Half-Life Video Game Series
A hugely popular series of first-person shooters (FPS) set in a science fiction universe. The series was created by Valve Software studio with support from Gearbox Software and Taito Corporation, among others.
The series debuted in 1998 with the game Half-Life. The title received excellent reviews from critics (the average rating on metacritic.com is 96/100) and gained great popularity among gamers. Following the success, the developers prepared three expansions: Opposing Force (1999), Blue Shift (2001) and Decay (2001) exclusively for the PlayStation 2 console. Players had to wait until 2004 for the full-fledged continuation of Gordon Freeman's adventures. The production was received by players as enthusiastically as the first part and is sometimes considered the best game in Valve Software's portfolio. Due to Half-Life 2's commercial success the developers released two smaller productions in the form of episodes - Half-Life 2: Episode One (2006) and Half-Life 2: Episode Two (2007). It is worth noting that originally Portal (2007) was considered to be a spin-off installment of the Half-Life series. However, over time it was developed into a separate brand, although set in the same universe. Fans had to wait 13 years for another Half-Life game. A spin-off of the Half-Life: Alyx series debuted in March 2020 on PC and required VR goggles. The announcement of this title came as a surprise to gamers - not only because of how long it was since the release of the previous installment, but also because big-budget games have mostly avoided the relatively expensive and unpopular virtual reality technology.
The games in the Half-Life series take place in the near future. The main character of the series is Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist employed at the secret research facility Black Mesa, where during one of the failed experiments a resonance cascade happens. It opens portals to the world of Xen, inhabited by an aggressive race of aliens who are trying to make their way to Earth. The plot of the first game focuses on the attempt to get out of the research complex, and Gordon's opponents are both aliens and marines, who in order to cover up the case try to get rid of witnesses. The sequel takes place several years later, when humanity has lost the battle against the aliens and has been enslaved. Freeman again has to face the aliens, and the action takes place in the futuristic metropolis of City 17 serving as the enemies' headquarters. Following the releases of Half-Life 2: Episode One (2006) and Two (2007) Valve has gone silent when it comes to one of its most popular franchises. Rumors about a formation circulated the Internet every few years, but the departure of the series' top writers in 2017 and 2018 reduced the fading expectations of fans. However, after 13 years we got the opportunity to play a spin-off called Half Life: Alyx. The game is not a continuation of Gordon Freeman's story. Instead, it focuses on Alyx Vance, whom we could meet in the second game. The action takes place between the first and second installments of the series. A sinister race of aliens from the world of Xen has conquered the planet, the survivors of humanity are locked in enclaves under the control not only of the alien civilization, but also of Earthlings collaborating with it. A resistance movement is born, and one of its leaders is the titular protagonist.
Initially, the games in the Half-Life series ran on the GoldScr engine, which was a modified version of the Quake Engine. However, a real leap in the quality of visuals happend when the devs switched to Source technology, which was first used in Half-Life 2, and then also in the original Half-Life (Half-Life: Source). The debut of the series on VR technology required a change of the engine. The choice fell on the improved version of Source - Source 2, revealed in 2015, which has already managed to prove itself in such games as Dota 2 (via the patch Reborn), Artifact or Dota Underlords.
One of the interesting facts about the Half-Life series is the silent main character. Gordon Freeman does not utter a word, which has become the object of many popular jokes among players.
In 2020, after many years of work, a group of 40 people called Crowbar Collective recreated from scratch the world of the original Half-Life without using the game's source code and released it as Black Mesa.
Half-Life Series Evolution
2025
Half-Life 2 RTX
2022
Half-Life 2: VR
2020
Half-Life: Alyx
2020
Black Mesa
2007
The Orange Box
2004
Half-Life 2
1998
Half-Life
Half-Life 3
TBA
Action, FPP, FPS, Science Fiction, Singleplayer, Shooters.
The third installment in a bestselling series of first-person shooters, its current status still unclear. There's been lots of unofficial leaks surrounding Half-Life 3, rarely commented on (and usually shot down) by Valve.
Project Borealis
TBA
Action, FPP, FPS, Mods, Science Fiction, Singleplayer, Shooters.
