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Half-Life 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game and the sequel to Half-Life, developed by Valve Corporation. It was released on November 16, 2004 following a protracted five-year development cycle^[1] during which the game's source code was leaked to the Internet. The game garnered near unanimous positive reviews and received critical acclaim,^[2]^[3]^[4] winning over 35 Game of the Year awards for 2005.^[5] Computer and video games are generally and popularly categorised into genres. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... A multiplayer game is a video game in which multiple people can play the same game at the same time. ... The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games and other entertainment software in the United States and Canada (officially adopted by individual provinces 2004-2005). ... British Board of Film Classification logo The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), originally British Board of Film Censors, is the organisation responsible for film classification and censorship within the United Kingdom. ... The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a statutory classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Board which classified films, computer games and publications in Australia, and the Classification Review Board which reviews films, computer games and publications when a valid application has been... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, is a European system for rating the content of computer and video games, and other entertainment software. ... Motto: none Anthem(s): Maamme (Finnish) / VÃ¥rt land (Swedish) Our Land (English) Capital Helsinki Largest city Helsinki Official language(s) Finnish 94. ... One of the first PCs from IBM - the IBM PC model 5150. ... Microsoft Windows is a family of operating systems by Microsoft. ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft, first released on November 15, 2001 in North America, then released on February 22, 2002 in Japan, and on March 14, 2002 in Europe. ... The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsofts Xbox video game console, developed in co-operation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information... PS3 redirects here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Official Blu-ray Disc logo. ... Steam is a content delivery, digital rights management and multiplayer system developed by the Valve Corporation. ... Random-access memory (usually known by its acronym, RAM) is a type of data store used in computers that allows the stored data to be accessed in any order â€” that is, at random, not just in sequence. ... DirectX is a collection of APIs for easily handling tasks related to game programming on the Microsoft Windows operating system. ... A computer keyboard is a peripheral modeled after the typewriter keyboard. ... Operating a mechanical mouse. ... A gamepad, also called joypad or control pad, is a type of game controller held with both hands where the thumbs are used to provide input. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a cultural phenomenon. ... Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ... Valve Corporation is an American video game developer based in Bellevue, Washington, USA, made famous by its first product, Half-Life, which was released in November 1998. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Source code (commonly just source or code) is any series of statements written in some human-readable computer programming language. ... The following are problems encountered by Valve Software, Vivendi Universal and gamers before and after the release of the computer game Half-Life 2. ... Game of the Year is a distinction awarded by various magazines and websites to a deserving PC or console game. ... 2005 2005 in games 2004 in video gaming 2006 in video gaming Notable events of 2005 in video gaming. ...

Taking place in and around the fictional City 17 sometime in the near future, Half-Life 2 follows the scientist Gordon Freeman. Dr. Freeman is thrust into a dystopian environment in which the aftermath of the Black Mesa Incident has come to bear fully upon human society. Freeman is forced to fight against increasingly unfavorable odds in order to survive. In his struggle, he is joined by various allies, including fellow Black Mesa colleagues, oppressed citizens of City 17, and the Vortigaunts. Dominating City 17s skyline, the Combine Citadel. ... The physicist Albert Einstein is probably the most famous scientist of our time. ... Half-Life 2 concept art of Gordon Freeman holding his signature weapon, the crowbar, and wearing the H.E.V. suit. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ... A group of vortigaunts in Half-Life. ...

The game uses the Source game engine coupled with a heavily modified version of the Havok physics engine. Half-Life 2 has been critically acclaimed for advances in computer animation, sound, narration, computer graphics, artificial intelligence (AI) and physics. When sales figures were last announced, over four million copies of Half-Life 2 had been sold.^[6] Roughly 25 percent of all Half-Life 2 copies have been purchased using the Steam content delivery service; their exact number is between 750,000 and one million, depending on whether they are included in the figure of four million.^[7] Overall, the Half-Life franchise, including Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat, has seen over 15 million sales.^[8] Source engine logo A Half-Life 2: Episode One scene running on the Source engine, demonstrating High Dynamic Range, Rim lighting, Phong shading, facial expressions, realtime cameras and VGUI. In-engine Team Fortress 2 character line-up, demonstrating a cartoon-oriented set of basic shaders, depth of field, facial animation... A game engine is the core software component of a computer or video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... The Havok Game Dynamics SDK, better known as simply Havok, is a middleware physics engine (in this case Dynamical simulation) designed for computer and video games by allowing interaction between objects or other characters in real-time. ... Computer animation is the art of creating moving images via the use of computers. ... Sound is a disturbance of mechanical energy that propagates through matter as a wave. ... The Narrator is the entity within a story that tells the story to the reader. ... Computer graphics (CG) is the field of visual computing, where one utilizes computers both to generate visual images synthetically and to integrate or alter visual and spatial information sampled from the real world. ... Game AI refers to techniques used in computer and video games to produce the illusion of intelligence in the behavior of non-player characters (NPCs). ... A physics engine is a computer program that simulates Newtonian physics models, using variables such as mass, velocity, friction and wind resistance. ... Steam is a content delivery, digital rights management and multiplayer system developed by the Valve Corporation. ... Counter-Strike (CS) is a popular team-based mod of Valves first-person shooter (FPS) Half-Life. ... Day of Defeat (DoD) is a popular team-based multiplayer World War II first-person shooter computer game that immerses players into a 3D simulated virtual reality of the European Theatre of World War II. The games graphics and sounds have been influenced by the movie Saving Private Ryan...

To date, an Xbox port of the game has also been released. Two more versions to run on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are expected to be released during the first quarter of 2007.^[9] The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft, first released on November 15, 2001 in North America, then released on February 22, 2002 in Japan, and on March 14, 2002 in Europe. ... In computer science, porting is the adaptation of a piece of software so that it will function in a different computing environment to that for which it was originally written. ... The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsofts Xbox video game console, developed in co-operation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information... PS3 redirects here. ... 2007 2007 in games 2006 in video gaming 2008 in video gaming Notable events of 2007 in video gaming. ...

Story

Prologue

The original Half-Life, released on November 19, 1998, largely took place at a remote civilian and military laboratory called the Black Mesa Research Facility. During an experiment, researchers at Black Mesa accidentally caused a "resonance cascade" which ripped open a portal to an alien world called Xen. Creatures from Xen flooded into Black Mesa via the portal and started to kill anyone in sight. The player took on the role of Gordon Freeman, one of the research scientists involved in the accident, guiding him in his attempt to escape the facility. At the end of the game, Gordon was extracted by a mysterious figure colloquially known as the G-Man who "offered" him employment. Freeman was subsequently put into stasis by the G-Man. November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The Black Mesa Research Facility is a fictional complex located in the desert of New Mexico, United States, and is the setting for most of the events of the computer game Half-Life and its expansions. ... Islands in Xen A larger island Colourful manta creatures glide gracefully through the skies of Xen Tree-like organisms can be found throughout Xen Xen is the origin of the alien species that appear in the science fiction video game Half-Life (Valve Software, 1998); the expansion packs Half-Life... Half-Life 2 concept art of Gordon Freeman holding his signature weapon, the crowbar, and wearing the H.E.V. suit. ... Left: The G-Man, as he appears in Right: His appearance in Half-Life 2. ... Stasis (IPA: ) is a science-fiction concept akin to suspended animation. ...

Half-Life canon dictates that Gordon Freeman either agreed or was not given a real option in regards to the G-Man's ultimatum. Half-Life 2 picks up the story with the G-Man taking Freeman out of stasis and inserting him on a train en-route to City 17 an indeterminate number of years after the Black Mesa Incident. Official sources are conflicting about the actual length of this intermission—a story fragment written by author Marc Laidlaw for the development team puts the intermission at ten years,^[10] while Half-Life 2: Episode One's website puts this intermission as "nearly two decades" after the end of the events of Half-Life.^[11] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Dominating City 17s skyline, the Combine Citadel. ... Marc Laidlaw (born 1960) is an American writer of science fiction and horror and also a computer game designer with Valve Software. ... This is a list of decades which have articles with more information about them. ...

