In this first chart, we have a radioactive substance with a half life of 5 years. As you can see, the substance initially has 100% of its atoms, but after its first half life (5 years) only 50% of the radioactive atoms are left.
That's what 'half life' means. Literally, half of the substance is gone every five years (the half life of this particular substance).
So, in our example , after the second life is over (that's 10 years since each half life is 5 years), there will be $$frac 1 2$$ of $$ 50% $$ of the substance left, which, of course is $$ 25 % $$.
And the pattern continues, every 5 years another half life reduces the substance by $$ frac 1 2 $$, so after the the third life is over ( the 15 year mark), there will be $$frac 1 2 $$ of $$ 25% $$ of the substance left , which is $$ 12.5 % $$.
Wallace BreenBiographical informationHomeworldDiedFunctions / BelongingsRank / Occupation
WeaponsEquipmentPhysical descriptionSpeciesGenderHair colorEye colorChronological and political informationEraAffiliationGame informationVoiced byModeled overDesigned by
Entity name
Dr. Wallace Breen is the former head of Black Mesa, and later Earth's Administrator under the Combine. From his headquarters on Earth in the Citadel of City 17, he was humanity's representative within the Combine.
BiographyBackgroundHalf-Life and the Seven Hour War
Doctor Breen was Administrator of the Black Mesa Research Facility at the time of the Black Mesa Incident in 200-. During the events depicted in Half-Life, he is neither seen nor directly mentioned by name, instead always referred to as 'the Administrator'. At the end of the Seven Hour War, he 'negotiates' a peace agreement with the Combine that saves humanity, but at the cost of enslavement.
Breen is first appointed 'Interim Administrator' (as seen on newspaper clips in Black Mesa East), then simply becomes ruler of Earth - mostly a puppet of the Combine who have little physical presence on the planet. Some speculate he may have orchestrated the events of Half-Life at the request of the Combine, with the rule of Earth promised as reward (this, however, would also suggest that he or the Combine had control of the G-Man at least up to the point where he handed over Xen crystal sample GG-3883 to the Black Mesa scientists which caused the Resonance Cascade); others believe that he may have been under the impression that introducing the Combine would have brought about a cosmic unity between the two, and would have been ultimately beneficial for the human race (something that he still clings on to despite the evidently large amounts of humans suffering at the time of the Uprising). Whether or not he is the one who introduced the Combine to Earth, his intentions seem to be noble and he sounds quite sure that he is doing the right thing - though it is possible that he is simply a very convincing liar. Even if he had selfish reasons for doing so, the human race would have most definitely been completely destroyed or assimilated by the Combine had he not surrendered Earth at the end of the Seven Hour War.
Another unanswered question surrounding Breen in Half-Life is near the beginning of the game: as Gordon Freeman is about to go into the test chamber, the two scientists briefing him say that the Administrator 'went to some lengths to get it [the sample, also known as the crystal Gordon pushed into the Anti-Mass Spectrometer during the Resonance Cascade].' This statement lies dormant through most of the game until Freeman travels to Xen and sees crystals similar to the one he pushed into the Anti-Mass Spectrometer. Next to these crystals are often found corpses of Survey Team members, perhaps explaining the 'great lengths' mentioned in the beginning of the game. However, as seen in Decay, the G-Man unusually stole a Xen crystal, thus hinting that he provided Breen with the sample.
AppearancesHalf-Life 2
A giant Breencast is one of the first things Gordon Freeman sees upon arriving in City 17 at the start of Half-Life 2 and remains a near-constant presence as he makes his way to Isaac Kleiner'slab. Breen himself is alerted to Gordon's return when the latter is accidentally teleported to his office in the Citadel twice for a few seconds each. Breen informs the Combine and immediately dispatches the forces at his disposal to capture (or kill) Freeman and break the associated Resistance movement in City 17.
Following Gordon's one-man attack on the Citadel, Freeman is temporarily placed in the custody of Breen, until Judith Mossman turns against him. During this brief time, Breen makes a very notable statement: He mentions while in the presence of Alyx Vance and her father, Eli (who are also in his custody) that Gordon 'has proven a fine pawn to those who control him.' He also comments that Gordon's services are 'open to the highest bidder,' and says he would understand if Gordon does not want to discuss it in front of his friends. These remarks imply that Breen is aware of the mysterious G-Man and his influence over Freeman, something only Eli Vance seems to know about. Another possible reference to the G-Man is in one of the Breencasts broadcast in Nova Prospekt: 'I have good reason to believe that in the intervening years, he was in a state that precluded further development of covert skills,' suggesting Breen knows about Freeman having remained in stasis between the Black Mesa Incident and his resurgence around 20 years later.
With the Resistance at his doorstep and the odds stacked against him, Breen attempts to flee using a Combine teleport. Freeman manages to stop him by destroying the Citadel's dark fusion reactor, which then destroys the teleport in a massive explosion. After the player destroys the reactor at the top of the Citadel, the platform that Breen is seen riding up to the portal collapses, and he is seen falling to his presumed death, his last words being 'You need me!'.
Half-Life 2: Episode One
Dr. Breen's fate remains unknown in Half-Life 2: Episode One. His only appearances in the game are during an apparent flashback or dream at the beginning, with Breen repeating a sentence from Half-Life 2 on a falling Combine monitor, asking Gordon what exactly he has created. Afterwards, while being plucked out the wreckage, one of the few things Alyx remembers is Breen falling. Another occasion of Breen's appearance is during a video recording of a conversation made during Half-Life 2, where he mentions being transferred into a 'host body'. After seeing Breen on the monitor, Alyx is surprised, questioning how it is possible, but is then relieved when she realizes that it is an old recording.
