Half-Life 2: New Details

Valve Software has given the first word on Half-Life 2. Details and screens inside.

This year's E3 will prove to be one of the biggest and best yet - even more so, now that Valve has officially announced Half-Life 2 will be on show.

But what took them so long to announce it? Sources say HL2 has been in the development stage since late 1998, just around the time the original was released. Their reason for such covert development is at least a noble one. Valve is obsessed with perfection, and given the large outcry of praise from their fans regarding the first, they knew this one couldn't be anything less than.

As Gordon Freeman, you once again return to ward off an alien invasion from Xen, but this time you're a government agent. No longer the lab rat you once were at Black Mesa, City 17 is in dire need of your expertise and experience. Comprised of 12 chapters and almost 40 hours of gameplay, HL2 hopes to throw you back into the mix of gameplay, ambience, and sheer terror you came to love.

Specs wise, the game is powered by Valve's very own graphics engine, called Source. Not only could it challenge Doom III's engine, its scalability allows for low-end computer users to enter the fray. A P3 700Mhz and DX6 video card can even support it, though to take full advantage of it an Athlon 2Ghz with a GeForce 4 will be needed.

The best part has been saved for the last. The game is slated to be in stores September 30, 2003. That's this year, folks. You'll be able to grab it through retailers, or Valve's own pay-per-download client, Steam.

Colin Wilson