Half Life 2 (2004)

Author: Valve Corporation

There are few things more anticipated than the third installment of this franchise, but I have always been happy to end the series here. Half Life 2 is simply a masterpiece, one of storytelling, gameplay, and atmosphere. Valve has already created two perfect games and trying to peg a third would be pushing it.Thankfully, this second title presents plenty of improvements over the first. Admittedly, it has some toned-down gunplay, but it easily makes up for it with great polish, a thriving mod scene, and memorable companions. Once more, the player is in the shoes of Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist who must defend the world from a race of mutants and aliens. This time, however, the game starts in City 17, a dystopia widely different to the modern America from the first game. From there is a twisting story that's punctuated with great voice acting, writing and audio. Your experience is never interrupted by cutscenes, nor is immersion broken for a single second. It's so easy to get lost in the world of Half Life 2, the experience is just as compelling today as it ever was.