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The use of physics extends into combat with the gravity gun. This unique weapon plays a crucial function throughout the game, granting the player an unprecedented amount of creativity in its use, such as picking up and throwing objects at enemies, holding objects indefinitely for use as makeshift shields, grabbing health and ammunition from out of reach places, returning enemies' [[hand grenade|grenades]], building makeshift bridges, or manipulating objects through [[List of Combine non-combat technology in Half-Life 2#Forcefield generators|Combine forcefields]].
The use of physics extends into combat with the gravity gun. This unique weapon plays a crucial function throughout the game, granting the player an unprecedented amount of creativity in its use, such as picking up and throwing objects at enemies, holding objects indefinitely for use as makeshift shields, grabbing health and ammunition from out of reach places, returning enemies' [[hand grenade|grenades]], building makeshift bridges, or manipulating objects through [[List of Combine non-combat technology in Half-Life 2#Forcefield generators|Combine forcefields]].


[[Vehicle]]s are another major gameplay addition. The player has the ability to drive two vehicles during the single player campaign; an [[air boat]], which Gordon uses to navigate through the canal network, and a [[dune buggy]] which Gordon uses to get to Nova Prospekt. The air boat is initially unarmed, but is later mounted with a Combine weapon from a downed [[List of Combine combat technology in Half-Life 2#Hunter-chopper|hunter-chopper]]. The buggy is armed with a [[List of weapons in Half-Life 2#Tau Cannon (Gauss Gun)|Gauss Gun]] similar to the one found in the original ''Half-Life''.
[[Vehicle]]s are another major gameplay addition. The player has the ability to drive two vehicles during the single player campaign; an [[air boat]], which Gordon uses to navigate through the canal network, and a [[dune buggy]] which Gordon uses to get to Nova Prospekt. The air boat is initially unarmed, but is later mounted with a Combine weapon from a downed [[List of Combine combat technology in Half-Life 2#Hunter-chopper|hunter-chopper]]. The buggy is armed with a [[List of weapons in Half-Life 2#Tau Cannon (Gauss Gun)|Tau Cannon]] similar to the one found in the original ''Half-Life''.


The game also integrates [[Tutorial#Computing|tutorial]]-like tasks in the storyline itself (but no longer includes separate tutorial levels featured in the original) to allow familiarization of the game's mechanics and weapons for players as they go. Several such examples include an early incident in game where a Civil Protection unit orders the player to "pick up" a tin can and "throw it" in the trash can, and Alyx Vance's introduction of the gravity gun at Black Mesa East.
The game also integrates [[Tutorial#Computing|tutorial]]-like tasks in the storyline itself (but no longer includes separate tutorial levels featured in the original) to allow familiarization of the game's mechanics and weapons for players as they go. Several such examples include an early incident in game where a Civil Protection unit orders the player to "pick up" a tin can and "throw it" in the trash can, and Alyx Vance's introduction of the gravity gun at Black Mesa East.

Revision as of 09:57, 14 July 2006

Half-Life 2
Box art for the PC version featuring Gordon Freeman. Two other box art images are available
Developer(s)Valve Corporation
Publisher(s)Vivendi Universal (expired)
International Valve Corporation (Steam)
EngineSource engine
Platform(s)PC Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
ReleaseInternational November 16, 2004 (Steam)
United States November 16, 2004 (Windows)
Europe November 25, 2004 (Windows)
Australia December 21, 2004 (Windows)
United States November 15, 2005 (Xbox)
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer (PC only)

Half-Life 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game and the sequel to Half-Life, developed by Valve Corporation. It was released on November 16, 2004 following a protracted five-year development cycle[1] during which the game's source code was leaked to the Internet. The game garnered very positive reviews and received critical acclaim[2] [3] [4], earning over 35 Game of the Year (2005) awards[5].

Taking place in and around the fictional City 17 sometime in the near future, Half-Life 2 follows the scientist Gordon Freeman. Dr. Freeman is thrust into a dystopian environment in which the fallout (so to speak) of the Black Mesa Incident has fully come to bear upon human society. Freeman is forced to fight against increasingly unfavorable odds in order to survive. In his struggle, he is joined by various allies, including fellow Black Mesa colleagues, oppressed citizens of City 17, and the vortigaunts.

