GamesRadar - Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 mod CSS SCI FI: Hardwired Released (News)

Nov 2, 2009

CSS SCI FI is a single-player Half-Life 2 mod that puts players in the shoes of an augmented clone of Gordon Freeman. The player must fight time-travelling Combine forces and other enemies in intense combat missions set in Counter-Strike: Source maps.

Each map contains a unique scripted scenario enhanced by random scripting so the game is never the same twice.

All Half-Life Games 55.8% Off To Celebrate Freeman's Greatest Hero Award (News)

Oct 17, 2009

Valve writes:

"To celebrate Gamespot's "All Time Greatest Game Hero" award to Half-Life's Dr. Gordon Freeman we are offering all Half-Life games at 55.8% off!

There are other great game heroes, and we're gonna let you play with them, but Gordon Freeman is THE BEST GAME HERO OF ALL TIME at least according to 55.8% of the gaming public - thank you to all who voted."

Gordon Freeman Wins Gamespot's All Time Greatest Hero Competition (News)

Oct 15, 2009

Gamespot writes:

"That's it. The votes are in and you, the faithful, the fans, the readers of GameSpot, have decided on the single greatest game hero of all time.

You have decided to follow the Free Man.

GameSpot offers its heartiest congratulations to Gordon Freeman, the hero of the Half-Life series, and the winner of this epic competition."

Freeman had a total of 107,581 votes to Mario's 85,280.

TalkRadar UK #9: Champagne pizzas (Feature)

Oct 14, 2009

TalkRadar UK episode #9 is here for your pleasure

...

Half-Life 2 Situation Outbreak 1.51 Released (News)

Oct 13, 2009

From StrategyInformer.com: "This mod from Agent Red Productions is an Orange Box mod about the impending zombie apocalypse. Features a custom difficulty system, six new game modes, new weapons and more."

Cinematic Mod 10: LE-Version with original Alyx-Model from Valve (News)

Oct 4, 2009

Modder FakeFactory released a new Version of its Cinematic Mod 10 for Half-Life 2. That includes impressive HD-optics and original Alyx and character models from Valve.

Fumito Ueda's A Big Half-Life 2 Fan, Interested In Making A First-Person Game (News)

Oct 2, 2009

G4TV writes: "When people talk about their experience with a Fumito Ueda game, whether it's exploring hand-in-hand with Yorda in a lonely castle Ico, scaling beasts of unimaginable size in Shadow of the Colossus or watching a trailer for The Last Guardian and knowing the game's probably going to make you shed a tear by the end, it's consistently an experience laden with strong emotions. Ueda's games make people feel something. But what games does he react to?"

Cinematic Mod 10: Hot Alyx screens, impressive trailer and final version released (News)

Sep 25, 2009

Sexy Alyx screenshots and final update from the Half-Life 2-Mod Cinematic Mod 10. Impressive-Trailer inside!

What if Niko Bellic was in Mario Kart? (Feature)

Sep 16, 2009

So what would happen if amoral Balkan sociopath Niko Bellic was in everyone's favourite cute and cuddly cartoon racer? Would Mario and chums accept him into the line-up with grace and humility? Would Niko keep the lid on all his murderous rage when Yoshi was firing red shells up his tailpipe? Of course, not. This is what would happen if the worlds of Liberty City and the Mushroom Kingdom clashed...

And that got us thinking. What ...

Black Mesa mod ties Portal to the original Half-Life. (News)

Sep 15, 2009

Crowbar Error 42 writes "Its been very heavily hinted at that Portal is set within the Half-Life universe but like many things added to the Half-Life universe in the sequel and in the following episodes there is no mention of things like Aperture Science in the original game.

While there is nothing Valve can do about it as hopefully they are hard at work on Half-Life: Episode 3, it looks like the creators of the Half-Life 2 mod, Black Mesa are hiding small references to Portal in their mod."

Revised Alyx model in Cinematic Mod 10 Beta 3 (News)

Aug 5, 2009

The infamous Half-Life 2 mod Cinematic Mod 10 is getting into Beta 3 stage. The most important changes: The Adriana Lima style Alyx model is now revised, Alyx (if you like the style) is now looking even more realistic. Some screenshots show the improved model.

Half-Life 2 mod Research and Development Released (News)

Aug 2, 2009

Developer mbortolino has released Research and Development, a Half-Life 2 Episode 2 mod now available for download.

Half-Life 2 mod Neotokyo Released (News)

Jul 11, 2009

The NT team has announced the release of their FPS Neotokyo, now available for download.

