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Half-Life

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9.1 User Score:

Universal acclaim

Based on 24 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 1072 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Sierra Studios

Developer: Valve Software

Genre(s): First-Person Shooter, Action

Players: 32

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: July 25, 1998

Summary

Half-Life combines great storytelling in the tradition of Stephen King with intense action and advanced technology to create a frighteningly realistic world where players need to think smart to survive. Half-Life has won more than 50 Game of the Year awards from publications around the world, and was named 'Best PC Game Ever' in PC Gamer's November 1999 issue. [Sierra]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Half-Life 2 Half-Life: Blue Shift Half-Life: Counter-Strike

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

All Game Guide

It isn't everyday that you come across a game that totally revolutionizes an entire genre, but Half-Life has done just that.

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100

Adrenaline Vault

If you want an incredible 3D experience that will cause you to lose sleep, meals, PTA meetings, and romantic rendezvous, this is the game.

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100

Hot Games

The way scientists and guards talk to you and each other, the huge stages that you can make a little bit more progress in each time you play, the absolutely amazing animation...it all adds up to a totally immersive gaming experience that makes everything else look quite shoddy in comparison.

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100

Gamers Depot

I have yet to play a more immersive game period. From the word "go", I found myself completely engulfed into the pseudo world that is unfolded before your eyes. [6 "drips"]

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100

Just Adventure

It features a fully interactive environment that's a blast to play through. It's really like an interactive movie because it's so immersive. It's easily the most revolutionary shooter since "System Shock."

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100

2404.org

Single player has a great story line with lots of twists and turns that keeps you interested.

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100

GamePro

A masterpiece of epic proportions, the "Saving Private Ryan" of first-person shooters.

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100

Yahoo! Games

Everything about Half-Life smacks of quality: the storyline, the gameplay, the graphics, the sound effects and last, but not least, the obvious level of committment Sierra and Valve have invested in it. Half-Life is, without doubt, the best PC game I have ever played. Ever.

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100

Game Revolution

A fantastic single player experience, with reliable and customizable multiplayer support...what more could a FPS fan ask for.

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Gamezilla!

It is, without a doubt, the best single-player first-person shooter ever. Period. It is so good for so many reasons. But most importantly, it is fun. I mean really fun.

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PC Gamer

This is The Big One, and it's even better than we could've hoped. [Jan 1999, p.166]

TotalGames.net

Half-Life is brilliant in every respect with huge monsters appearing later on, Half-Life gets so spooky it hurts, so frightening people simply watching jump!

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PC Gameworld

The best FPS ever created. Makes everything else pale in comparison. It's everything you always wanted in a FPS.

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GamingExcellence

Everything in this game is perfect, including the excellent characters and graphics, and the realistic sound effects. Half-Life is not a game, it is an adventure.

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Armchair Empire

It combines a balance of tense action, puzzle solving, story, and fun that has yet to be equaled on in the FPS arena.

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IGN

It constantly presents you with variety, surprises, and new challenges to keep you hooked. It is a tour de force in game design, the definitive single player game in a first person shooter.

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Game Over Online

It's atmosphere and unique style have changed the face of PC gaming.

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My Gamer

The storyline runs in perfect harmony with the action and acts as a conduit not a stopgap, or a padding device. Each gaming element compliments the next and the entire presentation is nothing short of, well…dare we say it…revolutionary.

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GameSpot

The closest thing to a revolutionary step the genre has ever taken. Through a series of subtle and artistic design decisions, Half-Life creates a reality that is self-contained, believable, and thoroughly engaging.

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Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Call in sick at work, unplug the phone, cancel all your plans, and prepare yourself for one of the most intense, exciting, and downright brilliant gaming experiences of your life.

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Happy Puppy

Realism aside, Half-Life provides some of the best unrealistic opponents seen to date as well. The creature design here is outstanding.

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GamerArchive

Once you have dominated the death match realm, you can truly call yourself either an expert gamer, or an obsessive stinking nerd.

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Electric Playground

I have never had a more immersive and engaging entertainment experience than I had with the first half of Half-Life...[but] the game peaks too soon.

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Cincinnati Enquirer

Unfortunately, Half-Life’s puzzle-oriented play leads to some problems. On several occasions, you’ll be forced to make almost impossible jumps. The difficulty of such maneuvers finds you making 10, sometimes 15 attempts. The frustration distances you from a story that should have you absorbed.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.1 (out of 10) based on 1072 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Dylan B gave it a9:
I'm writing this on August 25, 2009. I am a huge fan of the Half Life series. I've played all the other Half Life games in the series and I recently added HL1 to my collection. This is, without a doubt, the best FPS computer game I have ever played. And this is 9 years after its released! I don't know much about the graphics, sound effects, AI, and voice acting in '98 but these probably top most of them back then. This game does get pretty tough if you don't plan ahead but none the less, its still a great game.

Help U gave it an8:
Every thing is well detailed and designed to an amazing degree. Everything is awesome until were the game should have ended. Before The Desert. I mean, you fight through everything until you get to the main goal of making it to the surface after that everything drags on. Its directionless. Once you open the doors to get to the desert that is when you should have been revieled the entire plot of everything, but no you keep going. Sometimes its feels like the level designer is trying to fill the game with cheap tricks instead of good design when you get to this point. This is were the fun ends. Honestly, the desert and the levels after should have been an expansion that no one bought, it totaly deviates from the game's design. Even the soldiers AI seems confused and out of place. If the desert wasn't apart of the game I would give this game a 10 and the desert a 5. Actually, I stopped playing after I hit the desert because it really pisses me off and I can tell the rest of the game is like it because I briefly played it.

mike g gave it a10:
THIS game has Extraordinary Graphics,Very Beautiful Gameplay,Movie like Sequences, and Awesome Sound! I hope people who play this game will last a life time in there hearts because this game still ROCKs all others ever made for the PC Valve i love your Work! please keep kickin ass on the best game series you have made in the Years and in the years to come!

Me Not You gave it a10:
I can't see why anyone is slating this game for anything. It's probably one of the best games I've ever played despite it coming out so long ago. The graphics were amazing for it's time, and are great for anyone with a very bad computer. The multiplayer, while filled with bot players and very few actual ones, is quite enjoyable when you find a game with actual people. The levels were fun, getting progressively harder and more exciting. Puzzles were great. I love it, and I can't see how anyone would hate it and if they do they should sit down and eat shit waffles.

Pete H gave it a10:
This game is the best i've ever played, I remember the day it came out back in '98. all these people are giving it zero's because they arn't reading what game it is, or think that it was made this year! BEST GAME EVER!

Josh C gave it a10:
This game is unbeatable. When you think of a 1998 video game, it my be bad in graphics, lacking a real storyline, etc etc. However, still I find myself booting up the game just to re-live the action of Gordon Freeman again and again. This is truly an "oldie but goodie".

Ansel t gave it a10:
Simply amazing. Half Life is my favorite game and in my opinion, almost rivals Half Life 2. Don't let the crappy graphics fool you, you wont be able to stop once you start.

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