The game uses the Source game engine coupled with a heavily modified version of the Havok physics engine. Half-Life 2 has been critically acclaimed for advances in computer animation, sound, narration, computer graphics, artificial intelligence (AI) and physics. To date, over four million copies of Half-Life 2 have been sold[6]. Roughly 25 percent of all Half-Life 2 copies have been purchased using the Steam content delivery service; their exact number is between 750,000 and one million, depending on whether they are included in the figure of four million[7]. Overall, the Half-Life franchise, including Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat, has seen over 15 million sales.[8]

Story

Template:Spoiler

Prologue

The original Half-Life, released on November 20, 1998, largely took place at a remote civilian and military laboratory called the Black Mesa Research Facility. During an experiment, researchers at Black Mesa accidentally caused a "resonance cascade" which ripped open a portal to an alien world called Xen. Creatures from Xen flooded into Black Mesa via the portal and started to kill anyone in sight. The player took on the role of Gordon Freeman, one of the research scientists involved in the accident, guiding him in his attempt to escape the facility. At the end of the game, Gordon was extracted by a mysterious figure colloquially known as the G-Man who "offered" him employment. Freeman was subsequently put into stasis by the G-Man.

Half-Life canon dictates that Gordon Freeman either agreed or was not given a real option in regards to the G-Man's ultimatum. Half-Life 2 picks up the story with the G-Man taking Freeman out of stasis and inserting him on a train en-route to City 17 an indeterminate number of years after the Black Mesa Incident. Official sources are conflicting about the actual length of this intermission - a story fragment written by author Marc Laidlaw for the development team puts the intermission at ten years[9], while Half-Life 2: Episode One's website puts this intermission as "nearly two decades" after the end of the events of Half-Life[10].

Plot

Main article: Half-Life series storyline § Half-Life 2
File:800px-Breen1HL2.jpg
When Doctor Kleiner's teleporter malfunctions, Gordon is momentarily transported to Doctor Breen's office.

At the start of the game, the G-Man speaks to Gordon Freeman as part of a hallucination-like vision and is pulled out of stasis. The world has been overtaken by aliens known as the Combine[11]. Gordon meets up with Barney Calhoun and sets for Doctor Isaac Kleiner's lab while being chased by Civil Protection. Gordon eventually meets Alyx Vance and is taken to Doctor Kleiner's lab. At the lab, an attempt to teleport Alyx to Black Mesa East works, but the teleporter fails for Gordon and alerts the Combine of Gordon's arrival to City 17. Barney instructs Gordon to take the city's canals to get to Eli's lab[12].

While navigating the city's canals, Gordon is chased by the Combine on foot until being outfitted with an air boat at a rebel outpost [13]. However, the air boat is soon spotted by the Combine and pursued by a hunter-chopper assault helicopter. Using a salvaged Overwatch hunter-chopper turret, Gordon manages to take down the pursing helicopter[14]. He arrives at Black Mesa East and meets Doctor Eli Vance and Doctor Judith Mossman, as well as rejoining Alyx. Alyx gives him a tool originally developed for handling hazardous materials called the Zero-Point Energy Field Manipulator (also known as the gravity gun) and instructs Gordon on its use while also introducing D0g, a giant "pet" robot. The lab is attacked by the Combine, forcing Gordon to escape along an old tunnel leading to Ravenholm[15].

A group of Antlions attacking Gordon.

A Combine shelling caused Ravenholm to be overrun with headcrabs and zombies, with Father Grigori as the last human resident of Ravenholm. Grigori helps Gordon through Ravenholm and ultimately leads him to the dockyards outside City 17[16]. Freeman is alerted by Alyx through radio that Eli has been captured and is being held in Nova Prospekt[17]. Freeman travels to Nova Prospekt with a dune buggy, helping down a Combine gunship after meeting Colonel Odessa Cubbage at another resistance base, who gives him an RPG launcher. The journey is made more difficult due to Antlions and an Antlion Guard. A vortigaunt extracts a pheropod from the corpse and gives it to Gordon, allowing him to command them[18].

At Nova Prospekt, Freeman searches for Eli[19]. Alyx joins with Gordon again, and together they find both Eli and Doctor Judith Mossman (now discovered to be a Combine spy). Mossman creates a distraction and teleports herself and Eli into the Citadel, while Gordon and Alyx teleport themselves to Doctor Kleiner's lab. A malfunction in the equipment causes them to arrive at Doctor Kleiner's lab a week after they teleported[20]. During this lost week, the resistance has considerably strengthened. Gordon leads fighters towards the Citadel to free Doctor Vance while Alyx helps Doctor Kleiner escape the lab. Later, Alyx briefly rejoins and accompanies Gordon in a battle to disable a Combine power generator, but she is subsequently captured by Combine forces[21]. After reaching Barney, Gordon shuts down a suppression device blocking access to the Citadel and brings down a pack of Striders[22].

