Half Life 2
| Half Life 2 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Minimum Requirements | 1.2GHz Processor, 256MB RAM, DirectX 7 lvl Graphics Card, Windows Operating System, Internet Connection (multiplayer) |
| Latest Patch | N/A - handled by Steam |
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows |
| Age Rating (OFLC) | MA15 |
| File Mirror | N/A |
Contents |
Half Life 2
Half life 2, the sequel to half life, is a first person shooter set in the near future in a city called City 17. It follows the mysterious journey of Dr Gordon Freeman, who worked on the Black Mesa project (from the original game), as he fight against an oppressive regime with the help of his fellow colleges from the Black Mesa Incident, the people of City 17 and Vortigaunts.
It was developed by the Valve Software Corporation and was released on November 16, 2004. The current rating for the game is MA15+. Steam is releasing periodic expansions called “episodes” where the story is continued.
Gameplay
Single Player
Taking over 5 years in development, players resume the role of Gordon Freeman. The story picks up in a Post Apocalyptic world setting, as a result of the Black Mesa Incident. He finds himself oppressed with the majority of the world's population in the prison styled urban dwellings. Xen creatures and opposing Combine soldiers are scattered throughout each level for Freeman to battle against with an array of weapons, ranging from the traditional military issued weapons, to the revolutionary and totally cool - gravity gun which allows you to effectively use your surrounding objects such as Saw Blades, Barrels, and planks of wood to effectively launch at your unsuspecting hostiles. Freeman is not alone throughout this ordeal, with him effectively using the help of friends and newly made acquaintances during the game.
The main focus for the game is single player, where players make their way through a linear series of levels, encountering both human and alien creatures (both hostile and friendly), with gameplay being broken up by a series of physical puzzles. The game includes a wide range of weapons and usable vehicles. Instead of having the traditional tutorials, the game has tasks inside the levels which are explained either through on screen text or other characters in the game explain it to the player.
Multiplayer - Deathmatch
Originally the game didn’t come with Multiplayer, and instead came with a copy of Counter Strike Source, however in November 30, 2004, Valve release Half Life 2: Deathmatch, which was a free download offered via Steam. Like other deathmatch games, the aim of Half-Life 2: Deathmatch is to kill as many other players as possible, using a variety of means, in either free-for-all or team matches. The player spawns with a gravity gun, a pistol, a sub-machine gun, and grenades. All weapons included in the single player portion of Half-Life 2, with the exception of the pheropod (bugbait), are available and scattered randomly around the maps. Players can be killed in a number of ways, including gunfire, explosions, or through contact with physics objects traveling at high speeds.
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch's February 17 update in 2006 introduced a new map (dm_steamlab) and three new weapons that had been missing from the game previously, or cut before it shipped. This included the crowbar (for human player models) and the stunstick (for combine player models), and the SLAM, or "Selectable Lightweight Attack Munition," a real-world weapon which can either be thrown and detonated or planted on walls to produce a "tripwire" laser which detonates the device when in contact with an object or person.
The original retail version of Half Life 2, also comes with Counter-Strike: Source. Counter Strike is undoubtedly one of the most popular online games of all time, definitely worth a try.
Starter Guide
The game is very similar to other FPS, where the basic keys areas follows:
W - move forward
S - move backward
A - Move sideways left
D - Move sideways right
E - use object
Left mouse button - primary fire
Right mouse button - secondary fire
Mouse - controls where you point your gun
Space – Jump
Ctrl – Crouch
To shoot, aim using your mouse and click (or click and hold) the left mouse button. The longer you hold down the button (i.e. the longed you shoot) the less accurate you are. To enter a vehicle, press the use button (E). The same buttons apply, however the mouse looks around, and the keys A & D turn the vehicle left and right respectively.
To kill another player, there are a number of ways to do it, via shooting them, blowing them up, or throwing objects at them using the gravity gun. The easiest way to stay alive is to move around a lot (called strafing) or by hiding behind objects, like walls, or crouching behind objects, like boxes.
Player's Guide
Always aim around the upper torso regions when shooting at an enemy. Although instinct will tell you to aim to the chest for the easiest hit, the best place to hit is the head. Scoring headshots will deal far more damage than chest shots, so learn to aim around the neck. With some luck and a bit of skill, you’ll score headshots. Failing that, you’ll at least get body damage in. Make sure to reload your weapon often (only when no one is around) so you don’t run out of ammo in a fire fight.
Another trick in multiplayer is to keep a mental note of where items spawn, so you can always get there fast when needed.
Patching Information
As with all Valve games, it is launched and maintained (including patches) by the Steam software entirely.
Help Section
Resources/External Links
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