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 .

What should change:

High Definition Pack – While there are still those clinging to hope that the PC mod Black Mesa: Source will eventually be released, we’re more realistic. While Black Mesa uses newer technology and looks great, it’s done by modders, and modders simply don’t have the time and resources to complete something of this scale without years and years of work. We’d be content simply with 1080p support and the Half-Life High Definition Pack that was bundled with Blue Shift. It’s high poly enough not to seem aged, yet retro enough to keep the original look. It’s something Valve already has the assets for, so there’s very little in the way of artwork that needs to be done.

Half-Life Deathmatch – Half-Life’s multiplayer may be best remembered via mods like Firearms and Counter Strike, but it had solid multiplayer all on its own. Opposing Forces expanded that experience with new locales, weapons, and a CTF mode that could added as part of the game.  To further add value at low cost a few new maps and a splitscreen/online multiplayer combo would fuel those needing a little more for their Microsoft Points. Valve recently announced Counter Strike: Global Offensive for Xbox Live Arcade, so CS fans are covered. Just give us vanilla Half-Life multiplayer for starters. Oh, and we wouldn’t complain if there was metagame-style coop added. We don’t care what the second character’s story is, we just want to play through the game with a friend.

Expansions – The great thing about this game is the sheer amount of content available for it. While it’s realistic to say that the expansions will likely be offered separately, they needn’t be a separate game entirely. If it’s a matter of value-over-price, expansions could be bundled. For example, Opposing Forces and Blue Shift could be offered together for approximately half the cost of the core game. Since Opposing Forces‘ multiplayer can be lumped into the core game, these two would deliver an extended single player experience for the player. Decay and Deathmatch Classic could also be bundled as a multiplayer package as they cover the cravings for cooperative and hardcore deathmatch gameplay. We could even argue that Team Fortress Classic could be a DLC package for those wanting something that’s literally TF but inexpensive.

What should stay the same:

Sci-Fi adventure – The story of Half-Life is expansive. The idea of being a top secret scientist that accidentally opens a portal to another world is a great intro; add in characters like the mysterious G-Man and the cannon fodder headcrabs and you have elements of suspense and horror. Counting expansions, the events at Black Mesa are told four different ways through five different individuals. It’s a vast experience that’s a bullet train ride from beginning to end; one that has only seen its equal in Half-Life 2.

Mute protagonist – Okay, so technically speaking Gordon isn’t mute, he just doesn’t speak in the game for whatever reason. Normally we like to associate a voice with our character, but leaving him silent makes Gordon an everyman–he can be whatever you want him to be. You can picture him as a single nerd with empty pizza boxes littered around his apartment or as a family man who can’t tell his spouse what exactly he does for a living–whatever you want. It’s tough to sell characters like this, but it works so brilliantly in Half-Life.

Precision gameplay – It’s all about tight controls here. Even the PlayStation 2 and unreleased-yet-leaked Dreamcast ports felt natural, accurate, and tight. That’s quite a feat considering there were few notable FPS games on last-generation consoles that could do for consoles what a mouse and keyboard to for the PC. We’re confident that Half-Life would make a smooth and comfortable transition to the smooth curves of the Xbox 360 controller.

Why it would succeed:

Maybe we should be asking why it wouldn’t succeed, because that list wouldn’t be miles long. We say it a lot, but this one is an absolute no-brainer. Half-Life is a genre-changing classic. It can run on the Source engine, which is already up and running on the Xbox 360. The assets all exist, so it has an inexpensive development cost. It has plenty of content to merit a 1200 MSP cost right out of the digital box. It’s got enough expansions to have players drop another 1200 to complete their classic Half-Life collection. Yes indeed, this is one game that’s a total hit for both players and Valve. Valve gets a high yield game for a low cost. Players get one of the most influential games of all time for a measly 1200 points, and can further expand the experience at for the cost of a high quality car wash.

Valve, if you’re listening, we beg of you. . .