HλLF-LIFE Half-Life, a science fiction first person shooter developed by Valve Corporation, it was their first video game to be released. At the time Valve was creating this game they were an unknown game company. It was very hard for Valve to find a publisher but they had what Sierra Entertainment wanted, a game based on the Quake engine, later signing Valve on a one-game deal. The game was released on November 8, 1998, on Windows, PlayStation 2, OSX, and Linux. Developed on the GoldSrc (Goldsource) engine which was a massively modified Quake engine that id software had given permission to Valve to use. The Quake engine was the game engine used in the game Quake, created by id software, and released in 1996. The Goldsrc engine was not only
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Quake II sold over one million copies its first year of release and was nominated for game of the year. Having both games be in the FPS genre Valve had some big steps to match id Software’s Quake II. Half-Life was able to exceed in success with its one of a kind level design and gameplay. Before Half-Life was released, FPS’s were a run and gun style of game, as seen in Quake II, Doom, and Wolfenstein 3D. In Quake II there was story, when the game starts you are handed a gun and from then one you shoot whatever moves until the credits roll. N the beginning of Half-Life you don’t have a gun, you as Gordon Freeman explore the Black Mesa Research Facility. Half-Life brought a different approach to FPS’s genre. It combined challenging puzzles and combat that made you think every step of the way. In a way Half-Life took a step back from FPS genre and slowed it down making it a more thoughtful process. Making the whole journey slower but more enjoyable. Half-Life’s puzzles and combat worked flawlessly with its well-designed world. Other FPS’s at the time had a clear and definitive loading screen after every level, you enter and move in a clear one way path from point A to point B. Half-Life was the first game in the FPS genre to introduce a non-loading screen world along with no cut scenes. You explore the world the way Gordon Freeman sees it and listen and watch prepared in game scenes
Quake II sold over one million copies its first year of release and was nominated for game of the year. Having both games be in the FPS genre Valve had some big steps to match id Software’s Quake II. Half-Life was able to exceed in success with its one of a kind level design and gameplay. Before Half-Life was released, FPS’s were a run and gun style of game, as seen in Quake II, Doom, and Wolfenstein 3D. In Quake II there was story, when the game starts you are handed a gun and from then one you shoot whatever moves until the credits roll. N the beginning of Half-Life you don’t have a gun, you as Gordon Freeman explore the Black Mesa Research Facility. Half-Life brought a different approach to FPS’s genre. It combined challenging puzzles and combat that made you think every step of the way. In a way Half-Life took a step back from FPS genre and slowed it down making it a more thoughtful process. Making the whole journey slower but more enjoyable. Half-Life’s puzzles and combat worked flawlessly with its well-designed world. Other FPS’s at the time had a clear and definitive loading screen after every level, you enter and move in a clear one way path from point A to point B. Half-Life was the first game in the FPS genre to introduce a non-loading screen world along with no cut scenes. You explore the world the way Gordon Freeman sees it and listen and watch prepared in game scenes