A fan-made interpretation of Half-Life 2: Episode Three, based on the screenplay published by Marc Laidlaw in 2017. Project Borealis is a first-person shooter, continuining the story from HL2 (it is not considered canon). The game is using Unreal Engine 5, however it is distributed as a mod for Half-Life 2.
Half-Life 2 RTX
March 18, 2025
Action, FPP, FPS, Mods, Remaster/remake, Science Fiction, Singleplayer, Shooters.
A fan-made remaster of Half-Life 2 - a cult first-person shooter from 2004. Half-Life 2 RTX was prepared with the support of Nvidia, along with Valve's blessing. This version is meant as a demonstration of various technologies offered by modern graphic cards, with ray tracing option being the most important innovation.
Users
Half-Life 2: VR
September 16, 2022
Action, FPP, FPS, Meta Quest / Oculus, Mods, Science Fiction, Singleplayer, SteamVR, Shooters, VR.
Comprehensive modification for Half- Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One and Half-Life 2: Episode Two, which enriches these titles with support for virtual reality goggles and dedicated motion controllers. Behind its development is a group of ardent fans of the series. The modification is distributed free of charge - however, it requires the above mentioned productions to work.
Users
Half-Life: Alyx
March 23, 2020
Action, FPP, FPS, Meta Quest / Oculus, Action Adventure, Science Fiction, Singleplayer, SteamVR, Shooters, VR.
Another part of the Half-Life shooter series. This time we are dealing with a title dedicated to the VR sets, in which we control Alyx Vance, heroine known from the Half-Life 2. The production was developed by Valve Software.
Gamepressure
OpenCritic
Steam
Users
Black Mesa
March 5, 2020
Action, FPP, FPS, Indie Games, Internet, Multiplayer, Remaster/remake, Science Fiction, Singleplayer, Shooters.
A fan modification of the classic first-person shooter Half-Life from 1998; the mod's development took roughly 8 years to complete. In terms of plot, the production is a faithful recreation of the original game and tells the story of Gordon Freeman, a physicist, and his struggle for survival in the titular Black Mesa Research Facility invaded by mysterious beings from another dimension. The implemented changes relate primarily to the audio-visual aspects, which were developed entirely from scratch, using the original locations, 3D models, and sound effects as a model. The game is powered by the popular Source engine, which created for the cult Half-Life 2, enabling it – in comparison with the original GoldSrc engine – to fully employ the capabilities of modern graphics cards and multi-core processors. This allows us to enjoy high-quality visuals, improved physics and character animations, and a host of advanced visual effects. An entirely new soundtrack, composed by Joel Nielsen, was also made for the game.
OpenCritic
Steam
Users
The Orange Box
October 10, 2007
Action, Puzzle Elements, FPP, FPS, Internet, LAN, Multiplayer, Science Fiction, Singleplayer, Shooters.
A unique set of five games developed by the American studio Valve for PC and seventh generation consoles. All of them are powered by the Source Engine, a technology used for creating many good, highly valued games across the years. The main part of the bundle is the best-selling FPS Half-Life 2 and its two expansions: Episode One and Episode Two. The story of the games revolves around two characters: a physicist Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance, a member of the anti-alien resistance. Together they face creatures from another dimension who took control of fictional City 17 after escaping from the Black Mesa lab. In the bundle the player will also find a humoristic, multiplayer shooter Team Fortress 2 and an FPP puzzle game, Portal, in which one must use an experimental weapon to find exit from set of chambers in a secret research facility.
Users
Half-Life 2
November 16, 2004
Action, Dystopia, FPP, FPS, Meta Quest / Oculus, Science Fiction, Singleplayer, Shooters, VR.
A sequel to the Valve Software's best-selling game that set new standards for the FPS genre back in 1998. Half-Life 2 is set several years after the events of the first game. Once again, the player assumes the role of Gordon Freeman – a doctor of physics who used to work in Black Mesa Labs, where an unfortunate incident opened a portal for alien life forms to invade the Earth. This time, the story takes us into a fictional City 17 and its immediate vicinity. The protagonist now works for a secret government organization. His mission is to repel the invaders from another dimension, in which he is aided by Alyx Vance – a young women fighting as a part of human resistance. The sequel introduces a technological revolution, employing the Valve’s proprietary game engine called Source. Its main advantage is excellent physics simulation, letting players destroy almost any element of environment and use various objects as covers or even weapons.
