Every IGN Valve Game Review
None
2022年10月27日
Reviewed by Jason Bates
November 25, 1998
Anyway, those are some of the things that make Half-Life tick. It questions genre elements and reworks them or discards them as appropriate in order to make a smoother, more engrossing game. It constantly presents you with variety, surprises, and new challenges to keep you hooked. It is a tour de force in game design, the definitive single player game in a first person shooter. Don't cheat yourself; play this game. ">Reviewed by Jason Bates
November 25, 1998
Anyway, those are some of the things that make Half-Life tick. It questions genre elements and reworks them or discards them as appropriate in order to make a smoother, more engrossing game. It constantly presents you with variety, surprises, and new challenges to keep you hooked. It is a tour de force in game design, the definitive single player game in a first person shooter. Don't cheat yourself; play this game.
Reviewed by Vincent Lopez
November 24, 1999
Half Life was my favorite PC game of the year, and OF does a fantastic job of making you remember exactly why you enjoyed the original so much. But that's unfortunately also its biggest drawback. You'll experience a lot of the same features and frights that you did in the original, and while it was a stomach-churning experience in the first game, it feels like familiar territory in the second. That's not to say that there aren't a hefty share of scares in OF -- just that, for most of the game, you'll know exactly what you're up against.
The ninjas, the army battles, the head crabs crawling around in air ducts... it's all back, in the now-classic Half-Life style. As an add-on pack, it's well worth the price of admission, but as a full priced game (it's selling at retail for around $40), you may find yourself wishing for a more original experience. Me? I was just happy to spray some">Reviewed by Vincent Lopez
November 24, 1999
Half Life was my favorite PC game of the year, and OF does a fantastic job of making you remember exactly why you enjoyed the original so much. But that's unfortunately also its biggest drawback. You'll experience a lot of the same features and frights that you did in the original, and while it was a stomach-churning experience in the first game, it feels like familiar territory in the second. That's not to say that there aren't a hefty share of scares in OF -- just that, for most of the game, you'll know exactly what you're up against.
The ninjas, the army battles, the head crabs crawling around in air ducts... it's all back, in the now-classic Half-Life style. As an add-on pack, it's well worth the price of admission, but as a full priced game (it's selling at retail for around $40), you may find yourself wishing for a more original experience. Me? I was just happy to spray some
Reviewed by Clayton Wolfe
November 22, 2000
In a nutshell, if you're looking for the next step in online first person shooters, then look no further. CS is fast paced, intense, and satisfying--this game will not disappoint. This is truly one of the best mods for one of the all time greatest first person shooters ever, and the retail package of CS is simply bursting with multiplayer goodness. If you like to play shooters online, get this pack! ">Reviewed by Clayton Wolfe
November 22, 2000
In a nutshell, if you're looking for the next step in online first person shooters, then look no further. CS is fast paced, intense, and satisfying--this game will not disappoint. This is truly one of the best mods for one of the all time greatest first person shooters ever, and the retail package of CS is simply bursting with multiplayer goodness. If you like to play shooters online, get this pack!
Reviewed by Tal Blevins
June 12, 2001
All in all, Blue Shift was a lot of fun, but it was just over too quick. It's certainly worth taking a look at if you're a fan of Half-Life, but you better keep your eyes open, because if you blink you may miss it. ">Reviewed by Tal Blevins
June 12, 2001
All in all, Blue Shift was a lot of fun, but it was just over too quick. It's certainly worth taking a look at if you're a fan of Half-Life, but you better keep your eyes open, because if you blink you may miss it.
Reviewed by Doug Perry
November 16, 2001
When it comes to first-person shooters, Half-Life may indeed be yesterday's pop star, but Sierra's stunning first-person shooter hasn't aged a bit. The gameplay still represents some of the finest there is on the planet, and after 50 "game of the year awards" and "best game ever" trophies, it's quite unanimous that Half-Life is a one-of-a-kind title. ">Reviewed by Doug Perry
November 16, 2001
When it comes to first-person shooters, Half-Life may indeed be yesterday's pop star, but Sierra's stunning first-person shooter hasn't aged a bit. The gameplay still represents some of the finest there is on the planet, and after 50 "game of the year awards" and "best game ever" trophies, it's quite unanimous that Half-Life is a one-of-a-kind title.
