STELLA!!!!

As promised, the first title to grace the circuits of my new machine is Half Life 2. I acquired this game when it came out as part of my ATI Radeon video card purchase a few years ago. I couldn’t get a satisfactory resolution on my old PC, so I decided to wait and experience the game in its full glory. Now I can happily max out the settings.

The first thing that impressed me with HL2 is how realistic the outdoor lighting is. It instantly immerses you when you step outside. Then there’s the ground breaking physics that let you pick up and manipulate nearly everything. It’s not perfect and it can be difficult to simply rotate a crate you’re holding into position so you can stack it, but once you get the gravity gun things really pick up (no pun intended). I really enjoy pummeling zombies with random objects, especially when they break apart and you can pick up the splintered pieces and pummel them some more. It’s like that scene from South Park where Cartman is trying to kill Kyle by hitting him repeatedly with a whiffle bat.

So far, the timing of the action has been brilliant. There are plenty of scripted action sequences and firefights, but also quiet times where you’re free to play around with things and explore. I’ve spent a lot of time with the gravity gun rearranging furniture and doing a little painting:

The music placement is the best I’ve ever heard. It’s almost never there and is thankfully free of “play suspenseful music when the enemy is near” spoilers. For most of the game it’s just you and the sounds of nature.

The maps contain many nooks and crannies that reward exploration and add replay value. In your quest, you pass small branches of water and empty houses that aren’t necessary to the mission, but offer extra curricular gameplay and sometimes add small details to the story. As in Half Life 1, G-Man seems to always be one step ahead of you. What is in that damn suitcase?

I’ve reached Nova Prospekt. More to come…