The Half-Life online game sequence is among the many most famed gaming franchises of all time, primarily as a result of it represented a transition into a brand new period for FPS (first-person shooters), but it surely additionally left an enormous mark on science fiction on account of its out-of-the-box pondering, which finally led to different trendy classics equivalent to Portal. Entering into the sequence may appear dauting at first, however we’re right here to make your journey simpler with an inventory of all of the Half-Life video games ranked, worst to finest.
Half-Life’s overarching storyline kicks off when alien lifeforms invade the Black Mesa Analysis Facility, which is situated within the New Mexico desert, by means of a portal after an experiment goes mistaken. All of it leads finally to a full-scale alien invasion of planet Earth and the formation of a human resistance motion. Gamers assume the function of theoretical physicist (turned motion man) Gordon Freeman within the mainline video games.
In case you’re searching for extra superior sci-fi video games, you would possibly need to take a look at our listing of the best space exploration games or perhaps the all-spooky best space horror games listing. On high of all this, we even have some options about space games that should be movies or TV shows in addition to upcoming space games to control.
However if you wish to discover out what the fuss with Half-Life is all about, learn on under. The Xen, the Mix, and the mysterious G-Man await…
9. Half-Life: Decay
- Platform: PS2
- Developer: Valve, Gearbox Software program
Few individuals discuss Half-Life: Decay these days, and with good motive: it was a multiplayer-oriented enlargement pack for the primary recreation that launched solely on PS2. Making it a PS2 unique was a large mistake that tremendously diminished its impression, provided that the core Half-Life neighborhood was born (and flourished) on PC.
Decay is about in the identical location as Half-Life and runs in parallel following docs Colette Inexperienced and Gina Cross, who work with members of Black Mesa’s science staff to comprise and stabilize the state of affairs. Sadly, this new POV wasn’t almost as attention-grabbing as the opposite two enlargement’s. Given the deal with co-op (although it may be performed solo), there’s a heavier emphasis on puzzles, however they typically deliver the circulate of the normal Half-Life expertise down.
8. Half-Life 2: Episode 1
- Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3, MacOS, Linux, Android
- Developer: Valve
There’s nothing actually mistaken with Half-Life 2’s (HL2) first episodic launch – Valve switched to this growth mannequin after HL2 to launch video games extra regularly – but it surely largely looks like a retread of its predecessor’s late-game beats. It doesn’t transfer the plot ahead in a significant means over the 4 to 6 hours it takes to finish. On the finish of the day, it felt like a filler chapter designed to take the tech additional and little else.
The sport’s greatest constructive could be the way it expanded on the character of Alyx Vance, Gordon Freeman’s trusted companion in HL2, and her AI. This gave HL2: Episode 1’s moment-to-moment gameplay a particular, extra cooperative (although single-player) taste.
7. Half-Life: Blue Shift
- Platforms: PC, MacOS, Linux
- Developer: Valve, Gearbox Software program
Blue Shift was the second enlargement pack the unique basic obtained. Like the opposite two, it returned to the setting and occasions of the bottom recreation, portraying the story by means of one other character’s eyes. On this occasion, gamers management safety guard Barney Calhoun, a pal of Gordon’s who most gamers would possibly keep in mind from Half-Life 2.
This enlargement’s greatest sin was to recycle a lot of the unique recreation’s premise and construction. Although it lacks any substantial adjustments or additions, it was the primary Half-Life title that featured constant interactions with recurrent non-player characters and packed quite a lot of much-welcomed graphical enhancements.
6. Half-Life: Opposing Pressure
- Platforms: PC, MacOS, Linux
- Developer: Valve, Gearbox Software program
Opposing Pressure is undoubtedly one of the best out of Half-Life’s three enlargement packs regardless of being Gearbox’s first collaboration with Valve. Bringing in expertise from different areas of the online game trade for the undertaking gave it a definite taste, and its core premise is a notable departure from the bottom recreation. Right here the occasions are portrayed by means of the eyes of one of many U.S. marines despatched to neutralize the Black Mesa Analysis Facility and comprise the alien invasion.
Mainly, gamers received to play because the enemy on this surprising follow-up to Half-Life, and that was an thrilling tackle the components although it hadn’t modified a lot beneath the floor. Whereas puzzles are a part of the equation, Opposing Pressure emphasizes the high-octane motion present in some sections of the unique recreation. Furthermore, the participant character is commonly assisted by NPCs that don’t really feel like a burden.
