PlayStation 2

Half-Life

PC gamers will probably want to use a keyboard and mouse for playing Half-Life, but the PS2 controller really is set up well. Using a keyboard would allow for better control and faster response in weapon changes and locking onto enemies. Those of you who have already played through Half-Life on the PC will be disappointed that the PS2 version is identical (except with the addition of Half-Life: Decay). Those of you who aren't PC gamers or haven't had the opportunity to play Half-Life yet will definitely want to pick this one up.

Not that I'm a big PC gamer mind you, but it was hard to miss Half-Life when it stoked a revolution three years ago on the PC. When everybody was crazy with multiplayer Quake II, little-known Valve turned the already burgeoning first-person shooter genre on its head with ingenious single-person gameplay, phenomenal story-telling techniques, and by delivering some of the subtlest and funniest characters in a game of its kind. Needless to say, Half-Life was, and still is, a brilliant game from head to toe. That's one of the reasons that Sierra nearly brought Half-Life to Dreamcast, and why it carried through with Half-Life on PlayStation 2. Sierra's Half-Life for PS2 is indeed a game worth owning, not just because of its timelessly good gameplay, but because developer Gearbox (which created the add-on pack Half-Life: Opposing Forces) went out of its way to stuff more modes of play and extras than any of the PC games have ever seen.

Back when console gamers had little more than second-rate ports of Doom to get excited over, PC fiends were salivating over the mighty Half-Life, which melded stunning graphics, intense action, and actual gameplay innovations such as a compelling story and an enthralling and continuous facility to run around, gunning down alien incursions. PC reviewers went absolutely mental over it, and Half-Life scooped up dozens of awards, spawned numerous add-ons, and even had a hand in shaping the current best reason to own a PC -- Counterstrike. And now, over three years later, Half-Life stumbles into the eager hands of PlayStation 2 owners. Can it still hold a candle to the current crop of action shooting games that ironically cite Half-Life as their inspiration?

Dit is de eerste succesvolle overstap van Half-Life naar een ander spelplatform dan de pc en met de meerwaarde van de nieuwe en ontzettend leuke Decay-mode kunnen PS2-bezitters nu ook kennismaken met de koning der shooters.

It's rare to read a review of a first-person shooter on any platform that doesn't reference Valve Software's groundbreaking Half-Life. First released on the PC in the fall of 1998, Half-Life has since spawned several single-player and multiplayer expansions on the PC but failed to break through on other platforms--Macintosh and Dreamcast ports were cancelled in mid-development. Half-Life finally makes its cross-platform debut with Gearbox and Valve Software's faithful, yet enhanced, version of Half-Life on the PlayStation 2. Featuring the classic single-player game, a head-to-head deathmatch mode, and a new cooperative multiplayer expansion called Decay, Half-Life for the PS2 is a gripping combination of superb story design, sly artificial intelligence, taut combat sequences, and logical puzzles.

Auch auf der PlayStation 2 entpuppt sich Half-Life als einer der derzeit besten Ego-Shooter. Alles, was Spieler an der PC-Fassung schätzen, wurde hervorragend umgesetzt: Level-Design, Grafik, Sound, Steuerung - fast möchte man meinen, der PC gehört zum Altmetall. Dass Half-Life trotzdem keinen Award erhält, liegt einfach an dem grundlegenden Alter der Urfassung. Für PS2-Fans, die auch einen PC zu Hause stehen, gibt es außer dem neuen -recht kurzen- Decay-Modus keinen Grund, sich die Konsolenvariante ins Regal zu stellen. Bei wem der Name Gordon Freeman jedoch keine Glocken der Erinnerung klingeln lässt und wer sich auch nur ansatzweise für anspruchsvolle und spannende Action interessiert, sollte schleunigst zugreifen.

L'attente aura été longue pour les joueurs PS2. Leur patience est aujourd'hui récompensée par un titre d'exception qui se classe directement en pôle position des FPS de la console. Même si l'aventure n'est pas nouvelle, on la revit avec autant de plaisir que la première fois ! Un titre déjà mythique à ne pas rater !

It's still Half-Life, one of the greatest action/adventure titles ever made, and the port to the PS2 is faithful and highly playable.

Ja, "Half Life" kann tatsächlich immer noch fesseln. Zwar verdient die PS2 - Version wegen der schwammigen Texturen und der schlappen Framerate eine Rüge, und auch die Steuerung per Pad ist nicht das Gelbe vom Ei, was allerdings in der Natur der Sache und nicht an den Entwicklern liegt. Wenn man sich also an die Padsteuerung gewöhnt oder gleich zu einer der oben genannten Alternativen greift, überzeugt "Half Life" wie eh und je durch seine tolle Atmosphäre, die spannende und mysteriöse Geschichte und durch die häufig eingestreuten, ziemlich makabren Humoreinlagen, die man fast schon als Slapstick bezeichnen könnte. Das abwechslungsreiche Waffenarsenal und die relativ hohe Intelligenz der Gegner sollten die Liste der Pro-Argumente dann wohl vervollständigen.

I'm grateful to Gearbox for giving me the opportunity (and excuse) to play through it again, but I'm doubtful as to the package's overall worth. It's one of those games that offers a tremendous amount, but makes a poor substitute for £40 in your pocket. Half-Life is a spectacular, rollercoaster ride of an adventure, and it's a piece of gaming history everybody should sink their teeth into at least once. If you haven't taken a bite though, there are cheaper, better-looking PC packages than this. A good game it most certainly is, but do you really want to spend £40 on it?

Cet Half-Life pour PlayStation n'est peut-être pas à conseiller à tous les joueurs qui s'y sont adonnés sur PC, car même si le fantastique mode Decay vient apporter un peu d'originalité, il ne justifie pas à lui seul de devoir réinvestir dans une aventure déjà connue. Par contre, ceux qui ne sont pas encore familiers avec cette petite merveille n'ont pas d'autre choix que de se ruer sur les aventures de Freeman sur PlayStation 2. Très bonne maniabilité sur console, graphismes soignés et scénario exceptionnel : Half-Life est une référence, tout simplement.

Not to say that the port of Half-Life is terrible, nor to say it's grand...Half-Life is a game that was innovative at its time of release. And today, the game still holds a large population of the PC community. But, for those PlayStation 2 owners who think that Half-Life is a must own -- it isn't. And, for those looking to play a slightly better version of the PC version, then obviously, the addition of Decay can't be neglected. Overall, the port of Half-Life doesn't have the best of what the PlayStation 2 is capable of...it doesn't have the online multiplayer option that the PC version had... However, if you are looking for one of the best shooters for the PC with a few additions, then, Half-Life is a great buy for the gamer with a need for some time to kill.

I should preface this review by confessing I'm not a big first-person shooter (FPS) fan, and only a few (Doom, Halo) have completely won me over. It seems like every year or so a new FPS comes along and pushes the envelope, which is what Half-Life did on the PC in 1998. Although this 2001 PS2 release might look slightly dated, it holds up well thanks to exciting action sequences and a compelling storyline.

But minus the multiplayer goofiness, the single-player Half-life is a very successful translation onto the PS2. It's got a great story that moves you through the game creatively with ample action to keep the fraggers happy. If you've played the PC version, there is really no reason to check out this latest incarnation, but if you've never experienced the fun Half-life offers, this is your chance. Maybe if we're lucky, we'll also get to see Sierra's upcoming highly anticipated single player Half-life: Counter-Strike Condition Zero on the PS2. Here's hoping.

Half-Life kommer inte på något sätt att innebära en visuell revolution, möjligheten att spela två i lag kommer inte heller att få någon att få i taket av upphetsning. Har man således inte spelat Half-Life och inte är en manisk grafikfetischist finns det mycket att hämta i detta spel.

If you've never played Half-Life, the best way to do so would be to pick up Half-Life: Blue Shift for the PC. But if you're a strictly console gamer, the PS2 version offers the Half-Life experience in a satisfactory package with the added bonus of the Decay missions. Veterans of the game won't find much to get excited about apart from the opportunity to relive one of best ever first-person shooters in a new context.

OK, let me make this clear, because I know about the hate mail some of you are going to send. Half-life, even if it was ok 4 years ago (which in my opinion it wasn't) has not changed on the PS2 enough to warrant a purchase. Go ahead and tell me how great it's sales were, and I will gladly compare them to Who Wants to be a Millionaire. If you are going to bother to send me hate mail, please tell me what was original about the story and why the Playstation 2 version shows four years of evolution.