10 years on, Half-Life 2 gets a major graphics update on Steam

We’re still waiting for Half-Life 3, but Half-Life 2 is looking better than ever.

Valve’s genre-defining first-person shooter Half-Life 2 gets a graphics overhaul on Steam tomorrow, March 27, thanks to a community-developed update. A dedicated group of fans have worked on Half-Life 2: Update since 2009, and Valve is giving its blessing by releasing the finished project on its online game service.

It’s proof of the impact that Half-Life 2 had on the gaming scene at its launch way back in 2004. It also shows that gamers are still keen to revisit the Half-Life universe despite no news of an actual sequel.

Half-Life 2: Update adds new particle effects, improved fog, and gives the game a complete lighting overhaul. This results in a more detailed and realistic world to explore.

In addition, the update includes a community commentary mode, featuring a selection of well-known YouTube gamers offering their take on the classic title.

You can check out the improvements in the comparison video below.