Half Life: How Long To Beat

If you’ve somehow missed out on Half-Life over the past 25 years, now’s the perfect time to experience it. The groundbreaking original and its equally impressive (if not superior) sequel remain iconic in gaming history. Recently, Half-Life 2 received a major update, making it free to play for a short time, which makes this an excellent opportunity for newcomers to dive into the series.

However, it’s highly recommended to play the first Half-Life before moving on to its sequel to fully appreciate the story and progression. Wondering how long it takes to complete the original Half-Life? Keep reading for the answer. (Hint: you can easily finish it over a weekend).

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How Long Does It Take To Beat Half-Life

Half-Life is not an especially long game. A typical playthrough of the main story takes around 12 hours, meaning you can finish it over a weekend — or even in a single day if you’re determined. Exploring all the optional content adds about two more hours of gameplay. While this isn’t a significant increase, it makes sense since the game is linear and doesn’t feature collectibles or open-world exploration.

If you enjoy the first game, and you almost certainly will, it’s worth diving into the two excellent expansions: Half-Life: Opposing Force and Half-Life: Blue Shift.

• Both expansions were developed by Gearbox Software, rather than Valve, and added unique perspectives to the original story.

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How Long Are The Opposing Force & Blue Shift Expansions?

How Long To Beat Half-Life: Opposing Force

Half-Life: Opposing Force offers a solid amount of content for an expansion. A typical playthrough of the main story takes around six hours to complete — less if you rush — though it’s better to take your time and enjoy the experience. Like the base game, Opposing Force is a linear adventure without collectibles, so there’s no need to scour every corner or over-explore. Just focus on the engaging story and action-packed gameplay.

How Long To Beat Half-Life: Blue Shift

Half-Life: Blue Shift is often considered the weaker of the two expansions in terms of both quality and content. The main story takes around three hours to complete, making it a quick experience you can finish in a single afternoon.

Systems

Franchise

Half-Life

Released

November 19, 1998

Publisher(s)

Sierra Studios

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

Engine

goldsrc, source

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language

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