As we rocket into the stratosphere we can just about make out the crimson faces of those left behind, venting furious, jealous, indignant anger at Valve for managing to mess up their dream journey, furious that even retail boxed copies fail to authenticate. It's truly a momentous, agonising wait as we cross fingers and toes that Valve hasn't screwed up and underestimated demand we were fearful, but like something approaching the Space Shuttle launches of our youth over two decades past, we have lift off.Д«ut not everyone has such a smooth, seamless ride. Route Kanal surgeryДЄt this point the Internet is quite possibly melting as hundreds of thousands of devotees all around the world simultaneously stress Valve's servers to breaking point.

Before the magic numbers up to 100 can appear, we're presented with a black screen. What's going on? We don't get to see anymore. We weren't told about this! Why can't it just work? Why the inexorable torture? We own the game, let us play it dammit! 18%. Predictably it's awash with eager, like-minded souls, posting their progress with the validation (or lack of). We check the forum to while away the minutes. A time before Eurogamer was even a foetus. A time before Xbox, Game Boy Advance, PS2, Dreamcast. Six years since we finished the first wondrous, eternally memorable game. Steam has just finished its file validation process for Half-Life 2 the tedious, heinous, torturous delays and drip feed of information is almost over. The rising vapour from a half consumed cup of tea forms into an upside down Y in a circle, or at least that's what it looks like from the perspective of someone who's been up since 5.30 AM getting everything ready.

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