Half Life 2

by Electronic Arts

Product Features

• Realistic physics: objects have varied and appropriate mass, density, physical properties
• Sequel to the hit first-person shooter
• Scientist-with-a-crowbar Gordon Freeman joins a ragtag human resistance fighting extradimensional invaders for the survival of a conquered Earth
• Unnervingly realistic graphics the likes of which have not been witnessed outside of a motion picture or pre-rendered cut scene
• Special Edition includes Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, plus Half-Life 2: Deathmatch and Half-Life: Source.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000AOE14M
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches ; 6.7 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: September 6, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,812 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Platform: PC | Edition: Game of the Year

From the Manufacturer

Half-Life 2: Game of the Year is a special edition release of the best-selling and critically acclaimed title that includes Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, plus Half-Life 2: Deathmatch and Half-Life: Source.

Featuring amazing digital actors, advanced AI, stunning graphics, and physical gameplay, Half-Life 2 has been called the greatest game ever made and earned over 35 Game of the Year Awards.

About Half-Life 2
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. 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 he cares about are counting on him.

The intense, real-time gameplay of Half-Life 2 is made possible only by Source, Valve's new proprietary engine technology. Source provides major enhancements in:

• Characters - Advanced facial animation system delivers the most sophisticated in-game characters ever seen. With 40 distinct facial "muscles," human characters convey the full array of human emotion, and respond to the player with fluidity and intelligence.
• Physics - From pebbles to water to 2-ton trucks respond as expected, as they obey the laws of mass, friction, gravity, and buoyancy.
• Graphics - Source's shader-based renderer, like the one used at Pixar to create movies such as Toy Story and Monster's, Inc., creates the most beautiful and realistic environments ever seen in a video game.
• AI - Neither friends nor enemies charge blindly into the fray. They can assess threats, navigate tricky terrain, and fashion weapons from whatever is at hand.

About Half-Life 2: Deathmatch Fast multiplayer action set in the Half-Life 2 universe! HL2's physics adds a new dimension to deathmatch play. Play straight deathmatch or try Combine vs. Resistance teamplay. Toss a toilet at your friend today!

About Half-Life: Source Winner of over 50 Game of the Year awards, Half-Life set new standards for action games when it was released in 1998. Half-Life: Source is a digitally remastered version of the critically acclaimed and best selling PC game, enhanced via Source technology to include physics simulation, enhanced effects, and more.

About Counter-Strike: Source Counter-Strike: Source blends Counter-Strike's award-winning teamplay action with the advanced technology of Source technology. Featuring state of the art graphics, all new sounds, and introducing physics, Counter-Strike: Source is a must-have for every action gamer.

Product Description

Half-Life 2: Game of the Year Edition compiles all the best elements of this incredible game, with all-new player options and even better graphics. Start out with Half-Life 2, where you return to the alien research facility called Black Mesa. The aliens are now pouring into our world and you'll join the resistance movement to stop them. Battle it out with friends in crazy, realistic mulitplayer action with Half-Life 2 Deathmatch. Then test your tactical abilities with Half-Life: Source -- where the gaming kicks up anotch through the amazing Source game engine. With the Source engine, you get high-resolution textures, detailed character models, realistic physics and lighting, support for up to 64 players, shiny water effects & better objects - creating a more realistic gaming experience. The action continues in bigger, better form with Counter-Strike: Source

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars How much time do you have?, October 4, 2006

By 

David Kenneth Caudill "dkcaudill" (Hendersonville, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Half-Life 2: Game of the Year Edition (CD-ROM)

This game is a blast- no way around it. But Steam, Valve's annoying memory hog run in the tray adware copyright protection content delivery application is a constant source of screaming fits. Every time I sit down and I just want to play for 30 minutes or something before work or school, Steam throws an error and refuses to let me into the game, even going so far as to tell me that I do not own the game, or its "unavailable."

Valve is going to have to realize that treating customers like criminals is just bad business, and that Steam has GOT to go.

I can no longer reccomend this game despite it's being so much fun, because at least %50 of the time I try to get in to play it, I am unable for some error.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Excellent game, spoiled by the most intrusive piracy protection ever!, September 20, 2006

By 

J. Scott "JS" (Northern Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Half-Life 2: Game of the Year Edition (CD-ROM)

I endorse all the other reviewers postive comments about this game. As 1st person shooters go, it's about as good as they get. But I felt I had to post a warning for anyone who, like me, had no idea about this 'Steam' anti-piracy thing.

Frankly, I thought some of the other reviewers were getting too worked up about it. After all, for goodness sake, how bad can it be?

The answer is, very, very bad. I really, REALLY resent having to install this kind of adware on my machine, just so I can pay a game that I paid good cash for. I can't believe how intrusive the Steam system is, and much as I love this game, I will not ever buy any other product that forces me to install this junk on my machine, regardless of how good the game may be.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Would have been a great game, if there wasn't Steam involved., February 9, 2007

A Kid's Review

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Half-Life 2: Game of the Year Edition (CD-ROM)

Half Life 2 is a very good game that combines puzzle-solving and First person shooting elements. The gameplay is fun, as are the graphics and sound.

First, let me start off with the basic summary.

You play as Gordon Freeman, physiologist of Black Mesa. After the accident and defeating the Xen, the G-man offered Gordon a job in which he assumingly accepted. In the beginning of the game, you end up in City 17, during the time where the Combine(Aliens) invaded and controlled Earth. Throughout the game you fight the Combine as well as Zombies.

A very fun and interesting part of Half Life are not the standard weapons, but the Gravity Gun. Using the Gravity Gun, you can lift almost anything, and towards the end, even people. The physics are really amazing. If you turn on a furnace and throw a gas tank in there, a fire will start, burning zombies chasing you.

Here are your weapons: Shotgun, Gravity Gun, RPG, SMG with grenade launcher, crossbow, grenades, crowbar,pistol, magnum,pulse rifle, and also the enviroment. (Be creative!) You get to drive some vehicles in the middle of the game.

The graphics are almost as good as Halo 2, but detailed enough that you can see scraches and dents on objects.

Here is what I hate about the game: Steam.

Steam is this thing Valve uses that forces people to sign up online, even just to play offline. You can't just install it, like other PC games. This gets really annoying if you've got slow internet or no internet at all. My dad (I'm 13) gives me barely any internet time so I can barely play Half Life 2. So, in other words, If you don't want a hassle, don't buy Half Life 2. This stupid program valve runs pisses everyone off.

Hope this review was helpful.

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