Half-Life 2 Alternatives and Similar Games
Our list of games like Half-Life 2 will help you choose the right game to play next and enjoy every second of it.
Games Like Half-Life 2
Valve’s sequel to their signature hit, Half-Life 2 features the return of the physics hero Gordon Freeman. Having survived the disastrous Black Mesa research facility incident, Gordon is put in stasis by the enigmatic G-Man and awakes to a very different world.
Earth has been conquered by an alien alliance known as the Combine, who have turned it into a dystopian police state. Earth’s resources are being drained, humanity is controlled by a suppression field, and humans used for biological experimentation and assimilation. Escaping the Combine, Freeman links up with the resistance and begins a guerrilla war through prisons, zombie-infested towns, and the Combine Citadel.
The games are fully immersive with no cutscenes. Players have full control over their character throughout the entire game. Story elements are frequently uncovered by the player’s own exploration and investigation.
The game uses a realistic physics system based on the Source engine. Physics-based puzzles and problems are necessary to be solved in order to progress, incorporating elements such as weight, shape, and buoyancy.
Half-Life 2 allows this to feature in more than just puzzle solving. The Gravity Gun can push objects away as well as move them towards the player. Objects such as filing cabinets can be used as shields. Items like buzzsaws or gasoline containers can be flung as makeshift projectiles.
The game’s intelligent AI makes for memorable combat as different enemies display unique behavior. Soldiers will use suppressive fire and cover to their advantage while zombies will swarm the player. Players must use a variety of different weapons and tactics to overcome each foe.
The game’s story is continued with a series of episodic installments that build on the original game with new features and enemies. Players can revisit old locations as well as explore new ones while waging their war against the Combine. If you are looking for more games like Half-Life 2, check the list below.
BioShock Series
- Released: 21 Aug, 2007
- Genre: Action, RPG
- Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox ONE, MacOS, iOS
- Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
- OS: Windows XP (with Service Pack 2) or Windows Vista
- Processor: Intel single-core Pentium 4 processor at 2.4GHz
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: 128 MB VRAM and Pixel Shader 3.0 (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550)
- Storage: 8 GB
System Shock 2
- Released: 11 Aug, 1999
- Genre: Action, RPG
- Platforms: PC, MacOS, Linux
- Developer: Irrational Games, Looking Glass Studios
- OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8
- Processor: 1.8 GHz Processor
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: 3D graphics card
- Storage: 2 GB
Prey
- Released: 4 May, 2017
- Genre: Action, Adventure
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
- Developer: Arkane Studios
- OS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit versions)
- Processor: Intel i5-2400, AMD FX-8320
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: GTX 660 2 GB VRA<, AMD Radeon 7850 2 GB VRAM
- Storage: 20 GB
Dishonored Series
- Released: 12 Oct, 2012
- Genre: Action, Adventure
- Platforms: PC
- Developer: Arkane Studios
- OS: Windows Vista / Windows 7
- Processor: 3.0 GHz dual core or better
- Memory: 3 GB RAM
- Graphics: 512 MB VRAM or better (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 / ATI Radeon HD 5850)
- Storage: 9 GB
Metro Series
- Released: (PC/Xbox 360) 16 Mar, 2010 / (PS4/Xbox One) 26 Aug, 2014
- Genre: FPS, Horror, Survival
- Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox ONE, MacOS, Linux (Redux)
- Developer: 4A Games
- OS: Windows XP, Vista, or 7
- Processor: Dual core CPU (any Core 2 Duo or better)
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 9, Shader Model 3 compliant graphics cards (GeForce 8800, GeForce GT220 and above)
- Storage: 12 GB
Singularity
- Released: 1 Jul, 2010
- Genre: Action
- Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
- Developer: Raven Software
- OS: Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7
- Processor: Intel Dual Core 2.8 GHz or AMD Ahtlon 64 x2 Dual-Core 4800+ or better
- Memory: 1 GB RAM (2 GB RAM for Windows Vista or Windows 7)
- Graphics: nVidia GeForce 8800 GT 256 MB VRAM | ATI Radeon X1800 256 MB VRAM
- Storage: 8 GB
S.T.A.L.K.E. Series
- Released: 20 Mar, 2007
- Genre: Action, RPG
- Platforms: PC
- Developer: GSC Game World
- OS: Microsoft Windows XP (SP 2) | Microsoft Windows 2000 (SP 4)
- Processor: Intel Pentium IV 2.0 GHz | AMD XP 2200+
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Graphics: nVidia GeForce 5700 with 128 MB VRAM | ATI Radeon 9600 with 128 MB VRAM
- Storage: 10 GB
Dead Space Series
- Released: 20 Oct, 2008
- Genre: Action
- Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
- Developer: EA Redwood Shores
- OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista
- Processor: Pentium 4 (2.8 GHz)
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or better w/256 MB VRAM / ATI X1600 Pro or better w/256 MB VRAM
- Storage: 7.5 GB
Deus Ex Series
- Released: 25 Oct, 2013
- Genre: Action, RPG
- Platforms: PC, MacOS, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U
- Developer: Eidos Montreal, Feral Interactive (Mac)
- OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8
- Processor: 2.0 GHz dual core
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 8000 series or ATI Radeon HD 2000 series or better
- Storage: 17 GB
Some Facts About Half-Life 2
The long awaited sequel to Valve’s classic, Half-Life 2 is set in a dystopian world where Earth has been conquered by aliens. The player must join the resistance, using weapons and cunning to fight the invaders. Its physics system, graphics, gameplay, and story, have all received critical acclaim.
About the Game
- Released: 16 Nov, 2004
- Genre: Action
- Platforms: PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3, MacOS, Linux, Android
- Developer: Valve
- Publisher: Valve
- Official Website:
System Requirements
- OS: Windows 7, Vista, XP
- Processor: 1.7 GHz
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 8.1 level Graphics Card (requires support for SSE)
- Storage: 6.5 GB
How Long to Beat
- Main Story 13 Hours
- Hours Main + Extra 16 Hours
- Completionist 19 Hours
- All Styles 15 Hours
- Learn more