Half-Life 1: Anthology (PC DVD)

Half-Life was originally released in 1998 and, at the time, revolutionised FPS's (First Person Shooters). The graphics were unlike anything ever seen before. The union of intense gun battles and puzzle solving with a plot driven storyline set the standard for all the subsiquent FPS releases.If you compaire it to todays FPS's it does look dated (I remind you that it is 8 years old!) but is worth a buy, just to see how it all started.Gameplay is still enjoyable and will keep you occupied for weeks.The additions in this pack are also enjoyable but lack the storyline of the original. "Opposing Forces" puts you in the army boots of one of the marines sent to the Black-Mesa Facility during the events of Half-Life to "clean-up" the problem. Likewise in "Blue Shift" you assume the role of a Black-Mesa security gaurd, again during the events of Half-Life. Eventhough they may lack in storyline these "add-on" packs did slightly improve the quality of graphics and your arsenal! At the time they were released they did keep you from utter boredom during the period between Half-Life and Half-Life 2 (8 years of waiting!).Half-Life also has a huge, thriving, modding community. Although allot of these have now moved to Half-life 2 there are still huge amounts of mods to try. All available on Steam (Valve's online Authentication system and updater)Definately one of the all time greats!

It's great fun and worth the price. It's very addictive.

Just a word of warning to those without internet at home- you need an internet connection to install and play Half Life Anthology, including all the single player elements. Since I don't have the internet at home I had to return my copy.

When you buy this game new, you have to register a code online with Steam in order to play. If you buy second hand, this code will already have been registered and your game won't work. It also won't work if you aren't connected to the internet e.g. by broadband. Don't buy it second hand!

Having played half-life a few years back, I decided to splash out a few quid on buying this compilation issue before looking into the sequel.However, two hours after install I am annoyed that I have instead wasted my entire night of gaming trying to actually load the game. Regretably the "steam" software to allow you to play the game does not seem to function properly, and dsespite opening ports and disabling firewalls, nothing seems to be working and valve offer little useful support on there website beyond this.No doub tthis problem will get sorted out via technical support e-mails in the long term, but this means I will have wasted two nights of gaming wrestling with there frustrating propriatory installation software. I can unserstand why others might find less legimate copies of this game simply to svoid this nightmare, because as a legitimate owner I seem unable to play the game I paid money for.This frustration tempered by memories of how good this game was when it was easy to load averages out to a three star review.

First off for the uninitiated, you need an online client called Steam to play this game, and some people may hate that even though it's now six years old and counting and works like a dream compared to when it was made compulsory in 2004 with Valve games.Secondly, although you can download a texture pack that makes the game look better, since it's from 12 years ago, if you purchase Half-Life Source direct through Steam and download it, that version looks even better - and it's the same game - but when you buy this, you get all the add-ons in the box straight off. Blue Shift is quite short though, even though it has a defined ending that isn't just "kill the giant baddie".They are classics, but now, you really had to be there and there's the modding community working on an updated remake of the game as well. If you never ever played them though, and want a slice of PC gaming history, then they're still worth considering.

I had already played Half Life 1 when I lived in Greece a couple of years ago and was pleased to be able to play it again. Opposing force was on the same lines but enjoyed playing it even though I wasn't Freeman. Blue Shift was good but played a bit laggy at times which was annoying. Overall very good FPS games. Are they going to bring anymore Half-Life games out, I have got H.L 2 & expansion pack, so will look forward to a follow on. The only down side was that all the scientists and guards have the same faces.

Half-Life is truly an exemplary game. Responsible to a large extent for popularising (though, not introducing) the concepts of a coherent plot, memorable characters and the illusion of a larger world around you, to the first-person shooter genre, its importance cannot be overstated.These days it still looks fairly attractive, graphically, though obviously dated to at least some extent. Still, it holds up well, and the play itself is as compelling as ever. Up until the last segment of the game, you will meet many well-realised (in a background character sense) characters, take place in many a tense shoot-out, and narrowly escape many excitingly scripted set-piece moments. The last portion is unfortunately an anti-climax, for reasons I cannot reveal without spoiling the plot. Still, up until then it is a thrilling ride.Even now it is, at least, the equal of its similarly celebrated sequel, and a must-play for any self-declared games fan, as both an essential piece of history and an astounding example of a wonderful game - its developers first ever game, no less!