• Movement
• Weapons use
• City-17

Half-Life 2's Source engine maintains the fluid feel of movement of the original game. This is a good thing for all of you familiar with the original (or Counter-Strike). For those who are new to gaming however there may be a few things to get used to.

Basic Movement
As with all modern First Person Shooters, aiming is done with the mouse. This also means that you will need to use the mouse to turn unless you have configured a more personal setup. The W, S, A and D keys are your primary movement keys by default, W and S allow you to move forward and backwards and A and D allow you to strafe left and right respectively. Strafing is a term used to describe movement sideways to the direction you are aiming. It is particularly useful for dodging enemy fire. Getting used to this movement system will allow you to survive longer in firefights than just running straight in and getting shot to pieces.

Auxiliary Power
Being Gordon Freeman, you are outfitted with a HEV (Hazardous Environments) suit. In Half-Life 2 you now get the Mark V, which is an upgrade from the Mark IV that you became acquainted with back in Black Mesa. Of the most notable differences is the new HUD, and your suit's Auxiliary Power. This is used to power your flashlight, supply you with air while you are underwater, and to allow you to boost your speed for a temporary sprint away from danger.

Your Flashlight
Essential for making your way around the dark areas of Half-Life 2, your flashlight can be toggled on and off by pressing the associated flashlight key, the default is 'f'. As mentioned before, your flashlight runs off Auxiliary Power, which runs out a little bit faster than was previously implemented in the original game, so it's best to keep your flashlight off unless you really need it to find your way about or spot some hidden goodies.

Underwater Movement
Swimming in Half-Life 2 is much the same as any other game, movement is based around aiming where you want to go and moving forward. If you get disoriented, jumping will help return you to the surface, where you can start again. Remember also that being underwater requires the use of your suit's Auxiliary Power. This drains rather quickly, so try to get what you need done as rapidly as possible so you don't start to lose health and start drowning.

Sprinting
Useful for getting out of a hairy situation quickly, sprint uses up your Auxiliary Power rather quickly. The default sprint key is 'Shift'.

Crouching
Useful for getting into vents and hidden areas, crouching is also a simple way to get behind cover when you reload. Crouching also prevents you from making footstep noises, so it can be quite handy for sneaking around (doubly so in a game of Half-Life 2 deathmatch). The default key for crouch is 'Control'.

Jumping
As Half-Life 2 retains much of the same movement style of its predecessor, jumping is little different. There are three main ways to do a jump:

• Standard Jump:
  The standard jump is useful for bridging small gaps, or to get up on a small object for a higher vantage point or to get to some hidden objects. Simply hit your jump key, the default is 'Spacebar'. You can jump while moving to cross gaps.
  
• Crouch Jump:
  Similar to a standard jump (and the same as the crouch jump from the original game), this type of jump allows you to get up onto higher objects by bringing your feet up while in the air. To perform this jump, simply jump normally and press and hold the crouch button while in the air.
  
• Sprint Jump
  Useful for crossing larger gaps, a sprint jump is just a regular jump with a sprinting head-start to get you just a little further than normal.

Weapons
As with any other First Person Shooter, Half-Life 2 is packed full of weapons for you to merrily slaughter your enemies with. In fact, Half-Life 2 improves on this concept and allows you to use and abuse physically simulated objects in the game to kill your enemies in new and often humorous ways, but more on that later — lets have a look at the weapons themselves.

The Crowbar
Old faithful returns to you courtesy of your old pal Barney, and it really wouldn't be a Half-Life game without it — would it? The crowbar is especially useful for getting at those supply crates and pointlessly smashing crates open — a few bashes and you're done with no wasting of ammunition either. It's also useful for conserving ammunition against the slow zombies, when you can run in quickly, slap them around the head one or two times with, and duck out again before they have had a chance to swing at you.

The Manipulator
The holy grail of Half-Life 2 combat, the manipulator allows you to throw almost anything anywhere, including at your enemies. This is what the game was designed around, so you'll find the environments you find yourself in are very manipulator-friendly — see that radiator? You can rip it out, use it as a shield while the combine attack you, and then strike back with it as they reload by launching it straight into their chest. Goodbye irritating combine soldier, hello hilarious ragdoll death screenshots!

The Pistol
A USP Match, this is the first gun you get in the game. It holds 18 rounds in a magazine, and is quite accurate and effective. However, being that it is just a pistol, and the first gun you receive in the game, it's not going to be the most powerful weapon you can use. Therefore it's better suited for use in eliminating pesky headcrabs and the slower types of zombies that roam about City 17. If you're coming up against combine resistance with this weapon remember to aim for the head for the quick takedown.

The Revolver
The .357 Magnum is one of the more powerful weapons that you can acquire in Half-Life 2. A well placed shot can take down many of the different enemies that you come up against — however be warned, as since this is a revolver you only get six rounds and the reload times are a bit slow. You will also have to watch your ammunition on this weapon because it is quite scarce.

