Half-Life 2 - Xbox

Now the dust has settled on the hurricane of hype and expectation that swirled around the release of Half-Life 2, it’s easier to judge the sequel to one of the most highly regarded PC games ever with some objectivity. Its detractors would have it that the game was a little short, and a trifle linear. High production values after plenty of time in development, cunning level design and ground-breaking lighting and graphical effects, though, have ensured that the sequel will not sully the reputation of its predecessor. In fact, it is a classic in its own right, and opens the doors to a world where your very presence affects everything around you, from the physical environment to the emotions of friends and enemies. As the bespectacled and formerly mild-mannered Gordon Freeman, once again you start out by picking up the crowbar as you go about rescuing the world from the wrong you unwittingly unleashed back in Black Mesa. Earth's population is dwindling, the alien-infested land running short on resources - it's a dirty job, etc., and people are counting on Gordon.

All the intensity and high-octane action present in the original has been amped up to the extreme for HL2. Advanced AI of friends and foes has been improved so that they can deal with all kinds of situations, such as mastering tricky terrain, assessing threats, and fashioning weapons from whatever comes to hand.

Half-Life on the PC shifted a ton of copies, and is one of a those high end luxury gaming experiences that console owners will never admit how much they envy. Now lucky Xbox owners get a taste of it with the release of a conversion of the blockbuster for the big black box. The game is single player only, making it a choice for those looking for an immersive and challenging gaming experience.
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