Writer's note:

I had to really abridge my review because Steam limits the number of characters.
Read the complete review in English or in French which are way much longer.
I worked really hard on it, considering it's my favorite game of all time.
Please note it, and reward it, if you considered it pleasant to read.
Thanks.

"Good morning and welcome to the Black Mesa Transit System."

Half-Life.
Just the mere mention of its name is enough to give you chills.
Many consider it the greatest FPS of all time.
Valve's founding FPS is such a masterpiece that we still feel its aura today.
Named "Game of the Year" by more than 50 magazines, it is a cult title.
It even made the terms "Doom-Like" and "Quake-Like" obsolete.
Without forgetting that this is the beginning of Valve's success story.
Is it even possible to do a purely objective review for Half-Life?

"They're waiting for you, Gordon. In the test chamber."

Gordon Freeman is a scientist with a degree in theoretical physics from M.I.T., specializing in the research of "Anomalous Materials".
He is employed at the prestigious Black Mesa scientific complex.
Freeman is is entrusted with an experiment of capital importance:
the analysis of a crystal of alien origin.
Unfortunately, contact of the sample with the anti-mass spectrometer
has "Unforeseen Consequences".
This leads to a "Resonance Cascade" of phenomenal power,
partially destroying the research center.
Worse still, it opened an interdimensional breach through which warlike aliens emerge...
The army was called to the rescue, but was ordered to kill all the witnesses...
Gordon must then fight his way to save his colleagues and escape this hell.

"You aren't scared, are you?"

One of the great strengths of Half-Life is its storytelling.
You play as Gordon Freeman and see everything through his eyes.
No cutscene or dialogue intersperses the scientist's adventures.
Everything is done so that you identify as best as possible with the character, a hero in spite of himself.

"Run. Think. Shoot. Live."

Half-Life is the ultimate evolution of the 90s FPS.
It's no longer just a question of taking down enemies.
Puzzles push you to interact with the world to progress,
use levers, valves, push or pull crates, etc...
There are even vehicle sequences, with a tram "On a Rail".
The gunfights are breathtaking, the AI ​​is very clever.

"Oh my God...we're doomed!"

Black Mesa is invaded by all kinds of creatures from Xen.
The soldiers shoots on sight at everything that moves, the aliens as well as the employees of the Research Center.
The Half-Life bestiary is rich and varied, each of the NPCs or creatures, allies and enemies alike, has its own behavior and animations.

The scientists and the security guards are your friends and colleagues, they only want the best for you.
In addition to giving you advices, they open certain locked doors.
The scientists can heal you if you're wounded, and the "Barneys" can easily kill aliens like Headcrabs or Vortigaunts...

The Xen creatures are very different from each other but they all have one thing in common:
They're after you.
Here is the list of all these alien monsters:

Headcrabs
Zombies
Vortigaunts
Houndeyes
Barnacles
Bullsquid
Tentacles
Gargantuas
Ichthyosaurs
Alien Grunts
Alien Controllers

The H.E.C.U. has been dispatched to the Research Center to stem the alien invasion,
and do everything to prevent the Black Mesa disaster from becoming known.
These soldiers are battle-hardened, intelligent and brutal.
They have, among other things, machine guns, heavy cannons, automatic turrets,
Apache & Osprey Helicopters, F16 fighter jets, Abrams & Bradley Armored Tanks...

Black Ops Assassins are special enemies: they are the only women we fight.
An Assassin is as agile as a Kunoichi, dressed all in black.
They are as fast as lightning, and can perform spectacular jumps.
They're equipped with a silent Glock, and a huge and magnificent pair of...
grenades attached to the belt.

"Welcome to the H.E.V. Mark IV protective system,
for use in hazardous environment conditions."

The H.E.V. Mark IV protective system is the orange suit worn by Gordon Freeman.
It is the main equipment of the series, it bears the λ symbol .
Gordon Freeman resists radioactivity, burns, electricity, and chemicals thanks to it.
It absorbs a large part of the damage received, and can be recharged using H.E.V. chargers or batteries.
The Long Jump Module allows Gordon to make great leaps forward, which proves very useful later.

"Gordon doesn't need to hear all this. He's a highly trained professional."

Despite his appearance as a simple scientist, Gordon Freeman handles weapons to perfection, thanks to the time he spent in the "Hazard Course".
The weapons are very numerous and varied, classic or experimental, and even a few of alien origin...
Here's the full list of weapons:

Crowbar
Pistol
Shotgun
SMG or AR
Revolver
Crossbow
Rocket Launcher
Grenade
Tripmine
C4
Snark
Hivehand
Gauss Gun
Gluon Gun

"Those new suits can be tricky. Please proceed to the next area."

Hazard Course is Black Mesa's training space for H.E.V suit users.
This is the one and only tutorial present in Half-Life, made to familiarize yourself with the game's mechanics.

"Hey, did you hear something?"

The music and sounds in Half-Life are of high quality.
They were composed by Kelly Bailey.
Each important moment in the game has its own music, sometimes gloomy, sometimes epic.
"Hazardous Environments", the Valve Theme, which gives you chills during the fight on the edge of the cliff in "Surface Tension"...

All human characters are voiced, and each monster has its own sounds.
It's easy to know which enemy to face next without even seeing it.
Every sound accentuate the science fiction touch and the player's immersion.
The voice of the H.E.V. Suit gives valuable information on the environment, health status or quantity of ammunition.

"You sure we're going the right way?"

The graphics of Half-Life are sumptuous for its time, thanks to the GoldSrc engine.
The game became more beautiful and detailed when it was (re)released on Steam.
The settings are particularly immersive and varied.

"Didn't want to die alone anyway."

In addition to its extraordinary single-player campaign,
Half-Life has a classic multiplayer deathmatch mode.
The fights are fun, dynamic and brutal,
thanks to the large quantity weapons available to players.
In addition to that,
there's a plethoric choice of 18 maps and they're different enough to renew the gaming experience.

"Catch me later, I'll buy you a beer."

2023 marks the 25th anniversary of Half-Life, which Valve celebrated with a content-rich update.
First of all, the main menu of the game has been replaced by that of the WON version: it is the original menu from 1998.
The original Valve intro is also restored.

It finally brings Half-Life Uplink to Steam, which we've been waiting for so long.
Half-Life Uplink is a unique Half-Life demo, released in early 1999.
This level never appeared in the original game, it was a standalone only.

Four new multiplayer maps are added, and three from the Half-Life: Further Data additional content CD.

Four new multiplayer skins are added, including Ivan The Space Biker and Proto-Barney, from the 1997 Alpha Version

"Another important species revealed in action."

In addition to being an exceptional game, Half-Life gave birth to a large number of cult multiplayer FPS franchises:
Day of Defeat, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike.

"I predicted all of this, you know. All of it!"

Half-Life is a remarkably effective FPS.
How can we not praise such a masterpiece?
This video game monument is timeless.
There is clearly a before and after Half-Life.
Every gamer must own it.

