Half-Life ... the other kind ...

Half-Life has to be the best & most-traditional-fun I've ever had on the PC. It's just brilliant. You are Gordon Freeman, trained in the likes of handling Anomalous Materials, and it's your job to work your way through the Black Mesa Testing Facility and reach the underground lab, to which you will test a new crystal in an analyzing ray ... and Freeman just so happens to have the honors ...

As he slowly and wearily pushes it in, sparks, rays, and explosions sound off everywhere. "Gordon, get out of there, quickly!" One of the scientists yell over the loudspeaker. As Freeman starts to move towards the door, everything goes black ... green light ... and then black again ... and then he appears in a desolate wasteland-ish swamp area on an odd planet, surrounded by mutant crocodiles ... another green flash ... he's back at the facility ...

Hastily making his way towards the blast-door that the scientist opened as he had blacked out, he starts to move around the facility ... talking to the scientists about what happened ... until you meet up with Barney, the security guard, again. That's when you have to battle your first headcrab-scientist. God, and you only have a Glock .45 Pistol. Sucks to be Freeman, eh?

I don't care whether you have a grudge against Valve. I don't care if you don't like shooters or not. There should be a United States law against NOT playing this game. Everyone needs to try it out. Afraid of the commitment? Go to FilePlanet or Google and type in "Half-Life: Uplink". Three level demo that takes place 48 hours after the containment of Black Mesa. You, Gordon Freeman, have to re-align the satellite dishes atop the scientist's testing compound so they can radio for back-up.

This game is everything [for it's time] and today. Two thumbs-up. 10 out of 10. 100%.

-- "Grim Reaper"