In the year of our lord 2024, I have been playing Half-Life for the first time in my life. Crazy, right? I had just gotten a Steam Deck for Christmas and I learned that Valve had optimized its own game to run and control well on their handheld. So I figured, why not? I mean after all, Valve created Half-Life. They also craeted create Steam and the Steam Deck. Seems like an experience that should go hand in hand, right? So I installed it on my Steam Deck and let it sit there for a rainy day. That day was not too long after as our neighborhood went through a terrible blackout. We lost power for a few days. No lights, power, nothing. But my wife and I endured. We had things to keep our devices charged and enough games to keep us occupied. We ended up just hanging out in bed with our handheld devices. She had her Nintendo Switch Lite and I had my shiny new Steam Deck. While scrolling through all my games, I landed on Half-Life. I stared at the cover and thought back to however many years ago this game came out. How I had never played it before and how I missed opportunities to play it later down the line. And here I was, laying in bed, no power, and no timeline of when it would come back. I think it was in that moment that I said to myself "it's time". So I set out on a new adventure and dove right into the game.
Now, I haven’t been living under a rock. I am fully aware that Half-Life is hailed as one of the greatest video games of all-time. But back then, it was only available on PC.
If we go way back to when Half-Life originally launched, you will find yourself in the year 1998 and a 13 year old me. That young, swave, Titanic Leo DiCaprio-looking version of me, he was still playing on consoles. I was blessed with owning both the Nintendo 64 and the Sony Playstation around that time. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time would be releasing that year as well as Resident Evil 2. Looking back, man, what a glorious time to be a kid, let me tell you. However, my experience with computers and PC games was extremely limited back then. My family got a “family computer” around 1995. Back then, we were trying to figure out this new hip thing called “the internet”. We were playing whatever games that were already built into the system. Games like Solitaire and Minesweeper. Even by the time Half-Life was out in ‘98, I didn’t quite understand the concept of upgrading your computer’s hardware to be able to play the latest games. Hard drive space, processors, random access memory? All that went over my head. I mean, I was a kid. With my Nintendo 64, you put the game in, turn it on, and just play. When you’re a kid, that’s all that really mattered. That being said, I did subscribe to a variety of gaming magazines back then. So I was aware of a lot of these games being released for PC. I just never paid much attention to them since I didn’t have a PC that could run a lot of these games.
But eventually Half-Life would be ported to the Playstation 2. It started with Captivation Digital Laboratories and Gearbox Software developing a port of Half-Life for the Sega Dreamcast. But due to underperforming sales of the Dreamcast and Sony exceeding sales of the Playstation 2, Sega quit console development and became soley a software company in March 2001. The Dreamcast port of Half-Life ended up becoming the basis for what eventually became the PlayStation 2 port. Half-Life was eventually released for the PS2 in late 2001, which, is pretty amazing when you think about it. Only three years since its release on PC that it found life on one of the world's most sold-out console. But as I try to think back and dig deep into my memory banks, I'm trying to remmeber why I missed out on this port. I couldn't figure it out until I realized what other games came out that year. Holy cow, 2001 was one hell of a year for gaming! I think it was just way too many amazing games that occupied my time, leaving Half-Life at the bottom of the list.
Well, fast forward to today and you will find that I have a shiny new OLED Steam Deck (thanks Santa). Now, there’s no excuse. Half-Life is Steam Deck verified, it's got improved controls, it's resolution was upgraded to look amazing on this handheld, it was finally time. And when I finally dove in, I found out exactly what I've been missing out on all these years.
What I love about Half-Life is the amount of detail it has for a game that came out over 26 years ago. Its interactive, cinematic style opening really set the stage for what you were about to get into. I love that you’re stuck on a tram, taking you through the depths of the Black Mesa Research Facility. At first you think it's just an opening cutscene. But with an accidental bump of the controller, I found out that I had the freedom to move around the tram and look at all the things that pass you by. And it was neat too because the credits were also rolling as you move about the tram. Instead of just watching a cinematic cutscene, Valve goes a different route where it’s interactive. You basically are the cutscene. I absolutely love that. And seeing all the NPCs, random characters, plus a variety of machines and vehicles moving around in the background, it makes you feel like you’re inside a living, breathing world. The immersion is absolutely amazing.
The ride lasted for over five minutes. But those five minutes really painted a picture of just how big and how deep this facility goes. When I finally reached my destination, I was greeted by a security guard and met up with a bunch of scientists. I gotta say, not only was I completely blown away by hearing these NPCs speak, but I was completely floored seeing their mouths move! That's just something you didn't see in a lot of games back then. Not with this level of detail. The NPCs in this game walk around the environment and interact with each other. They have conversations with each other and make comments at you when you walked up to them. Some interact with their environment too. Taping on keyboards or looking at computer screens. It was absolutely wild. The sheer amount of detail for a game this old is really what makes this game shine. I mean, it was revolutionary back then. But even today, I think it still stands out.
