Half Life 2 Mods Xbox 360

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Half-Life 2 , stylized equally HλLF-LIFE² , is a scientific discipline fiction first-person shooter adult and published by Valve Corporation, and released on November 16, 2004,^[1] following an extended development flow of five years. The game garnered near-unanimous positive reviews and received critical acclamation, winning over xxx Game of the Year awards. It is included in The Orange Box for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. It was as well included for the Original Xbox on Nov 17th 2005.

The game uses the Source engine, which includes a heavily modified version of the Havok physics engine.

Plot

Taking place in and around City 17, nearly 2 decades^[two] afterward the events of the starting time game, Half-Life ii follows the scientist Gordon Freeman as he is thrust into an unfamiliar environment in which the aftermath of the Black Mesa Incident has come to carry fully upon human society. Freeman is forced to battle against increasingly unfavorable odds in order to free Mankind from the Combine. In his struggle, he is joined past various allies, including fellow scientists, rebels, and friends (such as Alyx Vance) - all shocked to see him alive.

Characters

Alternate American comprehend, G-Human being version.

Allies

Gordon Freeman
Alyx Vance
Barney Calhoun
Judith Mossman
Eli Vance
Isaac Kleiner
Father Grigori
Dog
Vortigaunts

Other

Wallace Breen
The Chiliad-Man

Enemies

Xen

Antlion
Antlion Baby-sit
Barnacle
Fast Headcrab
Fast Zombie
Headcrab
Ichthyosaur
Leech
Toxicant Headcrab
Poisonous substance Zombie
Zombie

Combine

APC
City Scanner
Civil Protection
Combine Counselor
Combine Dropship
Combine Gunship
Crab Synth
Hopper Mine
Hunter-Chopper
Manhack
Mortar Synth
Overwatch Aristocracy
Overwatch Sniper
Overwatch Soldier
Rollermine
Shield Scanner
Strider

Weapons

Crowbar: The most iconic weapon of the series; a simple red crowbar that acts as a melee weapon which can be used to attack enemies or breakthrough various obstacles to continue throughout the game.
.357 Magnum (Filly Python revolver): Powerful and accurate, this gun will oftentimes kill enemies apace at close range. Yet, the ammunition is deficient and it has a slower rate of fire.
Bugbait: Nerveless from an Antlion Guard, these pods can be thrown to release pheromones, alluring Antlions which will kill any enemies nearby.
Crossbow: A long-range weapon that fires red-hot steel rebar onto unsuspecting enemies. Whilst the projectile fired is very powerful, it is irksome-moving and enemies will often motility out of the way. The only sniper weapon featured in-game, the armament is less mutual, but it will normally impale less powerful enemies in a unmarried shot.
Emplacement Gun: Used by the Combine, this mounted pulse gun can be used to articulate enemies quickly and efficiently; however, information technology cannot be moved.
Hopper Mine: Mines that explode when a target gets also near. Their proper name is derived from the fact they launch into the air before landing and exploding.
MK3A2 Grenade: A standard grenade that explodes a few seconds later on beingness thrown.
MP7 (SMG1): Fully automatic, this gun is used by both the Combine and the Resistance. It also possesses a secondary burn office that allows it to launch grenades.
Overwatch Standard Upshot Pulse Rifle (AR2): A pulse burglarize developed by the Combine. Its secondary fire launches an Energy Ball that destroys enemies instantly and makes them fade into the air after the ball disappears.
Ravenholm traps: Created past Male parent Grigori, these crafty traps can be used to impale zombies.
RPG: Fires a rocket-powered grenade that can be aimed using the attached laser. Effective for destroying airborne targets like Combine Gunships.
Picket Gun: Stationary automated guns which destroy targets when they come near.
SPAS-12: A powerful, pump-action shotgun that fires pellets in a cone pattern.
USP Match: A semi-automatic 9mm handgun. The first ranged weapon acquired in the game.
Zero Point Free energy Field Manipulator (Gravity Gun): Designed for treatment chancy materials, this weapon allows the user to pick upwardly near objects, and optionally launch them into enemies. It is the second most iconic weapon, side by side to the crowbar.

