Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar

The book is divided up into two main sections with a foreword by Valve Corporation founder Gabe Newell. The two sections, titled: "Investigation 1: Anomalous Materials" and "Investigation 2: Unexpected Interference" are references to the opening levels of the Half-Life video game. The first section chronicles the evolution of the first Half-Life, containing much concept art and character designs: the various iterations of Gordon Freeman for example. It contains information relating to the mod scene that developed in the game's wake and the subsequent retail release of iconic mods, Counter-Strike being the most famous. The second section deals with the long development of Half-Life 2 containing much concept art. It also contains chapters dealing with the creation and design of the main characters, and their real life counterparts.