Half-Life
News, coverage and analysis tracking Half-Life across the outlets.
Latest coverage
25 '90s Games That Hold Up Perfectly Today (And Where to Play Them) | TAG
This article identifies 25 video games from the 1990s that remain enjoyable for modern players, distinguishing between titles that hold up with no caveats and those that require specific versions or adjustments. It highlights how 2D pixel art generally ages better than early 3D graphics and provides information on where each game can be legally played today.
Yerba Buena, out today, is a Portal-esque puzzle platformer where your weapon of choice is copying and pasting physics
Yerba Buena, a new puzzle platformer, is now available on PC and Steam. The game allows players to copy and paste the physics and movement properties of objects onto other items, enabling unique puzzle-solving opportunities. It is set in an abandoned video game world and features a narrative about an NPC named Barb trying to save San Francisco.
Sunday Postmortems/Retrospectives
The design lead of a major competitor to Half-Life stated that its publisher was so dissatisfied with the game's progress that proper testing was neglected before its launch. This resulted in negative press and criticism upon release.
The design lead of Half-Life's biggest competitor says that its publisher was so 'pissed off' by the time the game launched that it didn't bother testing it properly: 'We got trashed in the press because of bugs'
Robert M. Atkins, design lead for the 1998 first-person shooter Sin, revealed that its publisher Activision was upset with the developer Ritual Entertainment's formation of the Gathering of Developers publisher alliance. This strained relationship led to Activision allegedly not properly testing the game's gold master, resulting in significant bugs at launch that harmed its reception. The game also faced immense competition from Valve's Half-Life, which released shortly after.
There is no discovery on this earth more pure than a closet full of your dad's '90s big box PC games
A Reddit user's discovery of their father's extensive collection of '90s big box PC games has resonated with many, sparking discussions about physical media and shared gaming experiences. The collection includes classics like System Shock 2 and Diablo, alongside more eclectic titles, highlighting a bygone era of PC gaming.
Half-Life owes its existence to one of the game industry's most formative figures—no, not Gabe Newell, the…
Ken Williams, co-founder of Sierra Online, played a crucial role in securing a publishing deal for Valve's Half-Life, recognizing its potential when others did not. Despite Valve's ambitious technical approach and a mid-development reboot, Williams' early support was instrumental, though Sierra ultimately faded while Valve went on to global success.
Summer Games Done Quick Returns This July, Schedule Out Now
Summer Games Done Quick (SGDQ) will return from July 5-11, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, benefiting Doctors Without Borders. The event will feature speedrunners tackling games like Super Mario 64, Balatro, and Tetris, with all donations going to the charity. Last year's event raised $2.4 million.
Summer Games Done Quick returns this July, schedule out now
Summer Games Done Quick, a popular speedrunning event, has announced its schedule for the upcoming July event. The schedule includes a variety of games, notably a hybrid run of Jak & Daxter and Half-Life.
How a trio of Canadian modders stumbled into making an official Die Hard game: 'I've had projects disappear that had 10 times the promise that this did'
This article details the journey of Canadian modders Russ Bullock, Bryan Ekman, and Jay Holtslander as they transformed an unofficial Half-Life mod into the official Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza game. The founders of Piranha Games faced challenges with engine choices, creative differences, and the transition from modding to commercial development, ultimately leading to Holtslander's departure before the game's release.
This very normal Half-Life mod lets you play as 'queen of spacetime' Max Caulfield, and it's convinced me that the next Life is Strange should be a full-on boomer shooter
A new Half-Life mod, Half-Life is Strange, allows players to control Max Caulfield from the Life is Strange series. The mod integrates Max's powers and dialogue into the Half-Life universe, with the author suggesting the next Life is Strange game could be a full boomer shooter. The mod is still in development.
“Open Time PC 1 Te!” Remembering the After-School Computer Shop Days
This article reflects on the nostalgic experience of playing games at internet cafes in the early 2010s, contrasting it with the current accessibility of mobile and online gaming. It highlights the social aspects, the routine of waiting for a PC, and the unique atmosphere of these gaming hubs as formative experiences for many gamers.
Elon Musk said Gabe Newell gets 'two thumbs up from me' for the OpenAI board but Jeff Bezos is…
Newly released documents from OpenAI's early years reveal that Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve, was a significant early investor and part of an informal advisory board. Elon Musk expressed approval of Newell's involvement, contrasting him with Jeff Bezos and his company Blue Origin, which Musk criticized for being far behind SpaceX. Newell's donation to OpenAI was over $20 million.
Elon Musk considered calling OpenAI 'Freeman' because 'it reminds me of the scientist protagonist in…
Internal documents from OpenAI reveal that co-founder Elon Musk considered naming the company 'Freeman,' inspired by the protagonist of Valve's Half-Life series. The discussions also touched upon other naming ideas like 'Cogito' and involved early figures like Sam Altman and Greg Brockman.
Garry's Mod sequel S&box is already having to deal "with people using AI in obvious, low quality ways", confess developers Facepunch
Facepunch Studios has released S&box, the spiritual successor to Garry's Mod, which is already facing issues with low-quality AI-generated content within user-created games. Developers acknowledge they must address these AI concerns. Meanwhile, the original Garry's Mod will receive an update to support the fan-made Half-Life remake, Black Mesa.
Roadmaps and Plans
This review of the Valve Steam Controller covers latency benchmarks, battery life, and repairability. It also notes that a Valve-approved Half-Life remake is being added to Garry's Mod due to popular demand.
The Valve-approved Half-Life remake is joining the Garry's Mod family 'by popular demand'
The Valve-approved remake Black Mesa is being integrated into Garry's Mod with its next patch on April 29. This update, made with developer approval and due to popular demand, will allow Garry's Mod creators to utilize Black Mesa's improved animations, sounds, and weapon feedback in their own creations.
"There was an arrogant assumption that players of shooters didn't want and wouldn't care about a story; we just didn't believe this": Go behind the scenes of Half-Life with legendary Valve designer Marc Laidlaw
Legendary Valve designer Marc Laidlaw discusses the development of Half-Life, revealing early concepts like 'Ivan the Space Biker' and the decision to delay release for a major redesign. He emphasizes Valve's belief that players desired story in shooters, a contrast to the prevailing industry assumption at the time. Laidlaw also touches on the game's technical achievements, innovative AI, and its lasting impact on the first-person shooter genre.
How a Valve Demo Birthed Alice During the Quake 2 Era
American McGee revealed that a Valve tech demo seen during the Quake 2 development era inspired him to create the Alice series. While working at id Software in the mid-to-late 90s, McGee was influenced by early Valve technology, which ultimately led to the creation of the dark fairy tale world of Alice. This story highlights the interconnected nature of game development and how inspiration can spark unique creative directions.
PC Gamer magazine's new issue is on sale now: Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred
PC Gamer magazine's latest issue features an exclusive preview of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, including hands-on gameplay and developer interviews. The issue also includes previews for Directive 8020 and Crimson Desert, reviews for several other titles, and a feature on the best PC RPGs.
Alice creator American McGee says he was inspired by a Valve demo he saw while working on Quake 2
American McGee revealed that a Valve tech demo he saw while working on id Software's Quake 2 inspired his game Alice. He described the demo as a cinematic scene with characters and multiple cameras, which he believes signaled the end of his tenure at id Software. Following his departure from id, McGee went on to develop Alice and its sequel, Alice: Madness Returns.
