20 years on and Half-Life 2 is still an absolutely stellar gaming experience. I still think that Half-Life 2 is one of the games that I’ve been most excited about prior to it’s launch and it is definitely still one of the best games I’ve ever played.
Every so often in a generation of console cycles or nestled within a decade, a handful of games push the boundary within a genre. Half-Life 2 pushed the envelope in terms of what was possible. Even today I still think it outdoes many modern video games. A lot of that comes down to the physics and the playground of fun that it creates.
We don’t go to Ravenholm

Never is that more prevalent in Half-Life 2 than when you first get the gravity gun – or Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator, to give it its full name, and head into Ravenholm.
When I first stepped foot into Ravenholm all those years ago, I’ll admit that I was suitably spooked. The dilapidated setting with boarded-up buildings, overgrown streets, and the remnants of previous fights paint a pretty grim picture of what has happened here. Then there are the groans and moans of creatures lurking around corners. Additionally, bodies with overgrown claw-like hands and head-crabs attached to them lie suspiciously in wait. As you get near they creak into life and begin their rambling shuffle towards you. Hurling objects they pass by in hopes of taking you down. You brace yourself for jumps and scares as you navigate the claustrophobic corridors of abandoned houses.
It’s actually very fun though

However, as grim as it all might look. Ravenholm is actually a playground for you, your grav gun, and physics. Barrels, broken boards, gas canisters, and most importantly big circular saw blades lay strewn about the place ready for you to
wield with your gravity gun and launch at the shambling zombie-esque creatures. Flinging the saw blades and watching in delight as they slice through enemies sending half their body into the air and the other flopping to the ground, frankly,
never gets old. Rolling explosive barrels down slopes into grouped-up foes and setting them off at the opportune moment is brilliant fun. Making use of the traps laid by Father Grigori allows you to bait zombies into being crushed by cars, or
sliced to pieces by the massive spinning blade contraption thing. To paraphrase Rorschach in Watchmen, “I’m not trapped in Ravenholm with you. You’re trapped here with me.”.
Sure I have grenades and guns, but why would I use them when there are so many other fun tools to fling about? Saw blades do a better job and are much more enjoyable to use.
Iconic and timeless

Much like Gordon himself and his iconic crowbar, the gravity gun is just as important and iconic as a piece of weaponry and a character in popular gaming history. So often we were used to running and gunning our way through video games. The sudden switch up to being able to use this weapon to fire whatever projectile you fancied devastating effect was joyous and still is. But not only that, it also serves as a tool to solve problems and puzzles throughout. Manipulating objects to create new routes opens up loads of possibilities. I always enjoy holding up barrels in front of myself with the gravity gun to block bullets. Then when close enough, launching it at enemies to great effect. What other game lets you make a radiator become a deadly weapon?
As Half-Life 2 turns 20, I’ve been playing it again and it’s just as fun as it ever was. Sure the graphics have aged a bit. However, I do still think it looks pretty good in most places. It has to be up there with one of the greatest video games of all time.