Fantastic!!!

HL2 is the best pc game to date.... it eats up DOOM 3 and there is just so much to do in the game... if u have a pc.. u should have this game.

Awesome game. Builds on the original in terms of rivalling movies and books in character depth, a story that can enthrall you if you take the time to actually listen to what the AI says (Looking at you Ian F). Why a 9 and not a 10? Linear, although that seems to be par for the course in terms of FPS's (excluding Far Cry), and steam, which although it proved no problem to me, was a pain in the rear for a dial up friend of mine.… Expand

Arguably the single most immersive game ever made. The story line was a fabulous continuation of the original and the game managed to use its spectacular physics engine without becoming overly gimmicky. In an article by PC Gamer it was stated that EA was trying to make the citizen cane of gaming, but considering this game i think you need look no further than valve. My one beef with this game is that the ending was a complete dissapointment, total cliff hanger.… Expand

HL2 is a great game so I'll get the little annoyances out the road now. Having to go online each time is a pain, fortunately I now have broadband but could not imagine how annoying it would have to be to be on dial up. But the pirates are the only ones to blame...so blame them! Secondly I have a pretty good PC @ 2.1 Ghz, 512 RAM and a Radeon 9600XT...something I would call "middle ground" and yet it took ages to load and save that it did take the fun out of the moment. I'll also say that I played it on the hardest setting yet there were very few occasions when I had to scavenge for ammo or health, there always seemed to be enough if you were prepared to look for it. Yes the game is linear but its a story and I can't imagine how (or why) you would want to play it with full freedom, it would just take too long. There is one scene where you need to find two batteries in order to open a barricade. As a test I used the gravity gun to eject a battery over the cliff face - I turned around and saw another battery fall out of thin air back to its original spot...so bascially you can't just do anything you want otherwise the game wouldn't progress. Speaking of which, the gravity gun was an ingenious inclusion in the game, it just made yet another FPS a lot more interesting. Moving tables about to shield yourself, or throwing petrol drums at guards was pretty cool in my books. Not as great as the original but it was a solid game with lovely gameplay and worth every cent.… Expand

This game is nothing short of incredible. Graphics and Physics are asounding. In terms of comparing it to Farcry, I'd say they're pretty close. HL does water manipulation far better. The only thing that ticks me off is Steam - the software required to run HL2. That program is a pain in the butt, and not having a high speed connection meant I had to spend four hours downloading Steam updates and Ads before I was allowed to touch the real game. Now, I recognize why it was done, Valve was POed that their code got stolen by hackers in mid production a year and a half ago, and they had to delay for more than a year to rewrite it. But this is taking it a bit too far. I really hope games don't begin to adopt a system of gameplay like Steam, or I won't be buying too many more games in the future. I knew about Steam before I bought it, and the only reason I actually did buy was because it was Half Life 2. Anything else I would have seriously reconsidered. Overall: Game is incredible, Steam stinks.… Expand

To describe how amazing this game is would be as hard as letting go of it. The graphics are incredible, the sound is perfect, and (most importantly) the gameplay is superb. Plus, you can use a gravity gun to throw babies at people. It doesn't get much better than this. Oh, wait a minute. Yes, it does. You can also make cars fall on enemies. And when the mods come out it may get EVEN better (if that's possible).… Expand

Rarely does a mega-hyped game live up to it's hype. Half-Life 2 was perhaps the most hyped game of all time. And if anything, it exceded the hype, and indeed all expectations.

The only reason I don't rate it a 10 is that I don't know what the "perfect" game is. This is an awesome game that thrusts you into another world. The realism is uncanny. I turn off all the lights in the "computer room" and slip into Gordon Freeman's body. What a rush! Those galloping ghouls that debut in Ravenholm will freak you out! The situations that you find yourself in often require you to stop, take stock of your surroundings, and figure out how to think your way out of the dilemma. I wish I could erase my memory and play it anew over and over again.… Expand

Its a great game but too overhyped, there are better games in terms of gameplay that still offer scripted storyline like far cry. The use of physics is a great addition and the graphics are fantastic, the AI is not so good. Overall a great game worth playing and buying but not as perfect as the reviewers say.

