Half-Life 2 Archives

AppWizard

April 3, 2025

The BAFTAs declares Shenmue and a game that came out 2 months ago more influential than Tetris and expects us to all just go along with that

The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) invited the gaming community to vote for the most influential video game of all time. The results named Yu Suzuki's 1999 Dreamcast title, Shenmue, as the most influential game, praised for pioneering open-world gameplay and popularizing Quick Time Events (QTEs). The subsequent rankings included Doom in second place, Super Mario Bros in third, Half-Life in fourth, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Minecraft in fifth and sixth, respectively. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was ranked seventh, despite being a recent release. The voting process raised questions about the interpretation of "most influential," as some voters seemed to equate it with personal enjoyment, leading to unexpected results. The full list of the BAFTA's most influential games includes: 1. Shenmue 2. Doom 3. Super Mario Bros 4. Half-Life 5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 6. Minecraft 7. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 8. Super Mario 64 9. Half-Life 2 10. The Sims 11. Tetris 12. Tomb Raider 13. Pong 14. Metal Gear Solid 15. World of Warcraft 16. Baldur's Gate 3 17. Final Fantasy VII 18. Dark Souls 19. Grand Theft Auto 3 20. Skyrim 21. Grand Theft Auto

AppWizard

March 18, 2025

Half-Life 2 RTX is the future of PC gaming, for better or worse

Nvidia has released a complimentary two-hour demo of Half-Life 2 RTX for owners of the original Half-Life 2, showcasing advanced features such as full path tracing and neural shaders. The game includes enhancements like improved meshes, materials, lighting, and the Neural Radiance Cache, which optimizes ray-traced indirect light. The demo demonstrates significant upgrades in asset quality and shadow rendering, but the game is resource-intensive, requiring DLSS for playable performance, particularly at 4K resolution. The demo evokes the original game's atmosphere and is seen as a significant step in Nvidia's remastering efforts. There is currently no release date for the full version, but the demo is available for free on Steam.

AppWizard

February 27, 2025

PC Gamer magazine’s new issue is on sale now: inZOI

PC Gamer features an exclusive look at the life simulation game inZOI, developed by Krafton, which aims to compete with The Sims. Game director Hyungjun Kim discusses the game's character creator, narrative, and gameplay mechanics, including AI-controlled NPCs. The issue also includes a review of Civilization 7, a retrospective on the series since its 1991 debut, and a preview of Doom: The Dark Ages, which focuses on ground-based combat in a medieval setting. Additionally, the reviews section covers various titles, and the tech team builds a high-performance gaming rig with the GeForce RTX 5090. The issue highlights new gaming experiences from Japan and is available in print and digital formats.

AppWizard

February 17, 2025

Half-Life 2 and Dishonored artist Viktor Antonov has died

Viktor Antonov, a prominent figure in the gaming industry, passed away at the age of 52. His death was announced via an Instagram story by former Valve writer Mark Laidlaw, with no specific details provided. Born in 1972, Antonov was known for his artistic contributions to several iconic video games, including Half-Life 2, Dishonored, Counter-Strike: Source, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Fallout 4, Doom (2016), and Prey. Colleagues from Arkane Studios, such as Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith, shared their admiration for Antonov, highlighting his influence on the studio's success and his sense of humor. Pete Hines, a former Bethesda employee, also expressed his sorrow and acknowledged Antonov's talent in creating immersive game worlds.

AppWizard

December 23, 2024

Valve changed gaming forever with a single app

Valve's Steam was launched on September 12, 2003, as a digital game distribution platform, initially intended to distribute updates for games like Half-Life 2. It evolved from a patching service to a comprehensive storefront, allowing players to buy, download, install, and launch PC games quickly. Steam's requirement for internet access and authentication for Half-Life 2 marked a significant shift in the gaming landscape. The platform faced challenges, including the problematic Steam Greenlight program, which was replaced due to an overwhelming number of submissions. Despite competition from other platforms, Steam has maintained its market dominance, raising questions about digital ownership. Users appreciate Steam for its sales, functionality, and user-friendly interface, making it a preferred choice for many gamers.

