Half Life 2

Half-Life 2, stylized as HλLF-LIFE2, be a science fiction first-thug blasta pimped n' published by Valve Corporation, n' busted out on November 16, 2004,[1] followin a extended pimpment period of five years. Da game garnered near unanimous positizzle props n' received critical acclaim, ballin over 35 Game of tha Year awardz fo' 2005. Well shiiiit, it is included up in Da Orange Box fo' Xbox 360, PS3, n' PC.

Da game uses tha Source engine, which includes a heavily modified version of tha Havok physics engine.
Contents[hide]

    Plot

Takin place up in n' round Citizzle 17 sometime up in tha near future, Half-Life 2 bigs up tha scientist Gordon Freeman. I aint talkin' bout chicken n' gravy biatch. Gordon is thrust tha fuck into a unfamiliar environment up in which tha aftermath of tha Black Mesa Incident has come ta bear straight-up upon human society. Freeman is forced ta battle against mo' n' mo' n' mo' unfavorable oddz up in order ta free Mankind from tha Combine. In his struggle, he is joined by various allies, includin fellow scientists, rebels, n' playaz (like fuckin Alyx Vance) - all shocked ta peep his ass kickin it.
CharactersEdit
HL2 Alyx cover

Weapons

    Crowbar: Da most iconic weapon of tha series; a simple melee weapon which can be used ta battle enemies or break all up in obstaclez ta continue.
    .357 Magnum (Colt Python revolver): Powerful n' accurate, dis glock will often bust a cap up in enemies quickly at close range. But fuck dat shiznit yo, tha word on tha street is dat tha ammunizzle is scarce n' it has a slower rate of fire.
    Bugbait: Collected from a Antlion Guard, these podz can be thrown ta release pheromones, attractin Antlions which will bust a cap up in any enemies nearby.
    Crossbow: Whilst tha projectile fired is straight-up powerful, it is slow movin n' enemies will often move outta tha way. Da only sniper weapon featured in-game, tha ammunizzle is less common yo, but it will probably bust a cap up in less bangin enemies up in a single shot.
    Emplacement Gun: Used by tha Combine, dis mounted pulse glock can be used ta clear enemies quickly n' efficiently; however, it cannot be moved.
    Hopper Mine: Mines dat explode when a target gets too near. Shiiit, dis aint no joke. Their name is derived from tha fact they launch tha fuck into tha air before landin n' exploding.
    MK3A2 Grenade: A standard grenade dat explodes all dem secondz afta bein thrown.
    MP7: Fully automatic, dis glock is used by both tha Combine n' tha Resistance. Well shiiiit, it also possesses a secondary fire function dat allows it ta launch grenades.
    Overwatch Standard Issue Pulse Rifle (AR2): A pulse rifle pimped by tha Combine. Its secondary fire launches a Juice Ball dat destroys enemies instantly.
    Ravenholm traps: Created by Father Grigori, these crafty traps can be used ta bust a cap up in zombies.
    RPG: Fires a rocket-powered grenade dat can be aimed rockin tha attached laser n' shit. Effectizzle fo' beatin tha livin shiznit outta airborne targets.
    Sentry Gun: Stationary automatic glocks which destroy targets when they come near.
    SPAS-12: A powerful, pump-action shotgun dat fires pellets up in a cold-ass lil cone pattern.
    USP Match: A semi-automatic 9mm handgun. I aint talkin' bout chicken n' gravy biatch. Da first ranged weapon acquired up in tha game.
    Zero Point Juice Field Manipulator (Gravitizzle Gun): Designed fo' handlin hazardous shit, dis weapon allows tha user ta pick up most objects, n' optionally launch dem tha fuck into enemies. Put ya muthafuckin choppers up if ya feel dis! Well shiiiit, it is tha second most iconic weapon, next ta tha crowbar. Shiiit, dis aint no joke.

DevelopmentEdit

Da book Half-Life 2: Raisin tha Bar,[2] and, against tha pimperz will, tha leaked Beta from 2003 n' its a shitload of files, revealed nuff of tha gamez original gangsta settings n' actions dat was cut down or removed entirely from tha final game yo. Half-Life 2 was originally intended ta be a gangbangin' far darker game wit far grittier artwork where tha Combine was mo' obviously drainin tha oceans fo' minerals n' replacin tha atmosphere wit noxious, murky gases.