File:800px-City17HL2.jpg
Resistance fighters help Gordon take down a strider.

Gordon enters the Citadel through an underground passage. All of his weapons are destroyed or removed by a "confiscation field", save the gravity gun. The field instead strengthens the gravity gun, and using this Gordon wreaks havoc upon the Citadel[23]. Freeman enters a containment apparatus, which brings him face-to-face with Doctor Breen. Doctor Judith Mossman is with Breen, and he summons Eli and Alyx, who are being held in similar devices. As Breen threatens the Vances, Judith finally turns against him. Breen manages to escape to a "Dark Energy Reactor" at the top of the Citadel with the intent of teleporting him away from Earth. Gordon and Alyx pursue him, and Gordon destroys the reactor, both to depower the Citadel and to prevent Breen's escape. This triggers a massive explosion in which Alyx and Gordon are imperiled.[24] The story continues from this point in Half-Life 2: Episode One.

Template:Endspoiler

Narration

Throughout the entire game, Freeman never speaks, and the action is viewed through his eyes only (i.e., there are no cut scenes).

There has been some criticism[25] of these narrative holdovers from Half-Life, since they effectively limit how much of the backstory is explained. Due to the lack of cut scenes, the player never directly sees what has happened in Gordon's absence. Ultimately, it's not clear to what extent Gordon exists as a separate character outside of the player's influence. Since the start of Half-Life, Valve has made sure that the player's and Gordon's experience are one and the same. An example of Valve's player strategy is shown during the scene in Eli's lab. Investigation of certain props (most notably the newspaper board) triggers Eli to give some explanation to their meaning and history, thus indicating that Gordon presents emotions that the NPCs can detect[15]. These minor events may have been included to mirror the player's possible sense of curiosity, thus further merging the identities of Gordon and the player. Some of the All-Knowing Vortigaunt's enigmatic comments in the game seem to indicate this concurrent-identity phenomenon.

The ending of Half-Life 2 is also very similar to that of the original: after completing a difficult task against seemingly overwhelming odds, Gordon is extracted by the G-Man. Freeman is smugly congratulated and told that further assignments should follow. The fate of many of the major characters, such as Alyx, Eli, and Judith, go unexplained. Very few, if any, of the questions raised by Half-Life are answered, and instead several new ones are presented. The identity and nature of the G-Man remains a mystery.

Setting

File:800px-Metrocop GScott.jpg
A Civil Protection officer attacking Gordon. In the background is an example of the cityscape showing the Eastern European style, mixed with elements of Combine architecture.

The environments in Half-Life 2 are varied, ranging from the Eastern European-styled City 17 and surrounding areas, to the massive Combine Citadel. There is a general Eastern European "feel" present throughout the human-populated areas, and several hints indicate that City 17 is based on Sofia, Bulgaria, the hometown of the art director of Half-Life 2, Viktor Antonov. Antonov wrote that Eastern Europe was favored as a setting for the game as it is capable of depicting a combination of both new and old architecture, creating a city with history; "gothic themes associated with Prague and vampires" were also overlooked in favor of a different aspect of the region[9].

City 17 has both a general resemblance to Sofia as well as frequent appearance of Bulgarian words (written in the Cyrillic alphabet) on signs and graffiti throughout the game (although some of these are words in other Slavic languages as well). One clear example is "цимент" ("cement") written across the top of some large buildings in Ravenholm and City 17 - the only language that spells this word in this way, using the Cyrillic alphabet, is Bulgarian. Many old cars scattered throughout the game are similar to ones commonly found in Eastern Europe, such as Moskvitchs, Trabants and Volgas. Also, during the game, Gordon comes to a Resistance settlement called "New Little Odessa." Odessa is a major city located on the coast of Ukraine, approximately 500 miles from Sofia.

Father Grigori has a name common to Eastern European countries and an accent that is stereotypically Eastern European. The naming of City 17 itself is similar to the Soviet practice of numbering secret closed cities rather than naming them. However, in addition to incorporating Eastern European elements, examples of Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Finnish and French influences also exist, suggesting that the setting is something of a montage of European locations.