Ugly polygon "babes" of yesteryear (Feature)

Jul 9, 2009

3D games, as a rule, don’t age well. The games of the last couple console generations might have been awesome for their time, but take a look at them now and it’s hard to see them as anything other than jaggy abortions in which cardboard rectangles masquerade as limbs. And as if that weren’t embarrassing enough, most of those games contain female characters who, in their day, were genuinely considered sexy. ...

If video game characters were Pokemon (Feature)

Jul 3, 2009

Ever wondered what it would be like to have video game characters in your Pokemon party? Why choose boring old Bulbasaur when you can choose a beautiful Kasumi? Or a level 50 Sackboy?

We've given 21 game characters the Pokemon treatment, with four moves to choose from and some evolutionary states too.

Who would you choose? ...

Source SDK update released (News)

Jul 2, 2009

Valve has released an update for the Source SDK, now available for users on Steam.

Neotokyo is Launching on Friday (News)

Jul 2, 2009

Highly anticipated Half-Life 2 mod Neotokyo is launching on Friday. It will, of course, be a free download for anyone who's already purchased Half-Life 2, and will be available on their website.

Bisounours Party : A new Half-Life 2 mod (News)

Jul 1, 2009

A new funny Half-Life 2 mod is released:

"Bisounours Party is meant to be a fun mod settled in a colorful universe with various fast paced gamemodes such as Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture The Flag and more fun gamemodes such as Coop, Sourceforts-like... The mod is in development for about three years and is already playable as an internal Beta."

Gaming's most facepalm-worthy heroes (Feature)

Jun 26, 2009

When the hero's mistakes end the world instead of saving it. ...

Half-Life 2: Episode Three storyline speculation (Preview)

Jun 16, 2009

Where next for Gordon Freeman? We hazard a few educated guesses. ...

Half-Life 2 getting darker look (News)

Jun 15, 2009

Modder Fakefactory is working on version 10 of Cinematic Mod 10, and obviously, he tries to alter the mood of Half-Life 2 into a more foggy and dark atmosphere. How do you like the look?

Cinematic Mod 10: Beta-Update to download and new screenshots (News)

Jun 15, 2009

Beta 2 to CM10: You can now download a new beta update of Fake Factory's Cinematic Mod Version 10 Download. Fits were compared with photographs from the new Half-Life 2-Modification released.

The secretly sinister storylines of your favourite games (Feature)

Jun 12, 2009

You never knew they were so wrong... ...

Curse episodes is released (News)

Jun 11, 2009

Curse episodes is an egyptian themed action/horror/puzzle/exploration FPS where You can kill mummies, evil wizards with a huge spiky club and break expensive egyptian furniture and pottery using telekinesis!

Half-Life 2 Random Quest 1.0 Released (News)

Jun 1, 2009

This mod from Playbus is not set in the Half-Life universe. It is a story-telling mod first, not a run and gun shooter.

Smashiest glass! (Video)

May 27, 2009

The first Half-Life is often called the finest first-person shooter ever made... this sequel is often called better than the first game.

Half-Life 2 ZombieMod Source 1.30 to 1.40 Released (News)

May 26, 2009

This is an update for the ZombieMod: Source mod by Agent Red Productions. This will patch the mod to version 1.40, but requires version 1.30 to be installed prior to this.

The Top 7... games we want announced at E3 2009 (Feature)

May 25, 2009

Next week, we’ll know. Next week, the Electronic Entertainment Expo will begin and nearly every major publisher and developer will reveal their secrets. Next week, we’ll know which rumors were true and which games actually exist. After next week, the future will be (somewhat) clear. Seriously, though, where’s the fun in that? We prefer this week, when the mystery still remains and our imaginations can still roam wild. ...

The 10 most common game design mistakes (Feature)

May 22, 2009

Making games is hard. Making fun of them isn’t. It’s really, really easy, actually. Of course, we wouldn’t be so critical if we didn’t love them so damn much (and if we weren’t, you know, critics). We think games are just the bee’s knees, and that’s why we get so pissed about all the stupid crap they do ...

Half-Life 2 Empires 2.24 Released (News)

May 18, 2009

From StrategyInformer.com: "Empires is a mod for Half-Life 2 which will combine the genres of real-time strategy and first person shooter. Each team has four classes to choose from (scout, rifleman, grenadier, and engineer) with unique weapons and skills each. One player will become the commander by entering the team's command vehicle to build the team's base and lead his team to victory. Once your base is built up, purchase vehicles from your team's vehicle factory to open up another facet of Empires' gameplay."

Half-Life 2 ZombieMod: Source 1.30 Released (News)

May 18, 2009

From StrategyInformer.com: "This is an update for the ZombieMod: Source mod by Agent Red Productions. This will update the mod to version 1.30, but requires 1.20 to be installed prior to installing this."

Half-Life 2 Zombie Mod: Source 1.20 Released (News)

May 12, 2009

This mod by Grey-Echo features 2 game modes: Infection and Survival. See File Details for more info about each game type.

Half-Life 2 Varion 1.0 Released (News)

May 11, 2009

This mod from Race Away is a total conversion. Features include new graphics, 5 new maps, 5 new weapons, 3 new gametypes and over 20 new gameplay changes.

Half-Life 2/Eve Online Hybrid Machinima Clear Skies 2 Now Available (News)

May 10, 2009

The highly praised Half Life 2/Eve Online hybrid machinima is back with Clear Skies 2, now available for download.

Guns that don’t shoot bullets (Feature)

May 6, 2009

“Guns don’t kill people, bullets do.” But do they have to? Not at all, and in fact, this is all the destructive power you’re going to get out of shooting bullets. ...

Video game villains who got away with it (Feature)

May 1, 2009

People like to see good triumph over evil. It's the reason Superman always wins despite getting stabbed in the face with shards of Kryptonite. Why John McClane beats a skyscraper full of heavily-armed terrorists with nothing but a string vest. And why those pesky S.T.A.R.S. agents always get the better of the T-virus. Sometimes, though, there are games brave enough to spit in the face of convention and let their no gooders go ...

New Alyx model - back to the roots in Cinematic Mod 10? (News)

Apr 22, 2009

PC Games Hardware published pictures of a new HD Alyx model of Fakefactory's Cinematic Mod 10. It seems like the modder reacts to the harsh critique that followed the shots published the day before yesterday (as reported on N4G) and replaces the Adriana Lima like Alyx with a better version that looks like the real Alyx again. This new model is based on the actress Jamil Mullen who had been the original real-life model for Alyx during the development of Half-Life 2.

Half-Life 2 Nipplegate - New HD Alyx model in CM 10 (News)

Apr 20, 2009

Fakefactory is working on a new mod for Half-Life 2. This time he added a HD Alyx with nipples to prick your eyes out as well as bump mapping for rocks and high definition objects.

How Hollywood will ruin your favourite games (Feature)

Apr 17, 2009

The news that Shadow of the Colossus is being turned into a movie – penned by the scribe behind Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li – has made us inconsolable. With the translation from hell about to mangle Sony’s ethereal adventure beyond recognition, all bets are off over what Hollywood’s going to do with videogame properties next. In fact, we’re completely convinced some cynical suits are about to turn our ...

Alyx tweaked even more with Cinematic Mod 10 (News)

Apr 15, 2009

PCGH delivers the first screenshots of the Cinematic Mod 10. The mod is said to deliver new HD models for Alyx and objects.

Five rules for introducing your girlfriend to gaming (Feature)

Apr 15, 2009

I’m not a miserable sexist ass; I’m just a practical observer. One thing I’ve observed is that men and women are different (I figured that one out pretty early on). Since I’m a rational person, I’m aware that nothing is entirely one way or another. Even the divide between life and death is ambiguous (uh, zombies, amirite?). ...

Empires v2.23 Released (News)

Apr 11, 2009

Empires is a Half-Life 2 total conversion modification which combines the genres of first-person shooter and real-time strategy. Two key players will be present in each game, one player per team will be the commander, playing the game from a top down perspective with the ability to construct bases and give orders to his team, and all remaining players will be soldiers, playing the game from a first person perspective either on foot or in an aircraft or vehicle. The commander can choose to control his team with an iron fist, restrict his team's purchasing ability for buying upgrades and vehicles, and punish anyone who disobeys, or he can be completely nonchalant and allow his team to do what they like with no fear of reprimand. It is up to the commander to determine his team's strategy which will inevitably determine whether his team is victorious. In-game help and NPC characters will offer advice and keep the commander aware of events on the battlefield.

New Half-Life 2 Mod (News)

Apr 6, 2009

This mod from Impromptu Games is a zombie mod set in the Old West.

100 reasons fanboys hate shooters (Feature)

Mar 25, 2009

Cue the banjo! It wouldn’t be the Week of Hate without our trademark “100 Reasons” videos. In case you missed it, last year we targeted game platforms. So this year we thought we’d change it up and go after a few popular genres. Up first, the ubiquitous shooter. ...

New Half-Life 2 Mod (News)

Mar 19, 2009

This mod from the Haunted House Team has no story, it is just designed to scare you. Features new maps, new textures and more.

The world's best game devs in their own words (Feature)

Mar 11, 2009

The secrets of their success in their own words. ...

New Half-Life 2 Mod (News)

Mar 9, 2009

This mod by Team John is a modification of gmod with a mega amount of extra stuff added to it to make it better.

200 Edge covers in 20 seconds (News)

Mar 6, 2009

Abe Lincoln. Charles Darwin. Edge. Between them they’ve mastered the realms of politics, science and writing about overweight Italian plumbers. And, more importantly than any of that, they’re now all 200. Yep, the long-running and respected games mag has just reached its 200th issue, celebrating the landmark event by publishing 200 unique covers.

So if you’re mad for Master Chief, delirious over Deus Ex or want to dip ...

New Half-Life 2 Mod (News)

Feb 16, 2009

This mod from MeliorMultimedia is a virtual photo gallery. You can walk around with your friends and family and view people's pictures.

Empires 2.22 Released: Half-Life 2 mod (News)

Feb 16, 2009

GamersHell:

"Empires is a Half-Life 2 total conversion modification which combines the genres of first-person shooter and real-time strategy. Two key players will be present in each game, one player per team will be the commander, playing the game from a top down perspective with the ability to construct bases and give orders to his team, and all remaining players will be soldiers, playing the game from a first person perspective either on foot or in an aircraft or vehicle. The commander can choose to control his team with an iron fist, restrict his team's purchasing ability for buying upgrades and vehicles, and punish anyone who disobeys, or he can be completely nonchalant and allow his team to do what they like with no fear of reprimand. It is up to the commander to determine his team's strategy which will inevitably determine whether his team is victorious. In-game help and NPC characters will offer advice and keep the commander aware of events on the battlefield. The latest version is now locally mirrored."

Fortress Forever v2.3 Released: Team Fortress Mod (News)

Feb 16, 2009

Fortress Forever is a Team Fortress mod for Half-life 2's Source Engine which expands on the classic Team Fortress action as well as introducing elements to improve accessibility for players new to the genre. Half-Life 2 - Fortress Forever features nine classes, 10 core maps and 6 different game modes centering around Capture The Flag, and Capture and Defend gameplay.

New Half-Life 2 Mod (News)

Feb 11, 2009

This mod by pistoccoisdaman is a campaign mod. You wake up in a cell, Nova Prospect. You escape and go back to your apartment to find your family murdered and you have been framed.

Gaming's big-ass booms! (Video)

Feb 11, 2009

The first Half-Life is often called the finest first-person shooter ever made... this sequel is often called better than the first game.

New Half-Life 2 Mod (News)

Feb 9, 2009

This mod from -Lord- is the sequel to the Ravenholm mod. Picking up the story after John's escape from Ravenholm, you will visit new locations and meet new characters as you are taken prisoner by the Combine in City 24 and are reunited with an old friend.

New Half-Life 2 Mod (News)

Feb 4, 2009

This mod by InterWave Studios promises to bring all the best from the Stargate Movie and TV-Shows into the gaming world. The mod will have Multiplayer gameplay focusing on ground combat.

The 10 manliest men in videogames (Video)

Jan 30, 2009

The first Half-Life is often called the finest first-person shooter ever made... this sequel is often called better than the first game.

Four Freaky Half-Life 2 Mods (News)

Jan 23, 2009

PC World: "So a fat pig jumps into my cab, and then he busts out into song while I carve through city streets. Nope, this isn't some deleted scene from the end of Slumdog Millionaire. I'm playing Karma Cab--a goofball mod for Half-Life 2.

What the heck is a mod? User-created game content--it's been around since long before YouTube ever made do-it-yourself entertainment a household concept. Old-school gaming nerds crafted game levels, weapons, character models--heck, entire games have been built using the guts of game engines for ages. (In fact, I highly recommend that you check out Mod DB for a huge selection of game mods.) That means lots of extra, free games derived from what you've already bought. The mod scene also happens to be a breeding ground for tomorrow's great game designers."

Half-Life 2 gets graphical overhaul (News)

Jan 9, 2009

Bit-Tech reports: "This is why PC gaming is better than console gaming in our opinion; because of excellent mods like this which keep on improving on the games we all know and love.

When it comes to mods in fact it's tough to get more well known FakeFactory, the modder who's been working to improve the visual impact of the Half-Life games ever since their first release. The FakeFactory mods have been upping the polygon count (and amount of cleavage) on Half-Life 2's characters for a number of years now. "

The 28 Best FPS Games (News)

Jan 3, 2009

From the dystopian corridors of BioShock's subterranean "paradise" to the Strogg-infested space stations found throughout the Quake franchise, First Person Shooters have found countless ways to establish themselves as rich, enjoyable experiences, capturing the hearts and trigger fingers of gamers worldwide.

