Half-Life is a 1998 first-person shooter (FPS) game developed by Valve and published by Sierra Studios for Windows.<br /> It was Valve's debut product and the first game in the Half-Life series. Players assume the role of Gordon Freeman,<br /> a scientist who must escape the Black Mesa Research Facility after it is invaded by aliens during an experiment gone wrong. <br />The gameplay consists of combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving.<br /><br />Valve was disappointed with the lack of innovation in the FPS genre, and aimed to create an immersive world rather<br /> than a "shooting gallery." Unlike other games of the time, the player has almost uninterrupted control of the player character, <br />and the story is told mostly in scripted sequences rather than cutscenes. Valve developed it using GoldSrc, <br />a heavily modified version of the Quake engine, licensed from id Software. <br />The science fiction novelist Marc Laidlaw was hired to shape the story and assist with design.
