It's Official: Half Life 2 is Golden!

Rumours of a release date for Half Life 2 are so common that you'll hear about them on websites dedicated to Barbie dolls of all things. Now the rumours can rest, Vivendi have announced Half-Life 2 will be on shelves within the month!

Vivendi Universal are going to ship localised versions of the highly anticipated title simultaneously meaning that the English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, traditional and simplified Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Japanese versions will all ship on November 16. Once again it looks likely that being a New Zealander will pay off, November 16 is still two and a half hours ahead of the rest of the world here.

Currently available for pre-order from all hot gaming stores are two versions of the game. One which is Half Life 2 alone and the second which comes with the game on a DVD along with the latest version of Counter-Strike and Half-Life 1 using the new Half-lIfe 2 'Source' engine. Also included in this special Collector's Edition is a limited edition T-Shirt and Strategy Guide from Prima. As of now the suggested retail prices are $99.95 and $139.95 respectively.

So finally, after six years of waiting and a torrent of rumours and delays Half Life 2 is finally coming, nothing short of an apocalypse looks to be able to stop the game from landing on our shelves November 16. Keep tuned into NZGamer and we'll bring you a full on and in depth review of the game, in the meantime feel free to wait around in the lobby that is our forums!