Even if it's just blasting away wave after wave of demons in Blood, or perhaps saving mankind from itself as you traverse Half-Life 2's City 17, the FPS genre has proven itself time and time again.

Here's Why Valve is King of the PC Market (News)

Dec 5, 2008

Valve has always been known to be one of the top developers in the PC arena. In fact, their only real competitor is Blizzard and both developers make such different games that it really isn't a competition. Well, in the latest issue of Game Informer, Valve revealed statistics of their game sales in the past decade that show why they are the industry leaders.

Valve Complete Pack Now Available On Steam (News)

Nov 14, 2008

If you're thinking of buying the PC version of Left 4 Dead, you might want to look into purchasing the new Valve Complete Pack off Steam. In addition to L4D, the $100 package comes with both Half-Life games and a slew of additional content for each.

Valve Tried to Trick Half Life 2 Hacker Into Fake Job Interview (News)

Nov 13, 2008

Wired Write: After the secret source code for its then-unreleased shooter Half Life 2 showed up on file sharing services in 2003, game-maker Valve Software cooked up an elaborate ruse with the FBI targeting the German hacker suspected in the leak, even setting up a fake job interview in an effort to lure him to the United States for arrest.

The gambit ultimately failed, and Axel "Ago" Gembe remained safely in Germany. He was indicted last month in Los Angeles on new charges of creating the Agobot malware, and sharing it with a crew of U.S. hackers who used it to stage denial-of-service attacks in 2003.

In September 2003, the source code for the much-anticipated Half Life 2 game turned up online, and Valve's managing director, Gabe Newell, revealed that the company's network had been breached. In a post to the company's web forum, Newell asked for gamer's assistance in finding the hackers responsible.

10 things we'd do with a real gravity gun (Feature)

Nov 11, 2008

The gravity gun is a godsend to Gordon Freeman throughout the Orange Box. As adept at creating impromptu platforms, bridges and makeshift shields out of whatever’s laying around City 17 as it is at blowing bits off headcrabs; it’s perhaps the most intuitive and visceral gun in games. ...

Valve may announce Half-Life 2 Episode 3 later this year. (News)

Oct 15, 2008

Marketing director Doug Lombardi says announcement may arrive later this year, though game is still more than a year off.

Although an announcement may be impending, a release date remains farther away on the horizon. "The next time you play as Gordon will be longer than the distance between [Half-Life 2] to [Episode 1], and [Episode 1] to [Episode 2]," cryptically noted Lombardi. Half-Life 2 was released for the PC in November 2004, with Episode 1 following in June 2006 and Episode 2 debuting alongside The Orange Box in October 2007. Doing the math, that would put Episode 3's release date as far off as 2010.

Gordon Freeman Spotted in CERN Test Chamber (News)

Sep 10, 2008

"Ever watch the same disaster movie twice and find yourself trying to warn off the actors?"

Half-Life 2 SourceForts 1.9.4 Released (News)

Sep 9, 2008

This mod from the Source Forts Team blends Deathmatch and Capture the Flag and adds other custom changes to the mix.

Leipzig: The real-life Half-Life 2 (Feature)

Aug 28, 2008

When we went to the Leipzig GC this year, we found ourselves in strangely familiar surroundings. Strangely, disturbingly familiar surroundings. Gravity guns at the ready... ...

Lesbian Trysts (Feature)

Aug 18, 2008

For some, it may be a shock to learn that there are actually female gamers out there. More shocking yet may be the realization that some female gamers are gay. If you haven’t gone into apoplectic seizures yet, you may be interested to know that some gay female gamers enjoy illustrations of their favorite characters in compromising situations. Enter lesbiangamers.com with their Lesbian Trysts series, wherein two iconic game babes get ...

Seinfeld recreated in Garry's Mod (Feature)

Aug 15, 2008

We’re big fans of dicking around, so when someone suggested that we attempt to reproduce a classic sitcom in Half-Life 2’s Garry’s Mod, we cited the “why the hell not” clause of our operating procedures and immediately began violating ragdolls. While our interpretation of the greatest nihilist sitcom ever may not win us any awards at machinima festivals, it can at least inspire some ironic ...

Five games you love that should go MMO (Feature)

Aug 7, 2008

Forget the tedious grinding and throw out the goblins. These would be the coolest MMOs ever made. ...

