100 Word Review - #34 - Half-Life 2

Bin or face? - The eternal question.

Half-Life 2

Genre - Action

Metascore - 96%

Developer - Valve

Other Games by Developer - Alien Swarm, Portal 2

My Playtime - 21.4 hours

I only downloaded HL2 again to get that screenshot, but testament to just how good it is, I stayed and played for another 2 hours. The opening few chapters are especially engrossing, and set the mood perfectly. The characters are brilliant, and the atmosphere is kept consistently tense, with some battles being gut-wrenchingly difficult. From G-Man’s creepy opening monologue, through the much copied physics puzzles all the way to the action-packed climax, HL2 is quite simply the best game I have ever played. If you by some miracle haven’t played HL2, its dirt cheap – buy it and play it now.

My Score - 10/10

100 Word Review - #K2 - Portal 2

The multiplayer is good too

Portal 2

Genre - Action, Adventure


Metascore - 95%


Developer - Valve


Other Games by Developer - Portal,  Left 4 Dead 2,


Kris' Current Playtime - 16.1 hours

It is a bit obvious but this is my favourite game of last year. It was the perfect sequel to an amazing game. I like that there were new game constructs such as the gels but not too much to take away from the portaling heart. The story and comedy definitely need a big mention as they elevate a clever puzzle game into a true fan favourite. Everytime I see or hear Steve Merchant, I now think of Wheatley. GLaDOS is as funny as ever and I loved the idea of Cave Johnson. A truly modern classic in every respect.

Kris' Score - 10/10

100 Word Review - #12 - Left 4 Dead 2

Some useful advice here

Left 4 Dead 2

Genre - Action

Metascore - 89%

Developer - Valve

Other Games by Developer - Left 4 Dead, Portal 2

My Current Playtime - 76.6 hours

‘L4D2’ is another one of these great games to play with a couple of friends, and with the campaigns normally lasting around an hour; you don’t need to dedicate much time to each survival attempt. The AI is some of the most intelligent I have ever seen, and has a way of turning the game on its head. This game was a great improvement over ‘L4D’ and now that they’ve added the maps from the original, it’s even better. Valve rotate game modes every couple of weeks and there is a plethora of custom campaigns, which keeps the game fresh.

My Score - 10/10