Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 (2004)

by Valve, Electronic Arts, NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios, Sierra Entertainment
Genres:Shooter
Themes:Action, Horror, Science fiction
Game modes:Single player
Story:1998. HALF-LIFE sends a shock through the game industry with its combination of pounding action and continuous, immersive storytelling. NOW. By taking the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original, and adding startling new realism and responsiveness, Half-Life 2 opens the door to a world where the player's presence affects everything around them, from the physical environment to the behaviors even the emotions of both friends and enemies.Show more
user avatarAdded by @bobscraphouse
Vote to bring this game to GOG and help preserve it.
8 916
Trailers and screenshots
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Stories about this game (8)
What’s your memory of Half-Life 2?Share your favorite moments and see what others remember about this game.
user avatar@placeholder

Make sure to follow our Guidelines when adding new Stories.

If not sure what to write:
  • What made this game unforgettable?
  • Who did you play this game with?
  • What made it fun or challenging?
  • Why do you want this game on GOG?
user avatar@valkitty346user avatar@valkitty346
January 31, 2025
In my opinion this will never happen as valve the developer of this game owns steam and valve is one of the first companies to have this account requirement and game launcher requirement garbage I have no hate to valve corporation steam is a an amazing platform and their games are great but valve will not allow their games to be on any platform
The Xbox port was awesome and it really defined my teenage years. I hope to be able to grab its offline installers here one day, even if I already own it elsewhere.
user avatar@xman1user avatar@xman1
March 12, 2025
Not sure if anyone here has mentioned this or not, but Half Life 2 is already DRM free. You can download it from Steam and run it without Steam. Valve got rid of the DRM on it years ago. I have it saved on my NAS
they could include this game with its 20th anniversary update, it includes episodes 1 and 2, Lost coast. linking our steam account is optional only to install workshop mods and play HL2 deathmatch.
Definitely in the top 3 FPS games I've ever played. Gameplay, storyline, originality, difficulty built-up as game progresses, all were fantastic. Especially for its era, it was a game that really left many amazed. Needs to preserved, although probably difficult to happen because...valve...
user avatar@Rzulf83user avatar@Rzulf83
March 26, 2025
I liked the story (Please Valve, work on Episode 3! or at least publish a book how the story ends). I liked the weapons (crossbow pinning enemies to a wall, laser guided rpg, gravity gun). The code optimisation must have been amazing in comparison to other games. I was able to run it on a decent level of visual effects on a PC that was below the minimum requirements. I do not remember any other game series working so well despite my hardware being updated somewhere 4-10 years behind what is available on the market. There is a funny parody comic: "Concerned" about Gordon Frohmann who writes letters to the leader of the combine like a concerned citizen on what they could do better in managing their new world order as he follows Gordon Freeman's footsteps through that world. You can find it when googling "concerned citizen gordon frohman".
When Half-Life 2 launched in 2004, it didn’t just meet the high expectations set by its predecessor — it shattered them. Widely considered the greatest sequel in video game history, Half-Life 2 took everything that made the original iconic and elevated it with cutting-edge technology, emotionally rich storytelling, and groundbreaking gameplay mechanics. It is not just a sequel — it is a milestone in gaming, and it deserves a place on GOG to be preserved and experienced DRM-free by current and future generations. Half-Life 2 revolutionized the FPS genre with its advanced physics engine. The introduction of the Gravity Gun turned the environment into a weapon, letting players interact with objects in ways never seen before. Whether launching saw blades at zombies or solving physics-based puzzles, it made the world feel alive and tangible. The storytelling was subtle and immersive. Gordon Freeman, still silent, was surrounded by deeply human characters like Alyx Vance and Dog, who gave the story emotional depth. City 17 felt like a living, breathing dystopia under Combine rule, and the worldbuilding pulled players into a narrative filled with resistance, hope, and oppression. Even today, Half-Life 2 stands tall as a technical and creative triumph. Releasing it on GOG would honor its legacy by giving players a DRM-free version optimized for modern systems. It’s more than a game — it’s a masterpiece, and it’s time for it to find a new home on GOG.
I've loved Half-Life 2 since it was new, but Steam gives me the willies. I originally got the boxed Game of the Year Edition but actually aborted the install when I saw it wanted to sneak in some kind of game client. It was 2005 and that felt shady and gross. I let the game sit for another year before I finally caved, installed it, and enjoyed it immensely. A few years later, when I wanted to reinstall it, I'd lost my Steam account information and was so disgusted with the recovery process that I abandoned the game again. I now own the Xbox port, the Xbox 360 port included in The Orange Box, and the original Game of the Year PC release, manually unpacked and patched to be playable without Steam... but I still don't own a legit, standalone PC copy. GOG, please make this dream a reality. This game is too good to be trapped in the Valve ecosystem.
Those games also need your vote!
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Resident Evil 3: NemesisResident Evil 3: Nemesis is a survival horror video game and the third installment in the Resident Evil series. Like its two predecessors, it is a third-person action-adventure game with polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds with cinematic camera angles. Although the game uses the same basic engine and gameplay as the previous games, the gameplay is improved by features such as auto-targeting, a 180 degree spin, and a new dodge move that allows Jill to avoid enemy attacks. The PC and Dreamcast versions includes all eight of Jill's possible costumes, as well as the mercenary mini-game Operation Mad Jackal which allows you to play as one of the three Umbrella soldiers. On the Playstation version, these special features must be unlocked by beating the game with a high score.