Jailbreak: Source Official Map Pack and New Screens (News)

Aug 4, 2008

Jailbreak is a Half-Life 2 modification similar to Team Deathmatch for Half-Life 2, but with a difference: two teams, two jails. When you kill a member of the opposite team, they respawn, locked up inside your jail. When a member of your team is killed, they respawn inside the enemy jail. Your objective is to imprison every member of the enemy team. The twist is that you can break out members of your own team, by fighting your way to the enemy jail and opening the doors. The game goes back and forth until one team is entirely locked up, the losers executed (in a variety of customised ways), then the next round begins.

Valve Announces Steam Cloud - Indefinite Online Save Game, Replay Video, Kill-cam Storage, and other features (News)

May 30, 2008

Valve's been quite busy getting ready to roll out some impressive updates to their games and Steam in general:

"Valve today announced Steam Cloud, a free Steam system that will retain users' saved games and configuration files indefinitely.

Half-Life and Half-Life 2 will be the first games to support the service....

The company is also working on several new Steam systems, including a driver auto-updater and calendar functionality.

Another feature in the works is a system-requirement checker. The program will analyze your hardware and compare it to multiple games, estimating your performance and recommending upgrades.

Valve is also considering storing replay videos and kill-cam screens from games such as Team Fortress 2 and Day of Defeat: Source. "

59 levels to play before you die: G - L (Feature)

Mar 21, 2008

Legions of exasperated gamers whined that Kratos' escape from the bowels of Hell - complete with rotating columns of bladey cartilage, platforms of bone and two huge towers of spinning blades - was 'stupid', 'cheap' or 'toohardIwantmymummy!' but we loved it. ...

Gordon Freeman: Strongest personality in gaming (Feature)

Jan 18, 2008

18th Jan, 2008 [Warning: Like our Portal article from December, this piece features some pretty heady discourse, and also benefits from a visit from Mr. Narrative Theory. If that stuff makes you run screaming, then feel free to run screaming. Also, if you haven't completed Half-Life 2, leave now. This contains some inhuman spoilers.] Half-Life 2 is widely and rightly regarded as a modern classic. In terms of both gameplay and artistry there have been few, if any, games in the FPS genre which ...

The Orange Box and 19 Games Available for $75 on Steam (News)

Dec 31, 2007

As if The Orange Box weren't already the best value in gaming, those who have yet to make the $50 plunge can get an even better deal through Valve's Steam service. For a mere $75 gamers can purchase Orange Box and 19 additional titles.

If you already have The Orange Box then you can still get some more Half-Life goodness by downloading the game's main tune, "Still Alive" by Jonathan Coultan at Amazon.com. The entire album is discounted by about $2, available at Amazon for $7.99.

HL2 mod Black Mesa's Media Release 11 (News)

Dec 25, 2007

To celebrate Christmas, the Black Mesa team released a new batch of media for the upcoming Half-Life re-creation mod Black Mesa. Included within are a website re-vamp, new high-resolution screenshots, newly revealed areas, new weaponry, and the launch of a devblog.

Dear criminals... (News)

Dec 20, 2007

Dec 20, 2007 If you park on the streets of a major city like San Francisco, you know there's the risk that a starry-eyed young hooligan with the bold dream of stealing your stereo will smash in your window. GamesRadar US editor Tyler Wilde is well aware of this risk - his car has been broken into three times in the past year. What he didn't know is that not just his stereo is at risk. As an avid gamer and an angry citizen, he felt it was time to send a message to the window/ocarina smashing ...

20 Kickass Mods (Feature)

Dec 19, 2007

Dec 19, 2007 One of the best things about gaming on the PC is that mods can breathe new life youre your older titles. Unfortunately, weeding out the good ones from the half-assed incomplete productions takes a ton of time. Luckily, weve picked out some of our favorite add-ons, conversions, and fan-made tweaks that will make your old games seem brand new. So dust off your library and read on for the best mods made by gamers for gamers. Just do us a small favor and dont click on the Naked tab if ...

Half-Life 2 (Review)

Dec 18, 2007

If Half-Life 2's nerdy protagonist Gordon Freeman is going to save the world, he's gonna need more than the crowbar he began the last game wielding. Thankfully, weapon upgrades in this first-person shooter come lightning quick. Gordon barely gets to take in any the sights and sounds of City 17 (a quarantined, run-down district ruled by gas-masked soldiers apparently called the "Combine") before he starts blasting, bashing, and exploding the living hell out of everything in sight. It's not his ...

IGN Top 100 10-2 (News)

Dec 1, 2007

"The Top 100 Games of All Time!
Yes, friends, more than 30 editors located all over the world set aside their ages, allegiances and personal favorites to pick the hundred best videogames that the planet has ever seen! There was fighting, there was mayhem, and there was pizza -- lots and lots of pizza.