The Sub Machine Gun
An HK MP7, this is your staple weapon in most of the firefights in the game. With 45 rounds in a magazine it gives you ample ammunition to mow those combine soldiers down. Best used in the closer combat situations, a well aimed stream of bullets to a combine soldier's head will bring your enemy to the ground quick enough. Secondary fire launches a grenade that detonates upon impact, best used to take out concentrated groups of combine with the one shot.

The Combine Rifle
Technically known as the Disruptor Rifle, this gun packs quite a punch while looking all cool and futuristic at the same time. Being the strongest machine gun in the game, taking out your enemy couldn't be easier than aiming and shooting — the gun will do the rest of the work. Secondary fire shoots an energy sphere that will bounce around the walls killing any non-mechanical enemies (and friends) that happen to get in its way until dissipating soon after, best used for indoor combat, as this can be quite effective if used correctly.

The Shotgun
The SPAS 12 is very much like its counterpart in the original Half-Life except for its lower ammo capacity. Best used for taking down the stronger enemies you encounter in close combat (Elite Combine & fast zombies). Of useful note is secondary fire - it shoots two shotgun rounds at the same time which is basically a guaranteed close-quarters kill.

The New & Improved Crossbow
Even more deadly than ever, the new and improved crossbow shoots irradiated metal bolts with a guaranteed one hit one kill system. Best used for long range sniping, this weapon is deadly accurate even at longer ranges. Remember to use the zoom function so you can line up those long range shots easier, take your time and you will be taking down combine in the safest way possible - from far away.

The Frag Grenade
Your standard issue futuristic frag grenade, this weapon is a good way to clear out an upcoming room, or to knock over a enemy sentry gun. It's worth noticing that Gordon seems to have quite the throwing arm as primary fire, however if you don't want the grenade to travel so far, use secondary fire which will roll the grenade out in front of you.

The Rocket Launcher
Pretty much your standard issue RPG, this weapon is best kept safe until you run into a combine dropship or strider. Of very useful note is the laser guiding features built in to your launcher. After firing a rocket you now get to control it with increased agility, and the rocket will even double back on itself to hit the target you are painting with your launcher's laser sight (useful for taking a strider down from behind). As long as you remember this and take heed you should have no rocket related mishaps while playing.

Ant Lion Pheromones
A never ending supply of pheromones and a never ending supply of ant lions are all you need to take down combine in an effective and safe way. They are also quite useful for drawing fire away from yourself while moving to a safer location. Simply throw a pheromone ball at the place you want your ant lions to go and they will attack any hostile forces encountered along the way. To bring your ant lions back to you simply squeeze a pheromone ball by pressing secondary fire, and your pets will return to you.

Zooming
In Half-Life 2 the zoom feature is integral to your suit and able to be used with any weapon. Simply press and hold down your configured zoom key (the default is 'z') to take a closer peek at what is up ahead. If you want an even better view however, you will have to search for the few scattered electronic binocular stations that the combine have set up. There is often something interesting to see though them.

The Air Boat
After a friendly Vortigaunt attaches a combine helicopter machine gun to your Air Boat you get the ability to retaliate to combine attacks in a more effective way. Apart from being a rather powerful weapon, you are also allowed an unending supply of ammunition for this rather nifty new toy. This however becomes essential when facing up to the helicopters that chase you, in which a constant stream of fire at the enemy chopper will become essential.

The Buggy
On loan from your rebel allies, the buggy brings with it an old favourite - the Gauss Gun. Those familiar with its use in the original will remember its two fire modes; repeated shots that are weak but constant as primary fire, or a single powerfully charged shot as secondary fire.

City 17

The setting of Half-Life 2, City 17 is a so called 'safe-haven' from what the rest of the world has become since the Black Mesa incident. As you advance though the game you will discover that this is not so much the truth as it is a horrible lie. However, as Gordon Freeman, you have quite a higher than normal chance of making it though alive. With people willing to help you and an arsenal of weapons that includes the objects in the environment themselves and a few helpful words from some old friends, you've got all you need to make it though and save the day. Being the nice folks that we are however, we've listed here a few tips that should help you along on your journey.

Controlling Allies
Along the way you will meet up with other rebels who may wish to join you on your crusade. Rebels that are following you will show up on your HUD in a special section, this will also let you know if there is a medic following you - they will have a plus sign above their HUD icon. Find these people when you are in need of some health and they will do their best to patch you up as best they can. Controlling them couldn't be easier, just aim on the ground where you want them to position themselves and press the 'c' key (you can remap this in the options menu). This will tell all your allies to move to that area, and they will use any surrounding cover or weapons to their advantage. To get your allies to follow you once again when you are ready to move out, simply double tap your 'c' key, this will make one of your allies signal to his friends to follow you once again, and you can advance further with your rebel allies in tow.

Picking up Objects
Picking up objects is not only limited to the Manipulator, you can also pick up some of the smaller objects in the game (such as boxes) and stack them in order to get to hidden caches of weapons and items.

Eliminating Pesky Manhacks
The flying buzzsaws of Half-Life 2, manhacks can be quite irritating at times, especially when you are getting swarmed by them. The best way to deal with them without wasting precious ammunition is to grab them with the manipulator when they get close enough to you, can then easily blast them into a nearby wall to get rid of them quickly or an enemy unit to kill two birds with one stone.