Half-Life 2: Episode 1 Reviewed by: Peter Wilkins

Game Information Developed by Valve Corporation Game is a first-person shooter centered around a sci-fi story Available in stores or through Steam for $19.99

System Requirements Minimum 1.2 GHz Processor 256MB RAM DirectX 7 level graphics card Windows 2000/XP/ME/98 Mouse & Keyboard Internet Connection (Steam only) DVD-ROM (Retail only) Recommended 2.4 GHz Processor 512MB RAM DirectX 9 level graphics card Windows 2000/XP Mouse & Keyboard Internet Connection (Steam only) DVD-ROM (Retail Only)

Installation The game comes on one DVD if purchased retail, or downloads if purchased via Steam Half-Life 2 is not required in order to install A 25 character alphanumeric install key is included with the retail version

Quick Overview Player has an arsenal of weapons Player is given objectives Player must fight many enemies in order to complete the objectives Player must also solve puzzles in order to complete objectives An NPC fights along side the player throughout the game The story unfolds as the game progresses

Player’s role The player plays as Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist from the Black Mesa research facility. Freeman is forcefully employed by a mysterious man known only as G-Man. Freeman is the hero of the game by helping humankind, but since G-Man is using him, the big picture is still unknown. In Episode 1, G-Man’s control over you is disrupted by a group of friendly aliens. The aliens prevent G-Man from putting you in stasis and keep you on Earth to continue helping humankind

Storyline (Background) Following the accident and survival at Black Mesa, Gordon is forced to work for G-Man and is put in stasis. After several years, G-Man wakes Gordon to City 17, a city under the control of Combine forces. Earth was surrendered to the Combine by a man named Dr. Breen, who was given power in exchange. Gordon joins the resistance against the Combine, where he meets Alyx Vance, the daughter of a former Black Mesa employee. With the help of Alyx, Gorden eventually makes his way to the Citadel at the heart of City 17. There he stops Dr. Breen from escaping, and destroys the main reactor of the Citadel. The resulting explosion is about to consume Alyx and Gordon when G-Man appears to take Gordon back into stasis.

Storyline (Episode 1) Episode 1 begins with Alyx being saved by a group of friendly aliens. These same allies prevent G-Man from keeping you in stasis. G-Man appears to not be in control of you, and is quite angered by it. You awake buried in a pile of rubble at the base of the Citadel, where Dog, Alyx’s pet robot, digs you out. You quickly learn that your prior actions have put the Citadel’s core in a critical state, and it will explode taking the entire city with it. It is now up to you and Alyx to re-enter the Citadel to temporarily slow the core’s destabilization, and then evacuate and flee the city. Upon stabilizing the core, you and Alyx stumble across a data packet containing a transmission that the Combine are trying to send out. Stealing the data packet draws much Combine attention to you and Alyx as you make your way out of the city.

User Interface

Game Play Kill or be killed Linear progression Some situations involve multiple approaches (some better than others) Sometimes a puzzle must be solved in order to progress

Scoring There is no scoring in Half Life per se. The only benefit to killing enemies and completing objectives is self satisfaction and unfolding the story.

Artwork Immersive environments Extreme attention to detail Realistic looking characters Intimidating enemies Impressive weapon effects

Sound and Music Environmental sounds intensify the situation. Weapon sounds feel right. Enemies are uniquely identifiable by their sounds even from a great distance. Characters are made more personable by excellent voice acting Music is used to introduce new areas or intense situations.

Special Features A commentary mode is available which allows the player to listen to information about the design and development of certain key points of the game The game plays as normal, but little dialog balloon icons can be seen in certain places The user places the crosshair over top of the icon and clicks to start an audio track of commentary

Manual The game comes with a quick reference card The card shows the default mapping of the controls It also explains what each menu option does The Steam version has this card available in PDF form

Bugs The first time playing through the game, there was one part where Alyx was stuck and could not follow me. Upon completing that area by myself, she appeared by my side for the next. This bug did not occur the second time playing through.

Pros and Cons Pros Unraveling more of the story that is Half-Life Co-op action with an AI NPC Killing enemies Solving puzzles Developer commentary Cons Episode 1 is too short

Comparison Episode 1 may be a run and gun FPS just like any other, but it is far from the being the same. Co-op play with an NPC throughout the entire game sets Episode 1 apart from most FPS The “gravity gun” makes for highly interactive environments, creative means of killing, and great puzzle solving The level of detail that goes into each and every scene surpasses any other FPS

Audience The game is rated Mature due to Blood & Gore, Intense Violence, and Language. This rating is probably a bit overboard since most of everything killed is an alien and not a human being. The only reason it should be rated as M (17+) is that the storyline may be too complex for someone of a younger age

Design Mistakes There were no design mistakes in my honest opinion. The co-op play could have been a design mistake if implemented another way. Since Alyx’s AI is good, she can take care of herself. She does not lead, so there is no unnecessary nagging. If the above were not the case, players would have become extremely frustrated trying to keep her alive and having her nag constantly.

Summary Episode 1 is a must buy, although any new players are encouraged to play the preceding installments of the Half-Life series first. The only weakness of this game is the total playing time, which clocks in at only about 4- 6 hours. This game could be improved by extending the total game play time, and maybe adding a new weapon.

Game Trailer