Episode 52 - Half-Life 2

02/21/17 • 67 min

1 Listener

Released in 2004, Half-Life 2 ushered PC games into a new generation. It brought with it the highly flexible Source Engine (a game engine so versatile that highly modified versions of it are still used for modern AAA games like Titanfall), and necessitated PC users to install Steam (at the time a highly controversial move that helped launch the platform into ubiquity). The shooter focused on the adventures of scientist-turned-hero Gordan Freeman and his attempts to stay alive in a strange future in which humanity has been conquered by an alien race known as the Combine. Rise and shine, listeners. Rise and... shine... and let us know if you think Half-Life 2 remains one of the best games period well over a decade after release.

Outro music: Half-Life 2 'I Tried' by Redg (https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02931)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

Outro music: Half-Life 2 'I Tried' by Redg (https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02931)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

Previous Episode

Honorable Mention - Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War

A 2004 release from Project Aces, Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War attempted to bridge the gap between arcade flight sim and wartime drama. The result was an incredibly engaging, beautiful experience that ruminates on the modern incarnation of war. Combining stellar in-game voice acting with tense aerial action set pieces and gorgeously crafted pre-rendered CGI cutscenes, Ace Combat 5 holds up as the best the series has offered to date.

From what little we've seen of Ace Combat 7, they seem to be tapping into the same themes and methods of storytelling that made The Unsung War so fantastic - and that can only be a good thing.

Outro music: Super Smash Bros. Wii U 'Got My Mind on My Money Match' by DarkeSword (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03074)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

Next Episode

Episode 53 - Donkey Kong Country 2 vs. Donkey Kong Country 3 (ft. Dean Stephenson)

In the mid 90s Nintendo partnered with UK developer Rare to develop a game based on their Donkey Kong character. The resulting game, Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo, temporarily catapulted the animated gorilla into wide popularity. The resulting creative freedom this allowed Rare in potential sequels led to the release of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest in 1995 and Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble in 1996. Debate over which of the two sequels reigned supreme raged for years. We've invited podcaster and graphic designer Dean Stephenson on the show to help settle the question once and for all in our second versus episode.

You can follow Dean on Twitter @deanrobot - ask about his podcast and shirts (he likes being the middleman for his own stuff!)

Outro music: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest 'Sinfonía del Sabio' by Leandro Abreu (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02805)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod