Half-Life
Half-Life screenshot 1Half-Life screenshot 2
ActionFPSClassic1990'sSci-fiSingleplayer

402 playing

Peak in the last 24 hours: 1,021

Peak in the last 7 days: 1,219

Half-Life Steam store

Game description

Named Game of the Year by over 50 publications, Valve's debut title blends action and adventure with award-winning technology to create a frighteningly realistic world where players must think to survive. Also includes an exciting multiplayer mode that allows you to play against friends and enemies around the world.

Basic info

DeveloperValve
PublisherValve
PlatformsWindows · macOS · Linux
Steam DeckVerified
Release dateNov 19, 1998
Price

Prices by IsThereAnyDeal

Minimum specs

OSWindows XP
Processor500 mhz processor
Memory96 MB
Graphics16mb video card
steamyze

Review Analysis Score

Based on 371 reviews from the past 1 year

90.3/ 100
Top 20%

Steam rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (96%)

Metacritic: 96 /100

Review analysis summary (Reviewed Oct 20, 2026)

More than two decades on, Half-Life still scores 90.3, top 20% of the games we analyzed.

👍 Strengths

116 reviews say they still enjoy it, and some finally finished it years after first trying. 49 praise the atmosphere of the research facility, describing a living world full of dread, and Story & World ranks 145th of 1096. 22 say the movement and combat feel smooth and satisfying, and a few point to bunnyhopping. Content Volume ranks 259th of 1351, and Pricing & Fairness 292nd of 1399.

👎 Where it falls short

61 find parts of it hard or unfair, citing fall damage, one-shot deaths and the late alien levels. 30 say new players may get lost, with unclear objectives and hidden paths that send some to a guide. 18 criticize the movement controls, describing slippery physics and clumsy platforming that cause falls off ledges. Visuals & Sound ranks 1030th of 1249, and Gameplay ranks 764th of 1396.

Representative reviews Original reviews ↗

“finally finished after 20 years, friend's persistence paid off” · 116 reviews
“smart enemy tactics, grenades, and tactical depth” · 13 reviews
“excellent sound design complements engaging movement mechanics and narrative” · 9 reviews

How it holds up

−50+5

Controls, difficulty, progression and depth
Mentioned in 55% of reviews · Bottom 50% of the games we've analyzed

Strategy +3.40 · Depth of builds, tactics, and meaningful choices
Positive “smart enemy tactics, grenades, and tactical depth” · 13 reviews

Progression 1% · Difficulty 29% · Onboarding 16% · Freedom 7% · Controls & feel 22%

Plot, characters and the world
Mentioned in 57% of reviews · Top 20% of the games we've analyzed

Story +3.80 · Plot, quests, writing, and the ending
Negative “story is typical, protagonist carries everything alone” · 2 reviews

Characters 10% · World 33%

How much there is to do, variety and replay value
Mentioned in 22% of reviews · Top 20% of the games we've analyzed

Volume +2.74 · How much there is to play, including endgame, for the price
Negative “game is so large it becomes somewhat exhausting” · 3 reviews

Variety 13% · Replayability 4%

Graphics, art style, music and sound
Mentioned in 38% of reviews · Bottom 20% of the games we've analyzed

Audio +3.13 · Music, sound effects, and voice acting
Positive “excellent sound design complements engaging movement mechanics and narrative” · 9 reviews
Negative “headphones break when gordon freeman speaks no sound” · 1 review

Visuals 29%

Playing with others, the community and servers

Not enough data — only 5% of reviews mention this.

Playing together +3.46 · Fun of playing with friends, teammates, or rivals

Community 2% · Servers & Connection 0%

Pricing, cheaters, balance and matchmaking
Mentioned in 4% of reviews · Top 30% of the games we've analyzed

Pricing +0.05 · Whether the price, DLC and microtransactions are reasonable, and how much paying gives you an edge
Positive “Excellent value at £1.50 seasonal price” · 1 review

Anti-cheat 0% · Balance 2% · Matchmaking 0%

Bugs, performance and developer support
Mentioned in 12% of reviews · Top 30% of the games we've analyzed

Stability -0.06 · Crashes, freezes, save loss, and game-breaking bugs
Negative “occasional bugs and glitches present” · 9 reviews

Performance 5% · Developer support 2%

Grey means too few reviews mention it to trust. — means almost no reviews mention it.

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