Plot

At the start of the game, the G-Man speaks to Gordon Freeman as part of a hallucination-like vision as he is pulled out of stasis. The world has been overtaken by aliens known as the Combine.^[12] Gordon meets up with Barney Calhoun and sets for Doctor Isaac Kleiner's lab while being chased by Civil Protection. Gordon eventually meets Alyx Vance and is taken to Doctor Kleiner's lab. At the lab, an attempt to teleport Alyx to Black Mesa East works, but the teleporter fails for Gordon and alerts the Combine of Gordon's arrival to City 17. Barney instructs Gordon to take the city's canals to get to Eli's lab.^[13] Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo-en. ... Wikibooks logo Wikibooks, previously called Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks, is part of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Image File history File links 800px-Breen1HL2. ... Image File history File links 800px-Breen1HL2. ... Doctor Isaac Kleiner Doctor Isaac Kleiner is a fictional character from the video games Half-Life and Half-Life 2. ... Doctor Wallace Breen, as seen in Half-Life 2. ... An hallucination is a sensory perception experienced in the absence of an external stimulus, as distinct from an illusion, which is a misperception of an external stimulus. ... The Combine is a powerful alien race and empire from Valve Corporations 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2. ... Barney Calhoun, from (l-r) Half-Life, Half-Life: Blue Shift with the High Definition Pack, and Half-Life 2 Barney Calhoun is a fictional character in the Half-Life series of first-person shooter computer games by Valve Software. ... Doctor Isaac Kleiner Doctor Isaac Kleiner is a fictional character from the video games Half-Life and Half-Life 2. ... Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2 Alyx Vance is a fictional character and digital actor from Valve Softwares 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2, and its following episodes (indeed, she is also the focal point of Half-Life 2: Episode One). ... Doctor Eli Vances lab in Black Mesa East Black Mesa East is a fictional location from Valve Softwares 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2. ... Dominating City 17s skyline, the Combine Citadel. ...

While navigating the city's canals, Gordon is chased by the Combine on foot until being outfitted with an air boat at a rebel outpost.^[14] However, the air boat is soon spotted by the Combine and pursued by a hunter-chopper assault helicopter. Using a salvaged Overwatch hunter-chopper turret, Gordon manages to take down the pursuing helicopter.^[15] He arrives at Black Mesa East and meets Doctor Eli Vance and Doctor Judith Mossman, as well as rejoining Alyx. Alyx gives him a tool originally developed for handling hazardous materials called the Zero-Point Energy Field Manipulator (also known as the gravity gun) and instructs Gordon on its use while also introducing Dog, a giant "pet" robot. The lab is attacked by the Combine, forcing Gordon to escape along an old tunnel leading to Ravenholm.^[16] An air boat Air boats, also called fan boats, are flat-bottomed punts powered by a propeller attached to an automobile or aircraft engine. ... This is a list of combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors, Helicopters are classified as rotary-wing aircraft to distinguish them from conventional fixed-wing aircraft. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... Doctor Eli Vances lab in Black Mesa East Black Mesa East is a fictional location from Valve Softwares 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2. ... Doctor Eli Vance, as seen in Black Mesa East, Half-Life 2. ... Dr. Judith Mossman Judith Mossman is a fictional character in the 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... Alyx introduces Dog to Gordon in Black Mesa East. ... A portion of Ravenholm, with several zombies in sight Ravenholm is a fictional Eastern European themed town (the actual geographic location is never revealed) in the 2004 computer game Half-Life 2. ...

A Combine shelling caused Ravenholm to be overrun with headcrabs and zombies, making Father Grigori the last human resident of Ravenholm. Grigori helps Gordon through Ravenholm and ultimately leads him to the dockyards outside City 17.^[17] Freeman is alerted by Alyx through radio that Eli has been captured and is being held in Nova Prospekt.^[18] Freeman travels to Nova Prospekt with a dune buggy, helping down a Combine gunship after meeting Colonel Odessa Cubbage at another resistance base, who gives him an RPG launcher. The journey is made more difficult due to Antlions and an Antlion Guard. A vortigaunt extracts a pheropod from the Antlion Guard's carcass and gives it to Gordon, allowing him to command the Antlions, though not their Antlion Guard masters.^[19] Download high resolution version (1024x768, 238 KB)Screenshot from Half-Life 2 of Gordon Freeman battling Antlions. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 238 KB)Screenshot from Half-Life 2 of Gordon Freeman battling Antlions. ... A standard Antlion, as seen in Half-Life 2 Antlions are a fictional insect-like alien species found in Valve Softwares first-person shooter action computer game, Half-Life 2. ... Father Grigori, with his Winchester rifle, Annabelle. ... The beach and cliffs on Nova Prospekts Eastern flank, before Gordons advance into the facility. ... Dune buggy A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with big wheels and tires designed for use on sand dunes or beaches, especially a light vehicle with a modified engine mounted on an open chassis. ... This is a list of humanoid and synthetic forces employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... Colonel Odessa Cubbage, as seen in New Little Odessa, Half-Life 2. ... A Rocket propelled grenade (RPG) is a hand-held, shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon capable of firing an unguided rocket equipped with an explosive warhead. ... A standard Antlion, as seen in Half-Life 2 Antlions are a fictional insect-like alien species found in Valve Softwares first-person shooter action computer game, Half-Life 2. ... Antlions are a fictional alien species found in Valve Softwares first-person shooter action computer game, Half-Life 2. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ...

At Nova Prospekt, Freeman searches for Eli.^[20] Alyx joins with Gordon again, and together they find both Eli and Doctor Judith Mossman (now discovered to be a Combine spy). Mossman creates a distraction and teleports herself and Eli into the Citadel, while Gordon and Alyx teleport themselves to Doctor Kleiner's lab. A malfunction in the equipment causes them to arrive at Doctor Kleiner's lab more than a week after they teleported.^[21] During this lost week, the resistance has considerably strengthened. Gordon leads fighters towards the Citadel to free Doctor Vance while Alyx helps Doctor Kleiner escape the lab. Later, Alyx briefly rejoins and accompanies Gordon in a battle to disable a Combine power generator, but she is subsequently captured by Combine forces.^[22] After reaching Barney, Gordon shuts down a suppression device blocking access to the Citadel and brings down a pack of Striders.^[23] This is a list of non-combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... This is a list of combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... This is a list of humanoid and synthetic forces employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ...

Gordon enters the Citadel through an underground passage. All of his weapons are destroyed or removed by a "confiscation field", save the gravity gun. The field instead strengthens the gravity gun, and using this Gordon wreaks havoc upon the Citadel.^[24] Freeman enters a containment apparatus, which brings him face-to-face with Doctor Breen. Doctor Judith Mossman is with Breen, and he summons Eli and Alyx, who are being held in similar devices. During the confrontation, Breen remarks that Freeman's services are "open to the highest bidder." As Breen threatens the Vances, Judith finally turns against him. Breen manages to escape to a "Dark Energy Reactor" at the top of the Citadel with the intent of teleporting him away from Earth. Gordon and Alyx pursue him, and Gordon destroys the reactor, both to depower the Citadel and to prevent Breen's escape. This triggers a massive explosion in which Alyx and Gordon are imperiled.^[25] However, at the moment the reactor explodes, time stops. The G-Man emerges, commenting on Gordon's successful endeavors, before placing Gordon back into stasis, and leaving through a door of pure light. The game ends exactly as it began, in darkness. The story continues from this point in Half-Life 2: Episode One. Image File history File links 800px-City17HL2. ... Image File history File links 800px-City17HL2. ... This is a list of humanoid and synthetic forces employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ...

