the main appeal of this game is the aesthetic of the world it dips you into. the gameplay for the most part of course feels like hl2; especially when gordon is on the run, you can see many influences from bladerunner, ghost in the shell, hl, portal, star wars and even a sprinkle of eva, metal gear + other media containing cyberpunk/dystopian themes and if you have a taste for the source engine style you will probably love it and stick around for the world as i did even though there is a BIG part of the game that can sometimes makes you feel like you will never get through it, moments where you are stuck but the slightly-janky charm will hold you. gameplay-wise the platforming was solid at times but the last handful of missions are the coolest part of the game i wish those were the parts that actually went on longer. as some others said it has quite the esoteric feeling and near lynchian cutscenes i enjoyed. things plopped around the sprawl and the character's progression have some message (spoiler): even after being experimented on and going through such a dystopian hellscape full of control, this person had their innocence taken away trying to be made into a tool or weapon by some puppet-master but even through all that they prevailed in some strange way to become something they were never 'supposed' to become, almost just to prove it to the 'evil' that they were independent of them, even if they used the intended tools and became beast-like (making you question if they truly did prevail and if it was all worth it by the end in terms of the story) overall: atmospherical source goodness that feels like art at times, would put it up there as one of the most memorable games in recent memory and would place it up there with cry of fear and e.y.e as being some of the best games i've ever played with the engine.