Half Life 2 Holiday Collection DVD (Half Life 1, Half Life2, Half Life 2 Episode 1, Counter Strike: Source) - PC

I played Half life 2 at a friend's and liked it so I decided to buy my own copy. I made the mistake of buying a used copy. If you don't already know, in order to play HL2 you need to create a "steam" account with which the game's CD key is verified online. My copy, being a used one, was still registered under the original owner's account; and as a result I can't even install it! There is a CD key reset option available through the steam support site but I have not received a reply from them after submitting everything necessary for a new key. It's a fun game when it works, but buy a new copy!!!!!!!!

I already own Half-Life so I thought this would make a nice addition to my game collection. You might think so too until you load it on your computer. Maybe this is something new or maybe I just haven't purchased many games lately but unless you are connected to the internet, you aren't going to be able to load or play these games. Yes Toto, the tether is tight around your neck and if you aren't able to connect to the Internet, forget about playing the Half-Life Holdiay Collection 2006. A BIG thumbs down on this edition. This is hardly Santa like. I'd definitely pass on this DVD game collection - this is not the right direction to copy pirate prevention.

Well, I was a big fan of the original Half Life and the expansion packs that came after its success. However, I didn't bought Half Life 2 as soon as it came out, I did play it at a friend house, it was awesome...but somehow managed to foget about it for a couple of years.Now, when I saw this bundle (with the original Half Life with the source water and stuff) and the Episode 1 expansion...I didn't even it. I just bought it. And let me tell you, playing Half Life 2 (and now Episode 1) can only be described as ... incredible. The physics engine, the great looking graphics (by today standards as well) the story, characters (I love DOG) its...just...awesome.I truly recommend buying this bundle OR any Half Life 2 bundle for that matter. Its worth it.

I got this a real long time ago, but if you're in the market for Half Life 2 as of 2009 and later, just get the Orange Box. You get more for your money, I don't think you get Half-Life Source. But HL Source isn't that much better than HL 1 anyway, all the did was slightly enhance the graphics and add physics.

THIS IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! yes you need a internet connection, but thats a small price to pay compred to what you get. Half life 2 is one if not the most amazing game ever, and this come with the expansion! If you havent played the first half life, this comes with it, and its redone with the source engine which makes it much more realistic way better. Also this comes with COUNTER STRIKE SOURCE! CSS is and AMAZING online multiplayer game. You can paly these games months on end and never get bored. i give this collection 2 thumbs WAY UP!!!

Will not work in this modern day and age as you need a steam key.

This game is perfection. Being new to the Half Life series i had no idea what i was in for. Some random nerd at the Fry's electronics told me to buy this game over medieval 2. "So be it!" i thought. When i started the game in a 1984 type post apocalyptic world i was sold. Then i got to expirience the graphics, gameplay, violence and vehicles. This game is a 5 for 5. I am anxiously awaiting the release of "Episode 2" and even more anxiously waiting to see what the MOD community does with the source engine.

I have no idea how Half-Life 2 is because I bought it from an Amazon marketplace seller and now the "Steam" anti-piracy protection system won't let me play it.I went to the Steam support pages like I was told to, and I read this:"... you must have a copy of your purchase receipt from within the last 90 days to have the CD Key moved to your account."We do not accept receipts from online auction websites or used software vendors. If you do not provide a purchase receipt, Valve will not be able to transfer the CD Key."I can't believe that anyone accepts this as a reasonable way to sell consumers a game in a box, but I guess they do!I read a thread on some Half-Life 2 forum where the users were telling a guy not to bother Valve, the software creators, with questions about their policy, but rather just to return his used game to whoever he bought it from.Unbelievable!From what I hear, maybe if I send the right person at Valve an actual photo of my box, and wait two months, I might be allowed to play. However, that's certainly not what the text on the Steam support page says.If this is really the accepted practice regarding used copies of Half-Life 2, then what is Amazon doing letting their marketplace sellers sell these used copies?Unbelievable! How much research is one supposed to do when buying a game?