10 Video Games You Just Had To Play Through In One Sitting

4. Half-Life 2

How many of us took the day of school or work for Half-Life 2? The long-anticipated sequel to Valve's ground-breaking FPS finally landed in November 2004 after a number of lengthy delays, and instantly became a phenomenon, still being regarded as one of the best FPS games of all time. The beautifully rendered City 17, the brilliant new characters such as Alyx, Eli and D0g, and the outstanding set-pieces made Half-Life 2 everything a video game sequel should be: bigger, better and more intricately crafted. Half-Life 2 is not a short game by any means, lasting around 10-12 hours for most players, but once you enter City 17, it's near-impossible to stop playing. With so many iconic levels ("We don't go to Ravenholm" is possibly the stand-out) and mind-blowing moments in quick succession, Valve barely gave us time to breathe or even realise that we are, in fact, a sack of meat that needs nourishing at some point (preferably once the credits have rolled).