Reviewed by Steve Butts
May 23, 2003
Assuming you already have Half-Life and a decent internet connection I'd suggest downloading the free mod and trying it out first. Still for those players who don't own Half-Life, the retail version of Day of Defeat is priced to move. For thirty bucks you get the full game along with the accompanying documentation.
The challenge level is undoubtedly high on most of the servers but if you stick with it long enough you'll find that the rewards for successful play are proportionate to the difficulties you'll face. The sense of satisfaction you feel in taking a crucial victory location or taking out four enemies in a row simply can't be beat.
Ultimately, I'll still stick with Battlefield 1942 for the wider options it affords in terms of character classes and vehicles as well as the more fluid nature of the battle afforded by the larger, more open maps. But anytime I grow weary of waiting for a plane to">Reviewed by Steve Butts
May 23, 2003
Assuming you already have Half-Life and a decent internet connection I'd suggest downloading the free mod and trying it out first. Still for those players who don't own Half-Life, the retail version of Day of Defeat is priced to move. For thirty bucks you get the full game along with the accompanying documentation.
The challenge level is undoubtedly high on most of the servers but if you stick with it long enough you'll find that the rewards for successful play are proportionate to the difficulties you'll face. The sense of satisfaction you feel in taking a crucial victory location or taking out four enemies in a row simply can't be beat.
Ultimately, I'll still stick with Battlefield 1942 for the wider options it affords in terms of character classes and vehicles as well as the more fluid nature of the battle afforded by the larger, more open maps. But anytime I grow weary of waiting for a plane to
Reviewed by Aaron Boulding
November 18, 2003
Counter-Strike is a decent game if you take it for what it is. However, I couldn't help but feel disappointed that neither Ritual nor Valve nor Microsoft Game Studios seized the opportunity to make the Xbox version of Counter-Strike something more visually impressive and worthy of our attention. As it is, Counter-Strike doesn't offer an online shooter experience like Return to Castle Wolfenstein or Rainbow Six 3 where there are unique styles and gameplay subsystems to keep us interested. It just offers a straight ahead first person shooter that's made it over from PC in better shape than I could've predicted. It's just strange that the game that inspired so many evolutions of the FPS genre is now back again on Xbox competing with so many games of its own legacy.
You may have read this before, but Counter-Strike is a lot like Michael Jordan in a Wizards jersey. The greatness of the name is u">Reviewed by Aaron Boulding
November 18, 2003
Counter-Strike is a decent game if you take it for what it is. However, I couldn't help but feel disappointed that neither Ritual nor Valve nor Microsoft Game Studios seized the opportunity to make the Xbox version of Counter-Strike something more visually impressive and worthy of our attention. As it is, Counter-Strike doesn't offer an online shooter experience like Return to Castle Wolfenstein or Rainbow Six 3 where there are unique styles and gameplay subsystems to keep us interested. It just offers a straight ahead first person shooter that's made it over from PC in better shape than I could've predicted. It's just strange that the game that inspired so many evolutions of the FPS genre is now back again on Xbox competing with so many games of its own legacy.
You may have read this before, but Counter-Strike is a lot like Michael Jordan in a Wizards jersey. The greatness of the name is u
Reviewed by Steve Butts
March 23, 2004
Forty bucks? I could see giving this a hearty (well, hearty-ish) recommendation at half that price but forty dollars is a bit steep for what you're getting here. Gamers who don't already own the frenetic Counter-Strike should be attracted to this new game as a good introduction that helps them transition into serious online competitors. Gamers who already accomplished Counter-Strike players will find the offline component somewhat novel but not indispensable. It certainly doesn't do enough to compete with today's shooters and the fact that much of the game is already available in another format makes this version seem a bit redundant.">Reviewed by Steve Butts
March 23, 2004
Forty bucks? I could see giving this a hearty (well, hearty-ish) recommendation at half that price but forty dollars is a bit steep for what you're getting here. Gamers who don't already own the frenetic Counter-Strike should be attracted to this new game as a good introduction that helps them transition into serious online competitors. Gamers who already accomplished Counter-Strike players will find the offline component somewhat novel but not indispensable. It certainly doesn't do enough to compete with today's shooters and the fact that much of the game is already available in another format makes this version seem a bit redundant.