Half-Life 2: Episode Two
Breen does not appear in Episode Two. However, during the G-Man's 'heart-to-heart' with Gordon Freeman, at the mention of 'naysayers' who were against the rescue of Alyx Vance from Black Mesa, Breen's image briefly flashes up on the screen behind the G-Man. The latter goes on to say that he learned to ignore such opposition when 'quelling them was out of the question'. This, coupled with the remarks Breen made at the end of Half-Life 2 and during his speech in Nova Prospekt, suggests more than ever that Breen was directly aware of the G-Man and his employers, and was fighting against them even before the Black Mesa Incident occurred.
RelationshipsGordon Freeman
They worked together at Black Mesa. Breen seems to have mixed feelings towards Gordon: he appears admonishing towards him when addressing him via Breencasts, often questioning as to how he could simply throw everything away in favor of fighting the Combine and leading what Breen believes to be a pitiful Resistance. He also seems skeptical as to how a simple theoretical physicist could slip through Combine forces again and again, going as far as to threaten Overwatch forces with severe punishment unless they double their efforts against Freeman. However, when not in front of the public and Overwatch forces, he seems to show more respect towards Gordon, praising his abilities, yet showing his power by being slightly mocking. He attempts to bargain with Freeman for his services, stating that Gordon's 'contract was open to the highest bidder'.
However, Breen seems to have a deeper relationship with Freeman than initially thought, as Breen heavily implies that he is aware of the G-Man and his employment of Freeman, and attempts to employ Freeman for himself. He also claims to understand why Gordon would not wish to speak openly to his friends about his 'employment' from the G-Man. (In a way, he may have remorse for Gordon as Breen was most likely subjected to unethical and morally questionable tasks as well.) In addition to this, Breen's last words to Gordon before his apparent death are 'You need me!', suggesting there are many unanswered questions surrounding Breen's connection with Gordon, although in that case, he may just be referring to the fact that he was Earth's administrator.
Eli Vance
Breen, as the former Black Mesa Administrator, was once Eli's boss, but their relationship at that time is unknown. As Earth Administrator, Breen is quickly shown to be strongly disliked by Eli when he is introduced by Alyx on the propaganda poster found near Kleiner's Lab's hidden entrance. At that point, Alyx suggests that Gordon not 'get [her] father started' on the subject of Dr. Breen. When Gordon approaches the corkboard with newspapers in Black Mesa East, Eli refers to Breen as 'the administrator of this whole vile business.' In the final confrontation with Breen in the Citadel, Eli goes on to explain that he despises Breen for selling himself to the Combine at humanity's expense, and later describes what he has done to Earthlings as 'beyond words', 'genocide', and 'indescribable evil'. Eli then challenges his adversary to kill him and Alyx, 'if that's the worst [he] can do.'
Breen likewise shows a general disrespect towards Eli and mocks both him and his daughter while they are helplessly captive. Breen acknowledges Eli's abilities and his value to the Resistance, however, and plans to barter both Gordon and Eli to the Combine, before being betrayed by Judith Mossman.
Judith Mossman
Breen does not appear to show much care for Mossman as a person, as he tries to manipulate her against Eli, Freeman, and Alyx, and only uses her as a double agent. It is also Breen who points out that Mossman is only campaigning for Eli's life because of her feelings for him, something she is quick to deny. Breen also speaks to Judith dismissively, treating her as a distraction rather than a valuable asset, and showing false reassurance when telling her that she is 'more than qualified' to finish Eli's work herself. However, when Mossman finally betrays Breen to save Eli, Gordon, and Alyx, Breen is visibly surprised and attempts to dissuade her from doing so, to no avail.
Alyx Vance
Breen does not hold Alyx in much regard, and speaks to her like she is a child, asking Eli to give her the chance her mother never had. This comment provokes Alyx to spit angrily at Breen's face, telling him to never dare even mention her. Breen then discards his air of mock concern and angrily retorts that she has her mother's eyes, but her father's stubborn nature, where Alyx stands her ground.
The G-Man
While Breen's relationship with the G-Man is ambiguous, there is definitely some connection between them. Breen makes several comments that would appear to reference the G-Man, such as Gordon's 'contract' being 'open to the highest bidder', showing that he sees himself on the same level as the G-Man and his employers.
It is likely that the G-Man needed Breen to override the safety protocols associated with the Anti-Mass Spectrometer. Since Breen was the only known person in Black Mesa who had a high position, it can be assumed that the G-Man manipulated Breen to achieve his own goals. This is suggested to be true as many scientists have claimed that the administrator (Breen) would not listen to their warnings, remained firm in issuing his orders, and notably acted strangely. However, it remains uncertain in why Breen would not refuse to listen to the G-Man. Considering that Breen wanted to discuss quietly with Gordon Freeman about the G-Man in Half-Life 2, it may be true that the G-Man or his employers threatened Breen to remain quiet or otherwise suffer the consequences (as displayed in Opposing Force when the G-Man detains Adrian Shephard to restrain his 'temptation to tell all' and when Gordon Freeman refuses the G-Man's offer and is left to die on Xen).
During the G-Man's 'heart-to-heart' with Gordon Freeman, he speaks in a slightly mocking tone of how Breen (while never referring to him by name) was in 'objection' of the G-Man saving Alyx Vance during the Black Mesa Incident, and that she was 'a mere child, and of no practical use to anyone'. The G-Man then changes his tone to that of subdued anger and states that he has learned to ignore 'naysayers' such as Breen, when 'quelling them was out of the question', showing that the G-Man was not permitted to personally silence Breen, likely by his 'employers'.
Breencasts
Throughout Half-Life 2, Dr. Breen is frequently seen and heard making 'Breencasts' â city-wide propaganda video broadcasts which he uses to speak directly to Citizens and Combine forces. Breencasts consist of anything from the doctor addressing Citizens' concerns, to an outlet for pro-Combine propaganda. In both, Breen refers to the Combine as the 'universal union' or 'Our Benefactors,' never using the term 'Combine' except in attempts to mock the term. However, when relaxed and not in front of the public, even he seems to use the word 'Combine'.
One such Breencast (played to the player in audio form only) is as follows, as he addresses Gordon Freeman:
'I'd like to take a moment to address you directly, Doctor Freeman. Yes, I'm talking to you, the so-called 'One Free Man.' I have a question for you: How could you have thrown it all away? It staggers the mind. A man of science with the ability to sway reactionary and fearful minds toward the truth, choosing instead to embark on a path of ignorance and decay. Make no mistake, Doctor Freeman â this is not a scientific revolution you have sparked, this is death and finality! You have plunged humanity into freefall. Even if you offered your surrender now, I cannot guarantee that Our Benefactors would accept it. At the moment I fear they have begun to look upon even me with suspicion â so much for serving as humanity's representative. Help me win back their trust, Doctor Freeman. Surrender while you still can. Help ensure that humanity's trust in you is not misguided. Do what is right, Doctor Freeman. Serve mankind.'
This last Breencast has the Administrator pleading with Freeman to end his quest to bring down the Citadel. He also displays his fearfulness and disappointment with the Combine, who are suspicious of his motives.
As briefly stated earlier, Dr. Breen never uses the term 'Combine' in his formal broadcasts and criticizes those who do. For example, shortly after the chapter Anticitizen One begins, a Breencast can be heard on a television set in the area where Hopper Mines are first encountered, in which Dr. Breen says, '..And only the universal union that small minds call 'The Combine' can carry us there.' However, when Freeman is taken to Breen's office in the Citadel, in which Eli Vance is being held prisoner, Breen says, 'Having both of you in my keeping ensures I can dictate the terms of any bargain I care to make with the Combine.' One may theorize that Dr. Breen's use of this term signifies that he does not, in fact, respect the Combine as much as he would have others believe, and/or that he is merely using them to gain more power (likely through the ransoming of Gordon and Eli). However, it could merely be a slip of the tongue on his part. Either way, it is up to speculation.
Apparently, some Citizens enjoyed some of the Breencasts - in Episode One, one Citizen can be heard saying to another; 'I don't miss Dr. Breen, but I do miss his show. Remember when he had the jugglers on?'. Whether the Breencasts broadcast other programs such as jugglers is unknown.
Dr. Breen's Private Reserve
Main article: Dr. Breen's Private Reserve
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A brand of drink manufactured by the Combine, 'Dr. Breen's Private Reserve', is named after Breen. Used as another propaganda tool, it most likely affects the memory of Citizens, just like the water that the citizen mentions when the player arrives at the train station before meeting Barney.
Behind the scenes
Bill Van Buren's e-mail: ![]() From: Bill Van Buren
Portable speaker with microphone jack. Greg Coomer's answer:
From: Greg Coomer
Marc Laidlaw's answer:
From: Marc Laidlaw
Trivia
GalleryMiscellaneous
nntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'The Consul</a>.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Consul_bust.jpg','title':'Consul bust.jpg','dbKey':'Consul_bust.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/6/6d/Breen_ref.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090801151914&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Roger Guay</a>'s picture used as Breen's face texture.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Breen_ref.jpg','title':'Breen ref.jpg','dbKey':'Breen_ref.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/8/8a/Guay_fb.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090801194401&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Roger Guay.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Guay_fb.jpg','title':'Guay fb.jpg','dbKey':'Guay_fb.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/b/ba/Robertculpraising.png/revision/latest/top-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20130608210112&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen's voice actor, Robert Culp</a>.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Robertculpraising.png','title':'Robertculpraising.png','dbKey':'Robertculpraising.png'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/0/0a/Consul_statue.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090126012944&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Statue of the Consul</a>, appearing to be Breen.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Consul_statue.jpg','title':'Consul statue.jpg','dbKey':'Consul_statue.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/4/4a/Breen_bust_beta.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090801000439&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Beta bust model, more Roman-looking and with a Consul-like outfit.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Breen_bust_beta.jpg','title':'Breen bust beta.jpg','dbKey':'Breen_bust_beta.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/e/e9/Breen_bust.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090727165525&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Retail bust model.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Breen_bust.jpg','title':'Breen bust.jpg','dbKey':'Breen_bust.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/d/d5/Breen_beta_model.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20100328173133&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen's Beta model.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Breen_beta_model.jpg','title':'Breen beta model.jpg','dbKey':'Breen_beta_model.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/c/cb/Breen_model.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804094514&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen's retail model.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Breen_model.jpg','title':'Breen model.jpg','dbKey':'Breen_model.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/e/e1/Decal_posterbreen.png/revision/latest/top-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20120621164737&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Propaganda poster seen in numerous locations.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Decal_posterbreen.png','title':'Decal posterbreen.png','dbKey':'Decal_posterbreen.png'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/6/62/The_terminal_1.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20100619094232&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Wallace Breen on the front page of the newspaper The Terminal</a></i>.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:The_terminal_1.jpg','title':'The terminal 1.jpg','dbKey':'The_terminal_1.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/0/01/Steam_mac_alyx_1984.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20100325233030&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'March 2010 image of Alyx Vance throwing a crowbar in a screen where Wallace Breen is addressing Citizens, promoting the arrival of Steam on Mac, sent by Valve to Macworld</a>. This references an old Apple commercial</a>, itself referencing the film/novel 1984</a>.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Steam_mac_alyx_1984.jpg','title':'Steam mac alyx 1984.jpg','dbKey':'Steam_mac_alyx_1984.jpg'}]'>The Consul.'>Roger Guay's picture used as Breen's face texture.'>Robert Culp.'>Consul, appearing to be Breen.'>The Terminal.'>Macworld. This references an old Apple commercial, itself referencing the film/novel 1984.'>
Screenshots
nntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'The first Breencast seen by Gordon Freeman at the City 17 Trainstation</a>, during which Breen welcomes new Citizens.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Breencast_first_full.jpg','title':'Breencast first full.jpg','dbKey':'Breencast_first_full.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/7/7e/Checkpoint.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090606214522&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'The same Breencast seen farther in the trainstation.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Checkpoint.jpg','title':'Checkpoint.jpg','dbKey':'Checkpoint.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/e/e2/Wallace_Breen_breencast_bust.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20091026094538&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen during the first Breencast, in his recording booth / office.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Wallace_Breen_breencast_bust.jpg','title':'Wallace Breen breencast bust.jpg','dbKey':'Wallace_Breen_breencast_bust.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/f/f4/Food_hall_breen.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090111013856&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Another Breencast, in the trainstation's food hall, where Breen talks about instinct.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Food_hall_breen.jpg','title':'Food hall breen.jpg','dbKey':'Food_hall_breen.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/2/2d/Trainstation_plaza_citizen.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090111022546&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen during the same Breencast on the Trainstation Plaza.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Trainstation_plaza_citizen.jpg','title':'Trainstation plaza citizen.jpg','dbKey':'Trainstation_plaza_citizen.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/c/cd/Second_Breencast_close.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20091026103546&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Ditto, close up.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Second_Breencast_close.jpg','title':'Second Breencast close.jpg','dbKey':'Second_Breencast_close.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/5/51/D1_trainstation_030011.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090729083234&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen seen in the same Breencast through a television</a> in Citizen apartments.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D1_trainstation_030011.jpg','title':'D1 trainstation 030011.jpg','dbKey':'D1_trainstation_030011.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/6/66/Breencast_telly.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090705191146&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Ditto.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Breencast_telly.jpg','title':'Breencast telly.jpg','dbKey':'Breencast_telly.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/2/29/D1_trainstation_05000027.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090529040408&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen in his office in the Citadel, recognizing Gordon Freeman during his teleportation mishap. On an unrelated note, the teleport mishap can be thought of as the harmonic reflux in Half Life: Blue Shift and Half Life: Decay.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D1_trainstation_05000027.jpg','title':'D1 trainstation 05000027.jpg','dbKey':'D1_trainstation_05000027.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/9/90/BME_newspaper_clips.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20100325033300&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Newspaper clippings on a cork board in Eli's lab, featuring an article revealing that Breen has been declared Interim Administrator.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:BME_newspaper_clips.jpg','title':'BME newspaper clips.jpg','dbKey':'BME_newspaper_clips.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/b/bd/D3_citadel_030125.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804105713&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen addressing Gordon in the Citadel.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_citadel_030125.JPG','title':'D3 citadel 030125.JPG','dbKey':'D3_citadel_030125.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/3/31/D3_citadel_030126.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804105714&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Ditto.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_citadel_030126.JPG','title':'D3 citadel 030126.JPG','dbKey':'D3_citadel_030126.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/4/43/D3_citadel_030133.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804110018&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Ditto.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_citadel_030133.JPG','title':'D3 citadel 030133.JPG','dbKey':'D3_citadel_030133.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/d/d8/D3_citadel_040264.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804110435&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Ditto.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_citadel_040264.JPG','title':'D3 citadel 040264.JPG','dbKey':'D3_citadel_040264.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/1/17/D3_citadel_040292.JPG/revision/latest/top-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804110459&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Ditto.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_citadel_040292.JPG','title':'D3 citadel 040292.JPG','dbKey':'D3_citadel_040292.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/5/5e/Half-Life_2_Dr_Breen_Office.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090604225421&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen talking to Eli in his office while Gordon arrives.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Half-Life_2_Dr_Breen_Office.jpg','title':'Half-Life 2 Dr Breen Office.jpg','dbKey':'Half-Life_2_Dr_Breen_Office.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/6/62/D3_breen_010080.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090605004213&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen talking to Gordon in his office.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_breen_010080.JPG','title':'D3 breen 010080.JPG','dbKey':'D3_breen_010080.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/4/4d/D3_breen_010081.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090605004215&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Ditto, with Mossman starting to have her change of heart behind.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_breen_010081.JPG','title':'D3 breen 010081.JPG','dbKey':'D3_breen_010081.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/5/55/D3_breen_010073.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804092845&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Ditto.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_breen_010073.JPG','title':'D3 breen 010073.JPG','dbKey':'D3_breen_010073.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/a/a2/D3_breen_010108.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090605013929&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen being stopped by Mossman.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_breen_010108.JPG','title':'D3 breen 010108.JPG','dbKey':'D3_breen_010108.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/8/81/D3_breen_010098.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804092845&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Bust of Breen in the corridor between his office and the elevator shaft.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_breen_010098.JPG','title':'D3 breen 010098.JPG','dbKey':'D3_breen_010098.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/f/f4/D3_breen_0100225.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804105536&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen talking to an Advisor, with Alyx trying to reach him in the foreground.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_breen_0100225.JPG','title':'D3 breen 0100225.JPG','dbKey':'D3_breen_0100225.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/0/05/D3_breen_010045.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804094921&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen mocking Alyx and Gordon while fleeing in an elevator.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_breen_010045.JPG','title':'D3 breen 010045.JPG','dbKey':'D3_breen_010045.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/3/35/D3_breen_010067.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804105604&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Breen inside the sphere in the Citadel's Dark Fusion Reactor.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_breen_010067.JPG','title':'D3 breen 010067.JPG','dbKey':'D3_breen_010067.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/6/60/D3_breen_010140.JPG/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090804092846&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Ditto, from inside the sphere.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:D3_breen_010140.JPG','title':'D3 breen 010140.JPG','dbKey':'D3_breen_010140.JPG'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/8/86/Ep1_citadel_advisors_room_breen_record.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20090123070633&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Alyx watching the recording of Breen talking to the Advisor in Half-Life 2</i>.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Ep1_citadel_advisors_room_breen_record.jpg','title':'Ep1 citadel advisors room breen record.jpg','dbKey':'Ep1_citadel_advisors_room_breen_record.jpg'},{'thumbUrl':'https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/half-life/images/0/05/Ep1_citadel_010007.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20100211205851&path-prefix=en','thumbHtml':'nnnntnttnntntnntntnntntnnn</picture>nntntnntnntnnn</a>nn','caption':'Ditto.','linkHref':'/wiki/File:Ep1_citadel_010007.jpg','title':'Ep1 citadel 010007.jpg','dbKey':'Ep1_citadel_010007.jpg'}]'>City 17 Trainstation, during which Breen welcomes new Citizens.'>television in Citizen apartments.'>Half-Life 2.'>
List of appearances
References
See also
Half-Life 2 (stylized as HλLF-LIFE2) is a first-person shooter video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to 1998's Half-Life and was released in November 2004 following a five-year $40 million development. During development, a substantial part of the project was leaked and distributed on the Internet. The game was developed alongside Valve's Steam software and the Source engine.