Gameplay

File:800px-Half-Life 2.jpg
Navigating through the canals on the air boat, Gordon comes under attack from a Combine hunter-chopper.

Half-Life 2's gameplay is broadly similar to that of the original. Players make their way through a linear series of levels, encountering both human troops and hostile alien creatures. As in Half-Life, the gameplay is broken up with a series of puzzles; however, Half-Life 2 includes physics-based puzzles. For example, one puzzle requires the player to turn a seesaw-like lever into a ramp by placing cinder blocks at one end.

The use of physics extends into combat with the gravity gun. This unique weapon plays a crucial function throughout the game, granting the player an unprecedented amount of creativity in its use, such as picking up and throwing objects at enemies, holding objects indefinitely for use as makeshift shields, grabbing health and ammunition from out of reach places, returning enemies' grenades, building makeshift bridges, or manipulating objects through Combine forcefields.

Vehicles are another major gameplay addition. The player has the ability to drive two vehicles during the single player campaign; an air boat, which Gordon uses to navigate through the canal network, and a dune buggy which Gordon uses to get to Nova Prospekt. The air boat is initially unarmed, but is later mounted with a Combine weapon from a downed hunter-chopper. The buggy is armed with a Tau Cannon similar to the one found in the original Half-Life.

The game also integrates tutorial-like tasks in the storyline itself (but no longer includes separate tutorial levels featured in the original) to allow familiarization of the game's mechanics and weapons for players as they go. Several such examples include an early incident in game where a Civil Protection unit orders the player to "pick up" a tin can and "throw it" in the trash can, and Alyx Vance's introduction of the gravity gun at Black Mesa East.

Characters and creatures

Although Gordon battles through much of Half-Life 2 alone, he is assisted at times in several places by friendly allies. For the most part these are human members of the resistance, but Gordon is also helped by vortigaunts and later Antlions. This latter insectoid species is new to Half-Life 2 and is encountered first as a fiercely territorial foe, but is later co-opted into acting as an abundant and obedient ally. At several key locations, Gordon also meets up with, and fights alongside, more significant non-player characters like Alyx Vance, Barney Calhoun and Alyx's robot, D0g.

Many familiar enemies from Half-Life return in this game, such as headcrabs, barnacles, and headcrab zombies. However, the majority of the game is spent fighting the Combine, who wield large military forces against Gordon and the people of City 17. Combine forces are varied and consist of modified humans, biomechanical machines, and robotic weapons.

Weapons

Main article: List of weapons in Half-Life 2

Several of the weapons featured in Half-Life 2 are carried over from Half-Life, including the trademark crowbar for mêlée fighting, the conventional firearms of the SPAS-12 shotgun, .357 Magnum revolver, crossbow, and rocket propelled grenade launcher as well as the Gauss Gun experimental particle weapon. Several new weapons are also introduced: the Combine pulse rifle, pheropods which grant control over Antlions, and most significantly, the "Zero-Point Energy Field Manipulator" (or gravity gun).

Multiplayer

Half-Life 2 was released without a multiplayer component of the game and was instead packaged with Counter-Strike: Source. This later changed on November 30, 2004 when Valve released the Half-Life 2: Deathmatch component (HL2DM) along with the full SDK as a free download to all Half-Life 2 owners. The Xbox release contains no multiplayer, however.

Like other deathmatch games, the aim of Half-Life 2: Deathmatch is to kill as many other players as possible, using a variety of means, in either free-for-all or team matches. The player spawns with a gravity gun, a pistol, a sub-machine gun, and grenades. All weapons included in the single player portion of Half-Life 2, with the exception of the pheropod/bugbait, are available and scattered randomly around the maps. Players can be killed in a number of ways, including gunfire, explosions, or through contact with physics objects traveling at high speeds. The physics elements of the game are of particular note as they help to make the gameplay more dynamic and interesting as the layout of the levels frequently change due to the physics objects being moved about.

HL2DM's February 17 update introduced a new map (dm_steamlab) and three new weapons that had been missing from the game previously, or cut before it shipped. This included the crowbar and the stunstick (dependent upon the player model); and the SLAM, or "Selectable Lightweight Attack Munition", a real-world weapon which can either be thrown and detonated or planted on walls to produce a "tripwire" laser which detonates the device when touched.