BEST GAME EVER! game of the year X ten! it is soo good! the final boss rocked big time! the weapons are all so cool!

Uses multi-sensory techniques to immerse you in a virtual world. Audio in particular is awesome. Maybe not a real challenge compared to some killer FPS, but probably better at RPG simulation for those who like living in an alternate reality--though it is linear, so don't expect to create your own story. Another little annoyance is the game's broken into relatively small bits with load times between them. With no cut scenes to chew on, waiting a few seconds for loads is a shruggable offense. As for peeps other complaints: I use DSL to connect to the Internet and haven't had any problems so far with Steam, I loaded the game from DVD in about ten minutes, and I haven't seen any real bugs or evidence of bad programming.… Expand

Hideto M. your just being negative! but seriously this is a great game and it deserves its praise. Just because everyone says this game is great doesnt make us all conformist a$$holes maybe it just means this is a great game. The first game was not over rated and did deserve its praise. Thanks to Half-Life we are not playing mindless corridor shooters. Go ahead and say we are mindless and have no opinions but i have more people to back me up that this is a great game than you do.… Expand

Adam is a *****. "Yes, i was blown away by the game, but i give it a Zero because i don't like steam." I think youre supposed to rate the game, not the installation process.

game is the best. o ya and mr Sean War who said "gave it a0: Really repetitive, nothing changes, doesnt come close to doom 3 when it comes to graghics" doom 3 was the worst game ever it was just simply tarible. lacked a story ulike this one. unlike any other sequal to a game this one just blows ur mind away. game is great. the AI is great and the story contines to amaze me.

This is the best singleplayer fps-shoot up, I've ever played no doubt to that! Keep em comming.. should I say 'Half life 3' ?

All I can say is wow! Truly AMAZING! Far Cry was my all time fav for sometime and didn't think a game would be better then it for a while but man, everything about This game is so sweat. Definitely a 10!

Half Life 2 is a great game, but it is in no way the best FPS ever. Friendly AI is poor, as your fellow soldiers will die quickly; ant lions are more effective than humans. There is no sniper rifle (sorry, the crossbow doesn't count) so you end up wasting lots of ammo on enemies at even a medium distance. Even a Halo-style battle rifle would have been nice. There is no compass or map, so you can get disoriented, even though the game is very linear. However, the game does tons of stuff right. Great graphics, great sound. Firefights are varied and fun. Environments are highly detailed and the physics bring it to life like no other game can do (possible exceptions being FEAR and Far Cry). Fun vehicles. Solid characters and thought-provoking story. Overall, a must-play for action fans, and a big bright feather in Valve's cap.… Expand

This game rules... it has a great story line... I actually thought I was Gordon and the graphix... they jus BLOW YOU AWAY!

This is a great game played it many times and its still fun.

The best game I have ever played. The only thing that surpasses it is Half-life given the year half-life was released.

I'm not going to say anything that hasn't already been said, so I'll make it short and sweet. Great graphics, great sound, great game. The gravity gun is tons of fun. My son loved it when I "starfished" Combine soldiers by shooting them straight up in the air and watching them spin like a top. Also, shooting soldiers into energy streams and watching them somersault in slow motion was endlessly entertaining. The game ran fine on my system, which surprised me considering how detailed the graphics were. The ending was disappointing and was obviously designed to leave the door open for Half-Life 3.… Expand

Best Game Ever!!!!

I played it. I beat it. I loved it. I played it, again. I still loved it. I love this game. This is the best half life game I personally have seen yet. 11 out of 10.

The best game in the world.

Best Game Ever!!!!

Simply the best FPS game around!

It starts a new age... It's just great!

This is the best game i have ever played. It starts you in a gritty city-without hope kinda scenario and keeps you locked in. The combat is amazing, and it REALLY steps up once you get the gravity gun. I would recommend this game to anyone, and if somone would pass the game up, they should be shot.