Now, some of you may proclaim, "but your list is different from the rankings you guys did in 2005!" Well, of course it is people. Plenty of fantastic games have been released since then, and we have plenty of new folks in our ranks to throw in their couple of cents. We're also not afraid to admit that our tastes change over time too."

A ten-step guide to videogame morphine (Feature)

Nov 27, 2007

27 Nov, 2007 For a time of peace on earth, theres going to be a lot of stress and killing around this Christmas. Just think about this winters biggest games. Whether its COD4s visceral gunfire tearing apart wall and limb alike, the bloody back-stabbing business of the always-hounded Altair, or Kane and Lynch just being plain old sociopathic, the jovial festival of light and wonder really is looking like a quite brutal one this year. We need a way to combat this, and preferably one which ...

Toronto Rebuilt In Half-Life 2 (News)

Nov 23, 2007

City 7: Toronto Conflict, is an action packed Half-Life 2 mod with a variety of unique levels and game play. Explore what has become of City 7 in areas like Dundas square, Eaton Center , Mel Lastman square, St. Michael's Hospital and TTC system under the Combine rule. This version features Gordon Freeman as the main character, stuck in Toronto due to a teleporting accident in Kleiner's lab. Try to escape this war torn city by finding any type of teleporting technology and send him back to City 17.

Follow the link to view some images and read more.

Top 10 Best Selling PC Games For November 3 (News)

Nov 15, 2007

The NPD Group has released the latest list of the top 10 best selling PC games in the US, this time for the week ending November 3. It seems that despite bad reviews, Flagship Studios have done something right, as people buy Hellgate: London despite many reviewers' opinion that it needed a few more months in production.

1. Hellgate: London - Namco/EA
2. Hellgate: London Collectors Edition - Namco/EA
3. Half Life 2: Episode 2 The Orange Box - Valve/EA
4. Age Of Empires III: Asian Dynasties - Microsoft
5. The Sims 2 Bon Voyage - Electronic Arts
6. Nancy Drew: Legend Of The Crystal Skull - Her Interactive
7. Flight Simulator X: Acceleration - Microsoft
8. World Of Warcraft - Blizzard
9. The Witcher - Atari
10. The Sims 2 Deluxe - Electronic Arts

Alyx vs Lara (Feature)

Nov 1, 2007

Nov 1, 2007 According to Rule 34, if it exists, there is porn of it. There are some exceptions of course. For example, we're glad there aren't any nude Little Sister mods for BioShock. However, for some characters, it's only a matter of time until nakedness strikes in the form of a nude mod or patch. But really, how much time are we talking about? If you've never wondered if Alyx Vance kept her clothes on longer than Lara Croft, it's probably for the best. Otherwise, see the video, download ...

Orange Box 360 update released! (Again!) (News)

Oct 27, 2007

"The second Orange Box 360 update has been released by Valve! This time, the focus is primarily on Team Fortress 2. What, exactly, have they changed?

- Reduced network bandwidth usage in multiplayer.
- Improved overall game performance.
- Arranged search results to favor preferred host conditions.
- Improved searching for ranked games.
- Addressed a possible false report of too little storage space on larger hard drives". - Gamernode

Half-Life 2 CSS Sci Fi v2.1 Mod (News)

Oct 25, 2007

CSS SCI FI is a single-player mod for Half-Life 2. Using the latest version of SMOD, which is included, the mod puts the player through 27 intense combat missions set in Counter-Strike: Source maps. Each map contains a unique scripted scenario which is enhanced by random scripting so that the game is never the same twice. Players will fight everything from Striders to slave Vortigaunts, plus a range of Combine enemies armed with many new weapons.

Rumor: Valve wanted $1 million advance for Half-Life 2 for Mac (News)

Oct 9, 2007

Why doesn't Valve care about Mac gaming? Gabe Newell says "there's never any follow through on any of the things [Apple says] they're going to do." Inside Mac Gaming has a slightly different interpretation on that, claiming that Valve's terms for bringing Half-Life 2 to the Mac OS involved a $1 million advance payment from whomever was handling the port, a big buy-in for a game that would sell exclusively to the Mac gamer demographic.

Best mods for co-op gaming (Feature)

Oct 5, 2007

Oct 5, 2007 This is multiplayer as it's meant to be played: your enemies are mute, you're all on the same side fighting for a common goal, and conventional games are taken into new and exciting territory. The world is always better served when we work together, and never more so than when we're fragging bad ...

