- Quick specs
- Price: Free to try (One level); $54.99 to buy
- Operating system: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP
- Date added: December 20, 2004
- Total Downloads: 550,950
- Downloads last week: 3,613
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 82 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET staff on July 27, 2005
When the original Half-Life appeared in 1998, gamers hailed it as the most gripping and realistic first-person shooter ever. Half-Life 2 is the long-awaited next chapter in the saga of Gordon Freeman and the alien menace from Black Mesa. It brings back the heart-pounding gameplay and engrossing storytelling of its predecessor, and its graphics set a new standard. The textures have never been better. The details are crisp and clear; allowing the characters to express subtle emotion. You'll need a modern DirectX 9 graphics card to take advantage of all the eye candy, but the game scales down surprisingly well for older systems. The sound also is extraordinary. Playing with headphones is as nerve-racking as watching a good movie thriller. You'll cringe as zombies clamber up a drainpipe to your rooftop position, or helicopter gunfire slams into the earth all around you. If you're a fan of first-person shooters and your system can hack it, download this game. It's that simple.
Publisher's description
From VU Games :By taking the suspense, challenge, and visceral charge of the original Half-Life 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 or her, from the physical environment to the behaviors and 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 demo takes players through some of the early levels of the game and later transports them to the area of the game known as Ravenholm.
CNET Editor's Note: Note: This demo requires a Steam account to install, and the game is rated M by the ESRB for intense violence and blood.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 3.9 stars out of 82 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 74 user reviewsSee all 74 user reviews
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Version: Half-Life 2 demo
Pros: The long awaited sequel to maybe the best shooter ever. The game that started the story driven Shooters; Half-Life. HL2 had a beautifull graphics engine (SOURCE) and the story is very entertaining; Alyx was one of my favorite characters ever! The conversations between characters where very well scripted, and the voice acting was great! The physics really bring this game to life, and those tripods where just cool to look at. HL2's weapon arsenal was even better than before and the gravity gun was a lot of fun to play with!
Cons: Most of the freedom from part 1 was gone, you just have to walk to the only possible direction. That takes away the fun exploration of the levels. The beginning and end of the game are just weird. And the important thing: Alyx was not enough in the game! (thankfully she a lot more at your side in the add-on 'Half-Life 2: Episode One'!0
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2 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Version: Half-Life 2 demo
Pros: If you have played the original Half Life you should like hl2. It has good sound & graphics & the game has many add ons such as maps & mods.
Cons: You do need a steam account to run this game but this will make it easier to update the game
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Half-Life 2 demo
Pros: good storyline,
amazing graphics,
brilliant game
Cons: need a pretty good pc to run it at full whack!
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Half-Life 2 demo
Pros: This game is amazing and after playing this demo and playing on my friends half life 2's I bought the game. Its incredebly hard and challenging and the AI is almost human this is a nerv racking very satisfying game.
Cons: None. The Game is amazing and well worth buying. you need a Steam account in order to play, and before you ask, no, its impossible to get the full game for free. in the demo you get a little of the 1st chapter, and the full chapter of Ravenholm (a zombie infested town.) Very nerv racking.
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Half-Life 2 demo
"very good game "source" ROCKS"
Pros: very good graphics dont need a top end card to play it finished the whole game with and integrated video card even though it lagged a little bit for me but if u have a desent card then your good to go.
Cons: Only thing is that the real game is to short.
- See all 74 user reviews Write review