Dune 2. Doom. Command and Conquer. Monkey Island 2. Deus Ex. Every so often a game comes along that redefines the very concept of gaming, that goes beyond "a new benchmark for the genre" to become one of the greatest achievements in the history of the field of sick virtual reality video games. Rise and shine, Mr Freeman, rise and shine. Ignore anyone who's given this game a yellow score, pour scorn on those who have given it red. This is, quite simply, the best game ever made up to this point. And I'm saying that with 512k of RAM, which makes the key responses occasionally act like Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. If you thought the Aliens Vs Predator games were scary...you were right, but ten minutes in Ravenholm and you'll be begging for the chapter to end. The graphics are, of course, to die for - you can turn the detail down and it still looks like Jesus himself created the characters. The voice acting is brilliant - I have to give a quick nod to Valve for the subtitles and closed-captions...finally the deaf can enjoy Half-Life as much as the hearing can. Thanks for that. There is one, only one, downside, and it begins with S. There really is no way around it, but once you've got the game, you can apparently switch Steam off without downloading something claiming to be a crack which actually eats your computer from the inside like a tapeworm - have a look on Google for the tweak. Steam is the archetype of good intentions paving the road to Hell. But I choose not to mark the game down because of the ill-thought out delivery system. Half Life 2 is a landmark. It is to gaming what the Godfather Part II was to film. Wake up and smell the ashes.… Expand

I have yet to see anything come close to the source engine.

This is the best game I have ever played.

Really good game!

LOVE it!

The best PC game I`ve ever played.

This is the absolute best game ever created. Even if the graphics are slightly dated by now, the game is beautiful. The story is awesome, the sound is incredible in the gameplay is just amazing. Anyone who owns a PC that can play HL2 has to buy this game, I will Chuck Norris karate kick you if you don't. Peace out nuks.

BEST GAME EVER! Seriously. The physics engine...amazing! The AI...amazing! The hours of game time...amazing! This game will keep you glued to your computer with hours of fun on end + an amizing fan base with hundreds of great mods. WOW!

Best played with 256m graphics card, well worth the play. 10 out of 10.

This is simply a masterpiece, bettering even the first Half-Life. It's practically faultless, and endlessly varying and truly mesmerising experience. The best videogame ever made.

The best gameplay, graphics and story seen in a computergame since the 90's. You play the story.. the shooting is also nice but is not the main gaol.. the gaol is to finish the story.. not only to shoot. Many shoot 'em up game fail on this point.

The best game ever, granted a long wait, but worht every heart-breaking seconfd of it.

I will agree with some of the critics of HL2 that it doesn't break a ton of new ground in terms of gameplay. Honestly, though, that's really kind of a side issue because the game is so immersive, that it makes up for any and all other shortcomings. It simply has one of the most compelling and immersive storylines that I've ever seen in a video game. It puts most modern Hollywood movies to shame really; it's a video game epic.… Expand

Excellent, a very great game, love the graphics, the physics, gameplay, and you dont even need a really good game to play it... (I.E Far cry and doom3). I didnt like steam at first, but after a year, it kinda grows on you, you just gotta deal with it, because it looks like thats how games will be distributed in the future... anyhow, great game, cant wait for the expansion (the counter-strike source added to it is very nice as well, spend many hours on that) I rate it a 10 on 10!… Expand

Half Life 2 is a great game, for the people who think that Steam is "bs", it's a very good thing as long as it works. I wouldn't give the game a 0 because Steam didn't install at first, but you would have given the game itself a 10...

There are so many modifications for Half Life 2 popping up, most of them are free too! This game should be owned by every Half-Life fan in my oppinion.

There are many many games where you have to wait a long time for things to load, but it's your computer that makes it so slow. Just get an upgrade as you probably need one to experience the game in its full beauty.… Expand

A superb game. I'd knock the score down for the installation which is a pain, but i'm rating the game itself here which, when it all comes down to it, is near enough perfect. A good storyline, interesting characters and great gameplay are certainly enough to secure a 10 from me.

