"Changing systems with any game is tricky, and with Half-Life 2 Valve has had to create a streaming technology for the Xbox iteration, which is entirely different than the technology used in the PC version. Valve has not cut corners, and it's not ported the game. The full game is included on the Xbox version -- 14 chapters, all 20-plus hours, every alien, human, headcrab, and mask-wearing, pig-faced Combine soldier. It will run in widescreen at 480p, and support Dolby 5.1. The biggest changes have been in where the load sections are, and in the most significant sections, Valve had to break up some of the larger, more complex scenes into different parts. [...] The preview build we have is not final, and so neither the graphics nor the framerate are set.But the build we have runs at 30 FPS, with significant dips and increases in speed depending on the action. We know the game isn't optimized, and Valve has been adamant about locking the framerate at a consistent speed. So, when things are all set in stone, the final boxed version should be a solid 30. To put things in perspective, Half-Life 2 on PC ranged in the 30 frames per second area, depending on the computer, sometimes slowing down when there were dozens of people on screen, or when multiple things blew up in a chain reaction of red explosive barrels. The PC version wasn't perfect, and it still won't be, but given the level of top-level graphics, large spaces, good AI, and high-end physics, you'll be having too much fun and you'll be too engrossed to care. [...] I'd say that it will last the average gamer about 18-22 hours.[...] Visually, Half-Life 2 on Xbox is impressive. It's obviously not going to run as well as the best high-end PC will. The Xbox version will not match that. But Half-Life 2 on Xbox will surprise you; and you'll have to put this sentence in perspective. The texture work is well-crafted, high-resolution stuff. When you walk out of the train station into the courtyard, the draw distance is good, if not quite as long as the PC version. But you'll still see that monolithic alien structure in the background. You'll see details, good lines, clarity. [...] Half-Life 2 will be a different experience on Xbox. The typical things can be said, and they're true: The graphics aren't equal in looks, and the controls aren't as precise as the PC's mouse and keyboard. Same old song and dance. However, the Xbox version looks surprisingly good. And by that, I mean it's filled with many impressive touches, from the basic work that's been carried over, to the level of detail that's been squeezed into the Xbox. Characters look great, weapon animations are awesome, and alien movement is as natural as alien movement can be imagined.
