Weapons

Crowbar

The most iconic weapon to the franchise, the crowbar is the only melee weapon of Half-Life. Players often use it against small enemies like Headcrabs, snarks, etc. It can be used on any enemy, with each having a varying level of risk.

The crowbar is also the primary puzzle solving weapon. If a breakable object is within the players reach, they can save ammo by destroying it with the crowbar.

Glock17

This glock17 is a pretty standard pistol. I tend to use it on weaker enemies, or try to save the ammo for puzzle solving. It can set off tripmines with 1 bullet, and can help you pick off enemies from far distances (specifically when you are out of their firing range).

3.57 Revolver

I love, love, love the revolver. This thing is how a revolver in a video game should feel. It has a really strong kick but deals a lot of damage to an enemy. I like to save how much I use it, but it particularly feels good against vortigaunts and alien controllers.

MP5

My favorite aspect of the MP5 and the MP7 in HL2 is that it has a secondary fire that launches explosive rounds at enemies. I tend to use it against the most bullet sponge and difficult to track enemies. This weapon also has some of my favorite sound effects, my only issue is that the source version of Half-Life makes it feel more wobbly.

Shotgun

Believe it or not, I don't like using shotguns in FPS games as much as I like using SMGs or pistols. This shotgun is pretty good, but it often feels weak to me compared to other weapons (not in terms of damage, but in sound and animation). The one thing I like about this shotgun is that the time between shots is fairly short, so you can get a lot out of it when its fully loaded.

Crossbow

This is the sniper rifle-esc weapon of Half-Life. It has a scope and shoots precise darts at targets. It is good to use against anything underwater or from far distances.

RPG

One of the more bulky weapons in HL, this is one of the coolest weapons to use. The rocket launcher has a missile guiding target, and ammo for it can be spare except for the chapters in xen. I recommend saving your ammo for this weapon, but it is very fun to use on large groups of enemies as well.

Tau Cannon

The Tau Canon is a weapon that begs to be brought back to the Half-Life series in its full capacity. This thing can shoot through walls and launch the player soaring in the sky. It easily one of the most interesting weapons in any FPS from that time. I do suggest saving your ammo for this weapon, as it shares ammo with the gluon gun. Both of those weapons can be very powerful, and are some of the most fun you will have when playing multiplayer. Just, don't let it overcharge!

Gluon Gun

The ghostbuster gun! It shares ammo with the Tau cannon and destroys anything it makes contact with. Make sure you preserve this weapon for large boss fights.

Hive Hand

The bee gun, hand, creature thing! This is another fun multiplayer weapon if you want to troll. It's really good for shooting enemies without directly looking at them. I do find it to be pretty weak compared to other weapons, but it also regenerates its ammo.

Grenades

Standard grenades, can be used to flush out AI from an area or destroy large groups of enemies. Not much to say on this weapon, outside of it feeling like a weighted pineapple.

Satchel

The satchel charge is a great weapon for clearing out unsuspecting enemies, enemies that you can funnel to specific areas, or clearing out explosives that are not in the players sight.

Tripmine

Similar to the satchel, tripmines are great for tricking enemies if you can funnel them through a hallway or other area. Something that is also neat about them is that if you are careful enough not to walk into the laser, you can use them as platforms. It's like creating steps along a wall to traverse weird areas. I don't use these as much as the other weapons, but they can be fun to experiment with.

Snarks

Snarks are an interesting weapon. They are throwables that can track enemies and act as more of a distraction than dealing significant damage. However, if there are no enemies, snarks attack the closest living thing, that being YOU. They also explode after a little bit, so sometimes it is best to simply outrun them instead of fighting them. I suggest throwing snarks around a column, and then run the opposite direction you threw them. It throws the enemy ai off, and gives you a clear opening without taking damage.