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ACTIONSHOOTER

Half-Life

1998 · Valve

A laboratory disaster becomes a continuous journey through tightly connected encounters and environmental puzzles.

PLATFORMS

PCPS2macOSLinux

GAMEBOX SCORE

92

Provisional GAMEBOX editorial ratings. These are not verified facts or aggregate review scores.

/ 100

Retro Score90
Hidden Gem80
Revival Potential80

GAME DNA

experience
Narrative-driven · Survival tension
genre
Action · Shooter
mood
Tense · Cinematic
gameplay
Combat · Exploration
difficulty
Medium
era
1990s
pacing
Fast
perspective
First-person
structure
Linear

DISCOVER BY GAME DNA

Game DNA is GAMEBOX editorial classification; era comes from the sourced release year. Ratings are separate editorial judgements.

TenseCinematicCombatExploration

ABOUT THE GAME

A laboratory disaster becomes a continuous journey through tightly connected encounters and environmental puzzles.

A laboratory disaster becomes a continuous journey through tightly connected encounters and environmental puzzles.

WHERE CAN I PLAY IT?

Availability information will be added to the GAMEBOX database.

We only list legal and officially available platforms and services.

RETRO HISTORY

First listed release: 1998. Explore the cited source for the game's release and development history.

ORIGINAL RELEASE
1998
Developer
Valve
Publisher
Sierra Studios

DISCOVER MORE

SIMILAR GAMES

Explore what makes games feel like Half-Life

GAMEBOX algorithmic assessments of editorial Game DNA. Confidence describes overlap strength, not a probability of enjoyment.

2004

Half-Life 2

98% SIMILAR

VERY STRONG MATCH

Cinematic · Tense · Survival tension · Narrative-driven · Shooter · Action

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Cinematic / Tense mood; Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity) and Narrative-driven experiences (following and interpreting a story-led journey); Shooter / Action genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven · Survival tension100% distinctive overlap · 62.4 / 62.4 points
  • mood: Cinematic · Tense100% distinctive overlap · 70.3 / 70.3 points
  • genre: Action · Shooter100% distinctive overlap · 30.4 / 30.4 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration100% distinctive overlap · 19.1 / 19.1 points
  • structure: Linear100% distinctive overlap · 20.3 / 20.3 points
  • pacing: Fast100% distinctive overlap · 17.4 / 17.4 points
  • perspective: First-person100% distinctive overlap · 8.0 / 8.0 points
  • difficulty: Medium100% distinctive overlap · 2.7 / 2.7 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

2010

Metro 2033

92% SIMILAR

VERY STRONG MATCH

Cinematic · Tense · Survival tension · Narrative-driven · Shooter · Action

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Cinematic / Tense mood; Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity) and Narrative-driven experiences (following and interpreting a story-led journey); Shooter / Action genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven · Survival tension100% distinctive overlap · 62.4 / 62.4 points
  • mood: Cinematic · Tense100% distinctive overlap · 70.3 / 70.3 points
  • genre: Action · Shooter100% distinctive overlap · 30.4 / 30.4 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration100% distinctive overlap · 19.1 / 19.1 points
  • structure: Linear100% distinctive overlap · 20.3 / 20.3 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 14.7 points
  • perspective: First-person100% distinctive overlap · 8.0 / 8.0 points
  • difficulty: Medium100% distinctive overlap · 2.7 / 2.7 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.6 points

2013

BioShock Infinite

78% SIMILAR

STRONG MATCH

Cinematic · Tense · Shooter · Action · Narrative-driven

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Cinematic / Tense mood; Shooter / Action genre; Narrative-driven experiences (following and interpreting a story-led journey).

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven26% distinctive overlap · 17.0 / 65.2 points
  • mood: Cinematic · Tense100% distinctive overlap · 70.3 / 70.3 points
  • genre: Action · Shooter100% distinctive overlap · 30.4 / 30.4 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration100% distinctive overlap · 19.1 / 19.1 points
  • structure: Linear100% distinctive overlap · 20.3 / 20.3 points
  • pacing: Fast100% distinctive overlap · 17.4 / 17.4 points
  • perspective: First-person100% distinctive overlap · 8.0 / 8.0 points
  • difficulty: Medium100% distinctive overlap · 2.7 / 2.7 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.6 points

2007

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

60% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Cinematic · Tense · Shooter · Action · Survival tension

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Cinematic / Tense mood; Shooter / Action genre; Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity).

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Survival tension23% distinctive overlap · 17.0 / 72.5 points
  • mood: Cinematic · Tense100% distinctive overlap · 70.3 / 70.3 points
  • genre: Action · Shooter100% distinctive overlap · 30.4 / 30.4 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration100% distinctive overlap · 19.1 / 19.1 points
  • structure: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 23.0 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 14.7 points
  • perspective: First-person100% distinctive overlap · 8.0 / 8.0 points
  • difficulty: Medium100% distinctive overlap · 2.7 / 2.7 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

2004

The Suffering

50% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Survival tension · Narrative-driven · Action

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity) and Narrative-driven experiences (following and interpreting a story-led journey); Action genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven · Survival tension100% distinctive overlap · 62.4 / 62.4 points
  • mood: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 77.8 points
  • genre: Action26% distinctive overlap · 7.1 / 27.5 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration33% distinctive overlap · 7.9 / 23.9 points
  • structure: Linear100% distinctive overlap · 20.3 / 20.3 points
  • pacing: Fast100% distinctive overlap · 17.4 / 17.4 points
  • perspective: First-person55% distinctive overlap · 4.2 / 7.7 points
  • difficulty: Medium100% distinctive overlap · 2.7 / 2.7 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

2004

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

41% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Survival tension · Narrative-driven · Tense · Action

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity) and Narrative-driven experiences (following and interpreting a story-led journey); Tense mood; Action genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven · Survival tension63% distinctive overlap · 40.6 / 64.0 points
  • mood: Tense33% distinctive overlap · 21.7 / 66.5 points
  • genre: Action24% distinctive overlap · 7.0 / 29.3 points
  • gameplay: Exploration11% distinctive overlap · 2.8 / 25.3 points
  • structure: Linear100% distinctive overlap · 20.3 / 20.3 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 13.8 points
  • perspective: First-person55% distinctive overlap · 4.2 / 7.7 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points