Aero wrote on Mar 24, 2010, 11:51:
The keep going on about the physics engine in Half Life, though, and I really don't recall it having anything out of the ordinary in that regard. I may just not remember it properly though.

What it had that made it special was complex scripted events that worked the plot right into the game-play and a contiguous environment so there was no missing time. You were Gordon, you didn't just take control of him from time to time (making him have no dialog, for instance, was brilliant). It took immersion to an entirely different level.