I didn't really know what to expect when I started playing Half-Life.  I was guessing that it was a Quake 2 plus better graphics type of game, but I was really pleasantly surprised when I actually played it.   Immediately, during the intro you see the upgraded effort that the folks at Valve put into this title.  It starts off with your character, Dr. Gordon Freeman, a scientist that is working in a top-secret research facility located in hidden base in the desert.  You get a mini guided tour of the entrance of this facility while you ride mono-rail through many of the buildings and areas in the underground fortress.   There are many things to look at, as well as plentiful narration from the bases computerized voice, explaining some of the procedures to be followed.  When you arrive to your testing facility you are greeted by fellow co-workers and told to hurry to the lab because you are already running late for the experiment.  For the first 15 minutes or so, you are navigating and conversing with co-workers, and you sort of forget your playing an "action" title.  There are many unique areas and incredible graphics that pull you into the game, making you want to play more to see what is around the corner.

The many features: Half-Life really shines in this department.  First and foremost, this game gives you an incentive to play!   Previous games tried to sell you on graphics to want to play more.  Half-Life gives you the graphics for free, and sells you on an awesome story that you just cant seem to stop yourself from trying to get more.  The story ties in with the action perfectly too, the levels themselves are not repetitive at all.  You travel through your research lab to military installations to top-secret test labs, to strange alien worlds.  From a pure shooter standpoint, Half-Life easily holds its own in the gameplay department with its wide variety of weapons and options when using them.   For instance, the rocket launcher fires guided missiles that you control in flight as the missile races at insane speeds to its target.  I should also mention that there is software included to create your own 3D levels.  This software (WorldCraft 2.0) is no shabby product, it is a high-quality program full of 3D tools.  Also, a special version of 'gamespy' has been included so that you can easily find internet games for multiplayer gaming.  There is a nifty tutorial in the beginning of the game that teaches you basic and advanced maneuvering as well as some weapons testing, and it is very well executed, making you want to jump right into the action of the game.

I would have to say that this game is better than Heretic 2 (which I loved) because of its intense story and interaction with other characters in the game.   Despite the perfect features this game possesses, there is one flaw that I would like to mention.  After spending many hours playing the single player mission, I was on the verge of wining the game when the story abruptly ended.  The last  few levels is really a graphic fest, and the ending is incredibly short, and unfortunately, a bit lame.  Considering the whole game is full of little stories and the intro is extremely long, you will be a tad disappointed in the ending.  This is all very minor in the grand scheme of things though, the positives easily outweigh the the ending lamality, and the story is totally cool and should be experienced.  As far as 1st shooter games go, this one is simply, the best.  I have played all the popular 1st person shooter games and this one takes the genre to the next level, which will be great for gamers, because the competition will now be forced to try and match this high-caliber standard which was set by the incredible team at Valve Software.