Status killerstar Nov 22, 2025
Lovely detailed account of a critical bug in Half Life 2 that had been there since the very beginning but was only caught when compiled on modern computers.
Half-Life 2 (2004)
Android · Linux · Mac · PC (Microsoft Windows) · PlayStation 3 · Xbox · Xbox 360
4.43 from 7563 ratings · #37 top rated on Grouvee
17520 members have it in their collection · 345 playing now · 4875 backlogged · 1381 wish listed
How long? Main story 15h · with extras 48h · 100% 28h (from 95 logged playthroughs)
Details
- Developers
- Valve
- Publishers
- Electronic Arts, NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios, Sierra Entertainment, Valve
- Genres
- Shooter
- Themes
- Action, Horror, Science fiction
- Franchises
- Half-Life
- Series
- Half-Life
- Event
- Xbox E3 2005 Press Conference
- Steam
- View on Steam
Release dates
- Nov 16, 2004 (Full Release) (North_America) PC (Microsoft Windows)
- Nov 16, 2004 (Full Release) (Europe) PC (Microsoft Windows)
- Nov 15, 2005 (Full Release) (North_America) Xbox
- Nov 18, 2005 (Full Release) (Europe) Xbox
- Dec 02, 2005 (Full Release) (Japan) PC (Microsoft Windows)
- Oct 09, 2007 (Full Release) (Asia) Xbox 360
- Oct 10, 2007 (Full Release) (North_America) Xbox 360
- Oct 19, 2007 (Full Release) (Europe) Xbox 360
- Oct 25, 2007 (Full Release) (Australia) Xbox 360
- Dec 11, 2007 (Full Release) (Asia) PlayStation 3
- Dec 11, 2007 (Full Release) (North_America) PlayStation 3
- Dec 14, 2007 (Full Release) (Europe) PlayStation 3
- Dec 20, 2007 (Full Release) (Australia) PlayStation 3
- May 22, 2008 (Full Release) (Japan) Xbox 360
- May 26, 2010 (Full Release) (Worldwide) Mac
- May 09, 2013 (Full Release) (Worldwide) Linux
- May 12, 2014 (Full Release) (Worldwide) Android
Related
Bundled in
- Half-Life 2: Game of the Year Edition (Sep 2005)
- The Orange Box (Oct 2007)
- Valve Complete Pack (Apr 2011)
Editions
- Half-Life 2: Collector's Edition (Nov 2004)
- Half-Life 2: Game of the Year Edition (Sep 2005)
Standalone expansions
- Half-Life 2: Episode One (Jun 2006)
- Half-Life 2: Episode Two (Oct 2007)
- Return to Ravenholm
Updates
- Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Update (Nov 2024)
Ports
- Half-Life 2: Survivor (Jun 2006)
Featured in lists
Rating distribution
5 stars
4476
4 stars
2103
3 stars
782
2 stars
173
1 star
29
Community All Reviews Statuses
Status guitarwolf5 Jun 23, 2025
Its a great game - 1 chapter in here (you know the one with the goth vibes) is amazing and has insane levels of vibe. That said, some of the gunfights in this game are annoying due to the amount of ships you have to shoot down with rockets. A few is fine like in the first game but this …
Read moreIts a great game - 1 chapter in here (you know the one with the goth vibes) is amazing and has insane levels of vibe. That said, some of the gunfights in this game are annoying due to the amount of ships you have to shoot down with rockets. A few is fine like in the first game but this relies on having the more intense parts being hounded by enemies like stalkers (the graveyard part - dear god the worst part in this game) there to shred you to pieces. For a 2004 game, its insane. I would give this 4.5 stars out of 5 if I could. Its still a great game all things considered and hits more than misses.
Read less
Status shoma Nov 23, 2024
I have 2 Steam gift copies of Half-Life 2 with all side content BUT only for the CIS countries:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Republic of, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Russian Federation
Anybody need 'em?