Narration

Throughout the entire game, Freeman never speaks, the action is viewed through his eyes only (i.e., there are no cut scenes), and there are no discontinuities or jumps in time (from his point of view). A silent protagonist is a central character who does not verbally interact with other characters within a storys narrative. ... A cut scene or cutscene (sometimes also referred to as a cinematic) is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no control. ...

There has been some criticism of these narrative holdovers from Half-Life,^[26] since they effectively limit how much of the backstory is explained. Due to the lack of cut scenes, the player never directly sees what has happened in Gordon's absence. Ultimately, it is not clear to what extent Gordon exists as a separate character outside of the player's influence. Since the start of Half-Life, Valve has made sure that the player's and Gordon's experience are one and the same. An example of Valve's player strategy is shown during the scene in Eli's lab. Investigation of certain props (most notably the newspaper board) triggers Eli to give some explanation to their meaning and history, thus indicating that Gordon presents emotions that the non-player characters can detect.^[16] These minor events may have been included to mirror the player's possible sense of curiosity,^{[original research?]} thus further merging the identities of Gordon and the player. Some of the Vortigaunts' enigmatic comments in the game seem to indicate this concurrent-identity phenomenon.^{[original research?]} Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ... In narratology, a back-story (also back story or backstory) is the history behind the situation extant at the start of the main story. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The ending of Half-Life 2 is also very similar to that of the original: after completing a difficult task against seemingly overwhelming odds, Gordon is extracted by the G-Man. Freeman is smugly congratulated and told that further assignments should follow. The fate of many of the major characters, such as Alyx, Eli, and Judith, go unexplained. Very few of the questions raised by Half-Life are answered, and several new ones are presented. The identity and nature of the G-Man remains a mystery.

Setting

The environments in Half-Life 2 are varied, ranging from the Eastern European-styled City 17 and surrounding areas, to the massive Combine Citadel. There is a general Eastern European style present throughout the human-populated areas, and several hints indicate that City 17 is based on Sofia, Bulgaria, the hometown of the art director of Half-Life 2, Viktor Antonov. Antonov wrote that Eastern Europe was favored as a setting for the game as it is capable of depicting a combination of both new and old architecture, creating a city with history; "gothic themes associated with Prague and vampires" were also overlooked in favor of a different aspect of the region.^[10] Image File history File links 800px-Metrocop_GScott. ... Image File history File links 800px-Metrocop_GScott. ... Dominating City 17s skyline, the Combine Citadel. ... This is a list of non-combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... Position of Sofia in Bulgaria Coordinates: Country Bulgaria Province Sofia-City Mayor Boyko Borisov Area - City 1,310 kmÂ² - Land (?) kmÂ² - Water (?) kmÂ² Elevation 550 m Population - City (12 June 2006) 1,203,680 - Density 907/kmÂ² - Metro 1,326,377 Time zone EET (UTC+2) EEST (UTC+3) Website...

City 17 has both a general resemblance to Sofia as well as frequent appearance of Bulgarian words (written in the Cyrillic alphabet) on signs and graffiti throughout the game (although some of these are words in other Slavic languages as well). One clear example is "цимент" ("cement") written across the top of some large buildings in Ravenholm and City 17 - the only language that spells this word in this way, using the Cyrillic alphabet, is Bulgarian. Many old cars scattered throughout the game are similar to ones commonly found in Eastern Europe, such as Moskvitchs, Trabants and Volgas. Also, during the game, Gordon comes to a coastal Resistance settlement called "New Little Odessa." Odessa is a major city located on the coast of Ukraine, approximately 500 miles from Sofia. The Cyrillic alphabet (pronounced , also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters) is an alphabet used for several East and South Slavic languages; (Belarusian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Rusyn, Serbian, and Ukrainian) and many other languages of the former Soviet Union, Asia and Eastern Europe. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Moskvich vehicles Moskvitch 403IE (1962) Moskvitch (Russian: ÐœÐ¾ÑÐºÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡) (sometimes also mentioned as Moskvich or Moskwitch, which means Muscovite) is an automobile brand from Russia. ... The Trabant was an automobile formerly produced by East German auto maker Sachsenring. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Father Grigori has a name common to Eastern European countries and an accent that is stereotypically Eastern European. The naming of City 17 itself is similar to the Soviet practice of numbering secret closed cities rather than naming them. However, in addition to incorporating Eastern European elements, examples of Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Finnish and French influences also exist, suggesting that the setting is something of a montage of European locations. Father Grigori, with his Winchester rifle, Annabelle. ... A closed city (town) is a city/town with travel and residency restrictions in the former Soviet Union, or in a CIS country. ...

Gameplay

Half-Life 2's gameplay is broadly similar to that of the original. Players make their way through a linear series of levels, encountering both human troops and hostile alien creatures. As in Half-Life, the gameplay is broken up with a series of puzzles; however, Half-Life 2 includes physics-based puzzles. For example, one puzzle requires the player to either turn a seesaw-like lever into a ramp by placing cinder blocks at one end, or to stack the cinder blocks into a crude stairway. Image File history File links 800px-Half-Life_2. ... Image File history File links 800px-Half-Life_2. ... An air boat Air boats, also called fan boats, are flat-bottomed punts powered by a propeller attached to an automobile or aircraft engine. ... This is a list of combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... A seesaw (also known as a teeter-totter) is a long, narrow board suspended in the middle so that, as one end goes up, the other goes down. ... The principle of the lever tells us that the above is in static equilibrium, with all forces balancing, if F1D1 = F2D2. ... A stack of rectangular cinder blocks A cinder block (also mistakenly called a concrete block), breeze block, or Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU), is a rectangular block or brick used in construction. ... Spiral (double helix) stairway in the Vatican Museum Stairs, staircase, stairway, and flight of stairs are all names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps. ...

The use of physics extends into combat with the gravity gun. This unique weapon plays a crucial function throughout the game, granting the player an unprecedented amount of creativity in its use, such as picking up and throwing objects at enemies, holding objects indefinitely for use as makeshift shields, grabbing health and ammunition from out of reach places, returning enemies' grenades, building makeshift bridges, or manipulating objects through Combine forcefields. A WWII-era MkIIA1 pineapple fragmentation hand grenade A humorous use of the pineapple grenade. ... This is a list of non-combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ...

Vehicles are another major gameplay addition. The player has the ability to drive two vehicles during the single player campaign; an air boat, which Gordon uses to navigate through the canal network, and a dune buggy which Gordon uses to get to Nova Prospekt. The air boat is initially unarmed, but is later mounted with a Combine weapon from a downed hunter-chopper. The buggy is armed with a Tau Cannon similar to the one found in the original Half-Life. Vehicles are non-living means of transportation. ... An air boat Air boats, also called fan boats, are flat-bottomed punts powered by a propeller attached to an automobile or aircraft engine. ... Dune buggy A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with big wheels and tires designed for use on sand dunes or beaches, especially a light vehicle with a modified engine mounted on an open chassis. ... This is a list of combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ...

The game also integrates tutorial-like tasks in the storyline itself and includes on-screen instructions on game controls (but no longer includes separate tutorial levels featured in the original) to allow familiarization of the game's mechanics and weapons for players as they go. Several such examples include an early incident in game where a Civil Protection unit orders the player to "pick up" a tin can and "throw it" in the trash can, and Alyx Vance's introduction of the gravity gun at Black Mesa East. // Academia In British academic parlance, a tutorial is a small class of one, or only a few, students, in which the tutor (a professor or other academic staff member) gives individual attention to the students. ...