Taking place some years after the events of Half-Life, protagonist Gordon Freeman is awakened by the enigmatic G-Man to find the world has been taken over by the alien Combine. Joined by allies including resistance fighter Alyx Vance, Gordon searches for a way to free humanity using a variety of weapons, including the object-manipulating Gravity Gun. All retail copies of the game, as well as all initial digital versions, were bundled with Counter-Strike: Source, which some game journalists referred to as part of Half-Life 2's 'multiplayer component.'[1]
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Half-Life 2 received critical acclaim, with praise directed towards its advanced physics, animation, sound, AI, graphics, and narrative, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest games of all time. The game won 39 'Game of the Year' awards and the title of 'Game of the Decade' at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards, in addition to sales of 12 million copies by 2011. It was followed by two episodic sequels: Episode One (2006) and Episode Two (2007).
Gameplay[edit]
A screenshot of the player engaging a group of antlions with a pulse rifle. Along the bottom of the screen, the player's health, suit charge level, and their ammunition are displayed.
Like its predecessor, Half-Life 2 is a single-player first-person shooter broken into several chapters, permanently casting the player as protagonist Gordon Freeman. The sequel has similar mechanics to Half-Life, including health-and-weapon systems and periodic physics puzzles, except with the newer Source engine and improved graphics. The player also starts without items, slowly building up their arsenal over the course of the game. Despite the game's mainly linear nature, much effort was put into making exploration rewarding and interesting; many optional areas can be missed or avoided.
A diverse set of enemies is present, which usually require being approached with different tactics: some coordinate in groups to out-maneuver or out-position the player; others, such as the Manhack, fly directly at the player through small openings and tight corridors. Others use predictable but powerful attacks, while others hide before swiftly attacking the player. Gordon can kill most enemies with his weapons, or make use of indirect means, exploiting environmental hazards such as explosive pressurized canisters, gas fires or improvised traps. For some portions of the game, Gordon can be joined by up to four armed Resistance soldiers or medics, and can send his team further from him or call them back.
Many of the game's new features utilize its detailed physics simulation. Two sections of the game involve driving vehicles. Instead of button-orientated puzzles from Half-Life, environmental puzzles are also introduced with makeshift mechanical systems, revolving around the player's new ability to pick up, move, and place objects. Solutions involve objects' physical properties, such as shape, weight, and buoyancy. For example; In chapter three, 'Route Kanal', the player is required to stack cinder blocks on a makeshift see-saw ramp to proceed over a wall. Alternatively, the player can build a crude staircase with the blocks, so the puzzle may be solved in multiple ways.
Part-way through the game, Gordon acquires the Gravity Gun, which allows him to draw distant objects towards himself or forcefully push them away, as well as the ability to manipulate larger and heavier objects that he cannot control without the weapon. These abilities are required to solve puzzles later in the game, and can also be used to great effect in combat, as any non-static object within proximity to the player has the potential to be used as a makeshift defense, such as a file cabinet, or a deadly projectile, such as a gasoline can or buzzsaw blade.
The game never separates the player with pre-rendered cutscenes or events; the story proceeds via exposition from other characters and in-world events, and the player is able to control Gordon for the entirety of the game. Much of the backstory to the game is simply alluded to, or told through the environment.
Plot[edit]
Some years after Gordon Freeman and other scientists accidentally opened a portal to a dimension of hostile aliens at the Black Mesa Research Facility, Freeman is awoken from stasis by the mysterious G-Man.[2][3] The portal attracted the attention of the Combine, a technologically superior multidimensional empire which conquered Earth in seven hours. The Combine have implemented a brutal police state by biologically assimilating humans and other species, and preventing humans from breeding via a 'suppression field'. The G-Man inserts Gordon into a train arriving at City 17, site of the Combine Citadel, where Dr. Wallace Breen, the former Black Mesa administrator who negotiated Earth's surrender, governs as the Combine's puppet ruler.[4]
After eluding Combine forces, Gordon joins resistance members including Barney Calhoun, a former Black Mesa security guard working undercover as a Combine police officer; Dr. Eli Vance, former Black Mesa scientist and leader of the resistance; Alyx Vance, Eli's daughter; and Dr. Kleiner, an eccentric Black Mesa scientist. After a failed attempt to teleport to the resistance base, Black Mesa East, from Kleiner's makeshift laboratory, Gordon progresses on foot through the city's canal system. He obtains an airboat and battles his way to Black Mesa East, several miles from the city.[5][6]
Gordon is reintroduced to Eli and meets another resistance scientist, Dr. Judith Mossman.[7] Alyx introduces Gordon to her pet robot D0g and gives him a 'gravity gun', an instrument which can manipulate large objects. Black Mesa East comes under Combine attack, and Eli and Mossman are taken to Nova Prospekt, a Combine prison. What is nero 12 essentials. Separated from Alyx, Gordon detours through the zombie-infested town of Ravenholm, assisted by its last survivor, Father Grigori. Escaping the town, Gordon discovers a resistance outpost, and uses a customized dune buggy to travel a crumbling coastal road to Nova Prospekt, encountering Combine patrols and helping the resistance fend off raids.
