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.
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.
