The sound effects are, for the most part, based on the original game, but the voices have a much crisper sound this time around, and the new creatures have voices, screams, and shouts that rival anything produced by the original set of baddies. That being said, anyone remember the odd times when pounding electronica would suddenly appear in Half-Life for no apparent reason? There's definitely more of a purpose with the sounds in OF, and you'll be hearing more music, more often. I loved the new music, but some of you will find it a little too techno-heavy for your tastes. The sound takes the same cue as the creatures, keeping with the classics but adding a few new features. Add to that some big beasties, and you've got just enough new surprises to keep you entertained, and more importantly, fighting for your life. Instead, there's a few smart additions: another grunt-like trooper (the shock trooper), the next stage in the head crab evolution, and a scary set of super-fast spine-shooting beasts called pit drones. There aren't a lot of new creatures in Half-Life, which is understandable - twenty new creatures in the same Black Mesa compound would convolute the plot. Believe me, it's a lot better than having to swing from ropes and cables, one of the most tedious aspects of the game. Last, and most bizarre, is the handy dandy "Indiana Jones" Barnacle, a scientific creation that allows you to attach a barnacle to your hand, and swing from nearby chunks of organic matter. The Spore Launcher is sort of like a squid version of a faithful puppy (you even pet it, and feed it spores by hand), that just happens to spit globs of explosive green ooze out of its slimy mouth. The Shock Roach is the electrified replacement for the Hive Hand, and creates a nasty set of shocks for anyone in your way. Kill a shock trooper (sort of like the electrified version of the grunt) and you'll get the scare of your life as it's weapon jumps right for your face, and attaches to your arm. But forget about the human creations - wait until you get your hand up into the butts of some of the new alien weapons. A new machine gun takes a nod from Team Fortress, and sprays an array of bullets that will quickly kill almost anything in your way, as long as you're willing to deal with its slow start speed. It fills that sniper-rifle feeling that makes my tummy warm, and solves the annoying problem of having to fire off 30 rounds of bullets to kill those hard to hit head crabs from afar. One of your first new finds, and the best in my opinion, is the sited pistol that allows you to aim, and instantly kill most creatures. When you pop in any add-on pack, the first thing you look for, beyond new levels, is the ways you'll be doing some kill-kill-killing. Conspiracy, anyone? I'll take two cubes of sugar with mine. It seems that they were lied to as much as the scientists, and fairly early in the game, when your ass is left behind on the base while your fellow teammates leave for safer ground in a very cozy looking copter, you'll realize that the soldiers were as much of a pawn as anyone else. Only you quickly find out that the bad guys aren't so bad after all. As Adrian Shepherd, you're the enemy - part of the military team sent out to "recover" a certain wayward scientist named Gordon Freeman. This time around you're in slightly more experienced hands. The one thing that seemed a little odd about Half-Life was that a scientist could learn to throw grenades like a pro in the matter of an hour - but I guess getting chased by spine-shattering aliens could do that to anyone.
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