Characters and creatures

Although Gordon battles through much of Half-Life 2 alone, he is at times assisted by friendly allies. For the most part these are human members of the resistance, but Gordon is also helped by Vortigaunts and later Antlions. This latter insectoid species is new to the Half-Life universe and is encountered first as a fiercely territorial foe, but is later co-opted into acting as an abundant and obedient ally. At several key locations, Gordon also meets up with, and fights alongside, more significant non-player characters like Alyx Vance, Barney Calhoun and Alyx's robot, Dog. A group of vortigaunts in Half-Life. ... A standard Antlion, as seen in Half-Life 2 Antlions are a fictional insect-like alien species found in Valve Softwares first-person shooter action computer game, Half-Life 2. ... Classes & Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrate animals of the Class Insecta, the largest and (on land) most widely-distributed taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2 Alyx Vance is a fictional character and digital actor from Valve Softwares 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2, and its following episodes (indeed, she is also the focal point of Half-Life 2: Episode One). ... Barney Calhoun, from (l-r) Half-Life, Half-Life: Blue Shift with the High Definition Pack, and Half-Life 2 Barney Calhoun is a fictional character in the Half-Life series of first-person shooter computer games by Valve Software. ... Alyx introduces Dog to Gordon in Black Mesa East. ...

Many familiar enemies from Half-Life return in this game, such as headcrabs, barnacles, and headcrab zombies. However, the majority of the game is spent fighting the Combine, who wield large military forces against Gordon and the people of City 17. Combine forces are varied and consist of modified humans, biomechanical machines, robotic weapons, including the use of headcrabs as biological weapons. Left: A headcrab from Half-Life. ... A barnacle, as seen in Half-Life (left) and Half-Life 2 (right). ... Left: A headcrab from Half-Life. ... The Combine is a powerful alien race and empire from Valve Corporations 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2. ... This is a list of humanoid and synthetic forces employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... This is a list of humanoid and synthetic forces employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... This is a list of combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... This is a list of combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ...

Weapons

Several of the weapons featured in Half-Life 2 are carried over from Half-Life, including the trademark crowbar for mêlée fighting, the conventional firearms of the SPAS-12 shotgun, .357 Magnum revolver, crossbow, and rocket propelled grenade launcher as well as the Gauss Gun experimental particle weapon. Several new weapons are also introduced: the Combine pulse rifle, pheropods which grant control over Antlions, and most significantly, the "Zero-Point Energy Field Manipulator", or "gravity gun". Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... A crowbar A crowbar, also called a pry bar, is a tool consisting of a metal bar with one curved end and flattened points, often with a small fissure on the curved end for removing nails. ... An assortment of modern handheld firearms using fixed ammunition, including military assault rifles, a sporting shotgun (fourth from bottom), and a tactical shotgun (third from bottom). ... The SPAS-12 is a dual-mode 12 gauge combat shotgun manufactured by Italian firearm company Franchi S.p. ... A pump-action and two semi-automatic action shotguns, 20 boxes of shotgun shells, a clay trap, and three boxes of clay pigeons. ... The . ... The Colt Single Action Army, one of the most popular revolvers of all time For other uses, see Revolver (disambiguation). ... A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that fires projectiles. ... A Rocket propelled grenade (RPG) is a hand-held, shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon capable of firing an unguided rocket equipped with an explosive warhead. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ...

Multiplayer

Half-Life 2 was released without a multiplayer component, and was instead packaged with Counter-Strike: Source. This later changed on November 30, 2004 when Valve released the Half-Life 2: Deathmatch component along with the full SDK as a free download to all Half-Life 2 owners. The Xbox release contains no multiplayer component. ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Deathmatch (abbreviated DM) is a widely-used gameplay mode very well integrated into first-person shooter computer games. ... A software development kit (SDK or devkit) is typically a set of development tools that allows a software engineer to create applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system or similar. ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft, first released on November 15, 2001 in North America, then released on February 22, 2002 in Japan, and on March 14, 2002 in Europe. ...

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, 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. In computer and video games, especially first-person shooters, spawning is the in-game creation of an entity, for instance a player character, non-player character (NPC), or an item. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ...

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch's February 17 update 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 and the stunstick (dependent upon the player model); 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. February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... Tripwire is a company based in Portland, Oregon which produces change auditing software. ...

Reception

Half-Life 2's public reception was overwhelmingly positive in terms of reviews, acclaim and sales. Over four million copies of the game have been sold either through Steam or through retail.^[11] This is around half the number of sold copies of Half-Life, but sales for Half-Life 2 have been relatively steady since its release. If Half-Life 2 eventually surpasses Half-Life in sales, it will take the title of the best-selling first-person shooter game to date. Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Critical response

Half-Life 2 became and remains one of the most highly acclaimed video games in history. At least 35 Game of the Year awards were given to Half-Life 2, and most major game reviewers gave ratings within the 90-100% range.^[3] Half-Life 2 holds Metacritic's highest ranking and standing ("universal acclaim") among PC games with a score of 96, followed directly by Half-Life (also with a score of 96).^[4] Maximum PC awarded Half-Life 2 an unprecedented 11 on their rating scale which peaks at 10, and named it the "best game ever made." Metacritic is an Internet website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... Maximum PC, formerly known as boot, is an American magazine published by FutureNet, focused on modern day PC hardware. ...

Individual reviews were almost universally glowing. Sources such as GameSpy,^[27] The Cincinnati Enquirer,^[28] and The New York Times^[29] have given perfect reviewing scores, and others such as PC Gamer and IGN^[30] gave near-perfect scores (it was one of only four games ever to get 96% from UK PC Gamer, the best score they have ever awarded, and the game is only one of two games ever to get a near perfect score, 98%, from PC Gamer), while the game became the fifth title to receive Edge magazine's ten-out-of-ten score.^[31] Critics who applauded the game cited the advanced graphics and physics^[29] along with the relatively lax system requirements.^[32] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Cincinnati Enquirer is a daily morning newspaper published at Cincinnati, Ohio, the larger of the two dailies of that city. ... The New York Times is a newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ... PC Gamer US April 2005 cover PC Gamer is a computer games magazine founded in 1993. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. ...

Very few reviewers gave Half-Life 2 lower than a nine out of ten rating. One such critic was Netjak, a reviewing website known for its relative harshness, which gave Half-Life 2 a rating of 8.5.^[33] Several critics, including some that had given glowing reviews, complained about the required usage of Steam along with a difficult installation process.^[29]

The following are problems encountered by Valve Software, Vivendi Universal and gamers before and after the release of the computer game Half-Life 2. ...

Awards

Half-Life 2 earned over 35 Game of the Year awards,^[5]^[34] including Overall Game of the Year at IGN, GameSpot's Award for Best Shooter, Gamespot's Reader's Choice - PC Game of the Year Award, Game of the Year from The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, and "Best Game" with the Game Developers Choice Awards, where it was also given various awards for technology, characters, and writing. The game also had a strong showing at the 2004 BAFTA Games Awards, picking up 6 awards, more than any other game that night, with awards including "Best Game" and "Best Online Game."^[35] The Game Developers Conference has annually hosted the Game Developers Choice Awards presented by the International Game Developers Association for outstanding developers of video game entertainment since 2001. ... In 2003, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) announced that they would be splitting their BAFTA Games Awards from the BAFTA Interactive Awards. ...

Products

The popularity of Half-Life 2 and the Half-Life series has led way to an array of side products and collectibles. Valve offers Half-Life-related products such as a plush headcrab,^[36] posters, clothing and mousepads.^[37] Valve Corporation is an American video game developer based in Bellevue, Washington, USA, made famous by its first product, Half-Life, which was released in November 1998. ... Plush (from French peluche) is a textile fabric having a cut nap or pile the same as fustian or velvet. ... Left: A headcrab from Half-Life. ...