Reception

Half-Life 2's public reception was overwhelmingly positive in terms of reviews, acclaim and sales. Over four million copies of the game have been sold either through Steam or through retail [10]. This is around half the number of sold copies of Half-Life, but sales for Half-Life 2 have been relatively steady since its release. If Half-Life 2 eventually surpasses Half-Life in sales, it will take the title of the best-selling first-person shooter game to date.

Critical response

Half-Life 2 became and remains one of the most highly acclaimed video games in history. At least 35 Game of the Year awards were given to Half-Life 2, and most major game reviewers gave ratings within the 90-100% range [3]. Half-Life 2 holds Metacritic's highest ranking and standing ("universal acclaim") among PC games with a score of 96, followed directly by Half-Life (also with a score of 96) [4]. Maximum PC awarded Half-Life 2 an unprecedented 11 on their rating scale which peaks at 10, and named it the "best game ever made."

Individual reviews were almost universally glowing. Sources such as GameSpy [26], The Cincinnati Enquirer [27], and The New York Times [28] have given perfect reviewing scores, and others such as PC Gamer and IGN [29] gave near-perfect scores (it was one of only four games ever to get 96% from UK PC Gamer, the best score they have ever awarded). Critics who applauded the game cited the advanced graphics and physics [28] along with the relatively lax system requirements [30].

Very few reviewers gave Half-Life 2 anything lower than a 9 out of 10 rating. One such critic was Netjak, a reviewing website that is known for its relative harshness, which gave Half-Life 2 a rating of 8.5 [31]. Several critics, including some that had given glowing reviews, complained about the required usage of Steam along with a difficult installation process [28].

See also: Half-Life 2 controversies and criticisms

Awards

Half-Life 2 earned over 35 Game of the Year awards [5] [32], including GameSpot's Reader's Choice - PC Game of the Year Award and "Best Game" with the Game Developers Choice Awards, where it was also given various awards for technology, characters, and writing. The game also had a strong showing at the 2004 BAFTA Games Awards, picking up 6 awards, more than any other game that night, with awards including "Best Game" and "Best Online Game." [33]

Products

The popularity of Half-Life 2 and the Half-Life series has led way to an array of side products and collectibles. Valve offers Half-Life-related products such as a plush headcrab[34], posters, clothing and mousepads [35].

Technical

Source engine

Main article: Source engine
File:800px-Half-Life 2 Dr Breen Office.jpg
Doctor Breen's office at the top of the Citadel, showing the advanced lighting abilities of the Source engine

For Half-Life 2, Valve developed a new game engine called the Source engine, which handles the game's visual, audio, and artificial intelligence elements. The Source engine comes packaged with a heavily modified version of the Havok physics engine that allows for an extra dimension of interactivity in both single player and online environments.

Additionally, when coupled with Steam, the engine can be easily upgraded to include many new graphical technologies. One such example is high dynamic range imaging, which Valve released as a 15-minute free outdoor level called Lost Coast.

Steam content delivery system

Main article: Steam (content delivery)
File:Steam3beta.PNG
The Steam content delivery system version 3 user interface

Integral to Half-Life 2 is the Steam content delivery system developed by Valve Corporation. All Half-Life 2 players are required to have Steam installed and a valid account in order to play. Steam allows customers to purchase games and other software straight from the developer and have it downloaded directly to their computer as well as receiving "micro updates." These updates also make hacking the game harder to do and has thus far been somewhat successful in staving off cheats and playability for users with unauthorized copies. Steam can also be used for finding and playing multi-player games through an integrated server browser and friends list, and game data can be backed up with a standard CD or DVD burner. Steam and a customer's purchased content can be downloaded onto any computer, as long as that account is only logged in at one location at a time.

The usage of Steam has not gone without controversy. Some users have reported numerous problems with Steam, sometimes being serious enough to prevent a reviewer from recommending a given title available on the service. In other cases, review scores have been lowered. Long download times, seemingly unnecessary updates, and verification checks are criticisms leveled by critics of the system's use for single player games such as Half-Life 2. Whether or not a customer intends to use any multi-player features, the computer the game was installed on must have Steam and an Internet connection to verify the transaction.

Release and distribution

A 1GB portion of Half-Life 2 became available for pre-load through Steam on August 26, 2004. This meant that customers could begin to download encrypted game files to their computer before the game was released. When the game's release date arrived, customers were able to pay for the game through Steam, unlock the files on their hard drives and play the game immediately, without having to wait for the whole game to download. The pre-load period lasted for several weeks, with several subsequent portions of the game being made available, to ensure all customers had a chance to download the content before the game was released.