Half-Life 2 was also originally intended ta be much mo' diverse up in settings. Right back up in yo muthafuckin ass. Several Citizzle 17 levels all up in tha start of tha game n' complete chaptas from tha second half of tha game was straight-up removed n' sometimes re-introduced up in tha subsequent Half-Life 2 episodes.

For mo' shiznit bout tha cut content, peep tha followin mo' elaborate articles:

    Half-Life 2 Beta
    Development of Half-Life 2
    Half-Life 2 original gangsta storyline
    Weapons cut from Half-Life 2

GameplayEdit

Half-Life 2 skits similarly ta its predecessor. Shiiit, dis aint no joke. Da playa navigates all up in a linear set of levels, fightin off transhuman troops known as tha Combine as well as straight-up shitty alien creatures. Puzzlez n' sequences involvin vehiclez is interspersed all up in tha game, breakin up stretchez of on-foot combat n' exploration.

Since Half-Life 2 be a gangbangin' first-thug blaster, tha gameworld be always presented from Gordon Freemanz perspective, n' tha playa is implicitly axed ta place theyselves up in Gordonz shoes fo' realz. A heads-up display all up in tha bottom of tha screen shows tha playaz health, juice, n' ammunizzle status, while a toggle screen shows available weapons all up in tha top yo. Game n' juice can be replenished by pickin up medicinal supplies n' juice cells respectively, or by rockin wall-mounted game stations n' chargin devices.

Da HEV Suit be a staple of Half-Life, makin another appearizzle as tha Mark V iteration, upgraded from tha Mark IV version from tha original gangsta Half-Life. Da suit holdz up ta 100 Juice, which is depleted from damage, probably gunfire. Da suit is recharged either by juice cells, or chargin devices, found all up in tha game.

Da playa defeats enemies wit a assortment of weapons. Da gamez available arsenal consists largely of modern-dizzle weapons, primarily pistols, shotguns, n' automatic weapons, though mo' elaborate devices is available, like fuckin a cold-ass lil crossbow dat blasts bangin' metal rods, n' pheromone podz dat summon n' direct Antlions. Da Source enginez physics capabilitizzles extend tha fuck into combat via a special thang called tha Zero Point Juice Field Manipulator, or Gravitizzle Gun. I aint talkin' bout chicken n' gravy biatch. Usin dis device, tha playa can pick up objects n' either launch dem at enemies or hold dem up in place ta create a makeshift shield. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! Da Gravitizzle Gun can also big-ass up a variety of non-combat functions, like fuckin grabbin out-of-reach supplies, formin bridges across gaps, n' flippin overturned hoopties.

Many puzzlez utilize tha gamez physics engine. For example, one puzzle requires tha playa ta either turn a seesaw-like lever tha fuck into a ramp by placin cinder blocks at one end, or ta stack wooden crates ta form a cold-ass lil crude stairway. Puzzlez is frequently solved wit tha Gravitizzle Gun. I aint talkin' bout chicken n' gravy biatch. One such puzzle has tha playa clear a highway by rockin tha gravitizzle glock ta push a shitload of abandoned vehiclez outta tha way.
ReceptionEdit

Half-Life 2z hood reception was overwhelmingly positizzle up in termz of props, acclaim, n' sales. Dat shiznit was critically hyped fo' advances up in computa animation, sound, narration, computa graphics, artificial intelligence (AI), n' physics. When salez figures was last announced, 12 mazillion was sold at retail on PC n' Xbox.[3] Da Steam salez aint been revealed yo, but they may be round 15 mazillion includin retail n' Steam.[4] Da salez fo' Half-Life 2 done been relatively steady since its release. If Half-Life 2 eventually surpasses Half-Life up in sales, it will take tha title of tha best-pimpin first-thug blasta game ta date.