Status Poro Nov 16, 2024
If you don't own Half-Life 2 and its episodes, you can now redeem Half-Life 2 for free from its Store Page within Steam until the 18th of November. This means that you can get it fully updated from their 20th Anniversary celebration, which includes QOL adjustments, EP1 ed EP2 already packaged into the game and everything else listed in their …
Read moreIf you don't own Half-Life 2 and its episodes, you can now redeem Half-Life 2 for free from its Store Page within Steam until the 18th of November. This means that you can get it fully updated from their 20th Anniversary celebration, which includes QOL adjustments, EP1 ed EP2 already packaged into the game and everything else listed in their 20th Anniversary page.
Read less
Status killerstar Sep 15, 2024
We are two months away from Half-Life 2's 20 year anniversary almost to the day! I wonder what Valve is planning to celebrate.
Status killerstar Jun 1, 2024
As I quit Dead Effect 2 VR in disgust, with it's inept level design, boring gameplay and one of the worse voice acting I've ever heard, I remembered I had this VR mod installed. It still amazes me how this 20 year old title is still more modern and better designed than most releases today. It might very well be …
As I quit Dead Effect 2 VR in disgust, with it's inept level design, boring gameplay and one of the worse voice acting I've ever heard, I remembered I had this VR mod installed. It still amazes me how this 20 year old title is still more modern and better designed than most releases today. It might very well be one of the best VR games out there, which is kind of sad.
I finished it and immediately downloaded Episode 1 VR.
Status doonee63 Feb 29, 2024
I settled on Half-Life 2 to put my new 240hz monitor through its paces. It's obviously a much nicer, more violent experience than when I played through on the 360 some years ago... I feel like Gordon Freeman is just batshit insane this time around - an absolute murderer tearing through City 17 at a breakneck pace.
What I love: …
I settled on Half-Life 2 to put my new 240hz monitor through its paces. It's obviously a much nicer, more violent experience than when I played through on the 360 some years ago... I feel like Gordon Freeman is just batshit insane this time around - an absolute murderer tearing through City 17 at a breakneck pace.
What I love:
- The physics, of course.
- This game is stupid, and it's not ashamed about it.
- Explosive barrels are EVERYWHERE and they make that ridiculous sound when they explode.
- Enemies are suicidal - magnetized to explosive barrels, rappelling in front of your air boat, standing on top of rickety structures, etc.
- The firing rate for the pistol
- Extra chunky sound design
- Knowing the solutions to the puzzles is hilarious
- The pacing - this game feels like a road trip. Every detour is a stop for snacks.
- The continuity - seeing the citadel and dilapidated apartments from the the waterways is striking, and instills a satisfying sense of progress.
- The open spaces/quiet moments.
What I don't love:
- Some voice acting
- Enemy invincibility during some animations
Why haven't there been more games like this in the 20 years since its release? I know there are a few big ones, like Bioshock, Dishonored, Singularity, Prey, and Wolfenstein - and some of these I still need to check out. Those that I have played, however, just don't hit the very specific highs I'm looking for.
I just like road trips, I guess.
Status killerstar Feb 13, 2024
This game was released in 2004 and the VR mod using all the old textures and models is better than 80% of modern VR games being released today.
Status killerstar Feb 5, 2024
Damn, Ravenholm in VR is terrific. The gravity gun feels custom made for motion controls and those fast zombies are so scary. The only issue is that the shotgun: two handed weapons just don't work well in VR.
Status mr_tinoco Oct 26, 2023
I left off at water hazard still the boat and helicopter are is intense looks like I need to go up the ramp near the damn watch out for the rockets. #halflife2 Im telling this game is diffcult first time going through this. This game is years ahead of its time.
Status mr_tinoco Oct 17, 2023
I beat the part I was stuck in to lift the ramp up I have to put those blue containers in underderneath the ramp under water then I can ride my motorcycle on it. man that was annoying left. off at the part where I shot the explosive can and opened the gate to the other side