Since last month’s Game Circle started so quickly on the heels of Deus Ex, we thought we’d give it a few extra days before announcing this month’s. Promise. It has nothing to do with forgetfulness or sloth.
Anyway, since this holiday season has been all about The Orange Box so far, we thought we’d go back in time this month to take a look at the original Half-Life, the game that practically reinvented the shooter genre.
For homework, take a look at these fine articles from The Escapist covering the series’ march through time:
- Tom Rhodes’ excellent look at the literary impact of the series.
A review of Portal, by Russ Pitts.
A review of Team Fortress 2, by Joe Blancato.
Sean Sands’ attempt to introduce his wife to a number of games, including Half-Life 2.
Gearoid Reidy’s interview with Havok, the studio behind Half-Life 2‘s physics engine.
And Hitchhiker’s Return to Ravenholm.
Half-Life is available for PC and PS2, and can be purchased practically anywhere.
The Game Circle FAQ
What is it?
It’s pretty simple. Once a month we’ll pick a new game, and suggest you pick up or rent a copy. Then we’ll play it. Then we’ll talk about it. It’s really that simple.
What do I need to do?
Keep an eye out for posts like these. They will usually occur near the beginning of a month (in this case, November). Then, if the game and the concept interest you, find a copy of the game of the month and play it.
How do we discuss?
By checking the forum thread frequently, adding a thought when one occurs to you and commenting on messages left by others. It’s simple.
Nothing is unimportant. If your first impression is the graphic look like ass but the dialogue is neat, say that. You’d be surprised how easy it is to start a discussion.
Do I have to finish the game?
Ideally, but it’s not technically necessary I suppose.
Do I have to finish the game to start talking about it?
Absolutely not. That’s part of the fun of sharing the experience, sharing our impressions as we go.
Naturally some folks will have more time than others, and will play faster as a result. That’s OK. Let’s try to be aware of not posting plot or puzzle spoilers if we can help it.
We’ll set a deadline toward the end of each month after which it’s OK to talk about the full plot and whatnot. If you can’t help but talk about every detail, or don’t want to know anything about the game until you discover it yourself, then it might be a good idea to avoid the thread until the last week of the month. But I think we can promise to be good and avoid trouble here.
