20 Incredibly Important Video Games That Shaped The Industry
16. Half-Life
Why It Is Important: Half-LIfepioneered scripted sequences and created a completely immersive, believable world. Unlike Metal Gear Solid with its bombastic Hollywood flair, Half-Life had a more conservative approach to its storytelling. Instead of focussing on cinematic prowess, Valve instead created a completely immersive story by telling it solely through the eyes of the game's silent protagonist Gordon Freeman. Half-Life has such an amazing attention to detail it's a sight to behold even today. It's a world that actually feels lived in. You see people go about their day in the Black Mesa Research Facility and converse with colleagues. It feels like everything in the world has a purpose and isn't just a load of random stuff put in a room for you to gawp at. In terms of gameplay, Half-Life was the game that popularised the scripted action sequence that of course became a staple of the FPS genre. It also used highly sophisticated skeletal animation and advanced AI that made enemies fight strategically and, more shockingly - made supporting characters useful. It's nice to play a game where your allies don't get in your way or hold you back or continually run into a wall for no reason. In some ways, Half-Life feels more immersive and organic than a lot of modern titles. Not bad at all when you consider that it came out in 1998.
