Hey Shyber....just had to tell you that I took your suggestion and started playing HL2 on the 360 ever since I created that thread, asking for advice....having an absolute blast with the game....the tense set-pieces, the intuitive gameplay, and the overall distinction it draws from the run-of-the-mill FPS games....simply awesome!....thanks a bunch!....also, I sometimes get the feeling that I'm playing a 3D interpretation of the old 'Flachback' games, especially in terms of the atmosphere and how the story progresses (which, for me, is a good thing)
P.S. Looking forward to playing episode 1 and 2, once I'm done with this