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Here Be Dragons co-curated by Cressida Cowell and Toothless - opens 13 July. Admission included with ticket to the Galleries

1001 Stories Collection

Half Life 2

1001 Half Life
Added on 06th October 2020

Director Randy Pitchford
First released 1998
Age rating 16+

Action and adventure Dystopia
1001

A first-person video game for older teenagers that combines shooting, puzzles and storytelling. Playing as research scientist Gordon Freeman, the player is on the quest to rescue the world.

Story

The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist who in Half Life 1 found himself having to fight his way out of the Black Meda Research Facility after an experiment went wrong. He now finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. He is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people he cares about are counting on him..

Why we chose it

A great example in a computer game of a story with complex themes, stunning visuals and a fantastic score. You play as Gordon Freeman, and Gordon has no voice meaning the player is fully immersed in the game. This is now a common trope for games.

Where it came from

For its first product, Valve settled on a concept for a horror first-person shooter game using id Software. The game was inspired by first-person shooter games Doom and Quake, and novel The Mist written by Stephen King.

Where it went next

Half-Life is one of the most mysterious games in existence; fans avidly await new games whilst producers keep their cards to their chest and bathe details of upcoming games in ambiguity

Associated stories

Portal Two (Valve, 2011) and Half-Life: Alyx (Windows, 2020)

Added on 06th October 2020

Director Randy Pitchford
First released 1998
Age rating 16+

Action and adventure Dystopia
1001