Gordon lays siege to Nova Prospekt by using pheromone pods to command the hordes of alien antlions that infest the coast. He reunites with Alyx in the prison and they locate Eli, but discover that Mossman is a Combine informant. Before they can stop her, Mossman teleports herself and Eli back to City 17's Citadel. The Combine teleporter explodes as Gordon and Alyx use it to escape Nova Prospekt.
Returning to Kleiner's lab, Gordon and Alyx learn that the teleporter malfunctioned and that a week has passed; during their absence, the resistance had fully mobilized against the Combine.[8] In battle, Alyx is captured by the Combine and taken to the Citadel; Gordon fights his way inside with the aid of D0g and Barney.[9] Gordon is then caught in a Combine 'confiscation chamber' that destroys all his weapons except the gravity gun, which is inadvertently supercharged by the forcefield, allowing Gordon to fight his way up the Citadel.
Gordon is eventually captured in a Combine transport pod and taken to Breen's office, where he and Mossman are waiting with Eli and Alyx in captivity. Breen explains his plans to further conquer humanity with the Combine, contrary to what he told Mossman.[10] Angered, Mossman frees Gordon, Alyx, and Eli before Breen can teleport them off-world. Breen tries to escape through a portal, but Gordon destroys the portal reactor with the gravity gun. Just before the Citadel is destroyed in an ensuing explosion, time is frozen. The G-Man reappears, praising Gordon for his actions in City 17. Making vague mention of 'offers for [Gordon's] services', the G-Man places him back into stasis.[11]
Development[edit]
A square in City 17, showing the Source engine's lighting and shadow effects
For Half-Life 2, Valve developed a new game engine, Source, 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 further interactivity.[12] When coupled with Steam, it becomes easy to roll out new features. One such example is high dynamic range rendering, which Valve first demonstrated in a free downloadable level called Lost Coast for owners of Half-Life 2.[13] Several other games use the Source engine, including Day of Defeat: Source and Counter-Strike: Source, both of which were also developed by Valve.[14]
Many elements were cut from the game. Half-Life 2 was originally intended to be a darker game with grittier art direction, where the Combine were more obviously draining the oceans for minerals and replacing the atmosphere with noxious, murky gases. Many environments were changed during development as well. City 17 was to resemble Industrial New York as opposed to the retail release's Soviet Europe influence (designer Viktor Antonov said to have been inspired by his childhood in Sofia under communist Bulgaria)[15] and Nova Prospekt was originally intended to be a small Combine rail depot built on an old prison in the wasteland. Eventually, Nova Prospekt grew from a stopping-off point along the way to the destination itself.[16]
Leak[edit]
Valve announced Half-Life 2 at E3 in May 2003, where it won several awards for best in show. Originally scheduled for release in September 2003, it was delayed in the wake of the cracking of Valve's internal network.[17] The network was accessed through a null session connection to a server owned by Tangis, which was hosted in Valve's network, and a subsequent upload of an ASP shell. This resulted in the leak of the Half-Life 2source code and many other files including maps, models and a playable early version of the game in early September 2003.[18] On October 2, 2003, Valve CEO Gabe Newell publicly revealed on Half-Life fan forums[19] the events that Valve experienced around the time of the leak, and asked users to help find the perpetrators.