Roughly 25 cement of all Half-Life 2 copies done been purchased rockin tha Steam content delivery service; they exact number is between 750,000 n' one million, dependin on whether they is included up in tha figure of 6.5 million.[5] Overall, tha Half-Life franchise, includin Counter-Strike n' Dizzle of Defeat, has peeped over 20 mazillion sales.[6]
Critical responseEdit

Half-Life 2 has become n' remains one of da most thugged-out highly hyped vizzle game since back up in tha day. It make me wanna hollar playa! At least 35 Game of tha Year awardz done been given ta Half-Life 2, n' most major game reviewers gave ratings within tha 90-100% range yo. Half-Life 2 holdz Metacritics highest rankin n' standin ("universal acclaim") among PC game wit a score of 96, followed directly by Half-Life (also wit a score of 96). Maximum PC awarded Half-Life 2 a unprecedented 11 on they ratin scale which peaks at 10, n' named it tha "best game eva made."

Individual props was almost universally glowing. Right back up in yo muthafuckin ass. Sources like fuckin GameSpy, Da Cincinnati Enquirer, n' Da New York Times have given slick reviewin scores, n' others like fuckin PC Gamer n' IGN gave near-slick scores (it was one of only four game eva ta git 96% from UK PC Gamer, tha dopest score they have eva awarded, n' tha game is only one of two game eva ta git a near slick score, 98%, from PC Gamer), while tha game became tha fifth title ta receive Edge magazinez ten-out-of-ten score. Critics whoz ass applauded tha game cited tha advanced graphics n' physics along wit tha relatively low system requirements.

Straight-up few reviewers gave Half-Life 2 lower than a nine outta ten rating. One such critic was Netjak, a reviewin joint known fo' its relatizzle harshness, which gave Half-Life 2 a ratin of 8.5. Right back up in yo muthafuckin ass. Several muthafuckas, includin some dat had given otherwise glowin props, complained bout tha required usage of Steam along wit a gangbangin' finger-lickin' hard as fuck installation process.
AwardsEdit

Half-Life 2 gots over 35 Game of tha Year awards, includin Overall Game of tha Year at IGN, GameSpotz Award fo' Best Shooter, GameSpotz Readerz Chizzle - PC Game of tha Year Award, Game of tha Year from Da Academy of Interactizzle Arts & Sciences, n' "Best Game" wit tha Game Developers Chizzle Awards, where dat shiznit was also given various awardz fo' technology, characters, n' writing. Da game also had a phat showin all up in tha 2004 BAFTA Game Awards, pickin up 6 awards, mo' than any other game dat night, wit awardz includin "Best Game" n' "Best Online Game." Half-Life 2 also won "Game of tha Decade" at Spikez 2012 Video Game Awards.
Ghetto recordsEdit

Guinnizz Ghetto Recordz awarded Half-Life 2 tha ghetto record fo' tha "Highest Rated Shoota by PC Gamer Magazine" up in tha Guinnizz Ghetto Records: Gamerz Edizzle 2008. Other recordz awarded ta tha game up in tha book include, "First Game ta Feature a Gravitizzle Gun" n' "First PC Game ta Feature Developer Commentary".
ProductsEdit

Da popularitizzle of Half-Life 2 n' tha Half-Life series has hustled way ta a array of side shizzle n' collectibles. Valve offers Half-Life-related shizzle like fuckin plush Headcrabs, posters, threadz, n' mousepads.[7]
TechnicalEdit
Source engineEdit

    Main article: Source engine

Half-Life 2 Dr Breen Office

Doctor Breenz crib all up in tha top of tha Citadel, showin tha advanced lightin abilitizzlez of tha Source engine

For Half-Life 2, Valve pimped a freshly smoked up game engine called tha Source engine, which handlez tha gamez visual, audio, n' artificial intelligence elements, n' you can put dat on yo' toast. Da Source engine comes packaged wit a heavily modified version of tha Havok physics engine dat allows fo' a extra dimension of interactivitizzle up in both single playa n' online environments.

