Half Life 2 is the perfect example of blending story telling and gaming not because of the actual story itself, but how the medium itself is used fully to relay the events of the game without the crutch of cutscenes and a character who says things you wouldn't say.
The silent protagonist works perfectly for THIS medium if done correctly, the whole idea is to create a connection between you and the character. He doesn't talk, so he is in effect, you.
But most importantly to Half Life 2 completely destroying other games in this field, is the things the game tells you without TELLING you. The opening scene is straight out of a dystopian future world. The down trodden workers stumbling around, the decaying buildings, the faceless zombie like jack booted soldiers, the classic 1984 style "benevolent leader on massive screen" telling everyone how great things are. Then you are forced to feel the tension and fear of someone being chased constantly, being watched everywhere as you desperately try to escape. Then there's the visual details that fill out the world without massive monologues telling you (take note Kojima). The ruined child's playground untouched for years underlining the lack of children due to the suppression field, the docks surrounded by land because the water is being drawn away as the Earth under Combine rule is being raped of its resources.
As a game, sure it has flaws. By the time I was near the end of the airboat thing bit for the first time I was like "why are people hyping this piece of crap!" :D. That bit could have been better, but the game after that picks up immensely, and there are more sprinkled details in the visuals that underline the world and everything that is happening in it.
Will you teach me to football?