With many years under my belt playing a variety of first person shooters, I was very comfortable picking up this game and just going. Because Valve optimized this game for the Steam Deck, it felt extremely comfortable to control. And as I explored the areas of the game, I really fell in love with the set pieces. The scope and scale of this facility is absolutely massive. The tram ride at the beginning was just a taste of things to come. Having to explore this facility while finding ways to get from one place to another made you feel like you were in a very big underground maze. I found myself travling through vents, sewer pipes, climbing elevator levels, and so much more. And you had to do all that while also trying to survive an onslaught of alien beings trying to kill you!
You read that right! Aliens!
Black Mesa is a facility full of scientists working on top-secret experiments. As Gordon Freeman, the main protagonist, you were one of the researchers working on a very big experiment involving portal technology. Unfortunately, something goes wrong with this experiment and you end up opening a portal to another dimension. Fun, right? Well, not really. As cool as that sounds, you end up letting all sorts of crazy things come through. These alien creatures of all shapes and sizes start killing everyone and destroying everything in its wake. So what do you do? You grab your trusty crowbar and try to work your way out of this mess in hopes to reach the surface. All those levels you experienced going down in that tram? Yeah, you're at the very bottom of the facility and there is no tram anymore. Everything is in shambles. Elvators, doors, ladders, and security checkpoints where you don't have proper clearance? Yeah, they're all destroyed. They really pulled a 180 on you and made you feel trapped with no way out. I feel this is when the game really kicks in because my adrenaline was through the roof at this point!
I felt that Black Mesa, both as a company and a facility, had striking similarities to Umbrella Inc. from the Resident Evil series. I also thought it was interesting that both Half-Life and Resident Evil 2 came out the same year, just two months apart from each other. Coincidence? Probably. However, in the Resident Evil universe, Umbrella Inc. is more of a pharmaceutical company on the surface while they conduct secret experiments in their underground labs. Their focus was to create viral monsters, aiming to weaponize them. With Half-Life, it's a bit different as Black Mesa is overseen by the U.S. government. On the surface, Black Mesa undertakes research in various fields from radiation, to rocketry, theoretical physics, lasers, experimental propulsion, hydraulics, robotics, hydroelectricity, genetics, and more. But below the surface, this is where classified research is carried out. Their focus was on the development of high-tech weapons, defense systems, research into extra-dimensional travel, and teleportation. Real "Area 51" type stuff.
What I love about the universe that Valve has created in this game, especially within the Black Mesa Research Facility, is its fusion of realism with science fiction elements. Valve has achieved a remarkable balance, crafting a world that feels both grounded and relatable, while also venturing into a realm of fantastical and otherworldly ideas. When I think about the accomplishments that I've discovered this game has achieved, I'm left utterly amazed. After 26 years, I can see why many have stated that Half-Life revolutionized the gaming landscape. It really did create new standards in gaming. And while I have never played this game when it originally released, I can see how this statement holds true when I look at all the first person shooters that came out after Half-Life. First-person shooters before Half-Life tended to be, more or less, clones of Doom or Quake. Players shot everything that moved and solved simple puzzles every so often. Narrative depth and character development took a backseat. Half-Life marked a turning point, ushering in an era where FPS games evolved into immersive, thought-provoking, and narratively rich experiences. Having finally immersed myself in this game, I can see clearly how it pushed the boundaries of gaming beyond the limitations of its time period. My appreciation, admiration, and reverence for this game have deepened significantly because of this experience.
This game is truly remarkable. With its impressive set pieces, thrilling action sequences, and a delightfully out-of-this-world story, I think its mark on gaming history continues to be felt throughout the industry, even 26 years after its initial release. So many games today have taken inspiration from it and I can see why. Its enduring quality stands as a testament to its timeless appeal. And having finally experienced it myself after so many years, I'm genuinely grateful that I had the opportunity to play such a well-aged gem.
I've recently discovered that there’s a fan remake of this game called “Black Mesa" and it's available on Steam. I think it's pretty cool that Valve not only allowed the game to be created by fans, but that they allowed it to be distributed on its Steam plaftorm. I've recently started playing it to compare it to the original game and I must say, it's very impressive. It's one of those experiences that makes you feel like this is what Half-Life would look like if it was made with today's gaming and graphical standards. To be honest, I almost played Black Mesa first instead of the original Half-Life. But I felt that in order to really appreciate what Half-Life did for the industry, I should play it as it was originally released. I’m so glad I did. Now that I have finally finished the game that started it all, I’m about ready to try out the next game in the series, Half-Life 2! I look forward to seeing where Gordon Freeman gets whisked away to next. Until then, I’ll see you all on the other side of Xen. Thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
BlueNile101
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