[b]Writer's note:[/b] I had to really abridge my review because Steam limits the number of characters. Read the complete review in [url=https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3114199433]English[/url] or in [url=https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3112010948]French[/url] which are way much longer. I worked really hard on it, considering it's my favorite game of all time. Please note it, and reward it, if you considered it pleasant to read. Thanks. [b]"Good morning and welcome to the Black Mesa Transit System."[/b] Half-Life. Just the mere mention of its name is enough to give you chills. Many consider it the greatest FPS of all time. Valve's founding FPS is such a masterpiece that we still feel its aura today. Named "Game of the Year" by more than 50 magazines, it is a cult title. It even made the terms "Doom-Like" and "Quake-Like" obsolete. Without forgetting that this is the beginning of Valve's success story. Is it even possible to do a purely objective review for Half-Life? [b]"They're waiting for you, Gordon. In the test chamber."[/b] Gordon Freeman is a scientist with a degree in theoretical physics from M.I.T., specializing in the research of "Anomalous Materials". He is employed at the prestigious Black Mesa scientific complex. Freeman is is entrusted with an experiment of capital importance: the analysis of a crystal of alien origin. Unfortunately, contact of the sample with the anti-mass spectrometer has "Unforeseen Consequences". This leads to a "Resonance Cascade" of phenomenal power, partially destroying the research center. Worse still, it opened an interdimensional breach through which warlike aliens emerge... The army was called to the rescue, but was ordered to kill all the witnesses... Gordon must then fight his way to save his colleagues and escape this hell. [b]"You aren't scared, are you?"[/b] One of the great strengths of Half-Life is its storytelling. You play as Gordon Freeman and see everything through his eyes. No cutscene or dialogue intersperses the scientist's adventures. Everything is done so that you identify as best as possible with the character, a hero in spite of himself. [b]"Run. Think. Shoot. Live."[/b] Half-Life is the ultimate evolution of the 90s FPS. It's no longer just a question of taking down enemies. Puzzles push you to interact with the world to progress, use levers, valves, push or pull crates, etc... There are even vehicle sequences, with a tram "On a Rail". The gunfights are breathtaking, the AI ​​is very clever. [b]"Oh my God...we're doomed!"[/b] Black Mesa is invaded by all kinds of creatures from Xen. The soldiers shoots on sight at everything that moves, the aliens as well as the employees of the Research Center. The Half-Life bestiary is rich and varied, each of the NPCs or creatures, allies and enemies alike, has its own behavior and animations. The scientists and the security guards are your friends and colleagues, they only want the best for you. In addition to giving you advices, they open certain locked doors. The scientists can heal you if you're wounded, and the "Barneys" can easily kill aliens like Headcrabs or Vortigaunts... The Xen creatures are very different from each other but they all have one thing in common: They're after you. Here is the list of all these alien monsters: Headcrabs Zombies Vortigaunts Houndeyes Barnacles Bullsquid Tentacles Gargantuas Ichthyosaurs Alien Grunts Alien Controllers The H.E.C.U. has been dispatched to the Research Center to stem the alien invasion, and do everything to prevent the Black Mesa disaster from becoming known. These soldiers are battle-hardened, intelligent and brutal. They have, among other things, machine guns, heavy cannons, automatic turrets, Apache & Osprey Helicopters, F16 fighter jets, Abrams & Bradley Armored Tanks... Black Ops Assassins are special enemies: they are the only women we fight. An Assassin is as agile as a Kunoichi, dressed all in black. They are as fast as lightning, and can perform spectacular jumps. They're equipped with a silent Glock, and a huge and magnificent pair of... grenades attached to the belt. [b]"Welcome to the H.E.V. Mark IV protective system, for use in hazardous environment conditions."[/b] The H.E.V. Mark IV protective system is the orange suit worn by Gordon Freeman. It is the main equipment of the series, it bears the λ symbol . Gordon Freeman resists radioactivity, burns, electricity, and chemicals thanks to it. It absorbs a large part of the damage received, and can be recharged using H.E.V. chargers or batteries. The Long Jump Module allows Gordon to make great leaps forward, which proves very useful later. [b]"Gordon doesn't need to hear all this. He's a highly trained professional."[/b] Despite his appearance as a simple scientist, Gordon Freeman handles weapons to perfection, thanks to the time he spent in the "Hazard Course". The weapons are very numerous and varied, classic or experimental, and even a few of alien origin... Here's the full list of weapons: Crowbar Pistol Shotgun SMG or AR Revolver Crossbow Rocket Launcher Grenade Tripmine C4 Snark Hivehand Gauss Gun Gluon Gun [b]"Those new suits can be tricky. Please proceed to the next area."[/b] Hazard Course is Black Mesa's training space for H.E.V suit users. This is the one and only tutorial present in Half-Life, made to familiarize yourself with the game's mechanics. [b]"Hey, did you hear something?"[/b] The music and sounds in Half-Life are of high quality. They were composed by Kelly Bailey. Each important moment in the game has its own music, sometimes gloomy, sometimes epic. "Hazardous Environments", the Valve Theme, which gives you chills during the fight on the edge of the cliff in "Surface Tension"... All human characters are voiced, and each monster has its own sounds. It's easy to know which enemy to face next without even seeing it. Every sound accentuate the science fiction touch and the player's immersion. The voice of the H.E.V. Suit gives valuable information on the environment, health status or quantity of ammunition. [b]"You sure we're going the right way?"[/b] The graphics of Half-Life are sumptuous for its time, thanks to the GoldSrc engine. The game became more beautiful and detailed when it was (re)released on Steam. The settings are particularly immersive and varied. [b]"Didn't want to die alone anyway."[/b] In addition to its extraordinary single-player campaign, Half-Life has a classic multiplayer deathmatch mode. The fights are fun, dynamic and brutal, thanks to the large quantity weapons available to players. In addition to that, there's a plethoric choice of 18 maps and they're different enough to renew the gaming experience. [b]"Catch me later, I'll buy you a beer."[/b] 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of Half-Life, which Valve celebrated with a content-rich update. First of all, the main menu of the game has been replaced by that of the WON version: it is the original menu from 1998. The original Valve intro is also restored. It finally brings Half-Life Uplink to Steam, which we've been waiting for so long. Half-Life Uplink is a unique Half-Life demo, released in early 1999. This level never appeared in the original game, it was a standalone only. Four new multiplayer maps are added, and three from the Half-Life: Further Data additional content CD. Four new multiplayer skins are added, including Ivan The Space Biker and Proto-Barney, from the 1997 Alpha Version [b]"Another important species revealed in action."[/b] In addition to being an exceptional game, Half-Life gave birth to a large number of cult multiplayer FPS franchises: Day of Defeat, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike. [b]"I predicted all of this, you know. All of it!"[/b] Half-Life is a remarkably effective FPS. How can we not praise such a masterpiece? This video game monument is timeless. There is clearly a before and after Half-Life. Every gamer must own it.