My partner has played Half-Life 2 all the way through at least 30 times. It's his favorite game ever. Despite this, he has never played the first Half-Life all the way through. We decided to rectify that. Here's the first episode!

It's hard for me to separate this game's genuine good qualities from nostalgia, so it's great to have Matt's perspective on it as he plays. I think this game still holds up surprisingly well. This intro is still quite entertaining to me today. I can't imagine anyone getting away with and / or even attempting such a slow, atmospheric opening in an action game these days. This game was hugely influential and set up rules and lessons for Valve's trademark brand of diegetic storytelling that games across the industry still use today. Also, it's a great shooter with some crazy-ass monsters!

Here's a link to the continually updated playlist: Half-Life Chronicles

Half Life 1 was years ahead of its time. The level design, exploration, and difficulty were all top notch. Its still better than most FPS today!