Additionally, when coupled wit Steam, tha engine can be easily upgraded ta include nuff freshly smoked up graphical technologies. Put ya muthafuckin choppers up if ya feel dis! One such example is high dynamic range lighting, which Valve debuted as a gangbangin' free level called Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, which functions as a playable tech demo fo' tha freshly smoked up technology.
Steam content delivery systemEdit

Integral ta Half-Life 2 is tha Steam content delivery system pimped by Valve Software fo' realz. All Half-Life 2 playas is required ta have Steam installed n' a valid account up in order ta play. Right back up in yo muthafuckin ass. Steam allows hustlas ta purchase game n' other software straight from tha pimper n' have it downloaded directly ta they computa as well as receivin "micro thugged-out shit." These thugged-out shiznit also make jackin tha game harder ta do n' has thus far been somewhat successful up in stavin off cheats n' playabilitizzle fo' playas wit unauthorized copies. Put ya muthafuckin choppers up if ya feel dis! Right back up in yo muthafuckin ass. Steam can also be used fo' findin n' playin multiplayer game all up in a integrated server browser n' playaz list, n' game data can be backed up wit a standard CD or STD burner n' shit. Right back up in yo muthafuckin ass. Steam n' a cold-ass lil hustlaz purchased content can be downloaded onto any computer, as long as dat account is only logged up in at one location at a time.

Da usage of Steam has not gone without controversy. Right back up in yo muthafuckin ass. Some playas have reported a shitload of problems wit Steam, sometimes bein straight-up enough ta prevent a reviewer from recommendin a given title available on tha service. In other cases, review scores done been lowered. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! Long downlizzle times, seemingly unnecessary thugged-out shit, n' verification checks is criticizzlez leveled by muthafuckaz of tha systemz use fo' single playa game like fuckin Half-Life 2. Whether or not a cold-ass lil hustla intendz ta use any multiplayer features, tha computa tha game was installed on must have Steam n' a Internizzle connection ta verify tha transaction.
Release n' distributionEdit

A 1GB portion of Half-Life 2 became available fo' pre-load all up in Steam on August 26, 2004. This meant dat hustlas could begin ta downlizzle encrypted game filez ta they computa before tha game was busted out. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! When tha gamez release date arrived, hustlas was able ta pay fo' tha game all up in Steam, unlock tha filez on they hard drives n' play tha game immediately, without havin ta wait fo' tha whole game ta download. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! Da pre-load period lasted fo' nuff muthafuckin weeks, wit nuff muthafuckin subsequent portionz of tha game bein made available, ta ensure all hustlas had a cold-ass lil chizzle ta downlizzle tha content before tha game was busted out.

Half-Life 2 was simultaneously busted out all up in Steam, CD (most initial U.S. "bare-bones" retail copies), n' on STD up in nuff muthafuckin editions. Through Steam, Half-Life 2 had three packages dat a cold-ass lil hustla could order n' shit. Da basic version ("Bronze") includes only Half-Life 2 n' Counter-Strike: Source, whereas tha "Silver" n' "Gold" (collectorz edition) versions also include Half-Life: Source n' Dizzle of Defeat: Source (portz of tha original gangsta Half-Life n' Dizzle of Defeat mod ta tha freshly smoked up engine) as well as tha right ta downlizzle all previous game by Valve all up in Steam. Da collectorz edition/Gold version additionally includes loot like fuckin a t-shirt, a game guide, n' a CD containin tha soundtrack used up in Half-Life 2. Both tha disc n' Steam version require Steam ta be installed n' actizzle fo' play.
Subsequent releasesEdit

A demo version wit tha file size of a single-CD was lata made available up in December 2004 all up in tha joint of graphics card manufacturer ATI Technologies, whoz ass crewed up wit Valve fo' tha game. Da demo gotz nuff part of tha openin level of tha game, n' also part of tha chapta "We Don't Go To Ravenholm...". In September 2005, Electronic Arts distributed tha Game of tha Year edizzle of Half-Life 2. Compared ta tha original gangsta CD-release of Half-Life 2, tha GOTY edizzle addz Half-Life: Source.