In June 2004, Valve Software announced in a press release that the FBI had arrested several people suspected of involvement in the leak.[20] Valve claimed it was leaked by a German black-hat hacker named Axel 'Ago' Gembe. After the leak, Gembe had contacted Newell through email (also providing an unreleased document planning the E3 events).[21] Newell kept corresponding with Gembe, and Gembe was led to believe that Valve wanted to employ him as an in-house security auditor. He was to be offered a flight to the US and was to be arrested on arrival by the FBI. When the German government became aware of the plan, Gembe was arrested in Germany instead, and put on trial for the leak as well as other computer crimes in November 2006, such as the creation of Agobot, a highly successful trojan virus which harvested users' data.[22][23][24] At the trial in November 2006 in Germany, Gembe was sentenced to two years' probation. The judge took into account such factors as Gembe's difficult childhood and the fact that he was taking steps to improve his situation.[23]
Release[edit]
A 1 GB portion of Half-Life 2 became available for pre-load through Steam on August 26, 2004. This meant that customers could begin to download encrypted game files to their computer before the game was released. When the game's 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 entire 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.[25]
Half-Life 2 was simultaneously released through Steam, CD, and on DVD in several editions. Through Steam, Half-Life 2 had three packages that a customer could order. The basic version ('Bronze') includes only Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source, whereas the 'Silver' and 'Gold' (collector's edition) versions also include Half-Life: Source (ports of the original Half-Life and Day of Defeat mod to the new engine). The collector's edition/'Gold' version additionally includes merchandise, such as a T-shirt, a strategy guide and CD containing the soundtrack used in Half-Life 2. Both the disc and Steam versions require Steam to be installed and active for play to occur.[26] The retail copies of the game came in two versions, standard and Collector's Edition; these had identical content to the 'Bronze' and 'Gold' packages respectively.[27]
A demo version with the file size of a single CD was later made available in December 2004 at the web site of graphics card manufacturer ATI Technologies, who teamed up with Valve for the game. The demo contains a portion of two chapters: Point Insertion and 'We Don't Go To Ravenholm..'. This demo is currently available on Steam. In September 2005, Electronic Arts distributed the Game of the Year edition of Half-Life 2. Compared to the original CD-release of Half-Life 2, the Game of the Year edition also includes Half-Life: Source.[28]
Cyber café dispute[edit]
On September 20, 2004, GameSpot reported that Sierra's parent company, Vivendi Universal Games, was in a legal battle with Valve over the distribution of Half-Life 2 to cyber cafés. Cyber cafés are important for the Asian PC gaming market where PC and broadband penetration per capita are much lower (except Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan).[29]
According to Vivendi Universal Games, the distribution contract they signed with Valve included cyber cafés. This would mean that only Vivendi Universal Games could distribute Half-Life 2 to cyber cafés â not Valve through the Steam system. On November 29, 2004, Judge Thomas S. Zilly, of U.S. Federal District Court in Seattle, Washington, ruled that Vivendi Universal Games and its affiliates are not authorized to distribute (directly or indirectly) Valve games through cyber cafés to end users for pay-to-play activities pursuant to the parties' current publishing agreement. In addition, Judge Zilly ruled in favor of the Valve motion regarding the contractual limitation of liability, allowing Valve to recover copyright damages for any infringement as allowed by law without regard to the publishing agreement's limitation of liability clause.[30]
On April 29, 2005, the two parties announced a settlement agreement. Vivendi Universal Games would cease distributing all retail packaged versions of Valve games by August 31, 2005. Vivendi Universal Games also was to notify distributors and cyber cafés that had been licensed by Vivendi Universal Games that only Valve had the authority to distribute cyber café licenses, and hence their licenses were revoked and switched to Valve's.[31]
Ports and updates[edit]
On December 22, 2005, Valve released a 64-bit version of the Source game engine for x86-64 processor-based systems running Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows Server 2003 x64, Windows Vista x64, or Windows Server 2008 x64. This update, delivered via Steam, enabled Half-Life 2 and other Source-based games to run natively on 64-bit processors, bypassing the 32-bit compatibility layer. Gabe Newell, one of the founders of Valve, stated that this is 'an important step in the evolution of our game content and tools', and that the game benefits greatly from the update.[32] The response to the release varied: some users reported huge performance boosts, while technology site Techgage found several stability issues and no notable frame rate improvement.[33] At the time of release, 64-bit users 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 bent by AI, and other glitches.[34][35]
Valve partnered with Taito to release Half-Life 2: Survivor, an arcade game version of the game for the Japanese market in 2006.[36][37] During Electronic Arts' summer press event on July 13, 2006, Gabe Newell announced that Half-Life 2 would ship on next-generation consoles (specifically, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) along with episodes One and Two, Team Fortress 2, and Portal[38] in a package called The Orange Box. The Windows version was released on October 10, 2007, as both a retail boxed copy, and as a download available through Valve's Steam service. The Xbox 360 version was also released on October 10, 2007. A PlayStation 3 version was released on December 11, 2007.[39]
On May 26, 2010, Half-Life 2, along with Half-Life 2: Episode One and Episode Two, was released for Mac OS X.[40]Portal was made available for the platform on May 13, 2010, and despite the notable absence of Team Fortress 2 on the platform, Valve began selling The Orange Box for OS X on May 26, 2010. OS X support for Team Fortress 2 was added on June 10, 2010, completing the package.[41] In May 2013, Valve released a beta update to Half-Life 2 which included support for the Oculus Riftvirtual reality headset, with a full release of the feature coming later that year in June.[42]
An NVIDIA Shield-exclusive port for Android was released on May 12, 2014.[43]
Soundtrack[edit]
Purchasers of the Gold Package[45] of the game were given (among other things) a CD soundtrack, titled The Soundtrack of Half-Life 2, containing nearly all the music from the game, along with three bonus tracks. This CD was available for separate purchase via the Valve online store. The soundtrack was re-released in 2014 for use in Steam Music.[46]
Tracks 15, 16, 18 and 42 are bonus tracks that are exclusive to the CD soundtrack. Many of the tracks were retitled and carried over from the Half-Life soundtrack; the names in parentheses are the original titles. Tracks 34, 41, and 42 are remixes. The composer of the soundtrack is Kelly Bailey.[47][48]
Reception[edit]Critical reception[edit]
Half-life 2 Walkthrough
