Subscribers to PC Gamer should be getting their December issue sometime this week and they can look forward to a nine page write-up of Half-Life 2 plus an additional four pages on running it on your PC. The guys over at HalfLife2.net interviewed Senior Editor Chuck Osborn on what it was like learning his magazine would be allowed to review the game first and if HL2 lived up to his expectations:

Icarus: What was your reaction when you found out you would be the first to review Half-Life 2?
Chuck Osborn:It was a mixture of excitement and trepidation, because of the responsibility of being the first one to review it.

Icarus: Was Half-Life 2 what you expected?
Chuck Osborn: More

Icarus: Was it worth the wait?
Chuck Osborn: Absolutely

Damn Chuck, try not to be so long-winded!  Meanwhile the folks at Half-Life Fallout have word from Valve’s Gabe Newell on the different packages that will be offered depending on if you buy the game retail or through Steam:

The Half-Life 2 offers have been finalized. Details are pasted below. The Steam offers will be available for purchase next week. Those who purchase via Steam, will receive the final version of Counter-Strike: Source immediately. Half-Life 2 and other games in the Steam offerings will be made available to purchasers upon their release.

Retail Boxes

• Standard Edition—includes HL2 and CS:Source. Ships on six CDs, in one of three box-art packages (Gordon, Alyx or the G-Man).
• Collector’s Edition—includes Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 1: Source, a Half-Life 2 T-shirt and a Prima book sampler. Ships on a single DVD.

Steam Packages

• Bronze—HL2* and CS:Source.
• Silver—HL2*, Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 1: Source*, Day of Defeat: Source*, Valve’s back catalog currently available on Steam.
• Gold—HL2*, Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life 1: Source*, Day of Defeat: Source*, Valve’s back catalog currently available on Steam, Complete Strategy Guide from Prima Games, 3 different Half-Life 2 posters, Half-Life 2 hat, Half-Life 2 postcard, Half-Life 2 stickers, Half-Life 2 Soundtrack CD, Chance to win a trip to Valve! (1 trip offered for every 5000 Gold packages purchased).

*To be made available upon product’s release.

No mention on what the pricing for the various packages will be at this time, but the fact that Counter-Strike: Source will be available next week to folks who pre-purchase through Steam is very exciting news. This is one of the few times I regret having a pre-order of the game with Amazon. Sure I don’t have to worry about paying for the game, but I won’t be able to buy it through Steam and get to play CS: Source ahead of time either and I’m a long-time fan of Counter-Strike. Add onto this the fact that a lawsuit between Valve and Vivendi Universal could result in HL2 being delayed for another 6 months and you can understand why I have chewed my fingernails to the quick. Aiiiiieeeeeee!

Update: It just occurred to me that the standard release will ship on 6 friggin’ CDs!?! No wonder they’ve been doing preloads via Steam. At the very least this is a good argument for buying the DVD version.