Half-Life 2 was simultaneously released through Steam, CD (most initial U.S. "bare-bones" retail copies), and on DVD in several editions. Through Steam, Half-Life 2 had three packages that a customer could order. The basic version ("Bronze") includes only Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source, whereas the "Silver" and "Gold" (collector's edition) versions also include Half-Life: Source and Day of Defeat: Source (ports of the original Half-Life and Day of Defeat mod to the new engine) as well as the right to download all previous games by Valve through Steam. The collector's edition/Gold version additionally includes merchandise such as a t-shirt, a strategy guide, and a CD containing the soundtrack used in Half-Life 2. Both the disc and Steam version require Steam to be installed and active for play.

Subsequent releases

A demo version with the file size of a single-CD was later made available in December 2004 at the web site of graphics card manufacturer ATI Technologies, who teamed up with Valve for the game. The demo contains part of the opening level of the game, and also part of the chapter "We Don't Go To Ravenholm." In September 2005, Electronic Arts distributed the Game of the Year edition of Half-Life 2. Compared to the original CD-release of Half-Life 2, the GOTY edition adds Half-Life: Source.

On December 22, 2005, Valve released a 64-bit version of the Source game engine that takes advantage of AMD64 processor based systems running 64-bit version of Windows operating system. This update, delivered via Steam, enabled Half-Life 2 and other Source-based games to run natively on AMD64 processors, bypassing the 32-bit emulator. Gabe Newell, one of the founders of Valve, stated that this is "an important step in the evolution of our game content and tools," and that the game benefits greatly from the update[36]. The response to the release varied: some users reported huge performance boosts, while technology site Techgage found several stability issues and no notable frame rate improvement[37]. 64-bit users have widely reported bizarre in-game errors including characters dropping dead, game script files not being pre-cached (i.e., loaded when first requested instead), map rules being bent by AI, and other glitches.

Ports

File:Hl2xboxversion.PNG
Graphical differences in the Xbox port of Half-Life 2 include lower texture resolutions and the absence of bump mapping.

An Xbox version published by Electronic Arts was released on November 15, 2005. The port recieved positive reception, but not on the same level as the PC version, citing it's lack of multiplayer and frame-rate issues[38].

On July 13, 2006, during Electronic Arts's summer press event, Gabe Newell announced that Half-Life 2 will ship on next-generation consoles (specifically, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) including episodes One and Two, Counter-Strike: Source, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. [39] It is also worth noting that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ports of the game were recently listed on the Electronics Boutique website, which indicated that the ports will be shipped simultaneously on February 5, 2007[40] [41].

Mods and expansions

Main article: [[:Lost Coast, Episode One, Episode Two, Episode Three, and Half-Life 2 mods]]
File:750px-Hl2 lostcoast menu.jpg
Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, showcasing Valve's HDR technology.

Since the release of Half-Life 2, Valve has released an additional level and an additional "expansion" sequel. The level, "Lost Coast," takes place between the levels "Highway 17" and "Sandtraps" and is primarily a showcase for high dynamic range imaging (HDR) technology. The "expansion" sequel, Half-Life 2: Episode One takes place shortly after the events of Half-Life 2, with the player taking on the role of Gordon Freeman once again and with Alyx Vance playing a more prominent role. Additionally, two further "episodes" are set to be released in the future, dubbed Episode Two and Episode Three; the latter being the last expansion, "in a trilogy".[42] In an interview with Eurogamer, Gabe Newell revealed that the Half-Life 2 "episodes" are essentially Half-Life 3. He reasons that rather than forcing fans to wait another six years for a full-on sequel, Valve would release the game in episodic installments. Newell admits that a more correct title for these episodes should have been "Half-Life 3: Episode One" and so forth, having referred to the episodes as Half-Life 3 repeatedly through the interview.[43]

Since the release of the Source engine SDK, a large number of mods have been developed by the Half-Life 2 community. Mods vary in scale, from fan-created levels and weapons, to partial conversions such as Garry's Mod which allow the player to experiment with the physics system in a sandbox mode, to total conversions such as Dystopia or Empires, that transforms the game from a first-person shooter into a real-time strategy game. Some mods take place in the Half-Life universe; others in completely original settings; while some are tributes to other games, such as GoldenEye: Source, a recreation of GoldenEye 007, or Resident Evil: Twilight. Many more mods are still in development, including Neotokyo and the episodic single player mod, MINERVA. Smod, on the other hand, remains the most intense, silly, violent and weapon-filled mod for Half-Life 2.