Technical

Source engine

For Half-Life 2, Valve Corporation developed a new game engine called the Source engine, which handles the game's visual, audio, and artificial intelligence elements. The Source engine comes packaged with a heavily modified version of the Havok physics engine that allows for an extra dimension of interactivity in both single player and online environments. Source engine logo A Half-Life 2: Episode One scene running on the Source engine, demonstrating High Dynamic Range, Rim lighting, Phong shading, facial expressions, realtime cameras and VGUI. In-engine Team Fortress 2 character line-up, demonstrating a cartoon-oriented set of basic shaders, depth of field, facial animation... Image File history File links 800px-Half-Life_2_Dr_Breen_Office. ... Image File history File links 800px-Half-Life_2_Dr_Breen_Office. ... Valve Corporation is an American video game developer based in Bellevue, Washington, USA, made famous by its first product, Half-Life, which was released in November 1998. ... A game engine is the core software component of a computer or video game or other interactive application with real-time graphics. ... Source engine logo A Half-Life 2: Episode One scene running on the Source engine, demonstrating High Dynamic Range, Rim lighting, Phong shading, facial expressions, realtime cameras and VGUI. In-engine Team Fortress 2 character line-up, demonstrating a cartoon-oriented set of basic shaders, depth of field, facial animation... // Hondas intelligent humanoid robot AI redirects here. ... The Havok Game Dynamics SDK, better known as simply Havok, is a middleware physics engine (in this case Dynamical simulation) designed for computer and video games by allowing interaction between objects or other characters in real-time. ...

Additionally, when coupled with Steam, the engine can be easily upgraded to include many new graphical technologies. One such example is high dynamic range imaging, which Valve Corporation released as a free outdoor level called Lost Coast. Steam is a content delivery, digital rights management and multiplayer system developed by the Valve Corporation. ... An example HDRI image of the Tower Bridge in California. ...

Steam content delivery system

Integral to Half-Life 2 is the Steam content delivery system developed by Valve Corporation. All Half-Life 2 players are required to have Steam installed and a valid account in order to play. Steam allows customers to purchase games and other software straight from the developer and have it downloaded directly to their computer as well as receiving "micro updates." These updates also make hacking the game harder to do and has thus far been somewhat successful in staving off cheats and playability for users with unauthorized copies. Steam can also be used for finding and playing multi-player games through an integrated server browser and friends list, and game data can be backed up with a standard CD or DVD burner. Steam and a customer's purchased content can be downloaded onto any computer, as long as that account is only logged in at one location at a time. Steam is a content delivery, digital rights management and multiplayer system developed by the Valve Corporation. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (801x551, 33 KB) Summary Screenshot of the beta version of Steam, Full mode shown here. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (801x551, 33 KB) Summary Screenshot of the beta version of Steam, Full mode shown here. ... Steam is a content delivery, digital rights management and multiplayer system developed by the Valve Corporation. ... Steam is a content delivery, digital rights management and multiplayer system developed by the Valve Corporation. ... Look up hack, hacking in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Cheating in online computer games is a broad category of activities, all of which are generally regarded as modifying the game experience in a way that gives a player an unfair advantage over the other players. ... It has been suggested that counterfeit software be merged into this article or section. ...

The usage of Steam has not gone without controversy. Some users have reported numerous problems with Steam, sometimes being serious enough to prevent a reviewer from recommending a given title available on the service. In other cases, review scores have been lowered. Long download times, seemingly unnecessary updates, and verification checks are criticisms leveled by critics of the system's use for single player games such as Half-Life 2. Whether or not a customer intends to use any multi-player features, the computer the game was installed on must have Steam and an Internet connection to verify the transaction. This article is about the computer terms. ...

Release and distribution

A 1GB portion of Half-Life 2 became available for pre-load through Steam on August 26, 2004. This meant that customers could begin to download encrypted game files to their computer before the game was released. When the game's release date arrived, customers were able to pay for the game through Steam, unlock the files on their hard drives and play the game immediately, without having to wait for the whole game to download. The pre-load period lasted for several weeks, with several subsequent portions of the game being made available, to ensure all customers had a chance to download the content before the game was released. A gigabyte (derived from the SI prefix giga-) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to one billion (that is, a thousand million) bytes. ... August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Half-Life 2 was simultaneously released through Steam, CD (most initial U.S. "bare-bones" retail copies), and on DVD in several editions. Through Steam, Half-Life 2 had three packages that a customer could order. The basic version ("Bronze") includes only Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source, whereas the "Silver" and "Gold" (collector's edition) versions also include Half-Life: Source and Day of Defeat: Source (ports of the original Half-Life and Day of Defeat mod to the new engine) as well as the right to download all previous games by Valve through Steam. The collector's edition/Gold version additionally includes merchandise such as a t-shirt, a strategy guide, and a CD containing the soundtrack used in Half-Life 2. Both the disc and Steam version require Steam to be installed and active for play. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ... Day of Defeat (DoD) is a team-based multiplayer World War II first-person shooter computer game. ... T-Shirt A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt with short or long sleeves, a round neck, put on over the head, without pockets. ... Strategy guides are instruction books that contain hints or complete solutions to specific video games. ...

Subsequent releases

A demo version with the file size of a single-CD was later made available in December 2004 at the web site of graphics card manufacturer ATI Technologies, who teamed up with Valve for the game. The demo contains part of the opening level of the game, and also part of the chapter "We Don't Go To Ravenholm." In September 2005, Electronic Arts distributed the Game of the Year edition of Half-Life 2. Compared to the original CD-release of Half-Life 2, the GOTY edition adds Half-Life: Source. Demoware is a term of distinction used to differentiate between types of shareware software. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... A graphics/video/display card/board/adapter is a computer component designed to convert the logical representation of visual information into a signal that can be used as input for a display medium. ... ATI Technologies Inc. ... EA redirects here. ...

On December 22, 2005, Valve released a 64-bit version of the Source game engine that takes advantage of AMD64 processor based systems running 64-bit version of Windows operating system. This update, delivered via Steam, enabled Half-Life 2 and other Source-based games to run natively on AMD64 processors, bypassing the 32-bit emulator. Gabe Newell, one of the founders of Valve, stated that this is "an important step in the evolution of our game content and tools," and that the game benefits greatly from the update.^[38] The response to the release varied: some users reported huge performance boosts, while technology site Techgage found several stability issues and no notable frame rate improvement.^[39] 64-bit users have widely reported bizarre in-game errors including characters dropping dead, game script files not being pre-cached (i.e., loaded when first requested instead), map rules being bent by AI, and other glitches. December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In computing, a 64-bit component is one in which data are processed or stored in 64-bit units (words). ... AMD64 Logo AMD64 (also x86-64 or x64) is a 64-bit microprocessor architecture and corresponding instruction set designed by Advanced Micro Devices. ... Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition released on April 25, 2005 by Microsoft is a variation of the typical 32-bit Windows XP operating system for x86 personal computers. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... WOW64 (Windows-on-Windows 64-bit) is a Microsoft operating system subsystem capable of running 32-bit applications and is included on all 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windowsâ€”including Windows XP 64-bit Editions, Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition and Windows Vista 64-bit Editions. ... Gabe Newell (born November 3, 1962) is the co-founder and managing director of the computer game development company, Valve Software. ...

