Half-Life turns sixteen this year. It's likely older than some of you. Yet, aged graphics aside, it's still one of the best games—or rather, one of the best experiences—the PC has to offer. There's a couple reasons why.


As YouTuber XboxAhoy argues in his video, the first Half-Life was influential not just because it played well, but because it immersed you into its world with great skill, gripping you with its atmosphere and actually putting you in the shoes of a (sort of) Average Joe, who's unlucky enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. From his perspective, at least.

Of course, you can't look at Half-Life without considering its legacy, and the video has you covered there, too—from the expansions to the original game and iconic mods like Counter-Strike and Team Fortress Classic to the various small ways Half-Life influenced today's first-person shooters.


If you have 20 minutes to spare, make sure to give it a watch. If you're a fan, perhaps just to nod along and reminisce (and maybe find out a new thing or two), and if you're not, then to learn how one of the greatest series in all of gaming began all those years ago.

RetroAhoy: Half-Life [XboxAhoy@YouTube]