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Developer: Valve SoftwarePublishers: Sierra Studios, Electronic Arts & ValveEngine: GoldSrcPlatform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 (remake), Sega Dreamcast (unofficially released), Apple Macintosh (cancelled), GP32 (cancelled).Genre: First-person shooterMode: Single player and multiplayerRating:BBFC: 15ESRB: MOFLC: MA15+PEGI: 16+PEGI (FI): 15+USK: 16USK: 18Media: CD, DVDSystem requirements: Windows 95, 98 or NT; Pentium 133 (166+ recommended); 24 MB RAM (32 recommended); mouse; keyboard; 640x480 SVGA high color (16-bit) display; Windows-compatible sound device; 400 MB hard drive space; 3D accelerator card recommendedGameSpot Comment: A great box set that's a must have for any fan that doesn't have all the games!Plot:Most of the game is set in a remote desert area of New Mexico in the Black Mesa Research Facility, a fictional complex that bears many similarities to both the Los Alamos National Laboratory and Area 51, during May or December (as seen on calendars in the game) of 200X, meaning it takes place sometime between the years 2000 and 2009. The game's protagonist is the theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman, a survivor of an experiment that goes horribly wrong when an unexpected "resonance cascade" (a fictitious phenomenon; see also constructive interference and prompt critical) rips dimensional seams, devastating the facility. Aliens from another world—known as Xen—subsequently enter the facility through these dimensional seams (an event known as the "Black Mesa Incident").As Freeman tries to make his way out of the ruined facility to find help for the injured, he soon discovers that he is caught between two sides: the hostile aliens and the Hazardous Environment Combat Unit, a United States Marine Corps Special Forces division dispatched to cover up the incident by eliminating the aliens, as well as Dr. Freeman and the other surviving Black Mesa personnel. Throughout the game, a mysterious figure known (but not actually referred to in-game) as "G-Man" regularly appears, apparently monitoring Freeman's progress. Ultimately, Freeman uses the co-operation of surviving scientists and security officers to work his way towards the mysterious "Lambda Complex" of Black Mesa (signified with the Greek "λ" character), where a team of survivors teleport him to the alien world Xen to kill the Nihilanth, the creature keeping Xen's side of the dimensional rift open.The game's plot was originally inspired by the video games Doom and Quake, both personal computer games produced by id Software, Stephen King's short story/novella The Mist, and an episode of The Outer Limits called "The Borderland." It was later developed by Valve's in-house writer and author, Marc Laidlaw, who wrote the books Dad's Nuke and The 37th Mandala.Description:Half Life: Generations is a box set of all the original Half Life games and the expansion packs. The box includes Half Life, Counterstrike, Opposing Force, Blue Shift, most of the patches and the Half-Life High Definition Pack.Half Life was one of the ground breaking games of the late nineties, with it's advanced AI, awesome use of scripting, great storyline, fantastic graphics and sound.The scripted events were sometimes big and sometimes small, for example an enemy bashed down a door or a dam exploding. The scripts in the game moved the storyline forward without the need for cutscenes which is what all the other games were doing at this time. Half Life's gameplay was based on shooting action and puzzle solving as well. Shoot people, solve a puzzle, then rinse and repeat.By todays standards the AI is basic but back then it was quite good. Enemies would use grenades, run away when hurt, run away from grenades. The AI had it's stupid moments such as a friend shooting through you to get to an enemy.The graphics were great for the time and so was the sound. The voice acting is well done as well.The weapons for the most part of standard such as an MP5 (later replaced with the M4A1 in the High Definition Pack), pistol, Shotgun, Rocket Launcher etc. Half Life also had some more unusual weapons such as the Crossbow , the Gluon gun and the the Gauss gun.Opposing Force was one of the expansion packs. It was much like the original Half Life only with more weapons, a few new features and a storyline from a soldiers perspective.Blue Shift was the second expansion pack, in this expansion you went through the Black Mesa incident as a security Guard. It was packaged all with the high definition pack, which changed the weapon models and character models (I highly recommend you install it).CounterStrike needs no really introduction as it's probably one of the most played terrorists vs anti terrorist multiplayer shooters of all time.Any fan of the Half Life series that doesn't have all the games should get this awesome box set.