Wikipedia:Today's featured article/January 11, 2007

Half-Life 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game and the sequel to Half-Life. It was developed by the Valve Software Corporation and was released on November 16 2004 following a protracted five-year development cycle during which the game's source code was leaked to the Internet. The game garnered near unanimous positive reviews and received critical acclaim, winning over 35 Game of the Year awards for 2005. Originally available only for Windows-based personal computers, the game has since been ported onto the Xbox console, and is due to be released additionally for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2007. Taking place in and around the fictional City 17 sometime in the near future, Half-Life 2 follows the scientist Gordon Freeman. Dr. Freeman is thrust into a dystopian environment in which the aftermath of the Black Mesa Incident has come to bear fully upon human society. The game uses the Source game engine, which includes a heavily modified version of the Havok physics engine. Overall, the Half-Life franchise, including Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat, has seen over 15 million sales. (more...)