{game-publisher} {game-esrb} About november 2004, Valve unleashed their highly anticipated PC action/shooter Half Life 2 which boasted stunning visuals, fantastic gameplay and a deeply engrossing storyline that captivated hoards of gamers. PC gamers fortunate enough to possess a monster machine with loads of RAM and a mammoth video card experienced a fantastic first-person shooter that was unlike anything we’ve seen before in terms of graphics and gameplay. As soon as Valve announced that they would be bringing Half Life 2 to the Xbox, they certainly had their work cut out for them. Having to face the challenge of efficiently converting their mega-PC title to the more limited hardware constraints of the Xbox console, Valve has risen to the challenge and delivered Xbox owners a near exact version of the single player experience that sports both great visuals and better than average gameplay. However, Valve has decided to drop the multiplayer modes offered on the PC in order to have better served the single player mode so don’t expect any coop or online gameplay. Half Life 2 on the Xbox is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy last year’s best PC shooter without having to sell a few bodily organs to afford a high end PC.


Storyline

Half Life 2 is a mysterious tale of a man named Gordon Freeman who seems to have some type of destiny before him as he works his way through a series of events that shed light on the game’s story as it unravels. The game takes place a few years after the original Half Life story and the action begins as Gordon awakes from a dizzy sleep on board a train heading towards City 17. After experiencing an unusual dream that appears to have some type of suggestive meaning, Gordon picks himself up and players take control of him as he exits the train and sets out into the unknown. Without giving much narration or background information, Gordon learns that Earth has been overrun by a strange alien race whose intentions are not yet fully understood. What is clear is that a sort of martial law has been instilled throughout City 17 and the gradual decline in the once familiar social structure is well underway. As Gordon explores his surroundings and progresses through the city, without really know where he is headed, large broadcast screens and audio announcements by Dr. Wallace Breen, Black Mesa’s chief administrator, shed some light on what has been happening. Obviously, Dr. Breen’s speeches come across more like alien-influenced propaganda rather than genuine messages to the public. As players make their way throughout City 17, these messages become more suggestive and it is clear that Gordon’s presence is well noted by those systematically taking control of the area.

Right off the bat, it is apparent to the player that Valve’s attention to detail and focus on creating an emotional experience are the key forces driving both the storyline and the gameplay. Players will quickly find themselves with a sense of urgency as they try to avoid altercations with Combine officials who eventually make a wanted target out of Gordon for being a suspect of resistance. As players walk throughout each area, they will be able to overhear other characters muttering to themselves, equally as confused and uneasy with the current state of things. People wander aimlessly as they cry out for answers that nobody has the responses to. People are torn away from their families without explanation and others simply disappear without a trace. The sense of suspicion and hopelessness are quite high, and players will be hard pressed not to find themselves driving forward by a series of emotional responses to the game’s presentation.

It seems that civilizations only hope lies within Gordon’s abilities to counteract whatever devious plot Earth’s newcomers have in store, which will also mean overthrowing their spokesperson, Dr. Breen, in the process. While Gordon may feel lost and alone, he soon discovers an underground network of allies who have banded together in an effort to rise again their oppressors. Several key characters Gordon will come to work with are former members of Black Mesa who include scientists such as Dr. Kleiner and Dr. Vance as well as Barney Calhoun. Gordon will also meet Dr. Judith Mossman and Alyx, daughter of Gordon’s long time associate Eli, who seems to have somewhat of a crush on him. Alyx will prove to be an important player in the course of the game as she not only brings Gordon up to speed with current events, but she also plays a key role in the gameplay along side Gordon later on in the game.

Aside from the obvious differences involved in the transition from a mouse and keyboard control scheme to the console controller, Half Life 2 is nearly identical to the PC version with a few minor adjustments players will notice. Personally, I prefer the console controls over the PC as I just can’t get used to character movement with the keyboard. Therefore, the Xbox version of Half Life 2 is something I have been looking forward to since I finished the PC version a year ago. Valve has done a terrific job giving the Xbox version all the same feel and control of the PC version, just with a console oriented setup. There is little loss in gameplay quality, and in some cases there are improvements from the PC as far as control goes. For instance, switching through the weapons has become more intuitive thanks to the ability to map weapons to the directional pad rather than scrolling through them one by one on the PC. Xbox players can simply press a direction on their D-Pad to quickly switch to the desired weapon at any time.


On the other hand, much of the game is a mirrored reflection of the PC version, which is both good and bad depending on which aspect we are talking about. Anyone who has played the PC version is well acquainted with the game’s frequent load screens throughout each level. The Xbox version has just as many load screens in the same locations as its PC counterpart, which may inhibit some console gamers’ overall perception of the gameplay experience. Since I have played through the PC version it wasn’t a surprise and I was able to overlook the load times, but I certainly did notice them again, and again…and again… One does have to understand that there are a lot of things going on within the gameplay, and the way that Valve has managed to keep the game running at a solid 30 frames per second with almost an equal level of presentation value considering the hardware limitations is deserving of commendation. One a better note, the load times of the Xbox version are considerably shorter than the PC version, even if there are just as many of them.

