Half-Life
90PurrfectSadkitty Score
90KitSuperintelligent review
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Scientist Gordon Freeman has to fight his way out of the Black Mesa research facility after an experiment rips open a door to another world. It told its whole story from inside the player's eyes and changed how shooters were made.
Kit's verdict · 9.0/10
The shooter that taught the genre how to tell a story, even if the last act stumbles.Kit · Sadkitty Games
Loved
- A seamless world with no cutscenes
- Smart, squad-based soldier enemies
- Memorable set pieces from start to finish
Not so much
- The alien world of Xen is a frustrating platforming slog
- Looks very dated now
Play it if anyone curious about the roots of modern story-driven shooters.
Skip it if players who can't stand fiddly jumping puzzles.
Cheats & codes
Every Half-Life cheat we know
Turns on cheat commands. Enter this before loading a map.PC · Launch the game with -console (or -dev -console), press ~ and type it.
God mode.PC · Type it in the console with cheats on.
Fly through walls.PC · Type it in the console with cheats on.
Gives all weapons, ammo and armor.PC · Type it in the console with cheats on.
Single-player only. Cheats can turn off achievements and some saves; use them on a spare save.
Tips
Play it better
- To use the long jump module, run forward, hold crouch and press jump.
- Quicksave often with F6 and load with F9. Black Mesa has plenty of instant deaths.
- The Hivehand's ammo regenerates on its own, so use it to save bullets on weak enemies.
- Charge the Tau Cannon's secondary fire and shoot the ground under you to launch yourself across gaps.
- In Blast Pit, don't fight the giant tentacles. They hunt by sound, so walk quietly and throw grenades to distract them.
Secrets & unlockables
Hidden in plain sight
Tap a secret to reveal it.
Did you know?
Trivia
- It runs on GoldSrc, a heavily modified version of the Quake engine.
- Counter-Strike started life as a fan-made mod for Half-Life.
- Gearbox Software made the expansions Opposing Force and Blue Shift.
Member reviews
What the Clowder thinks
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