Do two Half-Life’s make a Whole Life?
Barney the security guard was sort of an average fellow. Never very smart or ambitious, he was content with his life at the Black Mesa facility. Sure, he had no idea what sorts of experiments were being conducted, but he didn’t really care. He put in his forty hours a week and collected his paycheck at the end of every month. No fame, no glory, just the everyday life of a security guard. .
Everything
was going fine for Barney until Half-Life
was brought to the Dreamcast. Developed internally by Valve, the makers of Half-Life
for the PC, this is one of the most anticipated titles for the Dreamcast . .
. and for good reason. Featuring new weapons, optimized Dreamcast graphics,
and an entirely new scenario, Half-Life is sure to please both console
gamers who have never heard of Gordon Freeman as well as PC users who think
they’ve seen it all.
Though still not completed, the graphics show what the Dreamcast can really
do. Just have a look at the screenshots to see what I mean.
The gameplay is identical to the PC version, with a few minor changes. Gordon’s
adventure is all there, complete with in-game cut-scenes and voice acting. On
top of that, Gearbox Studios (makers of Half-Life:
Opposing Force) has designed an entirely new scenario based around the events
of Barney, the security guard. Treated much differently by the NPCs, Barney
truly gets no respect. Explore new areas of the Black Mesa facility as you try
to keep Barney alive.
Unfortunately, Half-Life will not have Internet multiplayer on the newly
announced Sega.net. It should be noted, however, that rumors abound that Team
Fortress Dreamcast is in the works, so keep your fingers crossed.
Historically, most PC to console ports have different developing teams, and
are hence generally poor. But with Valve designing the game and Gearbox enhancing
it, Half-Life for the Dreamcast is sure to be a winner. Run and hide,
alien scum…Barney’s on the job.
Scientists rejoice! Half-Life is due out in Summer 2000.