Half-Life 2 received critical acclaim upon release, gaining an aggregated score of 96/100 on Metacritic.[49] Sources, such as GameSpy,[57]The Cincinnati Enquirer,[63]The New York Times,[64] and VideoGamer.com,[62] have given perfect reviewing scores, and others, such as PC Gamer,[61]IGN,[59]GamesRadar,[58] and Eurogamer,[53][54] gave near-perfect scores, while the game became the fifth title to receive Edge magazine's ten-out-of-ten score.[52] Critics who applauded the game cited the advanced graphics and physics.[55][64]Maximum PC awarded Half-Life 2 an exaggerated, unprecedented 11 on their rating scale which normally peaks at 10, calling it 'the best game ever made'.[60]
In the United States, Half-Life 2's computer version sold 680,000 copies and earned $34.3 million by August 2006. It was the country's 17th best-selling computer game between January 2000 and August 2006.[65] It received a 'Platinum' sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[66] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[67]Forbes reported on February 9, 2011 that the game had sold 12 million copies worldwide.[68]
In a review of The Orange Box, IGN stated that although Half-Life 2 has already been released through other mediums, the game itself is still enjoyable on a console. They also noted that the physics of Half-Life 2 are very impressive despite being a console title. However, it was noted that the graphics on the Xbox 360 version of Half-Life 2 were not as impressive as when the title was released on the PC.[69] GameSpot's review of The Orange Box noticed that the content of both the Xbox 360 releases, and PlayStation 3 releases were exactly alike, the only issue with the PlayStation 3 version was that it had noticeable frame-rate hiccups. GameSpot continued to say that the frame rates issues were only minor but some consider them to be a significant irritation.[56]
Several critics, including some that had given positive reviews, complained about the required usage of the program Steam, the requirement to create an account, register the products, and permanently lock them to the account before being allowed to play, along with installation difficulties and lack of support.[64]
The editors of Computer Gaming World nominated Half-Life 2 for their 2004 'Single-Player Shooter of the Year' and overall 'Game of the Year' awards, although it lost to Painkiller and World of Warcraft, respectively. They wrote, 'Half-Life 2, everyone's default pick to win this year, is indeed a fantastic roller coaster of a ride, not as great as the original but still leagues above most other shooters.'[70]
Awards[edit]
Half-Life 2 earned 39 Game of the Year awards,[71] including Overall Game of the Year at IGN, GameSpot's Award for Best Shooter, GameSpot's Reader's Choice â PC Game of the Year Award, Game of the Year from The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, and 'Best Game' with the Game Developers Choice Awards, where it was also given various awards for technology, characters, and writing. Edge magazine awarded Half Life 2 with its top honor of the year with the award for Best Game, as well as awards for Innovation and Visual Design. The game also had a strong showing at the 2004 British Academy Video Games Awards, picking up six awards, more than any other game that night, with awards including 'Best Game' and 'Best Online and Multiplayer.'[72]Computer Games Magazine named Half-Life 2 the fourth-best computer game of 2004. The editors call it 'a masterful single-player experience that plays a constant game of one-upmanship with itself.' It won the magazine's 'Best Technology' and 'Best Writing' awards, and was a runner-up in the 'Best Sound Effects', 'Best AI' and 'Best Voice Acting' categories.[73]
Guinness World Records awarded Half-Life 2 the world record for 'Highest Rated Shooter by PC Gamer Magazine' in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. Other records awarded the game in the book include, 'Largest Digital Distribution Channel' for Valve's Steam service, 'First Game to Feature a Gravity Gun', and 'First PC Game to Feature Developer Commentary'.[74] In 2009, Game Informer put Half-Life 2 5th on their list of 'The Top 200 Games of All Time', saying that 'With Half-Life 2, Valve redefined the way first-person shooters were created'.[75]
Half-Life 2 was selected by readers of The Guardian as the best game of the decade, with praise given especially to the environment design throughout the game. According to the newspaper, it 'pushed the envelope for the genre, and set a new high watermark for FPS narrative'. One author commented: 'Half-Life 2 always felt like the European arthouse answer to the Hollywood bluster of Halo and Call of Duty'.[76]Half-Life 2 won Crispy Gamer's Game of the Decade[77] tournament style poll. It also won Reviews on the Run's,[78] IGN's[79] Best Game of the Decade and Spike Video Game Awards 2012 Game of the Decade.[80]
Mods[edit]
Since the release of the Source engine SDK, a large number of modifications (mods) have been developed by the Half-Life 2 community. Mods vary in scale, from fan-created levels and weapons, to partial conversions such as Rock 24, Half-Life 2 Substance and SMOD (which modify the storyline and gameplay of the pre-existing game), SourceForts and Garry's Mod (which allow the player to experiment with the physics system in a sandbox mode), to total conversions such as Black Mesa, Dystopia, Zombie Master or Iron Grip: The Oppression, the last of which transforms the game from a first-person shooter into a real-time strategy game.[81][82] Some mods take place in the Half-Life universe; others in completely original settings. Many more mods are still in development, including Lift, The Myriad, Operation Black Mesa, and the episodic single-player mod Minerva.[83] Several multiplayer mods, such as Pirates, Vikings and Knights II, a predominately sword-fighting game; Insurgency: Modern Infantry Combat, which focuses on realistic modern infantry combat; and Jailbreak Source have been opened to the public as a beta.[84][85] As part of its community support, Valve announced in September 2008 that several mods, with more planned in the future, were being integrated into the Steamworks program, allowing the mods to make full use of Steam's distribution and update capabilities.[86]
Sequels[edit]
Since the release of Half-Life 2, Valve Corporation has released an additional level and two additional 'expansion' sequels. The level, released as Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, was meant to take place between the levels 'Highway 17' and 'Sandtraps'.[87] It serves primarily as a showcase for high-dynamic-range rendering (HDR) technology. The first expansion sequel, Half-Life 2: Episode One, takes place immediately after the events of Half-Life 2, with the player taking on the role of Gordon Freeman once again and with Alyx Vance playing a more prominent role. Half-Life 2: Episode Two continues directly from the ending of Episode One, with Alyx and Gordon making their way to White Forest Missile base, a hideout of the resistance. A third episode is set to be released in the future, completing an intended trilogy.[88] In a June 2006 interview with Eurogamer, Gabe Newell revealed that the Half-Life 2 'episodes' are essentially Half-Life 3.[89] He reasons that rather than force fans to wait another six years for a full sequel, Valve Corporation would release the game in episodic installments.[89] Newell stated that a more accurate title for these episodes would have been 'Half-Life 3: Episode One' and so forth, having referred to the episodes as Half-Life 3 repeatedly throughout the interview.[89] In a May 2011 interview with Develop, Newell stated that the episodic model had been replaced by even shorter development cycles and continuous updates via Steam.[90]
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