Valve's Half-Life: Source was a direct conversion of the original game to the Source engine. Black Mesa, originally named Black Mesa: Source, is an unofficial mod under development which takes the more ambitious route of attempting to fully recreate the original Half-Life from the ground up using improved graphical assets and effects, while maintaining the original storyline and level design.

Cuts

Main article: Content cut from Half-Life 2

The book Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar[9] revealed many of the game's original settings and action that were cut down or removed entirely from the final game. Half-Life 2 was originally intended to be a far darker game where the Combine were more obviously draining the oceans for minerals and replacing the atmosphere with noxious, murky gases. Nova Prospekt was originally intended to be a small Combine rail depot built on an old prison in the wasteland (the depot model remains in the game, visible from the beach and trash compactor). Eventually, Nova Prospekt grew and grew from a stopping-off point along the way to the destination itself.

Half-Life 2 was also originally intended to be much more diverse in settings. Parts of the book detail how Gordon would fight alongside characters such as Odessa Cubbage, albeit under a different name and in a different place, as well as fighting together with Colonel Vance - a character that was later merged with Eli to become Doctor Eli Vance - and Vance's forces. In addition, the player was to follow a vastly different journey than what is in the final release.

Other cuts from the game included a drivable personal water craft and additional weapons. Weapons cut included the OICW seen in an E3 demonstration video and two different models of the gravity gun or Physgun, which is seen in another E3 video, also depicting a level cut from Ravenholm, dubbed "Traptown."

It remains unknown if most of the cut Half-Life 2 scenes will eventually be completed and released, or if they are lost forever. A removed section of the original Half-Life was eventually released as the Half-Life: Uplink demo; a similar situation was in place with the HDR technology demo, Lost Coast, which was based on a scene that was cut from the sequel. It is possible that more removed sections of HL2 will be seen in future expansion packs.

Some of the cut content which appeared in the leaked betas is available in a work-in-progress mod called Missing Information. In addition to several cut weapons, the mod also includes a level set on the stranded icebreaker Borealis and the E3 demonstrations. This mod has not been sanctioned by Valve, and official permission has not been given for the redistribution of modified versions of the original leaked material.[44]

Soundtrack

All listed tracks have been composed by Kelly Bailey. Purchasers of the collector's edition of the game were given (among other things) a CD soundtrack containing nearly all the music from the game, along with three bonus tracks. This CD is not available for separate purchase.
(Note: Many of the tracks were retitled and carried over from the Half-Life soundtrack; The names in parentheses are the original titles. Tracks 32, 34, 41, and 42 are remixes.)

Tracks 16, 18 and 42 are bonus tracks that are exclusive to the CD soundtrack. Tracks 44 to 51 are tracks from the game that did not appear on the soundtrack CD.

  1. Hazardous Environments - 01:26
  2. CP Violation - 01:47
  3. The Innsbruck Experiment - 01:09
  4. Brane Scan - 01:42
  5. Dark Energy - 01:34
  6. Requiem for Ravenholm - 00:35
  7. Pulse Phase - 01:11
  8. Ravenholm Reprise - 00:54
  9. Probably Not A Problem - 01:28
  10. Calabi-Yau Model - 01:48
  11. Slow Light - 00:46
  12. Apprehension and Evasion - 02:19
  13. Hunter Down - 00:17
  14. Our Resurrected Teleport - 01:13
  15. Miscount Detected - 00:50
  16. Headhumper - 00:10
  17. Triage at Dawn - 00:47
  18. Combine Harvester - 01:27
  19. Lab Practicum - 02:56
  20. Nova Prospekt - 01:59
  21. Broken Symmetry - 01:05
  22. LG Orbifold - 02:54
  23. Kaon - 01:13
  24. You're Not Supposed to Be Here - 02:43
  25. Suppression Field - 00:57
  26. Hard Fought - 01:17
  27. Particle Ghost - 01:42
  28. Shadows Fore and Aft - 01:28
  29. Neutrino Trap (Hurricane Strings) - 01:37
  30. Zero Point Energy Field (Cavern Ambiance) - 01:44
  31. Echoes of a Resonance Cascade (Space Ocean) - 01:40
  32. Black Mesa Inbound (Vague Voices) - 02:15
  33. Xen Relay (Threatening Short) - 00:41
  34. Tracking Device (Credits / Closing Theme) - 01:05
  35. Singularity (Traveling Through Limbo) - 01:21
  36. Dirac Shore (Dimensionless Deepness) - 01:28
  37. Escape Array (Electric Guitar Ambiance) - 01:29
  38. Negative Pressure (Steam in the Pipes) - 01:59
  39. Tau-9 (Drums and Riffs) - 02:08
  40. Something Secret Steers Us (Nuclear Mission Jam) - 02:04
  41. Triple Entanglement (Sirens in the Distance) - 01:34
  42. Biozeminade Fragment (Alien Shock) - 00:34
  43. Lambda Core (Diabolical Adrenaline Guitar) - 01:44
  44. Entanglement - 00:39
  45. Highway 17 - 00:59
  46. A Red Letter Day - 00:39
  47. Sand Traps - 00:34
  48. CP Violation (Remix) - 01:45
  49. Trainstation PT. 1 - 01:30
  50. Trainstation PT. 2 - 01:12
  51. Radio - 00:39