Development

The volume Half-Life ii: Raising the Bar,^[three] and, confronting the developer'south volition, the leaked Beta from 2003 and its numerous files, revealed many of the game's original settings and actions that were cut down or removed entirely from the final game. Half-Life 2 was originally intended to be a far darker game with far grittier artwork where the Combine were more obviously draining the oceans for minerals and replacing the temper with noxious, murky gases.

Half-Life two was too originally intended to exist much more diverse in settings. Several City 17 levels at the kickoff of the game and complete chapters from the second one-half of the game were completely removed and sometimes re-introduced in the subsequent Half-Life two episodes.

For more information about the cut content, see the post-obit more elaborate articles:

Half-Life two Beta
Development of Half-Life 2
Half-Life ii original storyline
Weapons cutting from Half-Life 2

Gameplay

Half-Life 2 plays similarly to its predecessor. The player navigates through a linear set up of levels, fighting off transhuman troops known as the Combine besides as hostile alien creatures. Puzzles and sequences involving vehicles are interspersed throughout the game, breaking up stretches of on-foot combat and exploration.

Since One-half-Life 2 is a first-person shooter, the game world is e'er presented from Gordon Freeman'southward perspective, and the actor is implicitly asked to place themselves in Gordon's shoes. A heads-upwardly display at the lesser of the screen shows the role player's health, energy, and ammunition condition, while a toggle screen shows bachelor weapons at the tiptop. Health and energy can be replenished by picking upwards Medical Supplies and Energy Cells respectively, or past using wall-mounted Health Stations and Charging Devices.

The HEV Suit is a staple of One-half-Life, making another appearance as the Marking V iteration, upgraded from the Mark Four version from the original Half-Life. The conform holds up to 100 Energy, which is depleted from damage, usually gunfire. The suit is recharged either through the use of energy cells or Charging Devices found throughout the game.

The player defeats enemies with an assortment of weapons. The game's available arsenal consists largely of modern-24-hour interval weapons, primarily pistols, shotguns, and automatic weapons, though more than elaborate devices are available, such as a crossbow that shoots hot metal rods, and Pheromone Pods that summon and direct Antlions. The Source engine'due south physics capabilities extend into combat via a special device chosen the Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator, or Gravity Gun. Using this device, the player can choice up objects and either launch them at enemies or hold them in identify to create a makeshift shield. The Gravity Gun tin also perform a multifariousness of non-combat functions, such as grabbing out-of-attain supplies, forming bridges beyond gaps, and flipping overturned vehicles.

Many puzzles employ the game'due south physics engine. For example, i puzzle requires the player to either turn a seesaw-like lever into a ramp past placing cinder blocks at one end or to stack wooden crates to form a rough stairway. Puzzles are frequently solved with the Gravity Gun. 1 such puzzle has the histrion articulate a highway by using the gravity gun to push button numerous abandoned vehicles out of the mode.

Reception

Half-Life two's public reception was overwhelmingly positive in terms of reviews, acclaim, and sales. It was critically acclaimed for advances in computer animation, sound, narration, estimator graphics, artificial intelligence (AI), and physics. When sales figures were last appear, 12 one thousand thousand were sold at retail on PC and Xbox.^[four] The Steam sales take not been revealed, but they may exist around xv one thousand thousand including retail and Steam.^[5] The sales for One-half-Life ii accept been relatively steady since its release. If One-half-Life two eventually surpasses One-half-Life in sales, information technology will take the title of the best-selling kickoff-person shooter game to appointment.

Roughly 25 percentage of all Half-Life 2 copies have been purchased using the Steam content commitment service; their exact number is betwixt 750,000 and one million, depending on whether they are included in the figure of 6.5 meg.^[6] Overall, the Half-Life franchise, including Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat, has seen over twenty million sales.^[7]

Critical response

Half-Life 2 has go and remains one of the most highly acclaimed video games in history. Nearly major game reviewers gave ratings within the 90-100% range. One-half-Life 2 holds Metacritic's 2d-highest ranking and standing ("universal acclamation") amid PC games with a score of 96, followed closely by Half-Life and The Orange Box (likewise with scores of 96). Maximum PC awarded Half-Life 2 an unprecedented 11 on their rating scale which peaks at 10, and named it the "best game ever made."