Reviewed by Dan Adams
November 15, 2004
I've already managed to say more than I wanted to. It really is hard to stop talking about a game that is so good. It's hard not to share your excitement about something that should end up being unanimously enjoyed.
Like I said before, it doesn't do a whole lot differently than other games in the shooter genre in terms of pure gameplay innovation, but it takes existing styles, then mixes, matches and makes them better. It sets the standard in all areas, especially the use of physics as a gameplay tool instead of merely a visual treat for gamers.
If you're a fan of Half-Life, action games in general, or are looking for a way to get into PC gaming, this is it. It'll hook you, reel you in, and hold you captive for serious hours of hardcore brilliance. This is gaming at its best and shows that the future holds no bounds when the might of technology, precision of design, and touch of artistry wo">Reviewed by Dan Adams
November 15, 2004
I've already managed to say more than I wanted to. It really is hard to stop talking about a game that is so good. It's hard not to share your excitement about something that should end up being unanimously enjoyed.
Like I said before, it doesn't do a whole lot differently than other games in the shooter genre in terms of pure gameplay innovation, but it takes existing styles, then mixes, matches and makes them better. It sets the standard in all areas, especially the use of physics as a gameplay tool instead of merely a visual treat for gamers.
If you're a fan of Half-Life, action games in general, or are looking for a way to get into PC gaming, this is it. It'll hook you, reel you in, and hold you captive for serious hours of hardcore brilliance. This is gaming at its best and shows that the future holds no bounds when the might of technology, precision of design, and touch of artistry wo
Reviewed by Tom McNamara
September 27, 2005
I expect to be playing DoD a lot more than CS:S. In fact, I've found it to be a more satisfying game than Battlefield 2, which suffered from a lack of servers at launch, a lack of ranked servers, rank exploits, strange performance issues, high system requirements, air superiority, and a frankly rudimentary and partially arcane server browser implementation. Load times also leave BF2 in the dust. On the other hand, there's only a small handful of DoD:S maps to go around, and the community will likely be waiting on pins and needles for the next batch. So although I dig the game, I have to rate it as-is, and there frankly isn’t a lot of content to go around, as great as that content is. I recommend DoD:S to the multiplayer action crowd, but don't come crying to me when things start getting stale.">Reviewed by Tom McNamara
September 27, 2005
I expect to be playing DoD a lot more than CS:S. In fact, I've found it to be a more satisfying game than Battlefield 2, which suffered from a lack of servers at launch, a lack of ranked servers, rank exploits, strange performance issues, high system requirements, air superiority, and a frankly rudimentary and partially arcane server browser implementation. Load times also leave BF2 in the dust. On the other hand, there's only a small handful of DoD:S maps to go around, and the community will likely be waiting on pins and needles for the next batch. So although I dig the game, I have to rate it as-is, and there frankly isn’t a lot of content to go around, as great as that content is. I recommend DoD:S to the multiplayer action crowd, but don't come crying to me when things start getting stale.
Reviewed by Douglass C. Perry
November 12, 2005
So...2004's game of the year on IGN comes to Xbox, and though it's a year old, it's still an amazing, beautifully crafted, and must-have Xbox title. What's there not to like about it? It is one year old. if you played it on PC, then you have already experienced this game. The high resolution graphics fade a bit on Xbox, but the game is nonetheless beautiful compared to any Xbox game. And the control is not quite as pixel-perfect as the PC version is, but Valve has done a superb job of balancing the controls and making Half-life 2 feel smooth and loveable on Xbox.
Having said all that, if you don't have a billion dollar PC set-up and you're itching for this fall's knockout title? Um, yeah: Half-Life 2 is it. Get it, own it, and you will be a happy, enriched person. If you haven't played the PC version, then there really isn't much to say except get it. The story itself is worthy of great pra">Reviewed by Douglass C. Perry
November 12, 2005
So...2004's game of the year on IGN comes to Xbox, and though it's a year old, it's still an amazing, beautifully crafted, and must-have Xbox title. What's there not to like about it? It is one year old. if you played it on PC, then you have already experienced this game. The high resolution graphics fade a bit on Xbox, but the game is nonetheless beautiful compared to any Xbox game. And the control is not quite as pixel-perfect as the PC version is, but Valve has done a superb job of balancing the controls and making Half-life 2 feel smooth and loveable on Xbox.
