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I bought this game and was really excited by it. For a week or two I was completely hooked. I recommend the game but I'm sceptical for a reason- the length. I was just getting excited about starting another exciting action-packed mission when the credits pop up. So I move on to HL2 Episode 1 and again am hooked. Four days of action later the credits pop up again. It's a brilliant game and you have to buy it but you'll be left wondering what the point is in making such an exceedingly short game. All that aside however the internet version is equally good and wil definately last until the release of HL2 Episode 2 some time later in 2007
The game is very good, a lot of fun, quick graphics even on older machines (the game is for sure less demanding than FEAR or Riddick), long story, nice locations, great physics. Just a classic game if you like FP shooters. I love the game especially for its open spaces and views. Just gorgeous!
The Holiday collection goes with some more titles but only Half Life 2 is actually on the DVD, the rest has to be downloaded by a special program called Steam. This is a platform developed by Valve (the Half Life producer). What it means is that you need an Internet connection to be able to get all these additional games. It is not a very big issue if you have a fast connection at home, but in my case the download was very low so I had to wait a few days before I could even try these games! And even Half Life 2, which is on the DVD, had to be first updated before I could run it. And if your connection is sometimes down the Steam is starting very very long. It finally allows you to play without the constant Internet connection but the whole system is far from being user friendly. There is actually a god support at Valve websites and you can buy other games using the same Steam platform, so it is not totally bad, but you have to consider your Internet connection before buying this pack.
I'm one of those people who wait for the hype to subside and buy the games when they hit the budget bins; that half life 2 has taken so long to do it is testament to the quality of the game. I recently installed broadband and setting up the steam account and registration was painless. Upgrading internet explorer and various other upgrades seemed to cause a problem (I think Windows Defender was the culprit) but this lasted a few days and then it worked again. Annoying that I couldn't fix it myself, but I just wanted to get on and play the game.
The game has some great graphics and runs smoothly at the highest resolution even though my PC is quite old. The level difficulty is well graded, bringing you up to speed with the controls and the new features of the game. Some of the cut scenes are like tutorials so you need to pay attention to them. Just like the original game, half life 2 has a strong story line and a fairly linear route through the levels. It has some straight forward puzzles to solve and when you can't get any further it is usually an indication that you have something to solve. In contrast to the original game, Half life two introduces some vehicles and these are great fun to drive and best used at maximum speed!
There are some levels in computer games that transcend the medium, and stick in the memory more as an experience than a game, e.g. the prison level in Quake 2. In half life 2 this is found in 'We don't go to Ravenholm anymore'. This level is chilling and crawling with zombies, for some it will be best to play this in the daytime and with the lights on.
Overall I have given it [...] stars, this is because I have had a couple of crashes and steam hasn't helped me. It meant I couldn't play on one of the days I wanted to. Not fun.
Half Life 2 is without a doubt the best first person shooter ever made. Half Life 2 Episode 2 isn't just any old expansion either, it offers just as much single player play time as some so called finished games such as Gears of War or Black, at the same high Half Life 2 standard of quality. So its win win, in fact, there isn't another single game in this world that could possibly offer you more pleasure for the same or even more money. Seriously.
Oh, and to the last guy, yes, you do require an internet connection to register and allow yourself access to the game. But honestly, doesn't everyone have an internet connection these days? (I'm pretty sure the people reading this do anyway)