Facebook – Top 100 FAVORITE Video Games: 1

So, OK. That was a gag last time, but today you get the real deal, the real stink, the true grit (in theaters tomorrow). Today you get my all time favorite video game. And, many of you already guessed the hell out of it. And that’s OK. Surprises at this point would be stupid, especially if you’ve been paying, you know, attention at all. And so, to finally finish this damned list, I present to you (a month overdue) the #1 game.

1: Half-Life 2 (PC/360/etc)
Developer: Valve
Year: 2004

Ever since this game came out, its been installed on my computer. And I’ve gone through a few computers, a few hard drives, a couple system wipes, and now have a laptop that was installed on it, day one. I have the damn thing in The Orange Box on two systems, plus I bought the game when it first came out on PC, back in ’04. I’ve paid for this game three times and, if they put out some other edition of it that will have Episode 3 included, chances are good that I’d pay for it again. Having said this, Half-Life 2 (and subsequent episodic content) is easily the best, most important, and – most importantly – favorite game from my history of playing games.

I could spend forever talking about the gameplay, have already spent forever discussing all the time and energy wasted waiting for the game to come out, building up the money, resources, and computer machine I’d use to play the damn game. I could tell you guys about doing homework in advance for a full week, hammering out papers, doing research, and getting things completed before a week so that I would have no distractions. Wearing a suit? Did it to play the game. Never slept? Did that to play the game. Ate a ton of shit, never showered, and didn’t go to work, class, see friends, or do anything. Half-Life 2 was all it was for me for hours, days, and – in the end – that whole week. To say the game didn’t take hold, immediately, would be a lie. It took hold almost a year or two prior to the game’s release.

i do love the facial animation by the way

I coerced everyone I know into trying to play this game at some point, have played through the game so many goddamned times that I know every nook and cranny of the game, every corner to be careful around, every in-game event to see, every easter egg, G-Man sighting, and ammo pickup. The Episodes, too, have been bested by me so many times – across two different freaking platforms. I’ve actually managed to send that gnome into the rocket to earn that stupid achievement (it was overly taxing). The impact this game has had on me is borderline ridiculous and the amount of devotion I have to the game is just as equally ridiculous. I love this game. I love it. I love this game. I love this game. And, you know what? I’ve loved every game that has been based upon this game’s engine (Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, Counterstrike: Source, etc.).

The story is tight, the game play is fantastic, the gravity gun changed the way games were played (and so many games have stolen it), I love the characters, the animations, the lighting effects… I love everything about this game. Even after its all been over, I simply sit and wait for news on the next part of the series, the next Episode of the HL2 narrative, and the next chance to hang out with Gordon Freeman. The Half-Life franchise is one of those things that is stupid and dumb in my life, and the only game series I will blindly defend for no reason, other than to say that you’re dumb for not liking it. Bad mouth HL2 and I’ll come after you.

All in all, Half-Life 2 is my all time favorite game and was likely holding that ranking prior to the game’s release. I mean, let’s be honest, the anticipation of this game was only heightened by the constant delays, and when the game finally came out, it lived up to the hype, 100%. Very few games live up to the hype, even when they come out on time, and Half-Life 2 managed to pull it off without a hitch. Once it actually came out. College friends, family members, and girlfriends in my past can all name this game as such a big deal for me, many of them not knowing any of the other games on this list. My faith was rewarded, ten-fold, with this game, and because of that, I will continue to wait with great patience for the next game in the series to finally be revealed.

Classic Moment:
In the game? I love taking down that helicopter on that hoverboat. It wasn’t that challenging, but the arena for the battle was huge, the fight was great enough, and the image of watching that thing blow up and crash (it could land on you, killing you in the process. The developers decided to steer away from epic boss battles because they thought it was unrealistic and that having things like that for pacing wasn’t really that big a deal in a narrative. But here was a boss battle that was awesome. The sound effects, the million bombs the thing drops, and more make it overly exciting. They recreate a chopper battle in Episode 2 which is also fun (tossing bombs back with the gravity gun is awesome) but it doesn’t even touch this game.

PS: Running around with DOG backing you up in any section of the game(s) is equally awesome, but having him take out that Strider in Episode 2 is bad ass.

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Added April 14, 2017
Finally finished uploading the Games List from 2010. What a ride.
Played through HL2 and the first of the two Episodes in the fall of last year, 2016. They hold up. Surprisingly well, actually. Couldn’t bring myself to do Episode 2 due to that ending and the infinite rage, but, ah well.
If I did a list, these days, I don’t know where this would fall. High, for sure. But there have been so many damned contenders since then, namely Witcher 3 and Undertale. But HL2 will likely hold one of the most special places in my heart and in my history.
Love this game.