Ports

An Xbox port published by Electronic Arts was released on November 15, 2005. While subject to positive reception, critics cited its lack of multiplayer and frame-rate issues as problems, and the game received much lower scores than its PC counterpart.^[40] Image File history File links Hl2xboxversion. ... Image File history File links Hl2xboxversion. ... A sphere without bump mapping. ... The Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft, first released on November 15, 2001 in North America, then released on February 22, 2002 in Japan, and on March 14, 2002 in Europe. ... In computer science, porting is the adaptation of a piece of software so that it will function in a different computing environment to that for which it was originally written. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A multiplayer game is a video game in which multiple people can play the same game at the same time. ...

During Electronic Arts's summer press event on July 13, 2006, Gabe Newell announced that Half-Life 2 will ship on next-generation consoles (specifically, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) including episodes One and Two, Team Fortress 2, and Portal.^[9] The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ports of the game were recently listed on the Electronics Boutique website, which indicated that the ports would be shipped simultaneously on February 5, 2007.^[41]^[42] July 13 is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... PS3 redirects here. ... The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsofts Xbox video game console, developed in co-operation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information... Team Fortress 2 is the long-anticipated sequel to the original Team Fortress mod for Quake being developed by Valve Corporation. ... Portal is an upcoming single-player puzzle game by Valve Corporation, taking place in the Half-Life universe and shipping with Half-Life 2: Episode Two. ... Electronics Boutique is a U.S.-based computer games retailer, established in 1977 by James Kim as a single, electronics-focused kiosk located in a suburban mall, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, mainly selling calculators and digital watches. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Mods and expansions

Since the release of Half-Life 2, Valve Corporation has released an additional level and an additional "expansion" sequel. The level, "Lost Coast," takes place between the levels "Highway 17" and "Sandtraps" and is primarily a showcase for high dynamic range imaging (HDR) technology. The "expansion" sequel, Half-Life 2: Episode One takes place shortly after the events of Half-Life 2, with the player taking on the role of Gordon Freeman once again and with Alyx Vance playing a more prominent role. Additionally, two further "episodes" are set to be released in the future, dubbed Episode Two and Episode Three; the latter being the last expansion, "in a trilogy".^[43] In an interview with Eurogamer, Gabe Newell revealed that the Half-Life 2 "episodes" are essentially Half-Life 3.^[44] He reasons that rather than force fans to wait another six years for a full sequel, Valve Corporation would release the game in episodic installments.^[44] Newell admits that a more correct title for these episodes should have been "Half-Life 3: Episode One" and so forth, having referred to the episodes as Half-Life 3 repeatedly through the interview.^[44] List of Half-Life 2 mods - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Image File history File links 750px-Hl2_lostcoast_menu. ... Image File history File links 750px-Hl2_lostcoast_menu. ... An example HDRI image of the Tower Bridge in California. ... An example HDRI image of the Tower Bridge in California. ... Eurogamer homepage Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news and reviews. ...

It was confirmed in April 2006 that Half-Life 2: Episode Four was in production, and that it would mark the start of a new story arc. Furthermore, it was confirmed that Episode Four was under development by a third-party studio under Valve Corporation's supervision.^[45]

Since the release of the Source engine SDK, a large number of mods have been developed by the Half-Life 2 community. Mods vary in scale, from fan-created levels and weapons, to partial conversions such as Garry's Mod which allow the player to experiment with the physics system in a sandbox mode, to total conversions such as Dystopia or Empires, that transforms the game from a first-person shooter into a real-time strategy game. Some mods take place in the Half-Life universe; others in completely original settings; while some are tributes to other games, such as GoldenEye: Source, a recreation of GoldenEye 007, or Resident Evil: Twilight. Many more mods are still in development, including Neotokyo, the episodic single player mod MINERVA, and Insurgency, which focuses on realistic modern infantry combat. 2004 Banshee car modification for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - replacement of original Banshee by Suction Testicle Man Mod or modification is a term generally applied to computer games, especially first-person shooters and real-time strategy games. ... It is possible to make realistic-looking pictures in Garrys Mod. ... A sandbox style video game (or a video game with an optional sandbox mode) is a video game with an open-ended and non-linear style of gameplay. ... 2004 Banshee car modification for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - replacement of original Banshee by Suction Testicle Man Mod or modification is a term generally applied to computer games, especially first-person shooters and real-time strategy games. ... Dystopias logo. ... Empires is currently a Half-Life 2 modification that saw its first public release for the HL2 source engine on March 4, 2006. ... GoldenEye 007 is a first-person shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 based on the James Bond film GoldenEye. ... Episodic gaming refers to a distribution system of selling computer and video games in a sequence of episodes, akin to a serialized novel, where each episode is sold as a separate purchase and in the end together form a continuous story or experience. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

Valve Corporation's Half-Life: Source was a direct conversion of the original game to the Source engine. Black Mesa, originally named Black Mesa: Source, is an unofficial mod under development which takes the more ambitious route of attempting to fully recreate the original Half-Life from the ground up using improved graphical assets and effects, while maintaining the original storyline and level design. For the fictional location this game is based in, see Black Mesa Research Facility An article in the magazine PC Gamer about Black Mesa. ... Level design or game mapping is the creation of levelsâ€”locales, stages, or missionsâ€”for a video game (such as a console game or computer game). ...

Cuts

The book Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar^[10] revealed many of the game's original settings and action that were cut down or removed entirely from the final game. Half-Life 2 was originally intended to be a far darker game with far grittier artwork where the Combine were more obviously draining the oceans for minerals and replacing the atmosphere with noxious, murky gases. Nova Prospekt was originally intended to be a small Combine rail depot built on an old prison in the wasteland (the depot model remains in the game, visible from the beach and trash compactor). Eventually, Nova Prospekt grew and grew from a stopping-off point along the way to the destination itself. This article deals with content cut from the final release of Half-Life 2. ... The beach and cliffs on Nova Prospekts Eastern flank, before Gordons advance into the facility. ...

Half-Life 2 was also originally intended to be much more diverse in settings. Parts of the book detail how Gordon would fight alongside characters such as Odessa Cubbage, albeit under a different name and in a different place, as well as fighting together with Colonel Vance - a character that was later merged with Eli to become Doctor Eli Vance - and Vance's forces. In addition, the player was to follow a vastly different journey than what is in the final release. Colonel Odessa Cubbage, as seen in New Little Odessa, Half-Life 2. ... Doctor Eli Vance, as seen in Black Mesa East, Half-Life 2. ...

Other cuts from the game included a drivable personal water craft and additional weapons. Weapons cut included the OICW seen in an E3 demonstration video and two different models of the gravity gun or Physgun, which is seen in another E3 video, also depicting a level cut from Ravenholm, dubbed "Traptown." Pump-jet PWCs such as this Yamaha Waverunner are extremely popular for their high speed and maneuverability. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... EÂ³ logo Presented by the Entertainment Software Association, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, commonly known as EÂ³, is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... A portion of Ravenholm, with several zombies in sight Ravenholm is a fictional Eastern European themed town (the actual geographic location is never revealed) in the 2004 computer game Half-Life 2. ...

It remains unknown if most of the cut Half-Life 2 scenes will eventually be completed and released, or if they are lost forever. A removed section of the original Half-Life was eventually released as the Half-Life: Uplink demo; a similar situation was in place with the HDR technology demo, Lost Coast, which was based on a scene that was cut from the sequel. It is possible that more removed sections of HL2 will be seen in future expansion packs. A technology demo is a prototype, rough example or an otherwise incomplete version of a product, put together with the primary purpose of showcasing the idea, performance, method or the features of the product. ... An expansion pack is an addition to an existing game. ...

Some of the cut content is available in a work-in-progress mod called Missing Information, constructed using the leaked Half-Life 2 betas as a basis. In addition to several cut weapons, the mod also includes a level set on the stranded icebreaker Borealis and the E3 demonstrations. This mod has not been sanctioned by Valve, being described as "illegal content,"^[46] and official permission has not been given for the redistribution of modified versions of the original leaked material.^[47] US Coast Guard icebreakers near McMurdo Station, February 2002 Icebreaker Polarstern An icebreaker is a special purpose ship designed to move and navigate through ice-covered marine environments. ...