5. Half-Life: Alyx
- Platforms: PC, Linux
- Developer: Valve
After greater than a decade of ready for a continuation to HL2: Episode 2, followers obtained official affirmation of a brand new Half-Life recreation operating on the Supply 2 engine, although it wasn’t a sequel and ditched widespread {hardware} in favor of VR. Whereas Half-Life: Alyx garnered a lot of reward upon launch, most followers haven’t been in a position to play it because the best VR headsets aren’t essentially the most inexpensive (nor broadly used) piece of tech round.
Because the title suggests, Alyx follows Gordon’s companion 5 years earlier than the occasions of Half-Life 2. This gave longtime followers a deeper perception into life in Metropolis 17, the place the Mix authorities has applied a brutal police state. It’s maybe essentially the most spectacular VR recreation presently accessible, and it packs fairly a couple of surprises, but it surely’s a disgrace extra gamers can’t test it out.
4. Half-Life 2: Episode 2
- Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3, MacOS, Linux, Android
- Developer: Valve
The second (and ultimate) post-HL2 episode stays a powerful tech showcase and an thrilling trip that greater than makes up for Episode 1’s shortcomings. It additionally mounted some long-standing problems with the Half-Life components, packing a extra relentless pacing and wildly totally different sections that by no means overstay their welcome.
Maybe its greatest failing is a deeply uninspired finale that looks like Valve speeding to the end line as they run out of concepts to maintain the gameplay contemporary. And, after all, the legal, unresolved cliffhanger inevitably leaves a bitter style in your mouth for the reason that subsequent chapter in Gordon Freeman’s story might by no means occur.
3. Half-Life
- Platforms: PC, MacOS, Linux, PS2
- Developer: Valve
The unique Half-Life stays a powerful achievement and a serious step ahead for the FPS style that shouldn’t be missed no matter your degree of curiosity within the sequence as an entire. The capturing is stable, the extent design nonetheless works, and its far more immersive than any shooter that got here earlier than it. And, if you wish to play a barely upgraded model of the unique expertise, Half-Life: Supply works splendidly.
Whereas HL1’s plot may appear easy at first, it packs fairly a couple of surprises and planted the seeds for distinctive mysteries, a few of which nonetheless haven’t been answered. Science fiction fanatics could have additional enjoyable with it, because it borrows a number of parts from the best sci-fi movies in addition to the best sci-fi books equivalent to Stephen King’s The Mist.
2. Black Mesa
- Platforms: PC, Linux
- Developer: Crowbar Collective
Whereas we heartily suggest enjoying by means of the unique recreation, it’s arduous to disclaim that mod-turned-full-game Black Mesa is one of the best model of Valve’s unique masterpiece that you will discover at present. Developed by a staff of modders who needed a real remake of HL1, Black Mesa was permitted by Valve for a industrial launch after it made a splash in 2012 as a free mod which rebuilt the sooner sections of the sport.
After dealing with main delays over time, the ultimate launch (launched in March 2020) surpassed all expectations and topped itself as the proper trendy remake of a defining FPS. It really works on an improved model of the Supply engine, packs many gameplay enhancements over the unique and its sequels, and, extra importantly, closely reworked the oft-criticized ultimate chapters of the basic.
1. Half-Life 2
- Platforms: PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3, MacOS, Linux, Android
- Developer: Valve
The second mainline Half-Life installment nonetheless is the zenith of the franchise. It kickstarted a second revolution within the FPS style by doubling down on participant company and interactions with the sport world past capturing at enemies and speaking to NPCs. This led to greater than a decade of community-driven modifications that discovered massive quantities of success, with a few of them finally making the transition to full-fledged video games.
The impression of HL2 and its ramifications can nonetheless be felt at present within the gaming trade and neighborhood, and a number of other multiplayer video games born from it are very a lot lively at present – equivalent to the 2 extra “latest” Counter-Strike titles and the Left 4 Useless video games.
As for the story and general scale, all the things was elevated tenfold, and whereas the main focus remained on Gordon Freeman’s struggles, there’s numerous spectacular, grounded world-building completed on this entry.
