Video Game Reviews: PC
Half-Life 2
RANKINGS:
Ratings and rankings are based on all available critic reviews for each game.
3.9256
Ranked
Half-Life 2
Expert Review Summary
based on (113) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating.
GameSpy
of gameplay styles and memorable moments, all executed with amazing precision. Half-Life 2 may not reinvent the first-person shooter, but improves on the original game in almost every way, and brings one major innovation to the table whose effects will li
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at GameSpy
IGN
Could Valve's labor of love possibly live up to the hype?
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at IGN
GamePro
The wait may have been long, but it was worth it. This sequel truly exudes extraordinary gameplay at every turn.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at GamePro
Game Rankings
The advertisements call Half-Life 2 "the most highly anticipated PC release, ever." While this may be true (apologies to Doom 3), the haughty cries of this being "the best game ever made" are very much overstated. Is this a good game? Yes. Is it a
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Game Rankings
GameZone
Gordon Freeman has finally returned! It’s been a long time coming for gamers but the game is definitely worth the wait. Gamers that have been following the history of Half-Life understand that there are two stories surrounding the release
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at GameZone
Adrenaline Vault
Valve's inclusion of an interactive physics-based environment and the wonderful gravity gun lends itself to fun gravity puzzles, making use of good old-fashioned common sense and intuition - something I've found to be absent in the average first-person
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Adrenaline Vault
Gaming Age
Where it goes beyond a typical first person shooter is in its story telling. The graphics engine is so realistic that you feel like you are participating in a movie. The character's facial animation is incredible. It's done so well, you can get a sense
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Gaming Age
Game Revolution
It presents the most exciting single-player first-person game you'll find on any system this year. It's a shame that the product is marred by issues that have little to do with the game itself, because ultimately, the games are what matter most.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Game Revolution
1UP
Frankly, it seems like much of the game's technological potential is being squandered on a 3D game whose actual road to progress is every bit as two-dimensional as an 8-bit platformer.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at 1UP
Eurogamer
Half-Life 2 has astonished us from start to finish. Valve has done to the FPS genre what restaurants in Chinatown do to ducks; shredded it, smothered it in a delicious sauce of their own devising, and served it up in a way which you simply couldn't have
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Eurogamer
Worth Playing
Half-Life 2 doesn't have any radically new technology under its hood, but every bit of it is as polished as the floor of a palace...A lock for Game of the Year but also as the yardstick against which future first-person shooters will be compared for
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Worth Playing
Yahoo! Games
After a short prologue, Valve kicks things into high gear. But even the first few minutes are impressive. We see a limited number of characters roaming the streets, but these people look at you. They really look, and it's downright strange. The game
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Yahoo! Games
DarkZero
Here we have a game where hitting barrels is fun. Perhaps not the same kind of fun as you’d have speeding through beautifully rendered canals and waterways whilst being shot at from all sides by Combine soldiers, with explosive barrels blowing up all
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at DarkZero
GamingTrend
I have had a dream of how good this game could be for a long time, and it was immediately kicked out the door for not being grand enough.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at GamingTrend
Amped IGO
Once again, players step into the shoes of Black Mesa scientist Gordon Freeman, this time arriving at his new home in a scene reminiscent of the first Half-Life's tram ride. Ostensibly, Gordon is being brought here to work for the mysterious G-Man, but
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Amped IGO
Cheat Code Central
Considering how well Valve got the action down pat, I was very unpleasantly surprised that they managed to fumble the storyline so badly. HL2 starts off with such promise and ends with something akin to what you'd find in "[deleted]" which is a travesty
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Cheat Code Central
HonestGamers
Like Half-Life's Black Mesa, it's a place infused with an atmosphere and culture that you can only experience through microcosms. Even more so than VALVe's immortal debut FPS, Half-Life 2 is a single, seamless, scripted journey that's not so much
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at HonestGamers
GamerDad
No discussion of Half-Life 2 can happen without talking about the graphics. They are beautiful, no question about it. But this is not the 'most advanced' game available (Doom 3 takes that). However, it plays extremely beautiful because of the choices
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at GamerDad
Gaming Horizon
Half-Life 2, simply put, is a complete masterpiece; once again, the definition of what gaming is all about. Shame on you if you haven’t already played it. Loser.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Gaming Horizon
GamingExcellence
It goes without saying that this has been one of the most anticipated titles in recent memory. Valve has been very secretive about the title throughout its development, and slowly key points began to emerge from the darkness. The story begins after the
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at GamingExcellence
Game Helper
To say that Half-Life, originally released in late 1998, single-handedly re-shaped the PC gaming front would be a bit naïve, though not entirely untrue. For me, this statement is 100% true, due to the unequivocal fact that I had absolutely no interest
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Game Helper
Pro-G
Unquestioning acceptance of the game environment is where HL2 excels - physics for example. It doesn't become noticeable until you're instructed to pile up some crates in order to escape through a window, but in Half Life 2, physics play an important
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Pro-G
Game Chronicles
Lighting is outstanding and there is a definitive passage of time that is reflected with various night and day conditions.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Game Chronicles
Entertainment Depot
The general design of the game suggests a greater level of thought than one would normally expect from a shooter. Take for example the way that Valve builds up some of the encounters. Earlier on, I entered into an intense shootout with the Combine -
