The final instalment of my HL1 trilogy (decay doesn’t count), Opposing Force, follows Shepard, a soldier in the HECU who, unlike his compatriots, becomes a “good” guy and helps to stop the Xen-Menace. I liked that he got a wrench instead of the crowbar wielded by Freeman; ’twas a nice detail.
I also missed the tutorial since I figured it was just a generic one, but reading about it later after finishing the DLC left me a bit bitter—especially since the G-Man showed up in it.
The plot twist that he gets knocked out and is separated from his crew is not something new or groundbreaking in and of itself, but it fits right in with the story they were telling. It also meant Shepard wasn’t involved in the liquidation of the scientists, which made them friendlies later on when they patched him up after the crash.
But your newfound compatriots weren’t with you for long, and you gathered a motley crew of your fellow marines and tried to fight your way out of it. Later, you see Freeman jumping into the Xen-portal, which, if you do the same, will result in instant death and a message stating it was done to prevent a paradox, which is quite hilarious.
The G-man was even more ominous and conniving, especially in the scene when he plants the nuke. He reinforced that feeling of complete isolation, like no one even knows you exist or cares if you do, pretty much the opposite of Freeman, who ended up with an entire crew at his side.
Also, knowing that he’s been kept in stasis by the G-Man for almost 30 real-life years without anything happening is just plain depressing. Free my man Shepard.
Besides all the story aspects and such, I’d like to summarise my thoughts on the baseline HL-experience. Half Life has a vibrant flora of weapons to slaughter your terrestrial and extra-terrestrial foes; it’s noticeable the influences from Doom and Quake. The added bio/alien weapons from Xen turned the game from a great to a legendary game, which sadly hasn’t been followed up in the series or any other game that I’ve played. The Hornet gun is instantly recognisable for those of you who have played Halo. Also, shoutout to the snarks, which is possibly the funniest weapon of the series, kamikaze bugs. I know the game was criticised for its redundant weapons, but for me, that was actually a plus. I actually liked having a whole bunch of options to choose from.
Same goes for the aliens—they were a blast to fight, each bringing their own unique abilities. The more, the merrier. Which is why it was deeply disheartening when Valve decided to strip HL2 of most fluff and streamline several of the game’s features.
What really makes HL1 great is its core foundation.. Valve shipped an incredible package which delivers great gameplay and mechanical joy. I'd enjoy playing it again even knowing what is to come.
See you again on Sunday where I'll cover Half Life 2 and the conflicted thoughts I have with that game.
