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During development, Half-Life's most hyped feature was its enemy AI. Valve officials and Half-Life related websites promised enemy skills, interaction and AI the likes the gaming community has yet to see… and they weren't kidding. Half-Life's enemy AI is frighteningly realistic. That isn't to say that everything or everyone you come across possesses an intimate skill of combat. Some of the lesser creatures that lack the physical size and strength to fight, will only attack if provoked. Some of the aliens will charge you on site while others seem more hesitant. However it's the AI of the enemy human characters, the marines and assassins, that will truly leave you in awe.
Unlike their alien counterparts, the marine grunts don't roam the hallways and corridors of Black Mesa; they lay in ambush. Nothing gets our adrenaline flowing more than hearing the cackle of marine 2-ways radioing an "all clear" moments before turning a corner. The marines don't fight alone and where there's smoke, there's fire. If you stumble onto a lone soldier, chances are good that there are two more not too far away. The firefights that ensue are beautifully atypical of similar games. Marines, usually found in groups of 3-5, will always play off of each other. Some will draw your fire to the front while 2 others flank on either side. Classic attack and withdraw techniques are used to constantly pull you from cover. Grenades are lobbed in your direction to flush you from a well protected area. Marines that get hit curse and clutch their wound, often times limping away amid screams of "MEDIC!".
Object placement also plays a very important role in Half-Life. You won't find weapons and ammunition scattered about the game, after all, Black Mesa is a science facility, not an arsenal. Instead weapons are almost exclusively found next to fallen soldiers, security gun closets and inside a lone weapons research lab. Naturally, ammunition is scarce and thus should be used conservatively. We've often found ourselves emerging victorious from a heated firefight only to come to the realization that we've completely depleted our ammo, leaving us helpless to the next enemy. Health and energy are also difficult to come by. Power-up stations stand as an oasis in a desert, replenishing players crafty enough to survive the trek between each one.
The handheld weapons of Half-Life are very well balanced, and for the most part, are an accurate representation of real world counterparts. None are under-powered enough to cause a handicap, nor is there enough ammunition for the more powerful weapons to create any unfair advantage. It should be noted that Half-Life allows the use of stationary weapons as well. 50 caliber guns, small Howitzers and even an M1-Abrams turret are all fully operational and are ripe for the picking. At one point in the game, Gordon will even be able to command an air strike to clear a path of aliens and rubble. We've put together a complete overview to give you a better feel for each weapon and its functions.
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