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Entertainment Depot
DreamStation.cc
Half Life 2 also provides phenomenal textures. From the grime on decrepit apartment buildings to the realistic wood on the barns strewn about the large countryside, the quality is second to none. I could go on and on about just how pretty this game is,
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at DreamStation.cc
XGP Gaming
The graphics are marvelous, the sounds enthrall you, the character models are remarkably realistic looking, the environment is engrossing and the controls are optimized to control Gordon Freeman and all of his actions.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at XGP Gaming
Science Fiction Weekly
After some initial training, Gordon receives his armored suit. From then on, the game is a traditional single-player, first-person shooter. Throughout, players must keep an eye out for spray-painted signs (resembling the anarchist's A-within-a-circle)
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Science Fiction Weekly
Game XC
Half-Life 2 was popularized first by its E3 2003 debut, as it demonstrated valve’s spectacular “Source” engine to the public. Contrary to the public’s knowledge, Valve was very likely constructing the source engine, and establishing a foundation
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Game XC
Gamecritics
More than anything else, I suppose, Half-Life 2 is the story of a group of developers in love with their physics engine.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Gamecritics
ESC Magazine
This sense of disconnection is entirely intentional. The player is Gordon is dropped into the middle of a vaguely Eastern European city and presented tantalizing bits of information or cameos by old friends before being abruptly swept away. There's
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at ESC Magazine
Just Adventure
It's solid and requires, thanks to the variety and great AI of the enemy you meet throughout, more than a modicum of strategic thinking to get through with a good selection of interesting weapons on offer.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Just Adventure
Game Vortex
In fact, it is because of the amazing sounds and visuals presented that Half-Life 2 suffers its only two real downfalls. First is that textures are noticeably repeating, especially at a distance. Second is that the many checkpoint loading screens take a
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Game Vortex
Thunderbolt
As excellent as the storyline is, you could completely ignore it and still have an amazing experience.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Thunderbolt
Jaded Gamer
Make no mistake, you're not really going to see a whole lot in the gameplay department that you haven't seen before in other First Person Shooters, but Half-Life 2 is done so very well, that its extreme quality and attention to detail transcend any
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Jaded Gamer
Next Level Gaming
This game is well made and has a level of polish that tends to be only found in Blizzard games.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Next Level Gaming
Electric Playground
With tasty graphics and gameplay that is sheer madness, Half-life 2 is sweeter than a chocolate-and-honey lollipop coated with sugar, and it provides twice the rush.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Electric Playground
GameCell UK
You once again play the role of scientist of few words, Gordon Freeman, who awakens on a train inbound to the mysterious European city known only as City 17; a city under the control of a group called the 'Combine' who run the city like a prison.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at GameCell UK
Armchair Empire
Half-Life 2 isn't flawless, just like any great work of art, but that doesn't make it any less of a masterpiece.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Armchair Empire
Gamerz-Edge
Ah, at last. All the delays, all the hype, the stolen code fiasco, release date mix ups—it’s here. Many fans like me have been waiting in earnest to load up the sequel to one of the best shooter series’ of all time. The story and characters for
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Gamerz-Edge
GameShark
While it may do what other games have already done, the important point is that it does
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at GameShark
Cyber Gaming Net
Gordon Freeman, a speechless research scientist, picks up his crowbar where he left off from his last adventure. He now must “rescue the world from the wrong he unleashed at Black Mesa,” continuing under the work of the mysterious G-Man. Much of the
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Cyber Gaming Net
Cincinnati Enquirer
I found the little things most impressive. Telephone lines ripple from the wind kicked up by passing alien gun ships. Even motes of dust meander into view as they casually flit through rays of sunshine.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Cincinnati Enquirer
Ferrago
An ephemeral and controversial ending, along with the few issues described above, means that for me, Half-Life 2, while a compelling and highly enjoyable game, falls short of the size of impact that the first title had on the gaming world.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Ferrago
Computer Games RO
At the end of our Doom 3 review, I stated that this year saw the birth of the Far Cry generation, with CryTek’s title managing to raise the bar regarding FPS standards. Of course, this statement was made without taking into account Half-Life 2 (HL2),
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Computer Games RO
Gamers Europe
The closest thing to perfection you'll play this year. You'd be a fool to miss out.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Gamers Europe
GotNext
For the release of the game, Valve decided to do something totally different in order to prevent people from playing early and then leaking the game ahead of time. In order to play Half-Life 2, which is a single player game, you need to have an internet
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at GotNext
Contact Music
Sound easy but very few are able to pull it off, take for example the eagerly awaited and much hyped Doom 3 release this year, it had all the parts but seemed to miss the mark by a country mile. Half Life 2 somehow manages to pass all of your
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Contact Music
Loaded Inc
So while there are problems this game is still a cracker. It's one of those games that reminds PC gamers why they prefer PC gaming over console.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Loaded Inc
Silicon Fusion
Story wise there is practically none, after a short opening scene where the G-Man from the end of the original Half-Life makes a mocking speech that set you wondering what is going on, you are dumped right in at the shallow end and there is seemingly
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Silicon Fusion
Game Over Online
It's a beautiful game with fantastic design and writing that's a little short but delivers boatloads of action in what time you do end up playing.
...read the complete Half-Life 2 review at Game Over Online
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