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{{Infobox CVG| title = Half-Life: Decay
{{Background
| image = [[Image:Half-Life- Decay box cropped.jpg|275px]]
| file = Half-Life Decay Solo Mission - Background.jpg <!-- Faithfull HD recreation -->
| developer = [[Gearbox Software]]
| gradient-height = 250px
| publisher = [[Sierra Entertainment]]
| opacity = 0.25
| distributor = [[Vivendi|Vivendi Universal]]
| engine =
| released = [[October 29]] [[2001]]
| genre = [[First-person shooter]]
| modes = [[Single player]], [[Multiplayer game|multiplayer]] - [[Split screen (computer graphics)|split-screen]]
| ratings =  
| platforms = [[PlayStation 2]]
| media = CD-ROM
| requirements =  
}}
}}
'''''Half-Life: Decay''''' is an [[add-on]] included in the [[PlayStation 2]] port of the [[first-person shooter]] [[computer and video games|computer game]] ''[[Half-Life]]'', developed by [[Gearbox Software]] and published in 2001.
{{split|Hoaxer's port should be a separate page}}
 
Like Gearbox's other [[expansion pack]]s ''[[Half-Life: Opposing Force|Opposing Force]]'' and ''[[Blue Shift]]'', ''Decay'' returns to the setting and timeline of the original story, but with different [[player character]]s: two female colleagues of [[Gordon Freeman]], [[Doctor Gina Cross|Dr. Gina Cross]] and [[Doctor Colette Green|Dr. Colette Green]]. Dr. Gina Cross is the model for the Hazard Course hologram, and can be seen at a point in ''Blue Shift''. Dr. Green is a new character invented for ''Decay''.
 
Although Gearbox completed a PC port of the game, ''Decay'' was never released "due to powers beyond Gearbox's control"<ref name="Gbox-letter">{{cite web | url = http://hl2source.com/?content=projects&id=decay | title = Gearbox note on Decay | accessdate = 09 June | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>. As such most Half-Life players never got a chance to play through it. ''Decay'' is also not available through [[Valve Software|Valve]]'s [[Steam (content delivery)|Steam]] service. ''Decay'' is, however, being ported by fans, at http://decay.hl2source.com, <ref name="fanport">{{cite web | url = http://decay.hl2source.com/ | title = Decay project status | accessdate = 09 June | accessyear = 2006}}</ref> for the [[GoldSrc|''Half-Life'' engine]] in 2006. If successful, they hope to remake it for [[Source engine]].
 
==Storyline==
{{spoiler}}
[[Image:Decay main menu.jpg|thumb|left|250px|''Decay's'' chapter selection screen.]]
 
{{wikibooks|Half-Life Fact File|Decay Plot Summary|Half-Life: Decay plot summary}}
 
Dr. Cross and Dr. Green are members of a different team in [[Black Mesa Research Facility|Black Mesa]] than ''Half-Life''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s protagonist, Gordon Freeman. They are responsible for monitoring the equipment which Gordon uses during the experiment, and are in turn monitored by [[Doctor Rosenberg|Dr. Rosenberg]] (who also appears in ''Blue Shift'') and [[Doctor Richard Keller|Dr. Richard Keller]]. Cross and Green deliver the test sample to Freeman just before the "incident" occurs; like Freeman, they are forced to fight for survival in the aftermath of the resonance cascade. Cross and Green help Rosenberg reach the location he is later found in by [[Barney Calhoun]] in ''Blue Shift''. They then proceed to prepare a satellite for launch (an event seen in ''Half-Life'') and subsequently use the satellite in tandem with ground-based equipment to significantly weaken the effects of the resonance cascade. During the conclusion of the game, both characters are caught in what is explained as a "harmonic reflux" by Dr. Keller.  It is during this sequence that the voice of Dr. Rosenberg can be heard warning that he "can't keep the portal open much longer," alluding to Calhoun's coinciding trip in Xen during ''Blue Shift''. Dr. Cross and Dr. Green then return safely and Dr. Keller congratulates them on their success. It still remains unclear whether the doctors managed to survive the nuclear explosion that occurs at the end of ''Opposing Force''.
 
===Chapters===
The game storyline is divided into a total of 10 "chapters":
* '''Dual Access''' &mdash; The experiment must be successful. Monitor the anti-mass spectrometer and deliver anomalous materials to Dr. Freeman.
 
* '''Hazardous Course''' &mdash; Survivors must call for help. Escort Dr. Rosenberg through the training area (The Training Facility, Sector A) to the surface.
 
* '''Surface Call''' &mdash; To call for help, survivors need active communications.  Help Dr. Rosenberg establish an uplink with the outside world.
 
* '''Resonance''' &mdash; The rift between Earth and the alien world is widening.  Reset the dampening fields to prevent another cascade.
 
* '''Domestic Violence''' &mdash; A satellite controls major recovery systems.  Locate a security guard who knows the satellite signal codes.
 