See also

References

  1. ^ "Behind the Games: The Final Hours of Half-Life 2 (Part III)". GameSpot. Retrieved July 9. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Half-Life 2 reviews for the PC". GameTab. Retrieved June 5. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b "Half-Life 2 reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved May 19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b "Half-Life 2 (pc: 2004): reviews)". Metacritic. Retrieved May 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ a b "It's A Mod, Mod Underworld". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved December 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "About Half-Life 2". Steam News. Retrieved June 09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Steam's Finances". The Steam Review. Retrieved October 26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "First In Half-Life Episodic Trilogy Debuts at Number 1". Valve Software Press Release. Retrieved June 8. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ a b c Hodgson, David (2004). Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar. Prima Games. ISBN 0761543643.
  10. ^ a b "Half-Life 2: Episode One". Valve Corporation. Retrieved May 19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "Chapter I: Point Insertion". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Chapter II: Red Letter Day". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "Chapter III: Route Kanal". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "Chapter IV: Water Hazard". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ a b "Chapter V: Black Mesa East". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Chapter VI: We Don't Go To Ravenholm". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ "Chapter VII: Highway 17". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "Chapter VIII: Sandtraps". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "Chapter IX: Nova Prospekt". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ "Chapter X: Entanglement". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ "Chapter XI: Anticitizen One". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "Chapter XII: Follow Freeman". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ "Chapter XIII: Our Benefactors". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "Chapter XIV: Dark Energy". Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ "Half-Life 2 for PC Review". GameSpot. Retrieved October 10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ "Half-Life 2 review". GameSpy. Retrieved May 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ "Half-Life 2: A Tech Masterpiece". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved May 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ a b c "A Big Sequel That's Worthy of Its Lineage". The New York Times. Retrieved May 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ "Half-Life 2 Review". IGN. Retrieved May 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ "Half-Life 2 - Australian Review (Reviews)". GamePro. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ "Half-Life 2 - Windows Review". Netjak. Retrieved May 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ "Half-Life 2 - Awards". Neoseaker. Retrieved May 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  33. ^ "Half-Life 2 sweeps Bafta awards". BBC News. Retrieved May 22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  34. ^ "HL2 Headcrab Collectible". Valve Corporation. Retrieved May 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  35. ^ "The Valve Store". Valve Corporation. Retrieved May 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ "VALVE UNVEILS 64-BIT SOURCE(TM) GAMING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED IN CONJUNCTION WITH AMD". Steam Powered. Retrieved March 23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ "Review: Half-Life 2: 64-Bit - Reason to get excited?". Techgage. Retrieved March 23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  38. ^ "Half-Life 2 reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved July 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  39. ^ "Half-Life 2: Episode Two – The Return of Team Fortress 2 and Other Surprises". GameSpot. Retrieved July 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  40. ^ Half-Life 2 (Xbox 360 version) at Electronics Boutique. URL accessed on May 30, 2006.
  41. ^ Half-Life 2 (PlayStation 3 version) at Electronics Boutique. Electronics Boutique. URL accessed on May 30, 2006.
  42. ^ "Half-Life 2: Episode One gold, Two dated, Three announced". GameSpot. Retrieved May 25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  43. ^ "Interview - Opening the Valve". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 7. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  44. ^ "Mod developer's post". Halflife2.net. Retrieved 2006-04-22.
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