Having said all that, if you don't have a billion dollar PC set-up and you're itching for this fall's knockout title? Um, yeah: Half-Life 2 is it. Get it, own it, and you will be a happy, enriched person. If you haven't played the PC version, then there really isn't much to say except get it. The story itself is worthy of great pra
Reviewed by Tom McNamara
June 1, 2006
When it comes down to it, you should like Episode One if you liked Half-Life 2. Despite the fact that it isn't as adventurous or dramatic as HL2, Episode One still offers quality that's a cut above the rest. Its humanity (in the face of strange, masked soldiers and sometimes grotesque creatures) makes it more than a rote experience, and the Citadel is still an imaginative and interesting setting. In retrospect, HL2 appears to be a very difficult game to follow up on, and Valve does a very capable job of keeping the fire going. And buying the game on Steam is a relatively painless experience, especially compared to where the service was when HL2 launched. Judging by the material I saw in the Episode Two trailer, it looks like Valve will indeed open up the world a little. As it stands, Episode One is a brief, stylistically claustrophobic experience whose polish and personality manage to keep">Reviewed by Tom McNamara
June 1, 2006
When it comes down to it, you should like Episode One if you liked Half-Life 2. Despite the fact that it isn't as adventurous or dramatic as HL2, Episode One still offers quality that's a cut above the rest. Its humanity (in the face of strange, masked soldiers and sometimes grotesque creatures) makes it more than a rote experience, and the Citadel is still an imaginative and interesting setting. In retrospect, HL2 appears to be a very difficult game to follow up on, and Valve does a very capable job of keeping the fire going. And buying the game on Steam is a relatively painless experience, especially compared to where the service was when HL2 launched. Judging by the material I saw in the Episode Two trailer, it looks like Valve will indeed open up the world a little. As it stands, Episode One is a brief, stylistically claustrophobic experience whose polish and personality manage to keep
Reviewed by Dan Adams
October 9, 2007
Any way you look at it, Episode Two stands out, even among the Half-Life series, as something special. It may be shorter than the original, but it's a burly experience packed into roughly six hours or so that offers up all the diversity, level design, and thoughtful gameplay we've known while making sure to propel the story forward and leave us wanting more. We definitely think you should pick up Orange Box for Portal (or HL2 and Episode One if you haven't played them) but if you like the series, you need to play this one. This is the addition Half-Life 2 fans have been waiting for. Here's to hoping Valve can keep up the pace and give us Episode Three in the next couple of years.">Reviewed by Dan Adams
October 9, 2007
Any way you look at it, Episode Two stands out, even among the Half-Life series, as something special. It may be shorter than the original, but it's a burly experience packed into roughly six hours or so that offers up all the diversity, level design, and thoughtful gameplay we've known while making sure to propel the story forward and leave us wanting more. We definitely think you should pick up Orange Box for Portal (or HL2 and Episode One if you haven't played them) but if you like the series, you need to play this one. This is the addition Half-Life 2 fans have been waiting for. Here's to hoping Valve can keep up the pace and give us Episode Three in the next couple of years.
Reviewed by Alanah Pearce
October 9, 2007
For 20 dollars, it may be a little pricey for what’s there, but we certainly won't tell anybody not to buy Portal. We recommend picking this one up with the full Orange Box because it’s hard to say no to another peek into this awesome universe and it does fit together with Episode Two.">Reviewed by Alanah Pearce
October 9, 2007
For 20 dollars, it may be a little pricey for what’s there, but we certainly won't tell anybody not to buy Portal. We recommend picking this one up with the full Orange Box because it’s hard to say no to another peek into this awesome universe and it does fit together with Episode Two.
Reviewed by Charles Onyett
October 9, 2007
Team Fortress 2 is finally available, and it's one hell of a game. With its powerful artistic style and blazingly quick, yet accessible gameplay, it's enough to melt the icy cynicism imprisoning the hearts of even the most jaded among us. That being said, it's not the most complex shooter out there, and lacks bot support for now. Still, the game's got enough to it to last for a long while, and there's a statistics system built into Steam to help keep track of everything. Buy it, load it up and let loose. It's near-impossible to be disappointed.">Reviewed by Charles Onyett
October 9, 2007
Team Fortress 2 is finally available, and it's one hell of a game. With its powerful artistic style and blazingly quick, yet accessible gameplay, it's enough to melt the icy cynicism imprisoning the hearts of even the most jaded among us. That being said, it's not the most complex shooter out there, and lacks bot support for now. Still, the game's got enough to it to last for a long while, and there's a statistics system built into Steam to help keep track of everything. Buy it, load it up and let loose. It's near-impossible to be disappointed.
