ☢️s out of 5.

Act 2: Surface Tension

At the start of the second act, the promised rescue turns out to be a government massacre instead. Now instead of just fighting monsters, you are fighting soldiers. Grabbing equipment from the slain soldiers, your personal ordinance escalates alongside the rising threat of the hostiles. You’ll find grenades, a shotgun, an SMG, laser tripwire mines, remotely detonated satchel charges, and a high power revolver. The slow paced encounters of the early game monsters are now hardly a threat. Ammo conservation is less of a necessity. You can scavenge ammo from the bodies of your enemies. During this act you discover how good the gunplay really is. Almost every weapon has a secondary fire mode. The SMG has an underbarrel grenade launcher, the shotgun has a double tap that can fire 2 shells at once. If you didn’t know before, you’ll likely figure out that the pistol has an automatic fire mode that trades accuracy for fire rate.

Fire fights in this section of the game require fast aiming and good strategy. There are 3 factions between the player, the HECU soldiers, and the alien monsters. Every battle is almost like a puzzle that needs to be solved. You can hide in the shadows and let the soldiers and monsters duke it out, taking out the winner after they have been already damaged. You can use the environment to your advantage and toss a grenade or fire a few shots into some explosive crates or nuclear barrels and blow up your enemy. Or you can cause a distraction and funnel enemies into a trap of laser trip mines. You are often outnumbered and outmatched but Half-Life gives you the tools to find creative solutions in combat. The sheer number of options you have to implement a combat strategy means that every fight is fresh and fun.

The gunplay during this act really shows off how great the sound design in Half-Life is as well. The gun sounds are iconic. Weighty and crisp, loud enough to sound appropriately powerful but not with too much reverb or realism to take away from the game feel. The monster sounds are great too. A Hound Eye charging up its seismic beam attack sounds otherworldly and strikes you with a sense of urgency to try to take it down quickly before you take damage. The Head Crab screech will make your heart pound when you find yourself lost in the vents. The marine radio chatter can be heard when they are nearby and it is a great cue to prepare yourself for another firefight and make sure all your weapons are reloaded. The robotic intercom voice and the voice acting of the scientists and security guards are so memorable to me and make Black Mesa feel truly alive.

Just when you think you have become a super soldier, the game flips you on your head and takes away your arsenal. Slowed back down, you face more platforming challenges, the early game enemies become threats again but this time in more dangerous environments. You work on building up your arsenal to resume the fight against the military as the conflict between the aliens and the military has escalated even further. The HECU has deployed automatic machine gun turrets, tanks and air support in their fight against the alien forces and you. The escalation grants you access to even more advanced and unique weapons. Crossbow sniper rifles, rocket launchers, uranium powered experimental weapons, and alien weapons that can fire homing rounds around corners. Half-Life is at its most fun when you finally get access to the full arsenal and have challenging enemies worthy of battling with it. Act 2 has you going all over the facility. The different locations give you interesting battlefields to take in the sounds and good opportunities to use your new weapons. Act 2 is near perfect video gaming. 5 ☢️s out of 5.

Act 3: Xen

The final act begins as you approach the teleportation lab. The military has given up on you as a lost cause and the aliens are getting stronger. Earlier in the game, you were tested with your platforming skills. Act 3 is your final exam. Teleporters add a new wrinkle of timing and process-of-elimination to the platforming. Vortiguants and armored Alien Grunts are the majority of the enemies you face in Black Mesa from this point onward. The final act is definitely the most challenging of the 3 acts when it comes to combat.

The last remaining scientists in the Lambda teleportation lab discover that a powerful entity on the alien homeword, Xen, is keeping the portal open and sending across the alien invaders. You heal, recharge and gear up before making your last stand on Xen. You get access to the long jump as the Lambda team spins up the final teleporter as you reach the point of no return. Once the game reaches Xen, many players become turned off. I don’t agree with the people who say it isn’t worth playing. The pace of the game slows way down as the gravity becomes floaty as you try to hop between Xen’s floating landforms, but it is fascinating to see the Xen creatures in their natural habitats. Some of the earlier bosses that stuck out when they were teleported into Black Mesa are just part of the local flora and fauna in Xen. While traversing Xen, you have to face the game’s most difficult enemies while taking on the platforming challenges that its exotic geography provides. Half-Life does give you adequate resources and heals to be able to face the endgame but there isn’t much time left to catch your breath. The penultimate chapter of Half-Life, “Interloper”, returns the gravity to normal and has a lot fewer combat sections. Unfortunately it is a vertical platforming level. If there is a chapter that gets the most hate, it’s this one. Navigating this alien war machine factory is long, confusing, and everything is brown. You have to make many jumps over multiple levels and are punished by dying or falling down further in the level. Quick Save/Quick Load is definitely your friend in this level. Once you reach the very top of the factory, you find a teleporter to the final boss’s lair.

he final boss fight is as much of a puzzle as it is a final battle. The most satisfying part of the battle is figuring out the solution. He will summon enemies to fight for him while he fires his psychic energy at you. If hit, you either die or are teleported to a separate section where you are challenged to a short fight with enemies and a platforming section. Oh and by the way, the low gravity is back. These sections break up the fight in a way that is not very fun. The fight is it’s best if you can try to avoid getting teleported if possible. Once you find out his weakness and deliver the final blow, the game ends and Gordon is put into stasis until Half-Life 2. When I beat the game, I too, felt like going into stasis as I let the experience of the game wash over me. The conclusion of Half-Life feels great but the last 4 chapters are at best OK. Act 3 is a 3 ☢️s out of 5.

The So What

Half-Life was a revolutionary game when it came out. Its DNA is felt in cinematic shooters today. Without Half-Life we wouldn’t have games like Call of Duty, Bioshock, or Titanfall. Half-Life released in an era of overdone and stale “Boomer Shooters”. Instead, it offered a fresh cinematic experience in which the environment told the story. It wasn’t just run-and-gun bullet hell it was gaming heaven. The FPS was fun again. In 2025, Half-Life’s gameplay and story telling still holds up. After beating the PS2 version, I immediately wanted to boot up Half-Life on Steam and play it again on Hard. It isn’t a flawless game, the graphics are aged, the physics are a bit wonky, “On a Rail” and “Interloper” definitely drag on too long. But it’s a piece of gaming history that everyone should experience. I will definitely be playing Half Life 2 and its episodes very soon. Half-Life is a true classic, 4 ☢️s out of 5.