So After Fed Ex losing a package, I finally did what I should have done from the beginning, and bought HL2 again over steam. I figure I’ll sell back the box if it ever arrives. I must say, everyone is right. HL2 is a stunning game in its depth, and realism.

My only two complaints thus far are
1) Longer than I expected Load times.
2) An occasional stutter in audio.

Well it turns out people have solved #2. Awesome
This thread on some forums claims to solve the HL 2 Stuttering problems. I have yet to try them, but it seems reasonable enough.

I’ll post a comment here after I try them to confirm or deny if they work.