One of the best games of all time is now 100% free to download and keep, no strings attached. The game in question hails from 2004, a year where it shared headlines and attention with juggernauts like Halo 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, World of Warcraft, Monster Hunter, Far Cry, Fable, Tony Hawk’s Underground 2, Killzone, Red Dead Revolver, DOOM 3, Ninja Gaiden, Pokemon Emerald, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, Star Wars Battlefront, Spider-Man 2, Need for Speed: Underground 2, Gran Turismo 4, Unreal Tournament 2004, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Rome: Total War, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, The Sims 2, Counter-Strike: Source, and many other games.
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2004 was arguably the greatest year in video game history in terms of video game releases. And now one of the best games from this exemplary year is free to download on Steam. That game is not mentioned above, but is as notable and as high-quality as any of the games above.
For those that have not connected the dots yet, the mystery free Steam game is Half-Life 2, which was made by Valve, the company that owns and operates Steam. Normally, to own the 96-rated game on Steam, Steam users would need to fork over $9.99. Between now and November 18 though, the game is free to download.
Half-Life 2, for those that know nothing about it, is the sequel to 1998’s Half-Life. And as evident by its 96 on Metacritic, it is considered one of the all time great video games. Despite this, it has never received a sequel, however, in 2020 it did get a prequel: Half-Life: Alyx, which unlike the previous Half-Life games, is a VR game.
“The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling,” reads an official story backdrop for the game. “Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people he cares about are counting on him.”
Those on Steam Deck interested in checking out this all-time classic now that it is a free download on Steam can do so because the game is not only supported, but “Verified” on Steam Deck. According to Valve itself, this means it “works great with the built-in controls and display.”
Whether on Steam Deck or a regular PC, those that download and play Half-Life 2 will need about 13 to 15 hours to beat the game, with the variance coming down to how much side content is experience. Meanwhile, completionists will need closer to 20 hours with the Steam game.
