Developed by Valve, Half-Life is a first-person action/adventure game that chronicles the aftermath of an experiment gone abysmally wrong at a decommissioned missile base. As a member of the experiment team, you have made an amazing breakthrough, an alarming discovery, and a stupid decision. You are surrounded by many recently deceased colleagues and extradimensional monstrosities that you've unwittingly helped create, not to mention the all-too-human government agents looking to cover up this top-secret fiasco by killing everyone involved. To add to the fun, an entire alien ecosystem - flora, fauna, hunters, predators, the works - has taken root in the base and flourished. Your mission: make your way through to the invaders' world, thwart their plans, get back home in one piece, and find a way to reconcile with the government spooks. You won't need to find them; they'll be looking for you.
Half-Life's world is really a world - no levels or stages here, just one continuous environment through which you can backtrack. But be warned: in this dynamic environment, the places you've been may not be the same upon your return; damp walls may have grown mossy, a handful of creatures left alone may have thrived and multiplied, and ugly situations may have gotten a whole lot worse.
Real-time scripted sequences add compelling plot-driven gameplay to the action; enter a chamber stealthily and you can observe patrols, experiments, discussions, and arguments in progress. Ease off the trigger finger when you encounter an alien and you may gather important clues. Or blow it away if you can, but be warned: from the craftiest military thug to the dumbest alien, the live members of Half-Life's population have the instincts to stay that way.
Half-Life is a satisfying, cinematic, thinking-person's shooter. Don't just go mindlessly pumping rounds into everything you encounter - there are lessons to be learned, and the life you spare may be your own.
STREET CRED
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