On December 22, 2005, Valve busted out a 64-bit version of tha Source engine dat takes advantage of AMD64 processor based systems hustlin 64-bit version of Windows operatin system. This update, served up via Steam, enabled Half-Life 2 n' other Source-based game ta run natively on AMD64 processors, bypassin tha 32-bit emulator. Shiiit, dis aint no joke. Gabe Newell, one of tha foundaz of Valve, stated dat dis is "an blingin step up in tha evolution of our game content n' tools," n' dat tha game benefits pimped outly from tha update.[8] Da response ta tha release varied: some playas reported big-ass performizzle boosts, while technologizzle joint Techgage found nuff muthafuckin stabilitizzle thangs n' no notable frame rate improvement.[9] 64-bit playas have widely reported bizarre in-game errors includin charactas droppin dead, game script filez not bein pre-cached (i.e., loaded when first axed instead), map rulez bein bent by AI, n' other glitches.
PortsEdit

An Xbox port published by Electronic Arts was busted out on November 15, 2005. While subject ta positizzle reception, muthafuckas cited its lack of multiplayer n' frame-rate thangs as problems, n' tha game received lower scores than its PC counterpart.

Durin Electronic Arts' summer press event on July 13, 2006, Gabe Newell announced dat Half-Life 2 will shizzle on next-generation consolez (specifically, tha PlayStation 3 n' Xbox 360) includin episodes One n' Two, Crew Fortress 2, n' Portal. It aint nuthin but tha nick nack patty wack, I still gots tha bigger sack. This five game package would lata be known as Da Orange Box n' was shipped ta PC n' Xbox 360 on October 10, 2007. Da PlayStation 3 version was delayed n' finally shipped on December 11, 2007. There was reports Valve was havin shits wit tha PlayStation 3 hardware n' it shows wit boutz of slowdown dat is not peeped on tha Xbox 360 or PC versions.
ExpansionsEdit

    Main articles: Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, n' Half-Life 2: Episode Three

LostCoast

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, showcasin Valvez HDR technology.

Since tha release of Half-Life 2, Valve has busted out a additionizzle level n' two additionizzle expansion sequels. Da level, Lost Coast, takes place between tha chaptas Highway 17 n' Sandtraps n' is primarily a gangbangin' finger-lickin' dirty-ass showcase fo' high dynamic range imagin (HDR) technology.
SequelsEdit

Da sequels Half-Life 2: Episode One n' Half-Life 2: Episode Two take place shortly afta tha eventz of Half-Life 2, wit tha playa once again n' again n' again takin on tha role of Gordon Freeman n' wit Alyx Vizzle playin a mo' prominent role n' expandin tha mysteries surroundin tha G-Man n' tha Vortigaunts fo' realz. Additionally, one further episode is set ta be busted out up in tha future, dubbed Episode Three; bein tha last expansion, "in a trilogy".[10] In a rap battle wit Eurogamer, Gabe Newell revealed dat tha Half-Life 2 episodes is essentially Half-Life 3.[11] Dude reasons dat rather than force hustlas ta wait another six muthafuckin years fo' a gangbangin' full sequel, Valve would release tha game up in episodic installments.[11] Newell admits dat a mo' erect title fo' these episodes should done been "Half-Life 3: Episode One" n' so forth, havin referred ta tha episodes as Half-Life 3 repeatedly all up in tha rap battle.
ModsEdit

Since tha release of tha Source engine SDK, a big-ass number of modz done been pimped by tha Half-Life 2 hood. Modz vary up in scale, from fan-created levels n' weapons, ta partial conversions like fuckin Half-Life 2 Substizzle n' Smod (which modify tha storyline n' gameplay of tha pre-existin game), n' Garryz Mod (which allow tha playa ta experiment wit tha physics system up in a sandbox mode), ta total conversions like fuckin Dystopia or Empires, which transforms tha game from a gangbangin' first-thug blasta tha fuck into a real-time game game. Right back up in yo muthafuckin ass. Some modz take place up in tha Half-Life universe; others up in straight-up original gangsta settings; while some is tributes ta other games, like fuckin GoldenEye: Source, a recreation of GoldenEye 007, or Resident Evil: Twilight, based on tha Resident Evil series. Put ya muthafuckin choppers up if ya feel dis!