AppWizard

December 22, 2024

The Best PC Games to Play in 2025

The PC gaming landscape in 2025 will feature major AAA releases such as Grand Theft Auto VI, Avowed, Assetto Corsa Evo, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Frostpunk 2, and Indika. Technological advancements like ray tracing and DLSS will enhance graphical quality and performance, while cloud gaming services will offer new ways to access games. Players can expect a variety of genres, including RPGs, FPS, simulation, and strategy, each with unique pros and cons. The most anticipated games include Grand Theft Auto VI, Avowed, Assetto Corsa Evo, Stalker 2, Frostpunk 2, Indika, Death Stranding 2, Homeworld 3, Broken Roads, and Pacific Drive. Popular PC-exclusive titles include Valorant, League of Legends, Crusader Kings III, and Factorio. The most played PC games currently are Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Apex Legends, Grand Theft Auto V, Baldur’s Gate 3, Naraka: Bladepoint, Team Fortress 2, Rust, and Cyberpunk 2077. Counter-Strike 2 has the highest concurrent player count on Steam.

AppWizard

December 6, 2024

20 best PC games to play right now

Neva is an adventure game exploring themes of survival, nature, and loss, where players navigate life and death challenges through emotional narratives and puzzles. Alan Wake 2 is a psychological survival horror sequel featuring protagonists Alan Wake and FBI agent Saga Anderson, focusing on complex puzzles and survival mechanics. Balatro reimagines poker with special decks and magical cards, altering traditional gameplay dynamics. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes combines puzzle-solving with visual storytelling in a mysterious world. Cult of the Lamb is a rogue-like game where players build a cult as a lamb saved from death, blending action and resource management. Hades II follows Melinoë on a quest against Kronos, introducing new gods and mechanics in a roguelike format. Elden Ring is an open-world action RPG with vast exploration and dynamic combat in a dark fantasy setting. Still Wakes the Deep is a narrative-driven horror game set on an oil rig, exploring psychological and supernatural horror. Rollerdrome combines third-person shooting with roller-skating in a dystopian future. Tunic features a small fox exploring a mysterious world filled with puzzles and secrets. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood allows players to craft tarot cards that shape destinies in a narrative-driven experience. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is an adventure game inspired by Japanese mythology, focusing on fast-paced combat and strategic elements. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series compiles all seasons of the series, emphasizing choice-driven gameplay and character evolution. Baldur's Gate 3 is a role-playing game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, featuring deep RPG mechanics and impactful decisions. League of Legends is a free-to-play MOBA game known for its strategy and team coordination. Cocoon is a puzzle-adventure game where players navigate between realms and solve intricate puzzles. Kentucky Route Zero is an adventure game exploring American culture through surreal storytelling. Valorant is a tactical first-person shooter that combines traditional mechanics with hero abilities. Final Fantasy XIV is an MMORPG set in Eorzea, known for its rich story and extensive content updates. Half-Life 2 features protagonist Gordon Freeman in a dystopian world, celebrated for its innovative gameplay and narrative.

AppWizard

November 25, 2024

Valve first came up with the Steam Hardware Survey more than 20 years ago because it wanted to know what specs it should target for Half-Life 2

The Steam Hardware Survey was initiated by Valve during the development of Half-Life 2 due to challenges in understanding hardware specifications. Jay Stelly, a senior engineer at Valve, noted that there was a lack of data on the hardware used by customers, prompting Valve to create a tool for players to report their hardware directly. This led to the launch of the Steam Hardware Survey in April 2003. The latest survey, released in October, shows significant changes in the gaming industry, including the dominance of Nvidia in artificial intelligence and ongoing competition between Intel and AMD. The metrics for core counts, storage, RAM, and clock speeds have increased, and Steam has become the primary platform for PC gaming, with Linux gaining traction and Mac gaming remaining niche.

AppWizard

November 20, 2024

Half-Life 2 review

Half-Life 2 received review scores of 96% in PC Gamer UK and 98% in the US edition. The game is set in City 17 and features meticulously designed environments that invite exploration. Its combat is characterized by impactful sound effects and a physics engine that allows for innovative interactions with the environment. The Gravity Gun is a key gameplay mechanic that enables players to manipulate objects creatively. The game includes challenges that require clever use of the Gravity Gun and encourages exploration through its pacing and side quests. Players encounter human allies and face formidable foes, creating an exhilarating atmosphere. Despite minor criticisms, the game is praised for its storytelling and design, influencing the video game industry significantly.

AppWizard

November 18, 2024

Half-Life 2 its record 64k concurrent players

Half-Life 2 reached a peak of 64,085 concurrent players on Steam at 17:00 UTC on November 17th, surpassing the previous record of 16,101 set in 2021. This increase in player activity coincided with Valve offering the game for free to celebrate its 20th anniversary, which was originally released on November 16th, 2004. Additionally, Valve released a two-hour documentary about Half-Life 2, featuring unreleased footage of Episode Three.