13 years ago
XBLA’s Most Wanted: Half-Life
It was only a matter of time before Half-Life hit our list. While there are mountains of great first person shooters (FPS) out there the list of FPS games that truly changed how we played the game is small. It includes games such as Doom, Quake, Halo, and Half-Life. It was the game that put Valve on the map, the one that paved the way for titles like Portal and Team Fortress 2. It spawned a plethora of amazing mods, some of which have since gone commercial, such as Counter Strike.
But what was it about silent protagonist Gordon Freeman’s adventure that’s so captivating? While the graphics were good for its day, it wasn’t the visual tech. While the multiplayer was fun, it wasn’t until the mod Firearms hit the web that competitive play really caught on. No, we submit that it was a compelling story and incredibly tight gameplay that made Half-Life what it was and still is today–an innovative classic that changed the way we play shooters. While players wait patiently for Half-Life 2: Episode 3 Xbox Live Arcade is a simple-yet-effective way for console gamers to get their classic fix .