One thing that stood out during the gameplay of the PC version of Half Life 2 were the amazing physics displayed thanks to Valve’s powerful engine. The Xbox version does boast some impressive physics, but they didn’t seem quite as realistic as the PC version. For instance, some of the subtle details such as how a cardboard box bounces on the ground after throwing it, or how a bottle shatters didn’t quite seem as lifelike on the Xbox as they did on the PC. This doesn’t mean they still didn’t do more than impress on the console, but the PC version did seem to have a slightly higher perception of real life physics than the Xbox. Even still, the Xbox version is highly impressive and the game’s physics offer plenty of opportunities for players to spend hours exploring the environments and doing nothing more than picking up and throwing objects while getting a lesson in Physics 101.

Gameplay Controls

This is going to be one of those situations where you are either a PC gamer or an Xbox gamer when it comes to FPS. Myself, I prefer a controller over the keyboard even though I realize there is a loss of a certain level of precision when it comes to aiming with the analog stick as opposed to a mouse. I simply don’t like using a keyboard to control movements, and I feel much more comfortable moving around with the left analog stick, despite any loss in sensitivity and precision. Moreover, Half Life 2 on the Xbox doesn’t include any multiplayer modes so performing sniper-like headshots is not as important as it’s fairly easy to dispose of enemies without too much fumbling over the right analog stick.

As it stands, the Xbox controller does a good job reflecting the control scheme of the PC version of Half Life 2. Players can easily swap through their weapons with the D-Pad as mentioned earlier, in a way that is more intuitive and quick on the draw than the PC version. Other necessary controls include crouching by pressing down and holding the left analog stick while moving Gordon’s position. The X button allows Gordon to sprint while the A button lets him jump, the Y button controls Gordon’s interaction with objects such as picking up barrels and opening doors, and the B button reloads the active weapon. The white button will switch on Gordon’s flashlight.

Overall Gameplay Impressions

Having played through and thoroughly enjoyed last year’s PC version of Half Life 2, I was surprisingly impressed with Valve’s transition to the Xbox as the game is a near identical reflection of its PC counterpart. Valve has done a superb job ensuring the level of quality in the game’s presentation and controls are in tact without cutting any corners or sacrificing any of the necessary aspects of design that made the PC version such an overwhelming success. Whichever system you first play the game on, Half Life 2 is an engulfing experience that drops players in a mysterious sci-fi world of deception that unravels over a series of interesting missions. The number of missions as well as their variety will do more than keep players excited. Many levels include various vehicles from boats to jeeps that really help mix up the game’s pace without straying too far from the fundamentals. There are still a few spots where the game is a bit twitchy, such as a couple instances where framerate slows down due to explosive action, but this was also the case on the PC version, so it doesn’t seem to be a matter of “dummying” the game for the Xbox at all. Half Life 2 on the Xbox is yet another testament to the quality work done by the folks at Valve.

Graphics

Anyone who managed to get a look at Half Life 2 running on a high end PC knows Vavle is capable of some jaw-dropping visuals. The only problem was that the average PC gamer more than likely did not have the hardware required to get such mind blowing results. The average PC gamer probably had to drop down some of the game’s adjustable settings and experience the game at lower than desired settings because their graphic card just couldn’t cut it. Valve put a ton of visual splendor into their game, and it created an amazing atmosphere that looked good in just about any system, but only a select few were able to really see the game for all it’s worth on the PC. On the Xbox, everyone is on even ground and while you might think that the restricted hardware would pose a serious problem to the developers, rejoice knowing they really pulled together and created a great looking game for all to enjoy. The high end PCs out there are still going to claim bragging rights over the Xbox version, but overall, the Xbox version is much better looking than the average PC looks running Half Life 2.


Despite a few cases where the action picks up and the framerate drops, the game still holds at a solid 30 frames per second for the most part of the gameplay. The environments are nicely varied and give players a good combination of exterior and interior areas to explore. Some of the more open locations give players a number of opportunities to stand back and just take in the view. It really is that good looking.

Audio

The audio of Half Life 2 is top shelf and both versions of the game sound fantastic. The voice acting really gives the characters a great deal of personality and emotion. This is a vital part of setting up the gameplay early on as Gordon interacts with other characters at the start of the game and picks up on their sentiments of despair and hopelessness. The chatter of the Combine over their radio frequencies will become a not so welcome notice that trouble is just around the corner and players will also learn to weed out the ongoing propaganda being spewed throughout City 17 by Dr. Breen. Just about every aspect of the sounds players will hear during the game are all very well done and lend themselves in a positive way to the gameplay. Even the music is excellent and does well to set the tone for the action taking place as well as giving players a bit of insight into what may lurk ahead.

If you already played Half Life 2 on a powerful PC, then you aren’t going to find yourself much reason to play the Xbox version, but for the vast majority of gamers that don’t have a gillion dollar setup, the Xbox version is a fantastic choice that will offer players a damn near identical version of 2004’s best FPS on the PC. I can easily say that I had just as much fun playing through the game on the Xbox as I first did on the PC, and probably even more so due to my personal preference of the controller over the keyboard. While the Xbox version doesn’t have any online or multiplayer modes, it still delivers an exciting, intense FPS experience that involves an interesting storyline that unfolds through a series of cinematic missions that take player on a futuristic journey. My only question to Valve is why they didn’t decide to bring Half Life 2 to the Xbox 360 rather than the Xbox. With the Xbox 360 only a week away, why not have offered console gamers all the visual might and high resolution goodness previously only available on the most expensive PC’s? Hopefully, the answer is because Valve is busy working on an Xbox 360 version of their next Counter-Strike title. Anyway you look at it, Half Life 2 on the Xbox is a no brainer for any FPS fan looking for a game that has it all in terms of story, gameplay, visuals and sound.

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