Half-Life (1998)

Half-Life (1998) is a sci-fi shooter that was one of the first to tell a story through scenes in the engine, without pre-recorded videos. Events begin at the Black Mesa research complex, where physicist Gordon Freeman arrives. Weapons range from crowbars and pistols to experimental devices found throughout the complex. The experiment gets out of control, and the laboratory turns into a battlefield: soldiers walk along the corridors, alien creatures crawl, and some of the staff are still alive and asking for help. The player learns about what is happening gradually by listening to conversations and finding recordings. There are two types of enemies: alien creatures and military men sent to clean out the complex. A special pride of the project is the artificial intelligence of the opponents, which looked amazingly intelligent for its time. Soldiers run between covers, use grenades and retreat when they lose their advantage. The additions showed the story through the eyes of other characters, including a security guard and a scientist. Many ideas for the series grew out of these episodes. The physics and weapons of the time set the standard, and the additions expanded the story through the eyes of other characters. Modifications turned the game into a separate platform for experimentation for many years. Mods and fan projects still keep the game running, and the engine paved the way for a whole generation of creators. For those players who want to see where story-based shooters began, this complex is a must.