Half-Life

Half-Life is a sci-fi FPS developed by Valve and published by Sierra studios, released in 1998. It is notable for being Valve's debut in the gaming industry and the first game in the Half-Life series. It is well known and acclaimed for its lack of cut-scenes (using scripted sequences instead), realistic worlds, (at the time) advanced AI, and seamless storytelling. It also helped jump-start the FPS storytelling genre. It has sold 9.3 million copies by 2009. It was followed by a sequel, Half-Life 2, and a fan-made remake, Black Mesa. It was also ported to the newer Source engine used in Half-Life 2 instead of the older GoldSrc engine, and subsequently re-branded as Half-Life: Source.
Three Half-Life expansions which were developed by Gearbox Software were spawned after the success of the first game: Opposing Force, released in 1999, Blue Shift, released in 2001 and originally intended for a cancelled Sega Dreamcast port of the game (also including a "High Definition Pack", which replaces all of the game's NPC and weapon models with higher-resolution counterparts), and Decay, which was only officially included alongside the base game in its PlayStation 2 port released in 2001. A fan remake of the first two expansions was developed under the name Operation: Black Mesa. The HD Pack from Blue Shift was later ported back to Half-Life and Opposing Force and eventually Half-Life: Source though this version of the HD pack uses a fan made texture mod instead of the original HD Pack textures.
The following weapons appear in the video game Half-Life and its expansions:
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=Handguns=
==Glock 17==
The Glock 17 is the standard issue sidearm of the Black Mesa security guards. It has a 17 round magazine capacity and is accurate, but not particularly powerful. The secondary fire button makes it fire faster, but with reduced accuracy. A suppressed version is used by the female Black Ops, and HECU (Hazardous Environment Combat Unit) medics are also seen using the pistol in the Opposing Force expansion pack. The Glock (and the 92FS in the HD pack) is one of the few firearms in the game that can fire underwater.
thumb|none|600px|Barney Calhoun holds a Glock in the Steam Banner artwork for Half-Life: Blue Shift replacing the unidentified pistol mentioned below.
==Beretta 92FS==
The High Definition pack replaces the Glock 17 with the Beretta 92FS, as well as Half-Life: Source's "Ultra" High Definition pack. The change is purely aesthetic, and changes none of the weapon's stats. Although 17-round magazines are possible on a real Beretta 92FS, these ones have a deeper base than the one on the 15-round model in the game, and were not in existence when the HD pack was released.
==Colt Python==
The stainless .357 Magnum Colt Python is found mid-way through the game at the bottom of a blast pit and is far more powerful than the 9mm pistol, but is offset by a small capacity and a lower rate of fire. Reloading is done with the help of a speedloader, but it is still slower than the Glock's. The reload animation is actually longer than the reload process itself, as the player can fire the revolver right after inserting new rounds into its cylinder (though this is not the case in Half-Life: Source). The Python's cylinder appears to not be attached to its crane nor ejector rod (which remain stationary while reloading), and it can be seen floating outside the gun when it is swung out.
In the multiplayer part of the game, the Colt Python is additionally equipped with a laser pointer under the barrel. This enables the player to use a zoom function, which acts as the secondary fire mode.
==Colt Anaconda==
The High-Definition pack replaces the Colt Python by a Colt Anaconda with wooden grips, though it is still shown using .357 Magnum ammunition. Cut content in the form of a .44 Magnum pickup model and voice line from Gordon's H.E.V. suit imply that the Colt would have always been a .44 Magnum model. 
==Desert Eagle Mark XIX==
The Desert Eagle Mark XIX appears only in the Opposing Force expansion pack as the standard-issue sidearm of the U.S. Marines. The weapon is also seen used at times by Black Mesa security guards. The Desert Eagle has an attached LAM (Laser Aiming Module), which can be turned on and off using the secondary fire key. Strangely enough, the iron sights are removed from the first person model (whereas the world model appears to have them), which would make any sort of aiming with it difficult in real life unless using the LAM (sure enough, the weapon in-game is quite inaccurate when fired without the LAM active). Another modeling error is that the third person model is strangely short, with the slide and barrel measuring about two-thirds the length of an actual Desert Eagle. Despite being the only other semi-automatic pistol in the game, it cannot be fired underwater. Also attempting to do this will trigger a bug which prevents the player from firing the gun for the rest of the game.
In Opposing Force, the Desert Eagle replaces the Colt Python. It uses .357 Magnum ammunition (the game manual also refers to it as "Desert Eagle .357"), but holds only 7 rounds while its real life .357 Magnum counterpart has a capacity of 9 rounds. This reveals another final (though more minor) modeling error - the lack of barrel fluting which is present on actual .357 and .44 variants of the Mark XIX Desert Eagle (the .50 AE variant, which is more commonly seen in films and television, lacks the fluted barrel). The weapon is very out of place since the Marines have never used the Desert Eagle as their sidearm throughout their history. 
==Unidentified pistol==
Barney Calhoun is depicted with an unidentified pistol on the cover art for Blue Shift. The pistol does not appear in the game itself.
=Shotguns=
==Franchi SPAS-12==
The Franchi SPAS-12 shotgun is found in some armories in the facility and is also used by some HECU Marines. Strangely, it has the unrealistic ability to fire two shells at once (alternative fire), instead of firing in semi-auto like the real SPAS-12. Seemingly the developers believed the weapon's magazine tube was a second barrel. Oddly, in the HD and original versions of the game, the SPAS-12 ejects shells before it is cycled. In Opposing Force and Blue Shift, the non-HD SPAS-12 has slightly different animations.
Note of interest: the icon for the weapon in the original game's selection screen displays an Ithaca 37 "Stakeout" shotgun.
thumb|none|450px|Franchi SPAS-12 with stock folded - 12 gauge
=Automatic Weapons=
==Heckler & Koch MP5SD3==
The Heckler & Koch MP5SD3 is the primary automatic weapon in the game and is the HECU's standard issue weapon. It features a retractable stock, incorrectly holds 50 rounds in a 30-round magazine, and has an attached M203PI grenade launcher. Since it uses the same ammunition, the MP5 shares its ammo pool with the Glock 17. The Source port of the game increases the MP5's recoil in exchange for matching its damage per shot with the Glock's. As seen in early gameplay videos, the MP5SD3 was originally suppressed as the first person model would suggest. Interestingly, in the config file it is listed as weapon_9mmAR, whereas it is actually a submachine gun. In Opposing Force and Blue Shift, the MP5SD3's handling, firing and reloading animations have been reanimated.
When initially picked up, the MP5 will contain 25 rounds out of the maximum 50 in the magazine. This is not the case in multiplayer following the 25th anniversary update, nor in Opposing Force.
===Heckler & Koch MP5A3===
The world-model of the SD3, and the submachine guns used by the Marines are replaced with Heckler & Koch MP5A3s. The HUD icon of the MP5SD3 is also an A3 model, but has had the forend and barrel of an AR-15-type rifle with an M203 replacing the MP5's.
==Colt Model 727==
The High Definition pack replaces the MP5SD3 with the Colt Model 727, denoted by its M16A2-style rear sights and integrated non-detachable carry handle. The M727 would appear to be more realistic, but it still shoots 9mm rounds and it is still mainly used in close quarters like an SMG due to its stats remaining exactly the same as the MP5SD3. In the PlayStation 2 version of the game, HECU marines tend to avoid close quarters combat with the Model 727.
In early versions of the game, HECU Marines used AR-style carbines with attached M203s which were unusable by the player; however, these early models cannot be positively identified due to their low detail.
==FN M249E2 SAW==
The FN M249E2 SAW machine gun appears only in the Opposing Force expansion pack. It is by far the most powerful non-fictional weapon, with high damage, range and moderate accuracy. It should be noted that the belt box carries only 50 rounds whereas its real-life counterpart carries 100 or 200. Interestingly enough, the recoil is so powerful that Cpl. Shephard slides backwards if he fires it continuously.
thumb|none|500px|FN M249E2 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) - 5.56x45mm NATO
=Sniper Rifles=
==M40A1==
The M40A1 appears only in the Opposing Force expansion pack as a usable weapon, where it replaces the Crossbow. It is incorrectly depicted to have a detachable box magazine, whereas the real M40A1 has an integral magazine. Other variants of the Remington 700 use detachable magazines (including the M40A5, which was produced a decade after the game's release).