Individual reviews were almost universally glowing. Sources such every bit GameSpy, The Cincinnati Enquirer, and The New York Times have given perfect reviewing scores, and others such as PC Gamer and IGN gave virtually-perfect scores (it was ane of only four games ever to become 96% from Uk PC Gamer, the best score they have ever awarded, and the game is simply one of two games ever to become a near-perfect score, 98%, from PC Gamer), while the game became the fifth championship to receive Edge mag'southward x-out-of-ten score. Critics who applauded the game cited the avant-garde graphics and physics forth with the relatively low system requirements.

Very few reviewers gave Half-Life 2 lower than a nine out of 10 ratings. One such critique was Netjak, a reviewing website known for its relative harshness, which gave Half-Life 2 a rating of 8.5. Several critics, including some that had given otherwise glowing reviews, complained well-nigh the required usage of Steam along with a hard installation process.

Awards

Half-Life 2 earned over 35 Game of the Twelvemonth awards, including Overall Game of the Year at IGN, GameSpot'due south Accolade for Best Shooter, GameSpot's Reader's Pick - PC Game of the Year Award, Game of the Year from The University of Interactive Arts & Sciences, and "All-time Game" with the Game Developers Selection Awards, where information technology was likewise given various awards for engineering, characters, and writing. The game besides had a stiff showing at the 2004 BAFTA Games Awards, picking up 6 awards, more than any other game that night, with awards including "All-time Game" and "All-time Online Game." One-half-Life 2 besides won "Game of the Decade" at Spike'due south 2012 Video Game Awards and was considered one of the best games of the decade by many dissimilar critics.^[8] ^[9] ^[ten] ^[xi] ^[12] ^[13] ^[14] ^[xv] Video Game Catechism ranks Half-Life ii as ane of the best games of all time.^[sixteen]

World records

Guinness World Records awarded Half-Life ii the world record for the "Highest Rated Shooter past PC Gamer Mag" in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. Other records awarded to the game in the book include, "First Game to Feature a Gravity Gun" and "Outset PC Game to Feature Developer Commentary".

Products

The popularity of Half-Life 2 and the Half-Life series has led style to an array of side products and collectibles. Valve offers Half-Life-related products such as plush Headcrabs, posters, habiliment, and mousepads.^[17]

Technical

Source engine

For Half-Life 2, Valve developed a new game engine chosen the Source engine, which handles the game's visual, audio, and artificial intelligence elements. The Source engine comes packaged with a heavily modified version of the Havok physics engine that allows for an extra dimension of interactivity in both unmarried-player and online environments.

Additionally, when coupled with Steam, the engine can exist easily upgraded to include many new graphical technologies. One such example is High Dynamic Range Lighting, which Valve debuted every bit a gratis level called Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, which functions as a playable tech demo for the new technology.

Steam content delivery system

Integral to Half-Life two is the Steam content delivery system adult by Valve Software. All Half-Life 2 players are required to have Steam installed and a valid business relationship in club to play. Steam allows customers to purchase games and other software straight from the developer and have it downloaded directly to their reckoner too as receiving "micro-updates." These updates also make hacking the game harder to do and accept thus far been somewhat successful in staving off cheats and playability for users with unauthorized copies. Steam can as well be used for finding and playing multiplayer games through an integrated server browser and friends listing, and game data can be backed up with a standard CD or DVD burner. Steam and a customer's purchased content can be downloaded onto whatsoever computer, as long as that account is only logged in at ane location at a time.

The usage of Steam has not gone without controversy. Some users have reported numerous problems with Steam, sometimes existence serious enough to preclude a reviewer from recommending a given title available on the service. In other cases, review scores have been lowered. Long download times, seemingly unnecessary updates, and verification checks are criticisms leveled by critics of the system's use for single-player games such as One-half-Life 2. Whether or non a customer intends to use any multiplayer features, the calculator the game was installed on must have Steam and an Internet connectedness to verify the transaction.

