Half-Life

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Half-Life. A series that puts you into the boots of "Gordon Freeman", a silent, theoretical physicist who is well-known for his crowbar-swinging expertise.

The original game, aptly named Half-Life, was released for PC and Playstation 2 in 1998, and set the scene for the series. You are placed into a top secret research facility known as "Black Mesa". You enter the facility on a seemingly normal day, before things soon start to get out-of-hand...
The game was praised for its immersive storyline, fluent controls, and it was well-known as a game that helped to set the stage for upcoming games in the First-person shooter genre, and widely regarded as one of the greatest games of all time. By 2007, they had managed to sell more than 20 million copies.

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The game also had 3 expansions released for it, each giving a new take on the story. The first one was called Half-life: Opposing Force. It was set in the same universe, however, it put you into the shoes of one of the soldiers that's normally encountered as an enemy in the original game. The next was called Half-Life: Blue Shift, which this time put you into the shoes of one of the security guards from the original game. Both were received well by critics. Half-Life: Decay, was another matter. This expansion put you into the shoes of two scientists, both controlled by players (Which meant you would need a friend and a second controller.), and took a more puzzle-oriented approach. This game, however, was not as well-recieved, but was still called "A fun one to sit down with a friend and play".

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In 2004, Valve released a sequel to the original game, creatively titled Half-Life 2. It is set in the same universe, however in a dystopian Earth, whereby a race known as the Combine are attempting to harvest the resources of the planet. As Gordon Freeman, it's up to you to put a stop to it. With some help along the way, of course. This game was noted for its exceptional graphics and physics engine for the time, and it still holds a strong standing even today. Two more sequels were released, this time known as Half-Life 2: Episode 1, and Half-Life 2: Episode 2. Needless to say, each one was a success.

So, what do you think of the Half-Life series? Have you played them all? Heard of them? Do you think Half-Life 3 is on the horizon? Discuss below!