Half-Life 2: Lost Coast

2005 | Valve | PC

A shooter? Relaxing? Yes, no doubt about it. The Half-Life 2 saga is all things to all people (provided they have functioning senses and even a modicum of taste) and is no way limited to run and gun carnage or circle-strafe FTW philosophies. Few games can create such a genuine sense of ‘being there’, so when H-L 2 does atmospheric, it does very atmospheric. As a result, H-L 2’s Lost Coast demo is about the only game in existence during which you’ll find yourself simultaneously fighting for your life and feeling very mellow indeed.

Starting on a beach at the foot of a towering cliff face, you’ll spend the first few minutes just looking around as warm, hazy sunlight cascades over a shimmering ocean surface, giving even the distant industrial landscape a soft, almost natural feel. Move on though, and you’ll soon be given your mission briefing. Far from hearing the usual panicked battle orders and pleas for help, you’ll find yourself in conversation with a kindly old fisherman type who calmly sends you up the side of the cliff after the Combine. And that’s when it really gets impressive…

It’s a peaceful trip, despite the sporadic gunfire. The only sounds are the whistling of wind, the cawing of seagulls, and the ever-more distant crashing of waves. Take out the explosions and screaming, and the soundtrack could easily be from one of those New Age relaxation CDs you find in hippie shops. Combat is far less dense and frantic than usual, and you’ll spend more time on your ascent stopping to gaze out across the horizon than you will lining up heads in your Magnum sights.

Add some picturesque ruins and a gorgeous sunlit church interior and Lost Coast would be a perfect picnic location if it wasn’t for the inter-dimensional fascists.