Lots of Half-Life left at Valve (News)

Sep 27, 2007

Sept 27, 2007 Gabe Newell has said Valve still has plenty of Half-Life to mine as the developer slowly creeps toward the grand Episode Three finale, which it's expected will conclude the story arc established in the original game. "...[T]here's specific stories and character arcs or plot lines that we know terminate", Newell recently told us. "But... we have this bible that covers a lot, and there's a lot of interesting stories to tell." We'd like to get our hands on that… Newell went ...

Valve's definitive Half-Life moment... (News)

Sep 11, 2007

Sept 11, 2007 Ah, personal definitive moments from the Half-Life games. Whether it be the 'Test Chamber' sequence that spawned the original Freeman adventure or Barney chucking you the crowbar in Half-Life 2 which sent a little shiver down the spine, we all have our most favourite sequences from Valve's first-person shooter series. But what's the developer's? Well, it may surprise you to learn... "I think when you're playing catch with Dog with the gravity gun. That was where a bunch of ...

Fortress Forever Mod (HL2) to be Released This Month (News)

Sep 7, 2007

Fortress Forever Mod Team Wrote: "These next few months are going to be great for TF fans and halflife2 gamers alike. It is with great pleasure that we announce Fortress Forever will be released this September, and of course it will be free to all halflife 2 owners :). The game will release with 10 core maps featuring 6 different game modes centering around capture the flag, and capture and defend gameplay. Spread the word and get ready for action!"

Original PC gaming miscellany (Feature)

Jul 26, 2007

Weve done some research - yeah, we be book-smart - for some insight into some of our favorite games and compiled a bunch of our results below for your reading pleasure. The Origin of Rapture Rapture, the underwater city in forthcoming blockbuster BioShock, is so-called after a phenomenon experienced by scuba-divers called “nitrogen narcosis” - famously described by Jacques Cousteau as “the rapture of the deep.” Its trigger is a high nitrogen pressure within the body ...

Flash Gordon (Feature)

Jul 26, 2007

Having written sci-fi and horror novels such as Dad's Nuke, The Orchid Eater and The 37th Mandala, Marc Laidlaw joined Valve in 1997 during the development of the original Half-Life. He's a charming guy, and given the opportunity to speak on his specialist subject, he does so perceptively and at great ...

Valve on Half-Life movie dilemmas (News)

Jul 13, 2007

Half-Life, developer Valve's multimillion dollar baby, has inevitably been targeted by movie-making hit-sniffers in the past. And with good reason - the series is a powerfully crafted chain of adventures, with real atmosphere and character. The problem, though, is Gordon. "[A movie] project always crashes up against the hard reality that Gordon Freeman is a conduit for the player's senses," explains Marc Laidlaw, one of Valve's longest serving writers. "As soon as you try to turn him into an ...

Half-Life 2 Mod, Insurgency, Finally Released (News)

Jul 3, 2007

This new Half-Life 2 mod puts you into life-like modern warfare street combat. Test your survival skills and teamwork in this heart-pumping mod!

The oddest mods (Feature)

Jun 15, 2007

Gaming exists purely and explicitly for fun, but the majority of games are surprisingly serious. Invaders, oppressors, maniacs, evil spirits, terrorists... there are a lot of dark things out there. So its no surprise that the majority of mods are pretty serious in intent as well. Some of them are stunning; a lot are the result of too much Buffy and The Matrix. Happily, however, among all the trenchcoat-posturing, there lies glittering the occasional hilarious freak. Thankfully, the things our ...

Free Valve games for Radeon owners (News)

Jun 1, 2007

Valve Software is giving away free games to owners of ATI Radeon graphics cards. Half-Life 2: Lost Coast and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch are being offered through Steam, which will confirm the presence of ATI Radeon hardware in your PC "and then enable immediate access to full versions of the games free of charge," the developer has said. The official Steam website states that the free game offer is only open for a limited period of time, so get in ...

Valve Considering Alyx Spin-Off? (News)

May 22, 2007

In a recent interview with IGN, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell hinted that some of the side characters from Half-Life 2 could become focal points for new games.

Half-Life 2 for $9.95 (News)

Apr 25, 2007

Excellent price at the moment for Half-Life 2, anyone whos got an average PC has no excuse not to download this gem of a game.

If your new to the Steam platform, it's just a small client file you download and will enable you to purchase all valve games, including HL2 at this great price.

If your in the UK it will convert it for you and since it's £1 = $2 at the moment this is even more of a bargain.

Half-Life 2, Doom 3 Assets in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.? (News)

Apr 7, 2007

This week, threads have started showing up on various forums containing what appears to be evidence that GSC Game World's recently released shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl makes use of a number of graphical assets taken directly from commercially released games such as Valve's Half-Life 2 and id Software's Doom 3. Many forum posters are speculating that the assets were used without authorization.