* '''Code Green''' &mdash; A satellite must be in orbit for recovery systems to operate.  Upload the satellite signal codes before the delivery rocket launches.
 
* '''Crossfire''' &mdash; Prototype equipment must be used to seal the dimensional rift. Manually raise the displacement beacon into place.
 
* '''Intensity''' &mdash; The prototype equipment requires huge amounts of energy.  Activate the beam matrix to power the displacement beacon.
 
* '''Rift''' &mdash; A resonance reversal may seal the dimensional rift and save the planet. Use the displacement beacon to initiate a reversal.
 
* '''Xen Attacks''' &mdash; Two [[Vortigaunt]]s named drone X-8973 and R-4913 must retrieve the crystal sample which was used in tests in Black Mesa and take it back to their leader [[Nihilanth]].
{{endspoiler}}
 
===Weapons===
The player is able to obtain most of the [[Half-Life#Weapons|weaponry found in ''Half-Life'']] excluding the Gauss gun, the Gluon Gun, and the Tranquilizer Crossbow.
 
==Gameplay==
[[Image:Half-Life- Decay fighting Vortigaunts.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Dr. Cross and Dr. Green fighting an enemy]]
Unlike the other narrative-based ''Half-Life'' games, which are [[single player]] only, ''Decay'' is designed for [[Multiplayer game|co-operative play]]. While it can be played by one person, swapping between the roles of Dr. Cross and Dr. Green, the game is intended to be played by two players in [[Split screen (computer graphics)|split-screen]]. Various puzzles and combat situations throughout the game require the co-operation of the two characters.
 
The game is also unique in the context of the ''Half-Life'' series by being the only game divided into separate missions, instead of a single unbroken narrative.
 
''Decay'' has a ranking system for all of its nine missions, ranging from ''F'' (worst) to ''A'' (best), based on accuracy, number of enemies killed, and damage taken. If all nine missions are achieved with an ''A'' level, a bonus mission, Xen Attacks, can be played as a pair of [[Vortigaunt]]s.
 
''Decay'' is also the only game of the series where it is possible to fight and defeat a Xen Manta ship, which serves as the final boss.
 
==Trivia==
*''Decay'' was originally  called "Hazard Team", but this title was changed so as to fit with rest of the names in the series. The map file names still bear the "ht" prefix.


*In the original ''Half-Life'', Gordon Freeman sees two other empty [[Gordon Freeman#H.E.V. suit|HEV suit]] containers when he puts on his hazard suit. These containers are intended to belong to Gina and Colette's HEV suits, who have already taken them by the time Gordon arrives.<ref>http://gbxforums.gearboxsoftware.com/showpost.php?p=2051&postcount=10</ref>
[[File:Half-Life- Decay box cropped.jpg|275px|thumb|right|Snippet of the back of the {{hlps2|2}} box]]
{{hld|4}} is an co-op expansion included in the [[Half-Life (PS2)|PlayStation 2 port]] of {{hl|4}}, developed by [[Gearbox Software]].  


*''Half-Life'' for PS2 includes a code screen in the option menu where cheats can be activated. Two undocumented cheats were discovered by the project leader of ''Decay'''s PC port. <ref name="newcheat">{{cite web | url = http://hl2source.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1151712067/14#14/ | title = Decay unlock cheat | accessdate = 11 July | accessyear = 2006}}</ref><ref name="fanpclead">{{cite web | url = http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Hoaxer | title = PC Decay fan port leader | accessdate = 11 July | accessyear = 2006}}</ref> One of these cheats allows the player to unlock all ten ''Decay'' missions, including the bonus mission "Xen Attacks". The second cheat causes the game to prompt for an expansion CD. This expansion, consisting of an extra set of bonus levels, was only released on the Sony Underground demo disc of the June 2002 issue of [[PSM (Magazine)|PlayStation Magazine]], and was never officially announced. The bonus levels are actually a port of ''[[Half-Life: Uplink]]''.
Like Gearbox's other expansions [[Half-Life: Opposing Force|Opposing Force]] and [[Blue Shift]], Decay returns to the setting and timeline of the original story, but with different {{wiki|player character}}s: two female colleagues of [[Dr. Gordon Freeman]], [[Wikipedia:Doctor Gina Cross|Dr. Gina Cross]] and [[Wikipedia:Doctor Colette Green|Dr. Colette Green]]. Dr. Gina Cross is the model for the Hazard Course hologram, and can be seen in Blue Shift when viewing one of the security camera footage. Dr. Green is a new character created for Decay.


===Hidden cheat===
Half-Life: Decay can be played in singleplayer (allowing player to switch between Gina Cross and Colette Green), and multiplayer, with another player controlling Colette Green using the second controller.
The hidden cheat code to unlock all missions, which requires two controllers to be used, is: ''p2_R3, p1_L3, p1_up, p1_up, p2_down, p2_down, p1_left, p1_right, p2_left, p2_right, p1_X, p1_O, START''. If entered properly, the message "Decay Unlocked" will appear. This button combination is most likely a reference to the [[Konami Code]].


