Valve’s seminal shooter series brilliantly blends platforming and puzzle solving into its action. Sadly, most folks are still waiting for a conclusion to the killer cliffhanger at the end of the second pseudo-sequel, Half-Life 2: Episode 2. Fortunately, Mac gamers have plenty of catching up to do. Half-Life 2 is a pretty straightforward first-person shooter, but it has some nitty gritty stuff worth knowing. Check it out:

•    The secondary fire for the Overwatch Pulse Rifle is the best possible method for dealing with Episode 2’s Hunters. Where you’d normally need a handful of grenades to get rid of one, a single orange orb will put the beast down instantly… handy if you’ve got a pack surrounding you.

•    Adding to that, the Overwatch Pulse Rifle’s secondary fire also ricochets off walls. Use this to your advantage if you’re in a bad position, and to take out multiple dudes.

•    The mysterious G-Man – who is he? What’s in the briefcase? Is he real? –  is the most prevalent Easter egg throughout Half-Life 2. Keep your eyes peeled into the distance while allies yammer, watch TV screens and otherwise be observant as all get out. Maybe you can figure out why he keeps randomly, subtly appearing in the real world as well as hallucinations.

•    The gravity gun is the most fun you will have with a virtual weapon--ever. Use it to solve puzzles and utilize the intuitive, built-in physics engine of the game. You can break boxes, blast away enemies and play fetch with Dog.

•    The Zombies in Ravenholm are slow when injured, and dormant when unapproached. Utilize these strategies to fight them off.

•    Antlions will eventually fight on your side. As you're approaching Nova Prospekt, remember to keep the Thumpers off of you so as to not scare off the Antlions from hanging out and fighting with you. You'll need them to get through the last half of the game.

•    Believe it or not, you CAN take cover from the shots fired at you, and this is an essential strategy if you're playing at a higher difficulty level.