Soundtrack

All listed tracks have been composed by Kelly Bailey. Purchasers of the collector's edition of the game were given (among other things) a CD soundtrack containing nearly all the music from the game, along with three bonus tracks. This CD is not available for separate purchase.

Tracks 16, 18 and 42 are bonus tracks that are exclusive to the CD soundtrack. Tracks 44 to 51 are tracks from the game that did not appear on the soundtrack CD. Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ...

See also

The following are problems encountered by Valve Software, Vivendi Universal and gamers before and after the release of the computer game Half-Life 2. ... List of Half-Life 2 mods - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter computer game, features a variety of weapons; some available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, some unique to one mode. ... The Combine is a powerful alien race and empire from Valve Corporations 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2. ... This is a list of humanoid and synthetic forces employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... This is a list of combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... This is a list of non-combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ...

References

^ Behind the Games: The Final Hours of Half-Life 2 (Part III). GameSpot. Retrieved on July 9, 2006.
^ Half-Life 2 reviews for the PC. GameTab. Retrieved on June 5, 2005.
^ ^a ^b Half-Life 2 reviews. GameRankings. Retrieved on May 19, 2006.
^ ^a ^b Half-Life 2 (pc: 2004): reviews). Metacritic. Retrieved on May 20, 2006.
^ ^a ^b It's A Mod, Mod Underworld. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved on December 12, 2005.
^ About Half-Life 2. Steam News (June 9 2006). Retrieved on June 09, 2006.
^ Steam's Finances. The Steam Review. Retrieved on October 26, 2005.
^ Valve Reveals New Details On Episode Two. Valve Software Press Release (July 14 2006). Retrieved on July 16, 2006.
^ ^a ^b Half-Life 2: Episode Two pushed to 2007?. GameSpot. Retrieved on September 3, 2006.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hodgson, David (2004). Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar. Prima Games. ISBN 0-7615-4364-3.
^ ^a ^b Half-Life 2: Episode One. Valve Corporation. Retrieved on May 19, 2006.
^ Chapter I: Point Insertion. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter II: Red Letter Day. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter III: Route Kanal. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter IV: Water Hazard. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ ^a ^b Chapter V: Black Mesa East. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter VI: We Don't Go To Ravenholm. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter VII: Highway 17. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter VIII: Sandtraps. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter IX: Nova Prospekt. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter X: Entanglement. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter XI: Anticitizen One. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter XII: Follow Freeman. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter XIII: Our Benefactors. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Chapter XIV: Dark Energy. Half-Life Fallout. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Half-Life 2 for PC Review. GameSpot. Retrieved on October 10, 2005.
^ Half-Life 2 review. GameSpy. Retrieved on May 20, 2006.
^ Half-Life 2: A Tech Masterpiece. Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved on May 20, 2006.
^ ^a ^b ^c A Big Sequel That's Worthy of Its Lineage. The New York Times. Retrieved on May 20, 2006.
^ Half-Life 2 Review. IGN. Retrieved on May 20, 2006.
^ Reviews Database. Edge Online. Retrieved on September 3, 2006.
^ Half-Life 2 - Australian Review (Reviews). GamePro. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Half-Life 2 - Windows Review. Netjak. Retrieved on May 20, 2006.
^ Half-Life 2 - Awards. Neoseaker. Retrieved on May 21, 2006.
^ Half-Life 2 sweeps Bafta awards. BBC News. Retrieved on May 22, 2006.
^ HL2 Headcrab Collectible. Valve Corporation. Retrieved on May 20, 2006.
^ The Valve Store. Valve Corporation. Retrieved on May 20, 2006.
^ VALVE UNVEILS 64-BIT SOURCE(TM) GAMING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED IN CONJUNCTION WITH AMD. Steam Powered. Retrieved on March 23, 2006.
^ Review: Half-Life 2: 64-Bit - Reason to get excited?. Techgage. Retrieved on March 23, 2006.
^ Half-Life 2 reviews. GameRankings. Retrieved on July 13, 2006.
^ Half-Life 2 (Xbox 360 version). Electronic Boutique. Retrieved on 30 May 2006.
^ Half-Life 2 (PlayStation 3 version). Electronic Boutique. Retrieved on 30 May 2006.
^ Half-Life 2: Episode One gold, Two dated, Three announced. GameSpot. Retrieved on May 25, 2006.
^ ^a ^b ^c Interview - Opening the Valve. Eurogamer. Retrieved on June 7, 2006.
^ Episode 4: 'stand alone plot'. Halflife2.net Forums (3 April 2006). Retrieved on 25 July 2006.
"Title currently unknown", PC Gamer magazine (US), April 2006, pp. 22.
^ Article deletion log. Valve Developer Community wiki. Retrieved on 2006-10-10.
^ Mod developer's post. Halflife2.net. Retrieved on 2006-04-22.

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May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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Speedruns

A speedrun (IPA: [ËˆspiËdÉ¹ÊŒn]) is a play-through of a computer or video game in which the whole game or a select part of it, such as a single level, is played with the intent of completing it as quickly as possible, optionally with certain prerequisites. ... A speedrun (IPA: [ËˆspiËdÉ¹ÊŒn]) is a play-through of a computer or video game in which the whole game or a select part of it, such as a single level, is played with the intent of completing it as quickly as possible, optionally with certain prerequisites. ...

General resources

Categories: Articles which may contain original research | 2004 computer and video games | Computer and video games with limited editions | First-person shooters | Futuristic games | Half-Life 2 | PlayStation 3 games | Science fiction computer and video games | Steam products | Windows games | Xbox 360 games | Xbox games The Open Directory Project (ODP), also known as DMoz (from Directory. ... MobyGames is a website devoted to cataloging computer and video games, both past and present. ... The Mod DB logo. ... Gordon freeman, the main protagonist, on the first Half-Life cover Half-Life is a is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game series developed by Valve Software and published by Sierra Studios. ... Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ... Opposing Force is the critically acclaimed first expansion pack for the popular first-person shooter Half-Life, developed by Gearbox Software and released by Valve Software on October 31, 1999. ... Half-Life: Blue Shift is the second expansion pack for the first-person shooter computer game Half-Life, developed by Gearbox Software and released on June 12, 2001. ... Half-Life: Decay is an addon for the PlayStation 2 version of the first-person shooter computer game Half-Life, developed by Gearbox Software. ... GoldSrc, or Goldsource, is the internal name Valve Software gave for released versions of the heavily modified Quake engine that powers their science-fiction first-person shooter Half-Life (1998). ... Counter-Strike (CS) is a popular team-based mod of Valves first-person shooter (FPS) Half-Life. ... Counter-Strike: Condition Zero (abbreviated CS:CZ) is the single-player version of the multiplayer game, Counter-Strike. ... Counter-Strike Neo is a Japanese arcade adaptation of Counter-Strike, the original Half-Life multiplayer modification. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ... Day of Defeat (DoD) is a popular team-based multiplayer World War II first-person shooter computer game that immerses players into a 3D simulated virtual reality of the European Theatre of World War II. The games graphics and sounds have been influenced by the movie Saving Private Ryan... Deathmatch Classic or DMC is a multiplayer mod of the popular first-person shooter, Half-Life. ... Ricochet is a multiplayer mod of the popular first-person shooter, Half-Life. ... Team Fortress Classics logo. ... Source engine logo A Half-Life 2: Episode One scene running on the Source engine, demonstrating High Dynamic Range, Rim lighting, Phong shading, facial expressions, realtime cameras and VGUI. In-engine Team Fortress 2 character line-up, demonstrating a cartoon-oriented set of basic shaders, depth of field, facial animation... ... Day of Defeat (DoD) is a team-based multiplayer World War II first-person shooter computer game. ... Half-Life 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game and the sequel to Half-Life, developed by Valve Corporation. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ... Portal is an upcoming single-player puzzle game by Valve Corporation, shipping with Half-Life 2: Episode Two, which is due to be released Q1 2007. ... Team Fortress 2 is the long-anticipated sequel to the original Team Fortress mod for Quake being developed by Valve Corporation. ... Half-Life 2 concept art of Gordon Freeman holding his signature weapon, the crowbar, and wearing the H.E.V. suit. ... The player model of Adrian Shephard, as seen in Opposing Force. ... Barney Calhoun, from (l-r) Half-Life, Half-Life: Blue Shift with the High Definition Pack, and Half-Life 2 Barney Calhoun is a fictional character in the Half-Life series of first-person shooter computer games by Valve Software. ... Gina seen as the holographic guide in Half-Lifes tutorial Hazard Course. ... Dr. Colette Greens profile in Decays manual. ... Left: The G-Man, as he appears in Right: His appearance in Half-Life 2. ... Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2 Alyx Vance is a fictional character and digital actor from Valve Softwares 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2, and its following episodes (indeed, she is also the focal point of Half-Life 2: Episode One). ... Dr. Vance, in his secret lab Black Mesa East Dr. Eli Vance is a fictional character from the computer games Half-Life and Half-Life 2. ... Doctor Isaac Kleiner Doctor Isaac Kleiner is a fictional character from the video games Half-Life and Half-Life 2. ... Dr. Judith Mossman Judith Mossman is a fictional character in the 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2. ... Alyx introduces Dog to Gordon in Black Mesa East. ... Doctor Wallace Breen, as seen in Half-Life 2. ... Father Grigori, with his Winchester rifle, Annabelle. ... Left: A headcrab from Half-Life. ... Colonel Odessa Cubbage, as seen in New Little Odessa, Half-Life 2. ... Azian Vance, as seen in a photo in Black Mesa East, Half-Life 2. ... Dr. Keller Dr. Richard Keller is a fictional character in Half-Life: Decay, the co-op expansion to Half-Lifes PlayStation 2 port. ... Doctor Rosenberg, as seen in Blue Shift. ... An Alien Controller, levitating in Xen. ... An Alien Grunt, as seen in Half-Life An Alien Grunt is a fictional creature from the first person shooter computer game Half-Life (Valve Software, 1998). ... A standard Antlion, as seen in Half-Life 2 Antlions are a fictional insect-like alien species found in Valve Softwares first-person shooter action computer game, Half-Life 2. ... A barnacle, as seen in Half-Life (left) and Half-Life 2 (right). ... Black Ops, sometimes hyphenated to Black-Ops, are a fictitious commando group briefly seen in the first-person shooter computer game Half-Life and later expanded upon and featured in its expansion pack Half-Life: Opposing Force. ... A bullsquid from Half-Life Bullsquids are a fictional alien species in the science fiction computer game Half-Life (Valve Software, 1998). ... A carnivorous leech, as seen in Garrys Mod The Carnivorous Leech is an aquatic alien creature from the science fiction computer games Half-Life and Half-Life 2. ... A chumtoad. ... The Combine is a powerful alien race and empire from Valve Corporations 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2. ... This is a list of humanoid and synthetic forces employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... This is a list of combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... This is a list of non-combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... A Gargantua, as seen in Half-Life. ... The Gonarch up close Gonarch is a fictional nutsack in the 1998 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life. ... Half-Life 2, includes computer-controlled (AI) opponents that fight against the player and his/her allies (which are also controlled by the computer). ... A fire team of four Hazardous Environment Combat Unit troops in Half-Life (non-High Definition Pack models). ... Left: A headcrab from Half-Life. ... A houndeye from Half-Life The houndeye, or sound dog, is a fictional alien in the science fiction computer game Half-Life (Valve Software, 1998). ... An Ichthyosaur from Half-Life 2, as seen in Garrys Mod. ... The Nihilanth The Nihilanth is the final boss character and the primary antagonist in the computer game Half-Life. ... Race X is a hostile alien race featured in the computer game series Half-Life by Valve Software. ... A Snark being held. ... A tentacle in Xen, its natural habitat Tentacles (sometimes referred to as Giant Tentacles) are fictional creatures from the computer game Half-Life. ... A group of vortigaunts in Half-Life. ... Doctor Eli Vances lab in Black Mesa East Black Mesa East is a fictional location from Valve Softwares 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2. ... The Black Mesa Research Facility is a fictional complex located in the desert of New Mexico, United States, and is the setting for most of the events of the computer game Half-Life and its expansions. ... This is a list of non-combat technology employed by the Combine empire in Half-Life 2, a 2004 first-person shooter. ... Dominating City 17s skyline, the Combine Citadel. ... A small poriton of Highway 17 overlooking a railway and abandoned resistance base. ... The beach and cliffs on Nova Prospekts Eastern flank, before Gordons advance into the facility. ... A portion of Ravenholm, with several zombies in sight Ravenholm is a fictional Eastern European themed town (the actual geographic location is never revealed) in the 2004 computer game Half-Life 2. ... Newspaper clippings in Elis lab, the complex seen in the centerpiece is the damaged United Nations headquarters located in New York City. ... Islands in Xen A larger island Colourful manta creatures glide gracefully through the skies of Xen Tree-like organisms can be found throughout Xen Xen is the origin of the alien species that appear in the science fiction video game Half-Life (Valve Software, 1998); the expansion packs Half-Life... GoldSrc, or Goldsource, is the internal name Valve Software gave for released versions of the heavily modified Quake engine that powers their science-fiction first-person shooter Half-Life (1998). ... HLTV is short for Half-Life TV, created by Valve Software in 2001, allows for broadcasting of matches on the Half-Life engine, it is mostly used for broadcasting Counter-Strike matches, the current world record stands at around 39500 spectators at the same time spectating the Cyberathlete Professional League... 2004 Banshee car modification for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - replacement of original Banshee by Suction Testicle Man Mod or modification is a term generally applied to computer games, especially first-person shooters and real-time strategy games. ... This is a list of mods for the first-person shooter Half-Life. ... List of Half-Life 2 mods - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Source engine logo A Half-Life 2: Episode One scene running on the Source engine, demonstrating High Dynamic Range, Rim lighting, Phong shading, facial expressions, realtime cameras and VGUI. In-engine Team Fortress 2 character line-up, demonstrating a cartoon-oriented set of basic shaders, depth of field, facial animation... The Source SDK (or Source software development kit) is a collection of tools compiled by Valve Software that is used to create levels or full-on Half-Life 2 modifications (or mods). ... Steam is a content delivery, digital rights management and multiplayer system developed by the Valve Corporation. ... A SteamID is a unique identifier used for Steam, an online game service run by Valve Software. ... Steam is a content delivery, digital rights management and multiplayer system developed by the Valve Corporation. ... Gearbox Software is a video game developer founded in January 1999. ... A comparison of the many zombie model incarnations throughout Half-Life. ... Turtle Rock Studios is an independent game developer in the business of creating original entertainment titles and providing consulting services to the digital entertainment industry. ... Valve Corporation is an American video game developer based in Bellevue, Washington, USA, made famous by its first product, Half-Life, which was released in November 1998. ... World Opponent Network or WON was an online gaming service, created by Sierra Games as the Sierra Internet Gaming System (SIGS). ... Image File history File links LinkFA-star. ...