== References ==
Although Gearbox completed a PC port of the game, Decay was never released "due to powers beyond Gearbox's control". As such most Half-Life players never got a chance to play through it. Decay is also not available through [[Valve Software|Valve]]'s [[Steam]] service. There was a [https://web.archive.org/web/20170805005235/http://decay.half-lifecreations.com/ fan-made port of Decay], released on 23rd September 2008 for {{windows|4.1}}.


<div class="references-small"><references /></div>
==Chapters==
{{Chapters|game=decay}}


== External links ==
==Gearbox note on Decay==
*[http://decay.hl2source.com/ Remake of ''Decay''] using the [[Goldsource]] engine
:''I work for Gearbox and did most of the coding for the Decay work we did on the PS2. First I'd like to say that there is no interest or desire on our part to fox this project. Everyone here thinks it would be great to see this ported to Source. We even had a port of the game ready on HL1 for the PC, but due to powers beyond our control, were unable to release it at the time. So it's always been of interest to us to see Decay make it to the PC since, as someone else here has mentioned, it does deliver a part of the Half-Life storyline so it's always been a shame to prevent a large portion of the Half-Life players out there from seeing that part of the story. When this mod is done I will probably fire it up with a friend of mine that never had the chance to play Half-Life on the PS2. It's been a while since I played through Decay (though I certainly played through it quite a bit while we were working on it).''


{{Half-Life}}
:::-Patrick Deupree [Originally posted on the VERC]


[[Category:2001 computer and video games]]
== See also ==
[[Category:Half-Life]]
* [[Half-Life Decay: Solo Mission]]
[[Category:PlayStation 2-only games]]
[[Category:Cooperative computer and video games]]


[[fr:Half-Life: Decay]]
==External links==
[[pl:Half-Life: Decay]]
* {{Wikipedia|Half-Life: Decay}} on Wikipedia
[[ru:Half-Life: Decay]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170805005235/http://decay.half-lifecreations.com/ Port of Decay for the PC] (archived from the [http://decay.half-lifecreations.com/ original]) {{note|{{flash|4|nt=0}} supported browsers (old Firefox/Chrome or a older version of Adobe Flash/a China variant/Ruffle) may be required to view this page properly as Flash was discontinued in 2021.)<br>}}{{Gearbox}}
{{Half life games|hidecancelled=true|hide3rdparty=true}}
[[Category:PlayStation_2_games]]
[[Category:Gearbox Software]]
[[Category:Gearbox Software games]]

Latest revision as of 08:47, 19 March 2025

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Half-Life Decay Solo Mission - Background.jpg

Split-arrows.png Split

It has been suggested that this article or section be split into multiple articles: Hoaxer's port should be a separate page. (Discuss)


Snippet of the back of the Half-Life (PS2) Half-Life (PS2) box

Half-Life: Decay Half-Life: Decay is an co-op expansion included in the PlayStation 2 port of Half-Life Half-Life, developed by Gearbox Software.

Like Gearbox's other expansions Opposing Force and Blue Shift, Decay returns to the setting and timeline of the original story, but with different Wikipedia icon player characters: two female colleagues of Dr. Gordon Freeman, Dr. Gina Cross and Dr. Colette Green. Dr. Gina Cross is the model for the Hazard Course hologram, and can be seen in Blue Shift when viewing one of the security camera footage. Dr. Green is a new character created for Decay.

Half-Life: Decay can be played in singleplayer (allowing player to switch between Gina Cross and Colette Green), and multiplayer, with another player controlling Colette Green using the second controller.

Although Gearbox completed a PC port of the game, Decay was never released "due to powers beyond Gearbox's control". As such most Half-Life players never got a chance to play through it. Decay is also not available through Valve's Steam service. There was a fan-made port of Decay, released on 23rd September 2008 for Windows Windows.

Chapters


Gearbox note on Decay

I work for Gearbox and did most of the coding for the Decay work we did on the PS2. First I'd like to say that there is no interest or desire on our part to fox this project. Everyone here thinks it would be great to see this ported to Source. We even had a port of the game ready on HL1 for the PC, but due to powers beyond our control, were unable to release it at the time. So it's always been of interest to us to see Decay make it to the PC since, as someone else here has mentioned, it does deliver a part of the Half-Life storyline so it's always been a shame to prevent a large portion of the Half-Life players out there from seeing that part of the story. When this mod is done I will probably fire it up with a friend of mine that never had the chance to play Half-Life on the PS2. It's been a while since I played through Decay (though I certainly played through it quite a bit while we were working on it).
-Patrick Deupree [Originally posted on the VERC]

See also

External links

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