Half Life 2: Episode 1
Seems it’s all the rage to go “episodic” nowadays, and Half Life 2 is no exception. In fact, they may just prove the point, as Half Life 2: Episode 1 was released on June 1st. I just got it earlier this week and played through it, and I must admit I was impressed.
I played through Half-Life 2 shortly after it came out, and I still think it’s probably the best story-driven FPS in existence. From the Graphics, to the Story, to the enemy AI, to the friendly AI, there’s nothing to complain about (Except the annoying Steam issues). Episode 1 is more of the same.
You start off having, somehow, survived the explosion atop the citadel and are rescued by Alyx and Dog. They return the fabulous Zero Gravity gun to you, and the adventures resume. First off you have to stop, or at least delay, the core explosion inside the Citadel. From there, it’s a simple matter of leaving the city. The first third of the game is a large collection of puzzles, as you don’t have any weaponry. The flashlight becomes your best friend as Alyx has a seemingly infinite supply of ammunition, but can’t see in the dark. So it’s a collection of “Illuminate the Bad Guys” and watch the carnage ensue. Of course, there’s plenty of debris for you to pick up and hurl at them too, but Alyx’s weapons are far more effective. You do eventually get some weaponry, and towards the end you get to relive the excitement of taking down hordes of soldiers, blowing helicopters out of the sky, and running from Striders. As soon as it was over, tho, I did have to revisit the Half Life Saga Guide to figure out what’s going on.
It’s action packed, and every bit as good as Half Life 2. It is, however, episodic. So expect about 4 to 5 hours of gameplay, with a nice cliffhanger of an ending. With my new 6800GS video card, I was able to turn on all the bells and whistles at 1280×1024, including HDR which was a big surprise to me. The game itself is beautiful, and the HDR effect is simply amazing. It’s done so well that you may not even notice it, but it adds a huge amount of realism to the game when you’re clambering through the undergroud (and dark) remains of the city streets. The enemy AI is impressive, for the soldiers anyway. Of course, the zombies are dumb as bricks and rightfully so. The soldiers have learned a few new tricks, tho, and work together in a truly frightening fashion. Even Alyx has gotten a few “upgrades” and does a great job of pitching in. Unlike Half-life 2, you actually spend pretty much the entire game side-by-side, none of the “passing in the night” stuff that gets so frustrating. Much to my surprise, while traveling underground in pitch blackness, when my flashlight went out she actually proceeded to sneak up behind me making Zombie noises. When I turned it back on she proceeded to laugh and go “Gotcha!”. If I shined it in her face she would wince and cover her eyes. They’re all novelties, but add alot to making her a believable character.
I truly enjoyed it, and I’m considering digging out my HL2 install and trying it again. I’m also anxiously awaiting Episode 2, and if this trailer and this “Portal Weapon Preview” are true, then I won’t be disappointed.
[tag:halflife][tag:game][tag:episode1]
