Half-Life 2

 Xbox
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 171 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 142 out of 171
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 171
  3. Negative: 15 out of 171
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. JobA.
    Apr 27, 2006
    5
    I really dont see what is so great about this game.I dont understand all the good reviews for the x-box version.The computer version is a pretty good game but not great. The x-box game has problems from the second it comes on with the frame rate. Its a very bad port and the game has to much hype.This game is a 5 and no more cause its not all that and thats all there is to it!
  2. ScottH.
    Aug 20, 2006
    6
    I think most of the people must have played this game when they were high or something to review it a 9 or 10. No multiplayer, bad frame rate, repetitive enemies, lack of story, linear gameplay, etc.
  3. AnonymousCriticAnon
    Apr 19, 2009
    6
    Overall Half-Life 2 is nothing special. Probably one of the most overrated games ever. So what makes Half-Life 2 such a normal game? Let us look at the story. While there are definitly some interesting concepts and ideas behind the game, the game isn't that full of background storytelling parts. Here and there are some hints. But nothing more. The main story of the game self is a Overall Half-Life 2 is nothing special. Probably one of the most overrated games ever. So what makes Half-Life 2 such a normal game? Let us look at the story. While there are definitly some interesting concepts and ideas behind the game, the game isn't that full of background storytelling parts. Here and there are some hints. But nothing more. The main story of the game self is a typical snitcher story, mixed with a typical story about resistance against an evil power. The side characters aren't really convincing. Dr. Kleiner has become the typical crazy professor. You won't get that "This my colleague"-feeling from Half-Life 1 anymore. Alyx is supposed to be your sidekick / girlfriend. Most of her appereances in the game just seem to be forced. Dog seems to be one of these characters you'll mostly find in Disney movies. You know what I mean? The kind of cute looking characters, which are mostly put into Disney movies in order to entertain smaller children watching the movie. Now let's get to the gameplay: You'll have various different weapons, have the possibility to drive some vehicles and fight trough a variety of maps. Now where's the problem? The weapons are not very innovative. Most of them were just taken from Half-Life 1 and were getting new skins. But one of the most popular Half-Life 1 weapons, the Gauss gun was even removed. The Gravity Gun is fun to use for the first time. But it get's pretty old very fast. Especially since it's use is mostly limited on close-combat as well as on the availability of physical objects near you. The game has some puzzles in which the Gravity Gun helps. But overall these puzzles are all too simple. You don't get a feeling of joy after you solved one of the puzzles. There are no rewards for them available. The only reason you are doing the puzzles is in order to progress in the game. But there's no other motivation behind them. The vehicles chases are definitly fun but also too long. All you do is rushing trough some very nice and detailled looking industrial and costal areas while clearing the map from every enemy you see. Walking through these levels makes you feel like more could have been done with them. And now let us get about the enemies. Overall the range of enemies in Half-Life 2 is quite short. You will mostly end up making a genocide on Combines, with the difference that the skin changes the more you progress. While Headcrabs and Zombies make again an appearence in the game, the game lacks of completely new NPCs. What happened with the other Xen monsters which were teleported to earth? Why not more different Combine soldiers? Overall Half-Life 2 is a nice game, but it's not innovative, there's nothing real new in it which you didn't saw anywhere before. There was definitly some huge potential in the game, but it feels like the developers didn't followed a clear concept as they made the game. The source engine delivers great graphics and physics and is a nice platform for various kind of mods and machinimas.… Expand
  4. OwtDaft
    May 10, 2018
    7
    + The game is well paced and interesting things happen during the game to keep it interesting.
    + The fact the original Xbox was able to run this game is fantastic.
    + I ditched my first Steam account I had for this game as Steam was horrible on Windows at the time. + This is a great game and despite the graphics been downgraded a lot, it remains a great game. - Moving around is made    + The game is well paced and interesting things happen during the game to keep it interesting.
    + The fact the original Xbox was able to run this game is fantastic.
    + I ditched my first Steam account I had for this game as Steam was horrible on Windows at the time.
    + This is a great game and despite the graphics been downgraded a lot, it remains a great game.
    - Moving around is made difficult by the poor controls compared to other FPS games on the Xbox.    … Expand
  5. Mike
    Nov 30, 2005
    7
    I gave this game a 7 because I came away on the fence about it. I never played the first Half-Life, but did dabble in CS. And I wasn't really sure what to expect from this iteration. But having played it, my impression is that its a very good story driven game, but everything else seems a little off. I don't agree that the controls are spot on, especially on the air boat. And I gave this game a 7 because I came away on the fence about it. I never played the first Half-Life, but did dabble in CS. And I wasn't really sure what to expect from this iteration. But having played it, my impression is that its a very good story driven game, but everything else seems a little off. I don't agree that the controls are spot on, especially on the air boat. And the weapons definitely seem a little underpowered. I also CAN NOT stand how many loads there were, it was like every other corner you turned in the game had to load up, it was very frustrating and I found myself putting the game down and returning it to Blockbuster after 4 levels. There were some nice parts, but all in all, it didn't impress me as much as the critics. And I'm definitely glad i rented it. This is a good rental if you're bored and waiting for your Xbox 360, but that's about it.… Expand
  6. JonD.
    Jan 18, 2006
    7
    O.K. i really need to set the point straight. Everyone on here is saying how wonderful this game is and believe me it is a great game but for some reason no one wants to point out that the game takes what 10-12 hours to finish and 4-5 of those hours are on two different vehicles. Theres almost no story. You arrive on a train and from then on out you just go through the very linear but fun O.K. i really need to set the point straight. Everyone on here is saying how wonderful this game is and believe me it is a great game but for some reason no one wants to point out that the game takes what 10-12 hours to finish and 4-5 of those hours are on two different vehicles. Theres almost no story. You arrive on a train and from then on out you just go through the very linear but fun levels. theres no second way around in the levels because of all the load points and you know ur going the right way if you come up to a load point. the action is 10 out of 10 and the controls 9 out of ten the sound and graphics 10/10 but the story/ level construction although the vehicle levels are huuuge you can only go in one direction so i gotta give those areas 6/10 and with the short and the ending i gotta give a 7/10 because the entire game makes you want to see what happens in the end and the end is as long as teh beginning cut scene. rent it till you beat it but after that theres no point of playing this game.… Expand
  7. shprea
    Jul 9, 2013
    7
    Meh, it's okay.
    Half-Life 2 does a lot of things right. It looks great, plays great, has a large interconnected world, and has a fairly interesting story with cool characters.
    Except the game feels somewhat tedious. Every level is similar to the last later on in the game. You kill the same/similar enemies over and over again. Every now and then there is a driving section to break up the    Meh, it's okay.
    Half-Life 2 does a lot of things right. It looks great, plays great, has a large interconnected world, and has a fairly interesting story with cool characters.
    Except the game feels somewhat tedious. Every level is similar to the last later on in the game. You kill the same/similar enemies over and over again. Every now and then there is a driving section to break up the tedium, but those suck.

    This game is really overrated. I've played much better FPS games than Half-Life 2; games that were far less tedious and less boring. It's a good game, just not that great.    … Expand
  8. Broyax
    Apr 11, 2017
    6
    Il a fallu un chausse-pied pour faire entrer cette pointure réputée qu'est Half-Life 2 sur la Xbox... et à l'instar d'un Doom 3, le résultat est techniquement mitigé : eh oui ce n'est pas très beau mais surtout ça rame ! ça reste jouable cela dit.

    Si son ambiance est toujours exceptionnelle (et inimitable) Half-Life 2 reste encore très (trop ?) similaire à son prédecesseur, avec des    Il a fallu un chausse-pied pour faire entrer cette pointure réputée qu'est Half-Life 2 sur la Xbox... et à l'instar d'un Doom 3, le résultat est techniquement mitigé : eh oui ce n'est pas très beau mais surtout ça rame ! ça reste jouable cela dit.

    Si son ambiance est toujours exceptionnelle (et inimitable) Half-Life 2 reste encore très (trop ?) similaire à son prédecesseur, avec des longueurs et des passages dignes d'un jeu de plate-forme assez soûlants en plus d'un scénario qui devient dangereusement bancal. Il se manie bien au pad et demeure une valeur sûre au rayon des FPS gentiment ringards.    … Expand
  9. ABoringReviewer
    Aug 7, 2017
    7
    What happens when you try to cram one of the most demanding titles of the early 2000's onto a Pentium 3 with a GeForce 3? Framerates that suffer when you fire a gun. I'd be fortunate enough to have the FPS lock at 25 on a peaceful drive in the Water Hazard chapter. If you want a true experience of a truly amazing game on a console, look no further than the Orange box, with all the episodesWhat happens when you try to cram one of the most demanding titles of the early 2000's onto a Pentium 3 with a GeForce 3? Framerates that suffer when you fire a gun. I'd be fortunate enough to have the FPS lock at 25 on a peaceful drive in the Water Hazard chapter. If you want a true experience of a truly amazing game on a console, look no further than the Orange box, with all the episodes included, plus TF2 and Portal. That's an advantage for console gamers, due to TF2 never going free on the Xbox 360.… Expand
  10. JohnMetax
    Mar 14, 2021
    6
    The game itself is a masterpiece,however the original Xbox version even though its impressive it is the probably the worst way to play the game.Textures are blurry and terrible,the controls are kinda weird and there are a lot of frame drops while in combat.If you want to play Half Life 2 on console get The Orange Box instead.

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best Xbox Game of 2005
3
#3 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2005
14
#14 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. Gamestyle
    100
    Real 'bullet-time' isn't ballet; it's no-holds carnage that ends with a radio-transmitted flatline. It's one man making a difference; it's one game making a noise. Half-Life 2 is all that - and more.
    Read full review
  2. AceGamez
    100
    The most immersing and compelling game I've ever played.
  3. Games Radar
    90
    Long story short, Half-Life 2 is a must-buy, and our strongest choice for that one, last Xbox game to pick up before switching over to Xbox 360.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »