Imperfect future
One thing that may seem refreshing to modern gamers is the setting. Notably, this game takes place in a future dystopia that is different from most games.
For example, many “dark future” games envision something more apocalyptic. For example, games like 2016’s Doom assume you’re a man stuck in a world that has gone (quite literally) to hell.
By contrast, Half-Life 2 is more of a classic sci-fi dystopia. You’re not alone at all – you live in a world filled with allies like Alyx and countless other humans who may or may not be good guys. And that makes the dystopia more like an Orwellian nightmare: those in power are already evil and compromised, and those who discover it don’t always know what to do.
It’s a matter of taste, but I find this kind of “one man against the world” narrative far more compelling than a game where you shoot one after another at mindless villains.
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