An excellent game! The graphics are beyond any game which I have even seen to this date, May 2006. It is ahead of its time, has great gameplay, and is very realistic. However, it is not Half-Life 1, and is definately not as good. Still, if you are a REAL gamer, you have at least the Gold copy of this game!

This game is superb. The atmosphere is great, and the story pulls you in your computer, just like half life 1. Again it is a great combination of puzzling, story and combat action, that makes the game so interesting. Despite the fact that this genre is being overpopulated with games, half life still remains the king!

Best Game Ever!!!!

In response to the more reasonable critics: HALO was hyped. HL2 is not. The story is a continuation of HL1, and the ending is meant to be a cliff-hanger. There are more episodes on the way. What FPS does not have a basically linear story? If you want an RPG, go buy an RPG. Problems with Steam/load times/installation: get a better machine. Too easy: turn up the difficulty. That's what the slider is there for. Call of Duty, Doom 3 and Far Cry are better: Justify it. Doom 3 consists of walking around in darkness waiting for a demon to jump out of a closet at you. There is no strategy. Far Cry is a great game but that doesn't mean HL2 needs to be rated 0. Call of Duty I & II? Again, great games but not any better than HL2. A final note, the online play for HL2 is outstanding; deathmatch, counter strike are well supported and have tons of players and maps. The tool kit included with HL2 is excellent, as is the map builder.… Expand

It's one of the best games I ever played! One the one Hand has it a good graphik and a good sound. On the oter Hand the game is running on many computer, cause it hasen't high requirements. And the last cause is that the game is never boring.

I would honestly say that this game has the best gameplay and physics of environment out of any game that I have ever gotten a chance to become addicted to.

its almost an perfict game and to play it its al fun and an good story in the game zo it is one of the best games till now.

This game was amazing when it came out and is still at the top of the game 2 years after its release.

Simply breathtaking. The immerssion is nothing like i've ever seen before. My only conern is the all too regular moments where you have to load the 'next level' - kinda breaks the flow alot, but the rest is so good - it easily deserves 10!

One of the best games Ive ever played

great game. i love it. great facial and bodily movements. i love how when you finish a puzzle it makes you (think) you're smart.

It's the best game I ever played, i have a worse Cpu(celeron 2.4 Ghz 133 Fsb 128 Mb Cache) and the game just plays well on the highest resolution and texture filter. It's the best programmed game i ever played. Physik engine is perfect, lightning effects are perfect and everything in the game is perfect. A Thanks, programming this game, for the Valve-team.

Best Game Ever!!!!

Splendid graphics, the best physics you have ever seen in a game, uncompromising audio and an amazing story mode to back it up. The game was a little too easy for any standard, but that small falice can be overlooked when faced with this, the undoubtedly best game in FPS history to date.

Best Game Ever!!!!

Best. Game. Ever. It has physics, great storyline, stunning graphics and great gameplay. I can't get bored of this game!

Best Game Ever!!!!

I can't think of a game I've ever enjoyed as much as this! Some people complain about the teammate AI. Though it isn't perfect, it's really not that bad, plus you rarely have a teammate! And to those of you who whine about it being linear. You know what? Sometimes, linear isn't bad! With a storyline as interesting as HL2's, I'm more than happy to follow a path.

Brilliant, worth the extra wait. worth the cash.

Half-Life 2 is an Interactive-Cinematic masterpiece. Valve has done a great job of populating the game with an extensive library of detailed sounds, rich textures, high-quality animations, and excellent scripting tools which all compliment a trully engaging storyline. Half-Life 2 will stand the test of time.

This game is absolutely amazing. I love all of the detail that was put into this game. It really makes a difference.

