Half-Life 2 Anniversary | Game Pass | PS5 Pro

Half-Life 2 20th anniversary, the free game, and an awesome documentary | Fantastic new Game Pass games | My PS5 Pro impressions

Hey Fellow Gamers,

I had planned to keep this weekend's newsletter short, sharing just a few quick tips. But with so many exciting things to cover, it ended up being a bit longer than expected!

I talk about the Half-Life 2 Anniversary, the best new Game Pass titles, and my first impressions of the PS5 Pro as an Xbox/PC/Handheld Gamer.

Half-Life 2 Anniversary | Documentary

Half-Life redefined gaming by seamlessly blending storytelling with gameplay, but Half-Life 2 was a groundbreaking leap forward, combining unparalleled physics-based mechanics, stunning visuals, lifelike acting, and deeply immersive environments. It elevated the shooter genre to a cinematic experience, setting new benchmarks for narrative-driven games.

Half-Life 2 20th Anniversary Update. The original game was released on November 16, 2004. Image credit: Valve

I remember playing both titles back in the day. It was an unforgettable journey! Moments like the eerie silence of Ravenholm or the emotional connection to Alyx Vance cemented my belief in gaming as an art form.

Right now, everyone is talking about the fact that Valve made Half-Life 2 free two days ago:

💡 Grab it now, it’s FREE until November 18

But it gets even better… I would say MUCH better. First of all, they published a brand-new, high-quality documentary about the development process out of nowhere:

For this anniversary documentary, they brought back together the original development team together with some intriguing insights. A lot of this story has never been told so far.

Some of my favorite things:

• Where they found the people for the face modeling/animations

• How they talk about the biggest challenges in terms of physics and performance

• The interviews with the voice actors

• And so much more…

Please check it out on YouTube (see above); it’s a must-watch for everyone, in my opinion.

Second, along with the 20th-anniversary, Valve not only made the whole game free for everybody, but they also made a lot of improvements along with some outstanding extras:

• Brand-new developer commentary track for the whole game

• The complete Episode 1 and Episode 2 expansions are included!

• Steam Workshop support: Check the Extras menu

• Updated game Content: Every map has been looked over by to fix longstanding bugs, restore content and features lost to time, and improve the quality.

• Updated graphics settings: Play with only the highest detail models in High-Quality mode!

• Gamepad and Steam Deck updates

… and all that for free this weekend!

You can visit the official site from Valve for more details: Half-Life 2 Anniversary Update

Best New Game Pass Games

This section is for all Xbox and PC gamers with a Game Pass:

October and November have been fantastic so far, with some really stunning games you can play for ‘free’ now if you have a Game Pass subscription. Some of them I installed right away:

Sifu

Originally a PlayStation exclusive, it now arrived in Game Pass for PC and Xbox players. To me, Sifu is the most definitive martial arts game to date, combined with a typical revenge story. Great game!

Botany Manor

It’s the 19th-century England. Play as Arabella Greene, a retired botanist, exploring your house and gardens filled with botanical research to discover the ideal habitats for forgotten flora and unlock their mysteries. I love plants, and this is a fantastic cozy game!

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

I’ve never been a big CoD fan. When it comes to shooters, the only franchise I’ve played for hundreds of hours, maybe even thousands, is the Battlefield series. However, since BO6 is included in Game Pass, I gave it a try on my PC. My opinion: Both the campaign and multiplayer are awesome!

Upcoming in November and December:

There are a lot more top titles coming to Game Pass until the end of the year, including:

• November 19: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (Series X|S, PC, Cloud)

• November 20: Stalker 2 (Series X|S, PC, Cloud)

• November 26: Nine Sols (Console, PC, Cloud)

• December 9: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Series X|S, PC, Cloud)

For those who don’t know Nine Sols: It combines unique combat, stunning hand-drawn art, and an atmospheric world inspired by East Asian culture, delivering a unique Metroidvania experience filled with exploration and mystery.

PS5 Pro: My First Impressions

The last PlayStation I owned was a PS3. So, I was pretty excited when the PS5 Pro arrived. My last newsletter was all about my decision why I bought one: I Just Ordered a PlayStation 5 Pro.

Check out the PlayStation 5 Pro on Amazon (Affiliate Link)

I first bought three months of PlayStation Plus Extra, as it includes hundreds of games, some of which belong to the PS5 Pro Enhanced category. One of them is The Last of Us Part 1.

I am new to the franchise, and besides the gameplay and story, this looks absolutely stunning on my 77-inch OLED TV! The smooth framerate, incredible material details, and lifelike reflections had me spending 20 minutes just exploring the area, marveling at the details. I’m having an amazing time with the game so far!

I can’t wait to dive back in today, and once I finish, I’m excited to continue the journey with Part 2.

A friend of mine owns a standard PS5, so I was able to compare the graphics of a few games, including this one. The differences are definitely there, making the game even better. The remastered version looked already great before, but now… just wow! However, you won’t notice much of a difference in some other enhanced games.

The only thing I do not like about the PlayStation Pro5 (or the PlayStation in general) is the placement of the sticks on the controller. I feel that the symmetrical design of both sticks is not that great. I prefer the Xbox asymmetrical stick from the Xbox controllers. Or, at least put both on top, like on a Steam Deck or Rog Ally, which is a lot more comfortable for longer gaming sessions… at least for me.

However, that’s not a drawback of the PS5 Pro, of course.

That’s all for today! I hope you found something interesting or helpful, and as always, thank you for reading. Until next time, take care, and happy gaming,

Michael

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