Half Life 2

by Vivendi Universal

Product Features

• Limited edition DVD-ROM version of Half-Life 2
• Exciting action and immersive storytelling with new realism
• Player's presence affects surroundings and behaviors of others
• Counter-Strike: Source; Half-Life: Source; Half-Life 2 prima book
• Includes free limited-edition t-shirt, offered in men's size XL only

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002X7Y2C
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 12.5 x 2.2 inches
• Media: DVD-ROM
• Release Date: November 16, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,657 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: PC | Edition: Collector's

From the Manufacturer

1998: Half-Life sends a shock through the game industry with its combination of pounding action and continuous, immersive storytelling. Valve's debut title wins more than 50 game-of-the-year awards on its way to being named "Best PC Game Ever" by PC Gamer, and launches a franchise with more than eight million retail units sold worldwide.

Now: Half-Life 2. By taking the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original, and adding startling new realism and responsiveness, Half-Life 2 opens the door to a world where the player's presence affects everything around him, from the physical environment to the behaviors--even the emotions--of both friends and enemies.

The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people--people he cares about--are counting on him.

Half-Life 2 defines a new benchmark in gaming with startling realism and responsiveness. The intense, real-time gameplay is powered by Source, Valve's new proprietary engine technology, which provides major enhancements in character animation, artificial intelligence, graphics, and more.

In addition to a limited-edition DVD-ROM version of Half-Life 2, this Collector's Edition also includes:

Counter-Strike: Source: The next generation of the #1 online action game.

Half-Life: Source: A digitally remastered version of the original critically acclaimed PC game.

A free limited-edition T-shirt (offered in men's size XL only).

Half-Life 2 Prima Book: Information on character backgrounds, the making of the game, and more than 100 pieces of artwork.

Product Description

Half-Life 2 Collector's Edition delivers a new level of realistic action and excitement. Players return to the world of Gordon Freeman, as he returns to the Black Mesa research facility. The aliens are pouring into our world, and Freeman becomes part of a resistance group to stop them. New weapons, new enemies and new characters are waiting -- along with major enhancements in animation, artificial intelligence and graphics.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

405 of 512 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Buy the regular edition, November 20, 2004

By 

Markus Egger "www.MarkusEgger.com/blog" (Spring, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Half-Life 2: Collector's Edition (DVD-ROM)

This review is for the collectors edition only (the actual game is awesome).

The collector's edition - quite frankly - is a rip-off!

To make sure you understand what you are getting:
1) Half Life 2 - The game
2) Half Life 1 Remake using the new Source Engine
3) Counter Strike Remake using the new Source Engine
4) Prima Official Hint Book
5) A T-Shirt

The game itself is awesome, no questions asked. The remake of Half Life 1 is cool too, but you can download that for free when you buy the regular version of Half Life 2. The same is true for CS. So basically, you get a t-shirt (which is actually a nice shirt) and the prima thingy.

The Prima book IS NOT THE STRATEGY GUIDE! Instead, it is a tiny booklet with excerps from the strategy guide and the "making of" book ("Raising the bar"). It is an advertisement for these two books at best and by itself almost completely useless.

So basically, you are paying an extra 30 bucks for a t-shirt. Oh, but perhaps you want the nice big box? Think again! The box itself is crappy both in quality and in design. In fact, at first I thought the box got damaged and mangled during shipment, but it didn't. It just looks that bad!

This is probalby the worst collector's edition of any game I have ever seen. It delivers little value, unless you want a t-shirt. It doesn't even have a printed game manual for crying out loud!

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Notes on the Collectors Edition, November 16, 2004

By 

NomadLLama (Naperville, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Half-Life 2: Collector's Edition (DVD-ROM)

This discusses the Collectors Edition of Half Life 2. If you would like to hear about how great the game is, venture to the regular boxed game, but I am going to discuss the SLOPPY PACKAGE that Vivendi Universal calls a "COLLECTORS EDITION."

First, I would like you to know, I recieved this on the day of the Half Life 2 release, 11/16/2004. Kudos to amazon.com, they are a great company. However, I would like you to know, that another Half Life 2 "collectors edition" (aka Half Life 2 Gold) can be purchased over steam (go to www.steampowered.com and download the client), for a mere 9 dollars more, and you get over 4 times the extras than this puny package.

This sad package comes with a DVD and a t-shirt

now tell me, what is the price of this? for a DVD with Half Life 2 on it, and a t-shirt, with the half life 2 logo. whats more rich is that once you install the game, you have to still unlock it via steam, and if the steam network is down, then good luck trying to play it right away.

the steam gold package comes with stickers, posters, a hat, a strategy guide, a shirt, the soundtrack on cd, the entire catalog of games played on steam (including half life 1, counter strike, opposing force), and a special edition box.

Make no mistake, this collectors edition is a complete rip off, buyer beware.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Please Listen to this Advice., April 4, 2005

By 

hollow2010 (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Half-Life 2: Collector's Edition (DVD-ROM)

For those of you who are unaware, Steam offers Half-Life 2 on sale through their web site. I decided not to purchase and download from Steam because I wanted the box, DVD and manual. The book that comes with it is totally worthless. It contains strategy on a few levels and a few pieces of artwork. I wouldn't be sad if I lost mine or threw it in the trash. The shirt is XL size only. I can't wear mine because it would hang below my knees. There is no manual, only a small piece of paper that shows the controls. What I'm trying to tell you is the Collector's Edition isn't anything special. The only thing worthwhile about it is the Half-Life Source. If you're looking to get something similar to the collector's edition, puchase the Silver Package off of Steams website. For the same price as the Collectors edition you can get the Silver package. Not only does this come with Half-Life Source, it also includes Day of Defeat Source, Counter-Strike Source, Counter-Strike Condition Zero, and Steam's entire catalog of Half-Life games. Trust me, the oversized t-shirt and worthless manual are not worth purchasing the collector's edition for.

2115|R1HDRYN3B5K599;2115|R3AAYDYN9VXRFV;2115|RNAW4ZHC94EP;