Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 is a story-driven first-person shooter by Valve. As physicist Gordon Freeman, you fight the Combine, an alien occupying force, in the occupied city of City 17. The adventure combines gunfights with exploration, puzzles and physics that make objects and environments part of the story.

Half-Life 2 was released for Windows on Nov 16, 2004. The original Xbox version followed in 2005. On Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the game came out in 2007 as part of the The Orange Box collection. In 2014, a native Android version was released for selected NVIDIA SHIELD devices.

Since November 2024, the PC version on Steam also includes Episode One and Episode Two.

Half-Life 2 is natively available for PC, the original Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Android. The PC version includes Windows as well as the macOS and Linux versions added later. The Android version was developed for NVIDIA SHIELD and is not a general mobile phone version.

On newer Xbox consoles, an older Xbox version may be playable through backward compatibility. This does not create a standalone Xbox One or Xbox Series version. A native PS4 or PS5 version was not released.

You move through connected sections, look for ways through sealed-off buildings, solve physics puzzles and face Combine soldiers, zombies and other creatures. Combat and small puzzles alternate, while the story is told largely directly in the game world.

Half-Life 2: Episode One and Episode Two continue the story after the main game. Since the November 2024 anniversary update, both episodes are included in the Steam version and can be launched directly from its menu. The technology demo Lost Coast is also in the Extras menu.

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch is the separate multiplayer spin-off. The Orange Box is a game collection that includes Half-Life content as well as Portal and Team Fortress 2.

The originally published minimum requirements call for a 1.7 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, DirectX 8.1 compatible graphics and about 6.5 GB of storage. The current Steam client now requires Windows 10 or newer. The historical minimum specs are therefore not a recommendation for a modern Windows system.

Humanity lost the Seven Hour War. Gordon Freeman wakes from stasis and, in City 17, meets Alyx Vance, her father Eli and other members of the resistance. The escape from the occupying force turns into a fight against its rule over Earth.

City 17 combines surveilled streets, residential buildings and industrial sites with outskirts, canals and abandoned coastal areas. The locations change the pace of the campaign: tight escapes are followed by open stretches with vehicles and larger battles with the Combine.

With the Gravity Gun, you move and fling objects, clear obstacles out of the way and use the environment against enemies. Crates, barrels and other movable objects are not just decoration. They form the basis of many puzzles and tactical options.

Besides the crowbar, you have access to firearms, grenades and the Gravity Gun, among others. Different enemy types call for different tactics: Combine soldiers fight with ranged weapons, while zombies and other creatures become dangerous mainly in tight areas.

A hovercraft and later a buggy add variety to the journey. You cover longer distances, dodge obstacles and even get into fights while driving. The vehicle sections are fixed parts of the single-player campaign.

The main campaign is designed for one person. A regular cooperative story campaign is not part of the base game. If you want to play online against others, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch is a separate multiplayer title in the same universe.

Since November 2024, the Steam version supports the Steam Workshop. You can use it to discover and install community-made campaigns, models, user interfaces and other changes. With the Source SDK, you can develop your own projects with Valve's engine.

The 20th anniversary update added developer commentary, improved control options, new graphics and lighting settings, and reworks to many maps. Valve also integrated the two story episodes into the PC version. The additional commentary comes from the original development team.

Half-Life 2 supports mouse and keyboard as well as gamepads. The anniversary update reworked controller controls and aim assist. A controller-focused menu interface is available for Steam Deck and Big Picture mode.

The Steam version includes German menu text, voice-over and subtitles. English and French are also available with full voice-overs, among others. Other languages are offered as text translations.

The Orange Box bundles several games from Valve. Along with Half-Life 2 and its episodes, it includes Portal and Team Fortress 2. Half-Life 2 appeared in this collection on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, while the original Xbox version was already released separately in 2005.