theuerkorn's Full Review: Half-Life 2: Episode One (Add on) for Windows
Half-Life has captured PC gamers and the late but successful sequel Half-Life2 strengthened the image of role model for how-to-design-a-game. With such a burden, the follow-up is going to be tough and development time sure indicates that everything remains the same. Yes gamers had to wait 2 years for the sequel which is a totally new concept of publishing while the actual gameplay is very close to Half-Life2. In fact too close to call this a sequel. Despite the extension character, it doesn't fill those shoes either since the actual game is not required. So welcome to a new era of subscription based gaming: Buy short episodes for less in hopefully shorter intervals.
Note: PC gaming will need games like Half-Life2 to evolve and build on technological advantages in order to fend off consoles. Epinions is not helping this cause by rarely adding pc games to the database in time and fully functional.
IN A NUTSHELL
It's mostly a sequel, as it picks up right where Half-Life2 ended and you find yourself on Alyx's side to battle your way away from the citadel which is about to explode. Male gamers certainly will like the new "view", but most significantly the graphics has been updated with HDR and DX9 effects. The use of those is subtile and a few times a little too much so as indoor scenes barely have the proper situations.
The gameplay picks up right where Half-Life2 ended, yet you somehow lost your signature crowbar and start with an amped-up gravity gun which then reverts back to normal once you're outside. In fact it takes 3 of the 6 chapters until you get that piece of steel back. Slowly but surely, your arsenal extends to the usual and the feeling of "been there ..." sneaks up on even the most devoted fan of the series.
Alyx is a great companion, and great to have around. Yet, she often is able to hold her own and difficulty feels greatly reduced in some situations due to her pro-active attitude. Great girl, but somehow not very challenging for some gamers.
Just when you get back into the game, it suddenly stops. Six chapters may be all you get for under $20 but it's also very short. Despite all the feel of a true extension, it has been a long time since I finished Half-Life2 and sometimes it felt like I needed a refresher. In fact, with mega games like F.E.A.R. released inbetween, it feels sometimes that Half-Life2's new episode lags behind a little bit. Relief is promised for Episode 2 but that will be 2007 and we will see Prey and others before that.
DETAILS
Sequel: [***--] While not needed to play Episode One, it is highly recommended to explore the actual game first and probably follow up with this episode soon after. Just by itself, Episode One is hardly a showcase for what the Half-Life2 fascination is all about.
Graphics: [****-] Updated with mostly HDR and a few more DX9 tweaks, the overall appearance has been largely maintained while the High Dynamic Range light treatment helps to remind the gamer that it's 2006. Water effect are great too. However, in light of many recent releases with HDR this isn't too revolutionary. The character animation we're used to from Half-Life2 is just as good in Episode One and the carefully updated textures and lighting make it a feast to look at (friendly) characters in the game.
Sound: [****-] Excellent score with good FX, but no positional audio support (i.e. EAX) and often the environment is strangely "quiet". Sure the typical video sequences and so on are there, but maybe it's just the new reference to games like Call of Duty 2 and Codemned: Criminal Origins that make Half-Life2 feel watered down. Voice acting is great though and overall it's the solid performer we're used to.
Controls: [*****] NOTHING to complain here, since no changes were necessary and the standard PC controls help to emerge into the game quickly. Mouse response is quick and overall freedom of view and interaction is on HL2 levels which is about as good as it gets for PC gaming right now.
Physics: [****-] Good, and much of the same as Half-Life2, which means a healthy diet of physics puzzles (you even start with and easy one right off the bet). However, that's all about moving objects or using them to proceed. In light of the recent surfacing of PhysX, the meaning of physics has been vastly expanded and Episode One starts to feel a little old-fashioned to be honest. Of course the majority of gamers may like it that way, since the PhysX hardware will take some time to find it into their computers (in one form or another). PhysX or Havok-FX (later this year), Half-Life2 is going to need some help here to maintain the throne as the best physics based FPS in light of the upcoming CellFactor and UT2007. (Nevertheless, the puzzles are great though, especially the one where you have to cross a flooded basement with disrupted power lines.) Overall, Half-Life2 still provides one of the best feel that balances shooting and interaction.
Gameplay: [*****] So you "wake" up in the Citadel after the massive explosion that ended Half-Life2. It's just you luck that Alyx and her robot "pet" are able to dig you out. Once discovered the volatile state of the structure you're in, the drive becomes strong to leave. Of course there are plenty "things" that seem to object, and you battle your way out to freedom ... or at least safety for now. Alyx spends a lot of time on your side and helps out wherever she can. In fact, she basically feels like the main character now and the feeling is strong that she could run the show easily by herself. However, the difficulty of certain section seems a little unbalanced compared to others and the discovery of new details is apparently left to Episode Two (early 2007?). As for Episode One, it feels more like a extension than a new beginning.
A.I.: [****-] Just like the physics model, the Artificial Intelligence has received little changes and while there are typically no major glitches, Half-Life2 never inspired to adjust action according to enemy reactions and vice versa. In other words, it's relatively scripted and feels at a disadvantage to the adaptive A.I. seen in F.E.A.R. and Condemned: Criminal Origins. Episode One even kept one of the traditional weaknesses around, which is everytime you're in a way of a character you're pushed out of the way. (What am I, chopped liver?) Regardless, the A.I. fits the game well enough to enjoy.
Progress: [*****] True to PC gaming, Episode One follows all the standard conventions and allows to auto-save, quicksave and so on ... you get the idea. Of course that's the same as Half-Life2 and it's good to see that some games are not (yet) driven by console habits despite the shrinking PC market.
HARDWARE OBSERVATIONS
Despite technology updates like HDR, Half-Life2 remains a showcase for optimized and fast graphics. With high resolution (1600x1200) and every parameter set to maximum there were only a few times the scene loading still slowed down the first moments of a section. The limits of my system are reached with more than 2x AA, where few situations become too unresponsive to enjoy.
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