It’s amazing to think that twenty-five years have gone by since the release of the original Half-Life game! Yes, Gaben’s team altered our whole business 25 years ago, and it was undoubtedly not the last time.
It has been precisely 25 years since the original Half-Life was released. When “go and kill, just because” tales were the pinnacle of first-person shooter games, Valve’s creation stunned with its sophisticated storyline, unique plotting technique, intriguing take on genre conventions, and intense atmosphere. This time, Gabe Newell’s group made the decision to commemorate their hit’s 25 years in a special manner.
First of all, Half-Life is available for free until November 20, via Steam, of course. Secondly, the game has received a surprisingly large update. Graphics were improved, bugs were fixed, the original demo was integrated into the game (it had different content than the full version), classic character models were restored instead of “HD” ones, several maps for online modes were added and full support for the game on Steam Deck was added. As Valve announced, the classic Half-Life is now to be the “right” one to play, and Half-Life: Source has been “hidden” from the Steam search engine – importantly, the game can still be found and purchased, but its visibility is limited because the company wants new players to get acquainted with the 1998 classic.
As if that wasn’t enough, an hour-long documentary was made available about the behind-the-scenes of how Half-Life was created, which is certainly a must-watch for all fans of the series.
Source: Steam