Half-Life

🎮 Steam ⏳ 15 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Birth of Half-Life #

The first Half-Life title is a groundbreaking first-person shooter that redefined the genre. Developed by Valve, it blends intense action with immersive storytelling, placing you in the shoes of the legendary Gordon Freeman as a science experiment at the Black Mesa facility goes horribly wrong. This title is still praised up to this day, creating a whole sub-genre behind it, called “Half-Likes”, which just means single-player, story-focused, FPS, and highly immersive story-telling, focusing on the player’s POVs to tell it’s tale.

Innovation Through Immersion #

What sets Half-Life apart is its seamless narrative, no cutscenes, just pure in-game storytelling, and smart enemy AI (for the time) that keeps combat dynamic. Its atmospheric level design, eerie soundscape, and blend of sci-fi horror created a sense of tension rarely seen in games at the time, it even introduced some light horror elements, which were improved in the subsequent entries. This videogame was a landmark FPS that still holds up for its innovation and pacing, a must-play for fans of the genre.