Release and distribution

A 1GB portion of One-half-Life ii became available for pre-load through Steam on August 26, 2004. This meant that customers could begin to download encrypted game files to their reckoner earlier the game was released. When the game'south release date arrived, customers were able to pay for the game through Steam, unlock the files on their hard drives and play the game immediately, without having to wait for the whole game to download. The pre-load period lasted for several weeks, with several subsequent portions of the game being made available, to ensure all customers had a chance to download the content before the game was released.

One-half-Life 2 was simultaneously released through Steam, CD (most initial U.South. "bare-bones" retail copies), and on DVD in several editions. Through Steam, Half-Life 2 had three packages that a customer could order. The basic version ("Statuary") includes only One-half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source, whereas the "Silver" and "Gold" (collector's edition) versions also include Half-Life: Source and Day of Defeat: Source (ports of the original One-half-Life and Day of Defeat modernistic to the new engine) every bit well as the right to download all previous games by Valve through Steam. The collector'due south edition/Gold version additionally includes merchandise such as a t-shirt, a strategy guide, and a CD containing the soundtrack used in Half-Life 2. Both the disc and Steam versions require Steam to exist installed and active for play.

Subsequent releases

A demo version with the file size of a single-CD was later made bachelor in Dec 2004 at the website of graphics card manufacturer ATI Technologies, who teamed up with Valve for the game. The demo contains office of the opening level of the game, and also office of the chapter "We Don't Go To Ravenholm...". In September 2005, Electronic Arts distributed the Game of the Year edition of Half-Life ii. Compared to the original CD-release of One-half-Life ii, the GOTY edition adds Half-Life: Source.

On December 22, 2005, Valve released a 64-bit version of the Source engine that takes advantage of AMD64 processor-based systems running a 64-scrap version of the Windows operating system. This update, delivered via Steam, enabled Half-Life 2 and other Source-based games to run natively on AMD64 processors, bypassing the 32-fleck emulator. Gabe Newell, one of the founders of Valve, stated that this is "an of import step in the evolution of our game content and tools," and that the game benefits profoundly from the update.^[18] The response to the release varied: some users reported huge performance boosts, while engineering science site Techgage found several stability bug and no notable frame rate improvement.^[19] 64-chip users have widely reported bizarre in-game errors including characters dropping dead, game script files not being pre-cached (i.e., loaded when first requested instead), map rules being aptitude by AI, and other glitches.

Ports

An Xbox port published past Electronic Arts was released on Nov fifteen, 2005. While subject area to positive reception, critics cited its lack of multiplayer and frame-charge per unit issues as problems, and the game received lower scores than its PC counterpart.

During Electronic Arts' summer press result on July 13, 2006, Gabe Newell announced that Half-Life 2 volition send on next-generation consoles (specifically, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) including episodes One and Two, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. This 5-game package would afterward exist known as The Orange Box and was shipped to PC and Xbox 360 on Oct 10, 2007. The PlayStation 3 version was delayed and finally shipped on December xi, 2007. At that place were reports Valve was having troubles with the PlayStation iii hardware and it shows with bouts of slowdown that are not seen on the Xbox 360 or PC versions.

Expansions

*Half-Life 2: Lost Coast*, showcasing Valve's HDR applied science.

Since the release of Half-Life 2, Valve has released an additional level and two additional expansion sequels. The level, Lost Coast, takes place betwixt the capacity Highway 17 and Sandtraps and is primarily a showcase for Loftier Dynamic Range imaging (HDR) technology.

Sequels and prequel

The sequels One-half-Life 2: Episode One and Half-Life 2: Episode Two take identify shortly later the events of Half-Life 2, with the player once again taking on the part of Gordon Freeman and with Alyx Vance playing a more prominent part and expanding the mysteries surrounding the G-Man and the Vortigaunts. Additionally, one further episode is gear up to be released in the time to come, dubbed Episode Iii; being the last expansion, "in a trilogy".^[xx] In an interview with Eurogamer, Gabe Newell revealed that the Half-Life 2 episodes are essentially One-half-Life 3.^[21] He reasons that rather than force fans to wait another six years for a total sequel, Valve would release the game in episodic installments.^[21] Newell admits that a more correct title for these episodes should accept been "One-half-Life three: Episode One" and and so along, having referred to the episodes as Half-Life three repeatedly through the interview.

