25 Greatest Video Game Box Art Of All Time

Half-Life – the classic first-person shooter, released in 1998 – is patient, slowly constructing a comprehensive universe in which the action could reasonably take place. The result is a comparatively realistic shooter, prioritising storytelling and atmosphere over mindless carnage, in which particular emphasis is placed on the articulation of certain narrative themes.

Prior to its release, the genre was very much in its infancy, consisting entirely of loud, obnoxious shooters, desperately hoping to emulate the success of DOOM, or Wolfenstein 3D. As such, their box arts were fairly standard: muscles, monsters, and explosions. But those qualities don’t particularly capture the spirit of Half-Life, which was completely original in terms of visual aesthetic, narrative maturity, and technical execution.

Instead, the illustrators went with a plain metal surface, outwardly decaying from exposure to hazardous materials, thereby emphasising a sense of isolation, or entrapment – which makes sense given the majority of the game takes place in an underground facility, completely cut off from the outside world. It's simplistic, but effective.