Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 is a first-person shooter computer game and the highly anticipated sequel to Half-Life, developed by Valve Software. It was released on November 16, 2004 to very positive reviews {{ref|reviews}}, following a protracted five-year development cycle during which the game's source code was leaked to the internet. The game utilizes the advanced Source game engine, coupled with a heavily modified version of the Havok physics engine, and was critically acclaimed for ground-breaking improvements in computer animation, computer graphics, artificial intelligence (AI) and physics. Since its release, the game has sold about 3 million copies so far {{ref|sales}}.

Mods and expansions

Since the release of Half-Life 2, Valve has announced plans to release an additional level and an expansion pack. The level, "", takes place between the levels "Highway 17" and "Sandtraps" and is primarily a showcase for high dynamic range imaging (HDR) technology. The expansion pack, ' will take place shortly after the events of Half-Life 2, with the player taking on the role of Gordon Freeman once again. Alyx Vance will also play a more pre-dominant role.

Related Topics:
Expansion pack - High dynamic range imaging

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Several mods have been developed by the Half-Life 2 community. This includes partial conversions which allow players to manipulate the physics engine (Garry's Mod), add new weapons, or even new levels to expand the story from different points of view. Some total conversions have also been developed, which introduce completely new settings, multiplayer modes, or entirely new and original types of games.

Related Topics:
Mods - Partial conversion - Garry's Mod - Total conversion

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