Half-Life (pc: 1998): Reviews

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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Half-Life


9.1

based on 24 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 872 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

GAMES:

Cheat Code Central

Official Website

Half-Life combines great storytelling in the tradition of Stephen King with intense action and advanced technology to create a frighteningly realistic world where players need to think smart to survive. Half-Life has won more than 50 Game of the Year awards from publications around the world, and was named 'Best PC Game Ever' in PC Gamer's November 1999 issue. [Sierra]

PUBLISHER:	Sierra Studios
DEVELOPER:	Valve Software
GENRE(S):	First-Person Shooter, Action
PLAYERS:	32
ESRB RATING:	M (Mature)
RELEASE DATE:	July 25, 1998

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

All Game Guide

It isn't everyday that you come across a game that totally revolutionizes an entire genre, but Half-Life has done just that.

100

Adrenaline Vault

If you want an incredible 3D experience that will cause you to lose sleep, meals, PTA meetings, and romantic rendezvous, this is the game.

100

Hot Games

The way scientists and guards talk to you and each other, the huge stages that you can make a little bit more progress in each time you play, the absolutely amazing animation...it all adds up to a totally immersive gaming experience that makes everything else look quite shoddy in comparison.

100

Gamers Depot

I have yet to play a more immersive game period. From the word "go", I found myself completely engulfed into the pseudo world that is unfolded before your eyes. [6 "drips"]

100

Just Adventure

It features a fully interactive environment that's a blast to play through. It's really like an interactive movie because it's so immersive. It's easily the most revolutionary shooter since "System Shock."

100

2404.org

Single player has a great story line with lots of twists and turns that keeps you interested.

100

GamePro

A masterpiece of epic proportions, the "Saving Private Ryan" of first-person shooters.

100

Yahoo! Games

Everything about Half-Life smacks of quality: the storyline, the gameplay, the graphics, the sound effects and last, but not least, the obvious level of committment Sierra and Valve have invested in it. Half-Life is, without doubt, the best PC game I have ever played. Ever.

100

Game Revolution

A fantastic single player experience, with reliable and customizable multiplayer support...what more could a FPS fan ask for.

Gamezilla!

It is, without a doubt, the best single-player first-person shooter ever. Period. It is so good for so many reasons. But most importantly, it is fun. I mean really fun.

PC Gamer

This is The Big One, and it's even better than we could've hoped. [Jan 1999, p.166]

TotalGames.net

Half-Life is brilliant in every respect with huge monsters appearing later on, Half-Life gets so spooky it hurts, so frightening people simply watching jump!

PC Gameworld

The best FPS ever created. Makes everything else pale in comparison. It's everything you always wanted in a FPS.

GamingExcellence

Everything in this game is perfect, including the excellent characters and graphics, and the realistic sound effects. Half-Life is not a game, it is an adventure.

Armchair Empire

It combines a balance of tense action, puzzle solving, story, and fun that has yet to be equaled on in the FPS arena.

IGN

It constantly presents you with variety, surprises, and new challenges to keep you hooked. It is a tour de force in game design, the definitive single player game in a first person shooter.

Game Over Online

It's atmosphere and unique style have changed the face of PC gaming.

My Gamer

The storyline runs in perfect harmony with the action and acts as a conduit not a stopgap, or a padding device. Each gaming element compliments the next and the entire presentation is nothing short of, well…dare we say it…revolutionary.

GameSpot

The closest thing to a revolutionary step the genre has ever taken. Through a series of subtle and artistic design decisions, Half-Life creates a reality that is self-contained, believable, and thoroughly engaging.

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Call in sick at work, unplug the phone, cancel all your plans, and prepare yourself for one of the most intense, exciting, and downright brilliant gaming experiences of your life.

Happy Puppy

Realism aside, Half-Life provides some of the best unrealistic opponents seen to date as well. The creature design here is outstanding.

GamerArchive

Once you have dominated the death match realm, you can truly call yourself either an expert gamer, or an obsessive stinking nerd.

Electric Playground

I have never had a more immersive and engaging entertainment experience than I had with the first half of Half-Life...[but] the game peaks too soon.

Cincinnati Enquirer

Unfortunately, Half-Life’s puzzle-oriented play leads to some problems. On several occasions, you’ll be forced to make almost impossible jumps. The difficulty of such maneuvers finds you making 10, sometimes 15 attempts. The frustration distances you from a story that should have you absorbed.

The average user rating for this game is 9.1 (out of 10) based on 872 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

James B. gave it a10:
Half-Life is undoubtedly the single greatest singleplayer videogame ever created, and it will probably stay that way for a long time to come. Every technical aspect of the game was far ahead of its time, and the guys at Valve made it clever and intuitive, mentally stimulating, intriguing, and most importantly, fun. I have beaten it at least a dozen times now, and even though at this point I could probably beat it with my monitor turned off, I still haven't grown bored of it. I'd give this game 100 out of 10 if I could. It really is that great.

Ryan D. gave it a10:
Half-life redefined the first person shooter genre into what it is today. It took a stagnating genre and rewrote the rules. It proved shooters could have a story, friendly characters, and do without key cards. This game has never gone stale. All the mods for it kept it alive well after Half-life 2 came out. If you have never played this game, do yourself a favor and get a copy.

Lucas R. gave it a10:
This is the best game I've ever played!! I've loved this game!! Every body should play it!! I've had finished this one 48 times... and I keep finishing it... I love this serie! I love Dr. Freeman... I have The Orange Box, the HL2 ep.1 and Half-Life Generation!!! I just thing that you (Stem) shoud re-build this great game, not like you've done ai Half-Life Source, but whil all the grafics of HL2... I loved every minute of them! You should make the Opp. Force 2 and Blue Shift 2 too... it would be nice!! I'm sure that everybody will want to play these game more then it was played... Thanx!!

Luke K. gave it a10:
Awesome game, I still like it and I don't think I can compare any game with this, In my opinion this is better than Halo 1.

Carl V. gave it a10:
Steve M needs to stop sucking at games. It's hard to hit while spraying because spraying is a terrible technique. Anyway, ignoring idiots, this game is amazing. It has a few sections that are tough to get through, but nothing impossible, and the story is one of the best I've seen of any game (and movies actually) to date. If you have not played this game, you do not deserve to play video games.

Tim C. gave it a10:
Without a doubt one of the most ground breaking fps's of all time, brilliant and innovative gameplay from start to finish. I brought this game when it came out, played it to death and i have recently brought it on steam and i am replaying it to death.

Nicholas G. gave it a10:
I just completed Half-Life, and boy am I tired. I've gotten little sleep these past 3 days, my eyes have been glued to a monitor for hours and hours on end, and I would do it all over again many times. Of all of the games I've ever played, none have ever reached the level of absolute excellence of this game has. It raised the bar back in 1998, and is still a very stunning action/story oriented game that every gamer should play.