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I was recently passed this via my inbox...




I must say I as impressed. It may be a bit hokey in places ,but the feeling is very true to the games. The Half Life 2 cycle is something I go back to time and time again, not just for the high def ultra violence but also for the quiet moments. Sitting back at the canals edge and looking out across the misty urban wasteland is very tranquil. There are moments of incredibly well directed beauty in that game; the beaches of Nova Prospekt at dusk, the canals, white forest, the list goes on.

In this short film they have managed to capture a lot of what sums up HL2 and the incorporation of the 3D work was very well placed but I think the most accurately realised aspect for me was the use of sound. It is great to bring those audio cues into a real setting; the flat line of combine soldiers, the ka-chunk boom of the rifle granade launcher, the drone of the gun ships - even if they are simply lifted from the sound back, all work really well and take me instantly into the HL zone.

And as an addendum to this unashamed geek fest, adulation of Valve software I though I would also plug this game by an independant group seeking to make a Battlestar Galactica space combat simulation ... Beyond the red Line. Another triumph for fan made art.