This game was amazing, all the comments that say that this game was horrible, stupid, etc. they are dumbasses. seriously. They are being stupid, they are pointing out all the flaws in this game. Of course the AI isn't perfect, its a game. Those peopl who say that the ending was stupid and dropped off, its meant to. If you know anything about half life or half life 2, you'll understand that it's meant to be this way. People have dedicated years into make this an awesome game and it still is one. Compare all the negative reviews to the positive, you'll see how good this game really is. It is amazingly good, not to mention has a ton of mods out there so you get around 100 games in one. and most of them are actually good, rather then the crap that lots of other modders put out for other games. I have to say that the story is slightly liniar, but the amazing fights and battles make up for it. It is an intense game. Maybe those people who gave it negative reviews should try it on some other mode then easy, maybe that'll make the game more fun, when there is actually a challange.… Expand

Even though this new company, valve, has been known for their delays, they still offer quality material. And to me, that is well worth the wait. I would much rather wait 6 months then to continue to play some of these games that have been rushed together that would have had so much potential. Valve stepped up to the plate and offered an amazing AI just like their first release. Sound, graphics, and replay value all met my expectations. The question is what will their new engine produce in multiplayer.… Expand

This is one of my favorite games of all time if there was a 9.8 score I'd give it that but the game wasnt PERFECT but sure damned close to it....I LOVE THIS GAME....Good Job Valve! :)

The best game I have ever played.

About the game missing an easy-hard scale, what the heck man, it has one (easy, medium, hard). Great game, one of the best ever, makes games like Halo 2 that promise so much look like last nights dinner.

GREAT GAME!

Probally the best single player game ever, it ecells in all areas and comes with free down loading of other great games. And the Zero-Point Energy Field Manipulator (gravity Gun) is the coolest weapon of any video game ever. Up yours Halo

é il miglior gioco che abbia mai visto... unico problema è che dura poco.

Virtual perfection.

Amazing game, I stills say Half-Life 1 was the best of all time, but this is great.

This game is totally awesome... from beginning till end perfect.. intelligent enemies, nice story an the best graphics ever 10/10.

Nice game i loved to play the game many times.

Very good climax, storyline and even better graphics. Small levels are still a bit annoying (especially at earlier parts of game). Weapons could be more realistic (sounds, weight). Almost as dragin in as 1 HL.

Quite possibly the most intense game and best graphics I've ever seen.

this game is so good i though that half life 1 was a good game but when i bought this it is so good and this is y i vote it 10 out 10 no 12 infact its that good.

Awesome visual work. Great interactive enviornments and great story line.

LOVE it!

Amazing game, great story line, good gameplay great graphics, a fitting sequal!

Best Game Ever!!!!

Better graphics and detail smooth and slik ..good new mines and weapons....but no no no no no way is it long enough need more levels more story and .... i need more.

Breathtaking Action and wonderfull detailed Graphics made me rate this Game 10. Good work Valve.

Very much enjoyed this game. i play the single player over and over. what i like about it is the Physics system where you have to think about the puzzles and put counter weights in to get past the next area. things i dont care for is 1 the AI Pathing for the Npc they seem to get in the way.

This game has great graphics, good use of ram, has great mods - It totally rocks.

The Best Game Ever

It's a good game. I play it with all full graphic details, and it's nice to watch. The water and the sky are really well done, and the HDR is there!

this game is brilliant. hands down. valve is once again masters in their craft. valve holds such a high standard for the games they make, and it shows here in this game. it takes the original and kicks it in the ass and tells it to go home. it does the same to most shooters for that matter.

Best Game Ever!!!!

Great game. if you dont play it you deserve all bad that comes to you, you Tibia loser.

AMAZING grafficts, outstanding player animations, and Lighting, and the source engine added some of the best effects I have ever seen in a PC game.