Reviewed by Dan Adams
October 9, 2007
Orange Box is a terrific package and truly more than the sum of its parts. We highly recommend this to anyone who loves games. If you haven't played any Half-Life 2, this is a must buy. If you've played Half-Life 2 and are looking forward to Ep 2 and wouldn't mind checking out the other two games, we say go for it. If you only want Team Fortress 2 and have no interest in the others, you may want to get it individually. Any way you slice it, this is one hell of a deal.">Reviewed by Dan Adams
October 9, 2007
Orange Box is a terrific package and truly more than the sum of its parts. We highly recommend this to anyone who loves games. If you haven't played any Half-Life 2, this is a must buy. If you've played Half-Life 2 and are looking forward to Ep 2 and wouldn't mind checking out the other two games, we say go for it. If you only want Team Fortress 2 and have no interest in the others, you may want to get it individually. Any way you slice it, this is one hell of a deal.
Reviewed by Hilary Goldstein
October 9, 2007
There's nothing else available on any console like The Orange Box. Though you could argue that Half-Life 2 is old news by now, there are still four components of the Box brand new to consoles. That so much great content is offered at the standard single-game price is astonishing. Playing through Half-Life 2 again and then continuing on through Episodes One and Two is like batting with the '27 Yankees. These are Hall of Fame titles; it doesn't get much better than this. Throw in Portal, an imaginative puzzle game with a wicked sense of humor, and Team Fortress 2, one of the few multiplayer games to get the class system right, and you have a tremendous package. And all on one disc. While Portal and TF2 may not be strong enough to stand on their own, coupled with the Half-Life titles, The Orange Box really is one of the best games ever released.">Reviewed by Hilary Goldstein
October 9, 2007
There's nothing else available on any console like The Orange Box. Though you could argue that Half-Life 2 is old news by now, there are still four components of the Box brand new to consoles. That so much great content is offered at the standard single-game price is astonishing. Playing through Half-Life 2 again and then continuing on through Episodes One and Two is like batting with the '27 Yankees. These are Hall of Fame titles; it doesn't get much better than this. Throw in Portal, an imaginative puzzle game with a wicked sense of humor, and Team Fortress 2, one of the few multiplayer games to get the class system right, and you have a tremendous package. And all on one disc. While Portal and TF2 may not be strong enough to stand on their own, coupled with the Half-Life titles, The Orange Box really is one of the best games ever released.
Reviewed by Patrick Kolan, Cam Shea, Bennett Ring
October 14, 2007
Damn you Valve. That's what rival game publishers must be thinking. Not content with releasing a brilliant expansion pack in Episode 2, Valve has thrown in the phenomenal Team Fortress 2, as well as the mind-bending Portal, into a package that sells for the price of a regular game. Oh yeah, you also get Half Life 2 and Episode 1. It's a ridiculously over-stuffed box of high quality gaming, which simply can't, and won't, be matched for years to come. Oh how we pity the poor rival publishers. We'd have quite happily paid double for all of these games (provided TF2 had a few more maps) but no, Valve has given us all an early Christmas present in Orange Box. Shrewd marketing or insane accounting? Who cares when the gaming is this good? Game of the year then? More like Games of the Year. ">Reviewed by Patrick Kolan, Cam Shea, Bennett Ring
October 14, 2007
Damn you Valve. That's what rival game publishers must be thinking. Not content with releasing a brilliant expansion pack in Episode 2, Valve has thrown in the phenomenal Team Fortress 2, as well as the mind-bending Portal, into a package that sells for the price of a regular game. Oh yeah, you also get Half Life 2 and Episode 1. It's a ridiculously over-stuffed box of high quality gaming, which simply can't, and won't, be matched for years to come. Oh how we pity the poor rival publishers. We'd have quite happily paid double for all of these games (provided TF2 had a few more maps) but no, Valve has given us all an early Christmas present in Orange Box. Shrewd marketing or insane accounting? Who cares when the gaming is this good? Game of the year then? More like Games of the Year.