Action
Horror
Survival
Action
Horror
Survival
1 271
1
Prey
PreyPrey tells the story of Tommy, a Cherokee garage mechanic stuck on a reservation going nowhere. Abducted along with his people to a menacing mothership orbiting Earth, he sets out to save himself and his girlfriend and eventually his planet.
Our Pick
Top
Action
Science fiction
Our Pick
Top
Action
Science fiction
52 386
124
Ratchet & Clank Collection
Ratchet & Clank CollectionThis trilogy of Ratchet & Clank classics contains Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, and Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal – all remastered in 1080p with additional upgrades such as Trophy and 3D support.
Action
Science fiction
Action
Science fiction
2 310
21
Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis
Operation Flashpoint: Cold War CrisisBohemia Interactive's debut game published by Codemasters as Operation Flashpoint in 2001, became genre-defining combat military simulation and the No. 1 bestselling PC game around the world and has won many international awards, including “Game of The Year” and “Best Action Game”. Over 2 million copies have been sold since its release.
Action
Historical
Warfare
Action
Historical
Warfare
222
5
Alien vs Predator
Alien vs PredatorYou're a Predator warrior in the 25th century--an awesome monster with an ugly face, brute strength and very cool weapons. Trained to fight with all that Predator technology has to offer--destroy or be destroyed! You've come to New Shanghai, a city on the planet Vega 4, to hunt humans, but instead, you find Aliens--powerful, double-jawed beasts bent on annihilating life. You're outnumbered, but not outsmarted--the hunt is on. Alien drones, warriors, chest-bursters and face-huggers stand in your way. Use your lasers, blades and special weapons of destruction to win honor for your deeds. Destroy the Guardian Aliens to advance to the next level, then follow your primal instinct to reach the ultimate prey... the Alien Queen!
Action
Science fiction
Action
Science fiction
361
3
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero
Counter-Strike: Condition ZeroWith its extensive Tour of Duty campaign, a near-limitless number of skirmish modes, updates and new content for Counter-Strike's award-winning multiplayer game play, plus over 12 bonus single player missions, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero is a tremendous offering of single and multiplayer content.
Action
Action
144
Saints Row IV
Saints Row IVUnlike the first three games in the franchise, Saints Row 4 does not center around the main character defeating three rival gangs in order to take over a city. The Saints have now become a household name, and their leader has become the president of the Unites States. The antagonists in Saints Row 4 are an invading alien race known as the Zin. Most of the game takes place within a computer simulation of the city of Steelport controlled by the Zin, where the protagonist is attempting to free himself and his companions.
Open world
Action
Comedy
Science fiction
Sandbox
Open world
Action
Comedy
Science fiction
Sandbox
129
1
Saints Row
Saints RowSaints Row takes place in the fictional city of Stilwater, where the main character is involved in a conflict between four rival gangs. Despite the protagonist's attempts to remain uninvolved, you are drawn into the conflict and become a member of the Third Street Saints. As the game progresses, you go to war with Los Carnales, the Westside Rollers, and the Vice Kings, gaining status within the gang and taking over the city in the process.
Open world
Action
Comedy
Open world
Action
Comedy
1 623
22
Star Wars Racer and Commando Combo
Star Wars Racer and Commando ComboGet two classic Star Wars games with the Star Wars Racer and Commando Combo which includes Star Wars: Episode I Racer and Star Wars Republic Commando. Climb on, strap in, and experience the pure adrenaline-pumping excitement of the Podracing sequence from Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace in Star Wars: Episode I Racer. In Star Wars Republic Commando you are the leader of your elite squad of Republic Commandos. Your mission is to infiltrate, dominate, and ultimately, annihilate the enemy. Star Wars Episode I Racer: Choose from 25 playable racers including: Anakin Skywalker, Sebulba, and Ratts Tyerell Star Wars Episode I Racer: Race tracks spanning 8 unique worlds including: Tatooine, Baroonda, and Malastare Star Wars Republic Commando: Boss, Fixer, Scorch, and Sev, better known as Delta Squad, are back! Relive the legendary campaign Star Wars Republic Commando: Battle a variety of highly intelligent and deadly enemies-from brutal Trandoshan mercenaries to the flying insectoid warriors of Geonosis
Action
Action
33
Rocket Knight Adventures
Rocket Knight AdventuresHe's courageous! He's clever! He's one good lookin' opossum. It's Sparkster the Rocket Knight, the heroic jet pack jockey with warp speed, quick wits and pumped up personality. After all, who else do you know can get a grip with his tail? Rocket through 7 epic stages of animalistic adventure, home of the hugest, strangest enemy pig creatures imaginable. (In fact, your mission is crammed with more ham than a Hollywood premier.) Destroy the Emperor who's on a porcine power trip that will take him to the Key to the Pig Star. In every stage you'll be moving, flying and riding in a new direction to escape opossum punishment. You're the thrust-meister controlling Sparkster's jet pack and his assault sword. Confront mechanized menaces like the Giant Pigbot, the Drill Of A Lifetime, and the snappy Crab Rangoon. Things take a turn for the worst in the room of rotating gravity where Axle Gear, the Black Knights awaits you. And you've never seen anything like the unreal mirrored lava pools where things will reflect badly on you. The tricks, the traps and challenges never end. But the world as you know it will if you don't grind those pigs for sausage.
Action
Comedy
Kids
Action
Comedy
Kids
115
1