Steam
Users
Expansion Packs:
- Half-Life 2: Episode Three cancelled
- Half-Life 2: Episode One June 1, 2006
- Half-Life 2: Episode Two October 10, 2007
Half-Life
November 19, 1998
Action, FPP, FPS, Internet, LAN, Multiplayer, Splitscreen, Science Fiction, Singleplayer, Shooters.
An FPS set in a science-fiction world, created by the debuting American studio Valve Software. The story takes place in secret research facility of Black Mesa and begins the main character of the game – Gordon Freeman - arrives at the facility. As a result of failed experiment that opened an inter-dimensional portal, the laboratory is invaded by aliens from planet Xen, and our protagonist has to fight for survival, facing not only alien creatures, but also soldiers of a special forces unit, sent in to cover up the disaster. The goal of the game is to escape from the destroyed facility with the assistance of its other workers. Half-Life has been acknowledged as a cornerstone of the FPS genre, skillfully combining FPP with horror elements and complex plot.
Steam
Users
Expansion Packs:
- Team Fortress Classic February 25, 1999
- Half-Life: Opposing Force December 3, 1999
- Half-Life: Counter-Strike November 23, 2000
- Half-Life: Blue Shift June 14, 2001
Half-Life 2: The Black Box
cancelled
Action, FPP, FPS, Internet, LAN, Multiplayer, Science Fiction, Singleplayer, Shooters.
Half-Life 2: The Black Box was supposed to be a special set, prepared by Valve Software exclusively for PeCetach. Plans were for the package to include Half-Life 2: Episode Two, as well as Portal and Team Fortress 2. Ultimately, however, the project was abandoned in favour of a more extensive The Orange Box.
Half-Life Series News
Black Mesa: Blue Shift - big update for a fan remake of Half-Life expansion pack with
Black Mesa: Blue Shift, a fan remake of the second add-on to the first Half-Life, has been heavily improved with a major update.
Files and Mods
November 23, 2025
„Half-Life 3 will be announced TOMORROW.” Anticipation for Valve's legendary game is driving players crazy
Fans of the Half-Life series have gone crazy over the third installment, which, according to speculation, is just around the corner. Industry insiders and journalists are adding fuel to the fire.
video games
November 19, 2025
Half-Life 3 is expected to be announced before The Game Awards 2025. Insiders are certain, and hopeful players are starting to believe them
Some reports suggest that Half-Life 3 may be announced soon. More and more players are beginning to believe that something is up.
video games
November 17, 2025
His Steam account was hacked several times. The rescue turned out to be a 19-year-old game
The keys from old boxed editions of a game can come in handy when a Steam user loses access to their account.
video games
October 17, 2025
Valve is said to be slowly wrapping up work on Half-Life 3. Insider says the game is just missing the final touches
Players have again found further mentions of an alleged Half-Life 3 in patch files for other Valve games.
video games
August 1, 2025
Steam and Half-Life were created because Gabe Newell couldn't stand that „more people were using Doom than Windows”
Gabe Newell recently gave an interview in which he shared the story behind the founding of Valve. As it turns out, Microsoft and Doom played a big role in it.
video games
July 29, 2025
Half-Life 3 is closer than ever before. „The game is playable-from start to finish. It's never been this far,” says a well-known insider
Half-Life 3 may cease to be the gaming industry's biggest meme later this year. A well-known insider also claims that the game will feature a much more advanced version of Director AI from Left 4 Dead.
video games
May 5, 2025
Half-Life 3 rumors resurface, but fans have had enough
A new rumor about Half-Life 3 has begun to circulate. But this time, fans will not believe it until they can quite literally install the game on their PCs.
video games
May 2, 2025
One of Half-Life 2's biggest secrets remained hidden for 20 years. Player discovered real reason behind „elusive” river in City 17
One Half-Life 2 fan traced elements from the 2003 beta version of the game and compared them to the final release. According to him, the inaccessible river cutting through City 17 was to play a much bigger role.
video games
April 14, 2025
Another reason to replay Half Life 2 as a new RTX demo mod is out today
City 17 has never looked better. We can now play two chapters of Half-Life 2 with full ray tracing and in 4K.
video games
March 18, 2025