HL2 is the most realistic game released on the Pc today, i know ive got all the others. For all those people that gave this a bad score your just being noobs cause you have a crap computer, I can run HL2 on full graphics and the experiance is amazing. I also didnt encounter any glitches or stuff ups in the later levels of the game as i think one person said. I do admit thought valve does have bad support for there users, a friend of mine forgot his password and he done everything valve told him to on there website and they didnt help him at all which in my books is pretty shocking when you hav all the information other than the password.… Expand

I would rate it 20/10 if i could, the only problem with the game was "Steam." When i bought the game i was so Pis**d Off because i could not play it because i did not have the internet at the time so i installed it on someone else's computer to play it, later to find out they didn't have a good enough graphics card so that didn't help. Then eventually i got the internet and the i still couldnt play it because the disc was already registered to another comp. and user >:( in order for me to play it i had to send it away to get checked etc.. and i just really couldn't be bothered. So i went out and bought it for the Xbox to find out that it was the best game i had ever played :) so i had to get it for the pc because i was soon to be selling my xbox so i could get an Xbox 360 and this is one game i have to have. So once i bought it AGAIN for the pc if ound out it was even better than the xbox version, the graphics and lightig was practically twice as good and the physics engine etc.… Expand

Ok first off, Half-life and Half-life 2 come from two different generations of gaming. Second, this game has awesome weapon effects, graphics, realism, and a way to create a story linking two games together coming from different backgrounds. Third, it has a short storyline only because people don't take time to know the enemy before you kill them. "They" are intellegent AI if you let them challenge you, that means you can mess around and not rush through the game waiting for it to throw fun at you and while its better to try and "make fun" of it. Fourth, Steam is hard for impatient people who blame it for ruining the game (same as taking the trash out after you pressed pause). Don't blame Steam for something that is supposed to help your game and that only time can solve, come on, you can wait, we all did, jeez I think it annoyed everyone who didn't buy it on Steam. Bugs were there because updates can later to fix them. Hardware problems are the users fault. And five Farcry puts everything in front of you because the user is scripted to do that (if you know what I mean), I know, I have that game, its fun only because I made it fun for me (Logically, something is fun if you allow it to or fun know matter what, then you know its awesome). Last but not least Doom 3 is cool and really fun to kill demons with a simple shotgun, I went through it on veteran and nightmare mode cuz its hilarious how its only a shotgun but get serious guys, you are asking for another game toooo... be like another game. Single them out and listen to yourselves. They both have great ancestors, especially Doom but in the end, they both share a common trait: Evolution and Revolution to a gaming experience that in the end challenged gamers and was fun (if they let it). Last but not least, for the people disapointed with the end of the game, two short things: 1you beat the main bad guy and that should be it, but it ends right there leaving off for another time after anymore Half-life 2 episodes all the way to another generation plus technology advances make it seem not that far off. 2its supposed to end if you gave a sh-- or not if you like it or not. Those of you who like putting down the game for reasons of they try or rip off just should realize the fact that all game companies do that but you aren't looking at the fact that products are made because fans have requested them or just want to show pride and the trademark makes money because money and passion go hand in hand. If what I am ending this is just to logical or too much for an explanation, then realize that some people are just saying stupid complaints and so this is their stupid answer(s) and a put down to them for being idiots and in every way a stupid moron for opening their slow unreasonable unthinking mind that should try to find a school that teaches advanced ways to look at morals and common sense before they embarass themselves on the internet. If you think I am doing that right now you either are one of them or are reading a message for someone else of a really low level of society (mind-wise because they don't know how to use it). In the end I will return to the real reason for this post before I dig to much into a hole that is actually a loop in human nature: point-reason-granted reason-back to first one. I will just say that his game is so awesome and I am glad I got this game which behind its awesome graphics and simple creation that some people don't realize was actually easy to make but the problem was that Valve couold have made a complex game with better whatever or stoop to easy-to-use technology and create an equally awesome game that still would have gotten the rate of 10's and 0's no matter what audience it came too. I am glad to be a Half-life fan and I am glad I spent 3 hours setting it up and go back and play it and test the physics to its limits no matter what cost game crash or pointless venture. This game gets a better rating than Halo (95) to both Half-lifes (96) (except for episode 2 because people saw that it should be that way and plus (a litle offtopic) the fans/fanatics ruined it almost like counter-strike. This game deserves a better audience just like some other games do but who can help something so natural anyway.… Expand