In Nov 2019 - xv years following Half-Life 2's release, a prequel taking identify in-between Half-Life and One-half-Life 2 was revealed titled One-half-Life: Alyx.

Mods

Since the release of the Source engine SDK, a large number of mods accept been developed by the Half-Life 2 community. Mods vary in scale, from fan-created levels and weapons to partial conversions such as Half-Life two Substance and Smod (which modify the storyline and gameplay of the pre-existing game), and Garry's Mod (which allow the player to experiment with the physics system in a sandbox mode), to full conversions such as Dystopia or Empires, which transforms the game from a first-person shooter into a real-fourth dimension strategy game. Some mods take place in the Half-Life universe; others in completely original settings; while some are tributes to other games, such as GoldenEye: Source, a recreation of GoldenEye 007, or Resident Evil: Twilight, based on the Resident Evil series.

Soundtrack

Trivia

References

The Half-Life Wiki has more images related to Half-Life ii.

↑ Half-Life 2 on Steam
↑ Episode 1: The story and then far on Half-Life 2'south official website (Archived)
↑ One-half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
↑ Half-Life 2 has sold 12 million as of February 2011 on Forbes
↑ Analysis: Valve's Lifetime Retail Sales For Half-Life, Counter-Strike Franchises by Chris Remo. Gamasutra.com
↑ Steam's Finances
↑ Valve Reveals New Details On Episode Ii
↑ https://world wide web.mycitizensnews.com/columns/the-height-video-games-of-2000-2009/
↑ https://www.destructoid.com/the-top-50-videogames-of-the-decade-10-1/
↑ https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/gamasutra-s-top-12-games-of-the-decade
↑ https://world wide web.ign.com/wikis/best-of-the-decade/Overall_-_Games
↑ https://www.thepandemicacademic.com/postal service/the-top-50-games-2000-2009
↑ https://screenfellows.com/2017/11/best-video-games-2000s-office-two/
↑ https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/the-12-near-incredible-games-of-the-decade-659755/ii
↑ http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2010/01/revisiting-the-decade-in-video-games/1
↑ https://www.videogamecanon.com/
↑ The Valve Store
↑ VALVE UNVEILS 64-Chip SOURCE(TM) GAMING Engineering DEVELOPED IN CONJUNCTION WITH AMD. Steam Powered. Retrieved on March 23, 2006.
↑ Review: Half-Life ii: 64-Bit - Reason to go excited?. Techgage. Retrieved on March 23, 2006.
↑ Half-Life two: Episode One gold, Ii dated, Iii announced. GameSpot. Retrieved on May 25, 2006.
↑ ^21.0 ^21.ane Interview - Opening the Valve. Eurogamer. Retrieved on June 7, 2006.

External links

Official

Half-Life two on the Steam Store

Speedruns

Half-Life 2 speedrun: speedrun video of the unabridged game without using shortcuts (03:02:54).
Half-Life ii done quick: speedrun video of the game finished as quickly as possible past using all possible shortcuts and exploits/tricks (01:42:18). A tricks, glitches and outtakes video is also available.
Half-Life 2: DWaHMoV: speedrun video of the game finished as chop-chop as possible by using all possible shortcuts and exploits/tricks (01:32:25) An Audio Commentary video is as well bachelor.

General resources

Valve Developer Customs; a wiki made by Valve to aid in the editing of One-half-Life ii.
HL2Files: for Half-Life two modifications, maps, sound packs, videos and other downloads.
Half-Life two mods and modding tutorials at Mod DB.
sourceWiki: for Half-Life 2 modern developers.
Planet Half-Life: a One-half-Life/Half-Life 2-related resource website including news, reviews, screenshots, etc.
ValveTime.net: Comprehensive Half-Life/Steam centric website and large One-half-Life 2 community.
HLFallout.internet: Another pop Half-Life 2/Steam fansite with news, reviews, and screenshots.

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