There was previously an oversight that involved the player character merely pulling the bolt back after each shot, and operating the bolt back then forward before reloading an empty magazine (after which it was pushed forward again). These reversed animations were fixed in a patch.
thumb|none|500px|Remington/USMC M40A1 sniper rifle with woodland camouflage finish - 7.62x51mm NATO
=Launchers=
==M203 Grenade Launcher==
The M203 grenade launcher is attached to the MP5 (and the Colt M727 in the High Definition expansion pack). The MP5 uses the the M203PI variant, whereas the M727 uses the full-length M203. In-game it can carry a maximum of 10 rounds, and is never seen reloading or possessing a trigger mechanism of any kind. The 40mm grenades it fires apparently had their fuses removed, since in real life grenades need to travel for around 30 feet before arming. They also arc extremely fast and tumble end over end while in flight. The M203 is not capable of being mounted on an unmodified MP5 in real life.
==Armbrust ATW (Futuristic)==
The "RPG" is a futuristic version of the Armbrust ATW, and is marked as "GAM14B" in the high-definition version. It is shown as being reloadable and laser-guided. The launcher uses a "soft-launch" system; the warhead is pneumatically ejected from the launcher, and the rocket motor ignites almost a second later. Normally this system is reserved for anti-air missiles and is horribly impractical for the GAM14B's design, as the rocket motor is igniting in the user's face. The secondary fire key can be used to toggle the laser guide on and off, letting the player choose between firing laser guided projectiles or one that travels in a straight line.
=Explosives=
==Mk 2 hand grenade==
The Mk 2 hand grenade is the standard grenade used by the Marines, and apparently kept in large numbers by security guards (though they never use it). Strangely, instead of rolling to a stop after it is thrown, it simply bounces a few inches then stays there until it explodes. The spoon also stays on when the grenade is thrown, due to an oversight on the part of the developers. This grenade was discontinued from active use by the time of the Vietnam War, making it well obsolete for the period in which the game takes place.
In the multiplayer mode of Opposing Force, the player is able to throw penguins with Mk 2 grenades attached to them. They are essentially a more powerful version of the "snarks", beetle-like alien creatures that the player is able to use as weapons.
thumb|none|150px|Mk 2 hand grenade
==Satchel Charge==
Satchel Charges act as command-detonated bombs with a very high damage output and blast radius. In the original version of the game, pressing primary fire will drop a single explosive and secondary fire will deploy an additional charge (as deploying the first charge will bring up the detonator which is then triggered with primary fire). The official 25th anniversary update simplified the controls, with primary fire always throwing a single charge (regardless of whether the first charge has been deployed or not) while secondary fire always triggering the detonator.
Deploying Satchel Charges can be used to dispatch enemies that are several feet away due to the slippery nature of the explosives when dropped, provided that both the player and target are on the same platform.
=Emplaced Weapons=
==Browning M2HB==
The Browning M2HB appears as a usable emplaced weapon throughout all the games. It is mostly seen mounted on tripods, but sometimes on pintle mounts and tanks. The M2HBs have unlimited ammunition, and are used pretty often by the Opposing Force.
In Blue Shift, a crate containing an M2HB has "USMC Ordnance" written on it, essentially a play on the U.S. Ordnance manufacturer name and the USMC featured in the game.
thumb|none|500px|Browning M2HB on M3 tripod - .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
==M230 Chain Gun==
USMC and Black Ops Apache helicopters are armed with M230 Chain Guns.
==M202 FLASH==
The M202 FLASH appears in the form of an emplaced rocket launcher with some sort of magazine mounted on the top for a larger capacity. It is used by Marines in the original game, but Gordon himself cannot operate it. Oddly, rockets fired at the player can be diverted using the modified Armbrust's laser guide.
thumb|none|350px|M202 FLASH - 66mm
==Bushmaster M242 Chain Gun==
The M242 Bushmaster chaingun is seen mounted on several Bradley IFVs.
==BGM-71 TOW==
Twin launchers for the BGM-71 TOW are also seen mounted on Bradley IFVs. Interestingly, some Bradley's use only the M242 Chain Gun when the player makes contact with them, while others fire only the TOW. The game also seemingly treats these missiles as equivalent to those launched by the Armbrust; they share the same model and sounds, and the Armbrust's laser can even be used to redirect the Bradleys' missiles.
Category:Video Game
Category:First-Person Shooter
Category:Science-Fiction
Category:Mystery