Recent reviews by Sheev Palpatine

This was the first FPS game I ever played. There is an immense history to this game, and in many respects I still believe it to be one of the base games ever created. The puzzle-based first-person shooter is definitely a bit of an odd one, but HL1 manages that quite well with plenty of little mini-puzzles that you need to solve to advance. The HD graphics supplied by both the Black Mesa update and the HD models pack both make the game fabulously modern, despite being released in 1998. There is still the charm in the pixelated baddies, though, and I still play this game on disc from time to time for the more retro feel. I recommend that you play this game if you have not already... The storyline is fantastic, especially for an FPS, the gameplay is interesting, and the history of how Half-Life *made* the FPS genre what it is today is absolutely worth it.

And if you get bored, there is always the plethora of mods to be installed!