Ten dollars. Only a few hours of gameplay. 16-bit graphics compared to the flashy 1080p stuff in standard games.

But... wow Half-Life 2: Lost Coast blew me away. It doesn't need flashy graphics or even fanservice to falsify its enjoyment. It just does things right, and boy that was one immensely enjoyable experience.

I think most of the magic of this game comes from knowing absolutely nothing about it. I got this game from a friend and just decided to play it since it looked very interesting and it was getting good responses. So I went in completely blind, knowing nothing but the game's name. And I'm glad I did, because everything the game presented to me was unexpected, notably dark in places, and very emotional, which would have been lost entirely if i watched someone else play it. So, if you happened to have been flooded by everything Half-Life 2: Lost Coast on tumblr (god help us) and the entire story's already laid out for you, the magic has been lost and the game won't be as incredible of an experience. I'm sorry.

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast's ability to completely turn the tables of its story depending on your actions is massive. Upon your game's startup, every little thing you do will be set in stone in the game's story pathing. If you're the type who immerses yourself into the game's charming music, laughs at the childish but hiliarious anctics, and is willing to hork down healing items just to prevent yourself from killing a monster just because a fight is difficult, the game rewards you. It opens up a very character-developing and world-unfolding story, along with some of the most emotionally invested boss battles I have ever experienced. You know a game is good when it breaks the fourth wall so well that you're shaking in your seat in true fear and can't stop the shivers, all while having to fight a hopelessly overpowered god of a boss. The amazing writing only starts once you beat the final few bosses, and the story doesn't stop being good from there onwards.

On the other hand, what makes this game different is that it keeps its dark side from you, and its entirely your choice to experience it. If you scoff at the game's sparing choice since you're too cool or grown up to possibly be nice to people, you can go around and intentionally sink your weapon into a monster who just wants to be a friend. And unlike many other games, this isn't just a simple "Oops, I killed another unnamed enemy, let's reset the game and nothing changes" moment... the weight of a dark choice is huge. It forever changes your playthrough. Reset the game, and the characters know. Events change. And with each curious kill, you, in turn, turn from the only human in a land of monsters into the biggest monster in a land of innocents. In the end, ignoring what Half-Life 2: Lost Coast sets out to do, which is to let you experience childlike innocence and fun, only makes it delibrately change the game into a quieter, more grim story. Very little character development, and the world isn't explained to you, nothing. There's very little reward for going through this route. Yet it is a choice you can do. Granted, you get two of the hardest boss battles by becoming the murderer and will be forced into Game Overs repeatedly from them, but even that is a message from the game... It's trying to stop you from getting to the end of this route. Before its too late.

It's as if you're doing deeds in an actual living, breathing world. And that's what makes it even more terrifying when you decide to become a murderer instead of a savior, because only you know that you're willingly going forward to obliterate every weakling in front of you. It's a test of your willpower, and it's your choice. The worst thing? The damage cannot be repaired. Go clean, or go home tainted. The game even gives you the choice to completely delete everyone's happiness after the most satisfying happy ending. The happiness you worked so hard to earn. And you can even become the murderer after saving the world, which will only permanently taint your game and never let you have a satisfying ending again. That's absolutely brutal, and yet that's still a choice. Amazing.

Yes, this game might not be for everyone. The humour may become dry after a while for some people, and tons of gamers nowadays like to bash at popular games instead of trying it out, just because they feel accomplished by doing it. But, if like me, you are willing to experience why everyone's been talking about this game, give it a shot. This game does the morality concept so well that other games can only dream of doing the same, and it is one not to be forgotten.

It is a sin to call Half-Life 2: Lost Coast a game. Doing that would categorize Half-Life 2: Lost Coast into the bland and consequence-free "kill-em-all" genres that a lot of games are falling into now.

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast a story-driven, emotional experience.