This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Chuck Landry.

Man, oh man! Half-Life 2 finally came out! What a wait this has been. Believe it or not, I can still remember when, once upon a time, a pal of mine returned from an E3 with tales of an “awesome looking new shooter mixing scripted events and puzzles called Half-Life.” And awesome it was. In 1998 Valve unleashed upon the world a revolutionary game – experience, rather – that captivated players with top-notch gameplay and graphics, tons of entertaining dialogue, and a complex story (complete with mystery and plot twists) told entirely in-game without the use of text or cut scenes. And let’s not forget a mod-friendly multiplayer game that spawned Counter-Strike, the most popular online game ever. Half-Life wins the award for game most commonly installed on my computer after a reformat. It is one of the top five best overall games ever created. Period.

But we’re here to talk about Half-Life 2. Stop distracting me. I had the bittersweet opportunity to see Half-Life 2 in action at E3 2003. Afterwards, I was salivating. On top of gorgeous graphics, it introduced me to the incredible possibilities of the Havok 2.0 physics engine. Of course, we all know the story: the game was delayed almost two years. Some of the code was stolen and leaked onto the net. I believe it was Max Payne 2 that actually debuted the physics engine. Frustrating? Yeah. Worth the wait?

Yes.

Gordon Freeman is back…and its my guess he’s as confused as a frat boy the morning after a kegger. The first game left us as Gordon was given the pseudo-choice of death vs. working for the mysterious G-man. Half-Life 2 assumes Gordon chose the latter. This game begins on a train (a throwback to the series’ roots) to City 17, with the G-man awakening Gordon from some sort of cosmic limbo (we never figure out where he’s been) because his “services are once again required.”

The streets of Earth have changed since Gordon last walked them. The planet is seemingly controlled by whom the main adversary refers to as “our benefactors.” Who or what are they? No idea. Don’t expect Half-Life 2 to make much more sense than the original did. What is clear is that some species of Alien now coexist peacefully with humans, City 17 is oppressed, and Gordon’s old friends are part of a revolutionary group trying to overthrow the Big Brother government.

Once again, the story unfolds in-game without the use of bothersome text or abrupt cut scenes. The sequences that serve to progress the story are full of entertaining dialogue and are fully interactive. In other words, you can walk around, playing with various odds and ends while you listen to Barney crack jokes about your alma mater. They are so casual, lifelike, and polished that even though entire chapters are constructed without a single enemy, you’ll enjoy every second, not even missing the gunplay.

That’s not to imply that the combat lacks in any way, shape or form. I remember a scene showcased at the E3 demo that should serve as an example of several of Half-Life 2’s strengths. Gordon was running through some narrow outdoor streets, evil enemy Combine soldiers on his trail. After ducking into a cramped apartment building, he used a gravity gun to lift a desk and reposition it in front of the door. He did the same with a mattress, which although a humorous attempt at a defensive barricade, flexed and bended appropriately when floating though the air and making contact with the rest of the environment. When the troops arrived, they knocked futilely on the door, causing the door itself to shake violently, along with the desk and mattress. As some persevered towards their goal of breaching the door, another soldier repositioned to the boarded up windows and shot at Gordon, producing some amazing impact sound effects as bullets connected with drywall, wooden boards, and metal appliances. Gordon eventually retreated towards the stairs, where he met with another guard. With more clever use of the gravity gun, the guard met with a timely death. Prognosis: head trauma caused by projectile wall radiator. To top it all off, both the radiator and the corpse came rolling down the stairs realistically – the former causing a racket as it tumbled end over end and the latter feebly crumbling down the steps like a reject Slinky.

The A.I. is smart enough to challenge you. The bad guys know how to use grenades, when to duck for cover, etc. The game’s several scripted events are what really make them seem intelligent. They’ll open grates above you when you’re in the sewers and fire; they’ll set traps, locking you into a room while they reinforce both exits and prepare to breach; they’ll even set explosive barrels on fire and roll them down stairs towards you. Expect the unexpected.

