Halflife

   Voted best game of 1998, this game is sure to stand out in every video gamer's library.  Filled with lots of terror, excitement, and frustration, Halflife brings out the worst in everybody that encounters it. 

    I know what you are thinking...  Big deal, another Doom clone, what's new!  Well I assure that this game can't compare with the likes of Duke Nuke 'Em or even the world reknowned Quake II.  Boasting awesome 3d graphics, you will be blown away.

    The game starts with a great video sequence.   You find yourself, as a scientist that works at a research institute, on your way to work.  But to enter the high security structure, you ride a transit system to your lab.  On the way you can look around and get an idea of the world to come, this will become your home of the next couple months (since you will be hooked).  Once you get to the dock, you meet a security guard who will let you into the building.  Now you must hurry here since you are running late and all the dumb scientists won't leave you alone until you make it into the research lab.  Once you make it you get to conduct the test from inside the chamber where a big beam of light is.  And don't worry everything will go as expected, I mean expected if you know that everything goes out of control.  The beam opens up a teleport turning scientists into aliens and unleashing mad monsters everywhere.

    Typically you go around collecting weapons and killing the aliens.  But this is different than most games where you see the guy and shoot.  There is actually strategy to this game and puzzle to solve, but not without the excitement of a rampage.  But it's not a shoot 'em up adventure.   No, in Halflife you don't know what to shoot until it's too late.  And here's some good advice:  DON'T WEAR HEADPHONES WHEN PLAYING!  YOU WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE A HEART ATTACK!  Seriously...  If you thought you jumped a lot for the Friday the 13th movies, you have noooo idea.  This isn't that little girly horror.  This is the kind of horror where you end up with your head stuck in you ceiling because you jumped so high when the alien jumped out of the nook or cranny.   BEWARE!!!  You know those little signs they put outside of rollercoasters at amusement parks?  They should've put one on this box too.  Trust me, it's a blast.

    One of my favorite things about Halflife is the control.  With a system almost identically Rainbow Six, one of my favorites, it is a lot of fun to move around throught Black Mesa Laboratorys.  Of course, you can customize them to your liking, which is what I did, but either way you can get great grasp on you triggers.  My favorite feature of the control is one that has been becoming increasingly popular in the gaming world, the use of the mouse to move the head.  I love being able to look all around with my right hand while my left is doin' the walking, jumping, climbing, etc.  It's great

    Over all this is a perfect game that if you buy you should be willing to spend hours drooling over.  I love it and I'm sure you will too.  Now get off your butt and go get it!