Images: Invasion of "Half-Life 2"

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Early screen shots showed "War of the Worlds"-like tripods towering over crumbling cities.

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"Half-Life 2's" new graphics engine rounds out the original game's characters substantially. Pictured is the "G-man" in the original, and in the new version.

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Shadows, light, physics emulation and outdoor environments will push computer graphics and processing hardware to their limits.

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The game allows access to realistic environments, interspersed with futuristic enemies and weapons.

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Aliens are clearly a problem. But the player is never sure whether to trust the government, either.

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"Half-Life" helps build tension by pitting archaic weapons--revolvers and crowbars--against frightening adversaries.