The scope of this game is nothing if not grand, and it shows in every possible way, including the range of level types. Some levels are standard fare of combat on foot through the streets. Suddenly, the next level might have you driving a hovercraft through city canals with an attack chopper on your ass. Next, you’re assaulting a futuristic Alcatraz, aided by giant bugs akin to those in Starship Troopers. You might catch a breather while the story progresses in a revolutionist laboratory, but then it’s back to the streets again to fight off five-story tall “Striders.”

All of this glorious gameplay is presented with the highest production values imaginable. Forget what you heard about Doom 3 – the best graphics around are right here. Not only are the textures amazingly detailed and sharp, but the levels are able to come to life due to the grittiness the designers injected into every corner. Trash is everywhere, random clutter is present on desks, and nothing has that “too perfect” look present in so many games. Instead, everything looks appropriately worn and thus believable. Animation follows suit as some of the best I’ve seen. When Alex Vance kisses her father on the cheek and he smiles as his eyes watch her walk away…you’ll see what I mean. These characters really seem to exist. And I’m talking about all of them – including the random civilian population in the streets.

This is as much due to the voice work as it is the graphics. You’ll hear some voices reused for more than one minor character, but even those are convincing. As for the main characters – all I can do is wonder how on Earth Valve found these talented, charismatic voice actors who have returned to work from the original title. Maybe it’s talent, maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe both. But the effect is superb. Sometimes the content of the conversations is less than world altering, but as Barney and a scientist bicker about the dangerous implications of a domesticated headcrab, it becomes apparent that Valve’s blood, sweat, and tears have definitely paid off. You’ve heard the term “living, breathing game world” before, I’m sure. For once, you won’t be disappointed.

And no Half-Life game could be complete without multiplayer mayhem. It’s all here, and you haven’t lived until you’ve fragged someone by launching a dresser at their face. Don’t worry – this one will see tons of mods soon enough, just like the first one.

Oh, and if that “better than Doom 3” part left your sweaty hands opening up your wallet in desperate hope, fear not. Half-Life 2 runs, looks, and controls almost every bit as well on my 5700 Nvidia card with 512 MB RAM as it does on my 9800 Radeon machine with twice the memory.

I consider myself a pretty tough reviewer. I think too many games receive a score of 7’s and 8’s when they really deserve a perfectly normal average score of “5.” I have a tough time, however, finding things wrong with Half-Life 2. After careful meditation and a break to play my favorite level again, I have come up with three complaints. I will list them now, in rising order of seriousness.

First, I had some problems getting the game to output sound on the four speaker setting. To this day, the issue remains unresolved. A quick search on the Internet reveals that I am not alone here. For those wondering, it’s a Sound Blaster Live 5.1 Gamer card. Luckily, the game sounds perfect in normal stereo setting anyway.

Second comes the loading. Half-Life 2 loves to load. The levels, as in the original, are gigantic, but in every little hallway the game stops the action to load the next part of the environment. This was also a problem with the first Half-Life. I use the word “was” because on today’s machines the frequent load times are reduced to 2 or 3 seconds apiece. Since Half-Life 2 is still brand new, each load time is more like 30 seconds on a fast machine. It feels like an eternity - believe me. If you buy this game in two years, consider this a moot point. For now, however, you will sigh every time you open a door to reveal a narrow hallway.

And the last, most important problem with Valve’s latest creation: It waited this long to send it to us.

Valve has another hit on its hands. It seems like every time (both) it releases something it wins “Game of the Year” from a majority of publications. Hopefully they’ll keep the tradition alive with Half-Life 3 (and without the painful delays). Half-Life 2, simply put, is a complete masterpiece; once again, the definition of what gaming is all about. Shame on you if you haven’t already played it. Loser.

Held back only because the load times are so abrupt and stalling.

You can see character’s nostrils moving as they breath. Seriously.

Even the problem I had wasn’t enough to bring me down. Excellent effects and voice work.

The gravity gun alone is already being copied by every other game.

The world will never get old, and it’s only going to get better as load times decrease.