Half-Life News

Half-Life 2 still has a perfect opening, and we can prove it

It's redundant now to declare Half-Life 2 one of the best PC games of all time. It's like saying, "The Godfather; good movie, right?" Two decades on from Half-Life 2's initial release, this remains as true as it ever was.

Replay it in 2023 - the year in which the FPS game itself is set - and you'll be treated to countless iconic, hair-raising moments and set pieces each underlined by the stunning technical achievement of Source engine, freshly unveiled alongside Half-Life 2. Beyond the groundbreaking advancements, visuals, and gameplay is the story, itself expertly crafted as if created by some master of dystopian science fiction.

Amid all this, it's all too easy to forget that Half-Life 2's opening chapter, Point Insertion, was - and is still - perfect. And you don't just need to take our word for it: we have the evidence.

Read the rest of the story...

Counter-Strike 2 is hiding a very secret Half-Life reference

Counter-Strike 2 and Half-Life - two pillars of the PC FPS game. While the long-awaited sequel to CSGO is expected to arrive later this year, Half-Life 3 remains a myth, an essence, a shooter that exists only in theory, and embodies all of our departed videogame dreams. But it seems that Valve hasn't forgotten Half-Life and its silent hero Gordon Freeman entirely, as Counter-Strike 2 seemingly contains a very subtle, very secret reference to the world of City 17 and Black Mesa. All you have to do is look very, very closely.

Read the rest of the story...

After playing Half-Life with this new ray tracing mod, I need a cold shower in a dimly lit room

I've played the original Half-Life through to completion more times than I can remember. However, until very recently it's fair to say that I hadn't slipped back into Gordon's HEV Suit for a fair few years. I'd played Half-Life in all its forms and, simply put, I was out...
Read more.

Free Half-Life overhaul makes Valve's FPS feel like a modern shooter

A new Half-Life overhaul is here, aiming to be spiritually in keeping with Valve's 1998 FPS game, while improving and changing some core mechanics to feel closer to a modern, 2023 shooter. Called Half-Life Mmod, it might look awfully similar at a glance, but subtle tweaks to the visuals, gunplay, AI, and SFX make this arguably the definitive way to play.

Read the rest of the story...

Ageing FPS Half-Life gets free overhaul, but not from Valve

A revolutionary product of its time, the first Half-Life game from Valve doesn't need a touch-up, but what if it got one that was incredibly in keeping with the FPS game's original release on Steam, and what if it was coming out very soon? Well, lucky for you I can answer both those questions, as Half-Life does have an overhaul mod coming to Steam for free and, would you look at that, it's coming very soon too.

Read the rest of the story...