Half-Life 2’s anniversary update makes it a dream to play on Steam Deck for a first timer like me

Having heard astir the greatness of Half-Life 2 for decades, truthful acold Valve's masterpiece is surviving up to the hype connected its ain handheld device.

After 20 years proceeding astir however Valve’s FPS sequel is 1 of the top games of each time, its handheld PC instrumentality has allowed maine to yet recognize the hype.

Believe it oregon not, adjacent erstwhile you’re successful the concern of discussing and penning astir games for your job, there’s inactive plentifulness of high-profile titles that walk you by. For the longest clip Half-Life 2 was 1 of those games for me; chiefly due to the fact that I was lone the ripe aged property of 10 erstwhile it archetypal came out, coupled with the information that I didn’t turn up playing connected PC – I was a console kid, and proud! I’d heard astir Half-Life 2, of course. I’d adjacent played the PS2 mentation of Gordon Freeman’s archetypal alien-slaying task implicit a mate’s house, but for immoderate crushed its much-beloved sequel continued to walk maine by implicit the years. That is until astir 1 week ago, wherever the PC version’s caller 20th day update encouraged maine to finally effort it retired connected Steam Deck.

Prior to starting my playthrough, I knew precisely 2 things astir Half-Life 2: it took spot successful an full metropolis arsenic opposed to conscionable 1 facility, and 1 of its astir iconic weapons was named thing chill sounding similar the Gravity Gun. With this successful caput I was beauteous shocked to find that Valve’s sequel isn’t overmuch of a first-person shooter astatine each successful its opening hours, alternatively giving maine ample accidental to research its dystopian-esque mounting astatine my ain pace. Compared to a batch of single-player shooters of contiguous it’s refreshing, and made soaking successful the vibes acceptable by the likes of City 17, Ravenholm, and Nova Pospekt – places each with their ain ambiance and stories to archer astir the authorities of the satellite since the Combine empire invaded.

My acquisition has nary uncertainty been made amended by the game’s caller 20th day update, which makes each kinds of changes to the likes of lighting, improved physics, and higher-resolution quality models. For each intents and purposes this update transforms the existing mentation of Half-Life 2 into a high-end remaster, and it was each disposable for escaped past weekend. How could I not leap in? Because of this I’ve been chipping distant astatine it dilatory betwixt different large releases connected the Steam Deck, which I consciousness assured saying is astir apt the champion mode to play. It looks large connected a handheld, controls wonderfully, and amended yet, connected a Steam Deck OLED exemplary you get adjacent to 10 hours of playtime astatine afloat artillery portion moving it.

Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman

To long-time PC devotees and Half-Life 2 superfans this mightiness beryllium sacrilegious to say. Yet though it took maine 20 years to dive into this game-changing masterpiece, I’m gladsome I waited due to the fact that it couldn’t person been much serendipitous that I got to play arguably Valve’s champion crippled connected a portable instrumentality of its ain creation. I’ve since fired it up connected PC wherever it besides looks great. However, this is inactive a crippled that was archetypal developed implicit 2 decades ago, and arsenic a effect (despite the remaster treatment) it tin sometimes amusement its property erstwhile played connected a full-screen exemplary – not slightest owed to the deficiency of item and environments. I recovered myself noticing these ever truthful slight drawbacks overmuch little connected Steam Deck.

So acold the conception of Half-Life 2 I’ve enjoyed the astir is the section ‘We don’t spell to Ravenholm’, which precise overmuch serves arsenic a tonal power of sorts that sees the overt sci-fi temporarily instrumentality a backmost spot successful favour of a vibe much successful enactment with endurance horror. Set successful an each but forgotten rundown mining town, the titular determination perfectly littered with crabhead enemies that made getting from A to B ever tense. A acold outcry from the patrolling guards and soldiers you look elsewhere successful Half-Life 2, Ravenholm pits you successful respective scenarios wherever you’re backmost is up against the partition successful a confined abstraction and you’re debased connected ammo. Luckily, you person the Gravity Gun by this point, and there’s ever 1 oregon 2 saw blades lying around.

It was during this section that the genius of Half-Life 2 yet clicked for me. Don’t get maine wrong, I’d loved zooming done an aqueduct successful pursuit of a chopper connected an airboat and jumping implicit rooftops to effort and get distant from firm forces. However, the lack of the Gravity Gun and prolonged pursuit sequences began to turn a small agelong successful tooth. Hence wherefore I was blessed to spot the gait dilatory down again successful what I would easy deem 1 of the creepiest missions successful immoderate crippled that isn’t explicitly endurance horror. With the ever-helpful Father Grigori helping maine retired by taking up sniping duties, We don’t spell to Ravenholm solidified to maine what a large spot of code mounting and crippled plan erstwhile Half-Life 2 is firing connected each cylinders, gearing maine up for the breathtaking bouts ahead.

After each this time, it’s present wide to maine that without Half-Life 2’s premix of memorable characters, blockbuster acceptable pieces, and physics-driven gameplay, there’s a existent accidental we’d beryllium surviving successful a satellite wherever the FPS games that followed wouldn’t play big to large single-player stories and experiences. With Timesplitters: Future Perfect, the archetypal Bioshock, Resistance 3 by Insomniac Games being immoderate of my favourite games of each time, that’s a satellite I simply wouldn’t privation to unrecorded in.

Turns retired I astir apt person Valve to convey for this, fixed each the ingenious risks it took immoderate 20 years ago. And true, portion it would person been bully to acquisition this brilliance sooner, successful a roundabout way, I’m blessed I waited to play specified an retired and retired masterpiece successful its champion imaginable signifier connected the Steam Deck.