Games: Valve - Half-Life 2: Episode One

Valve
Half-Life 2: Episode One
[First-Person Shooter]





Chances are that if you play games you've played the original Half-Life and remember it as one of the greatest games of all time. The much hyped, much delayed Half-Life 2 continued Valve Software's impeccable reputation and now it has made artistic (and economic) sense for them to continue their series in episodic form. The first of these instalments, predictably named Half-Life 2: Episode One, attempts to continue the story established in its predecessor, and for the most part it is successful.

The story once again revolves around Gordon Freeman's attempts to thwart evil alien race the Combine and their totalitarian regime in the mysterious City 17, now in ruins following Gordon and sidekick Alyx's actions in the original. We begin our story with Alyx's popular robot buddy, Dog, rescuing Gordon from rubble outside the "citadel" - the Combine's base of operations - and the player is immediately reacquainted with Half-Life 2's main characters - the aforementioned Alyx and Dog, Alyx's father Eli Vance and crackpot scientist Professor Kleiner. It transpires that the only way for Gordon and Alyx to escape safely is to re-enter the citadel and prevent a meltdown by accessing the core, and so begins the third part of Gordon Freeman's adventures.

Understandably, Eli is not too happy with his daughter risking life and limb (despite the fact she has been battling for the city's resistance for a considerable time) and an emotionally charged debate between the two immediately highlights one of Episode One's graphical improvements over its predecessor - that of improved facial expressions in dialogue between characters. The two wince and gesture in surprising detail and it is obvious that Valve are keen to enhance their Source engine at every available opportunity. Other graphical improvements apparently include a higher pixel count for the character's faces to accompany the new expressions, improved lighting in dark spaces and greater use of HDR (High Dynamic Range) lighting hinted at in the Lost Coast demo. While none are as immediately obvious as the detailed expressions, it is clear that the Source engine is becoming more impressive with each release from Valve, and though not quite on par with Bethesda's recent efforts in Oblivion, it is clear than the plan is to enhance the engine gradually in order to avoid programming a new one from scratch, as that is what caused much of the delay with Half-Life 2's release in 2004.

The action may initially take place in the spiralling citadel but Alyx and Gordon also visit spooky underground locations submerged in darkness and the battered streets of City 17, helping to ensure the player never becomes bored with a specific location. I was initially disappointed with the return to what I felt was Half-Life 2's weakest section, however there are some interesting puzzles waiting to be tackled with the souped-up gravity gun, even if the action isn't in the least bit challenging with such a powerful weapon and the generous placement of suit chargers.

The underground section is a different matter, however, and offers perhaps the best action in the series since the unforgettable "Blast Pit" and "Questionable Ethics" chapters in 1998's Half-Life. Alyx often stays behind as Gordon seeks a way to restore power to the area in question, before the two are assaulted from all sides by a combination of zombies, ant lions, head crabs and the new "zombines" (faster and stronger zombies created when a Combine soldier is possessed by a head crab). Interestingly, the player goes through much of this section of the game without a firearm or ammo, and is required to light up enemies with the flashlight for Alyx to take down with her pistol. What could easily have become a frustratingly difficult and cumbersome section of Episode One is made hugely enjoyable by Alyx's impressive combat skills and the mechanism's flawless execution. Crucially, while this section is by no means easy, it is fair.

The final section of the game follows Alyx, Gordon and legendary security guard Barney Calhoun as the trio attempt to evacuate the remaining residents of City 17. Featuring thrilling urban squad combat and a particularly memorable battle with a Combine gunship, the final third of Episode One is certainly up to standard and continues the electric pace established by the underground chapter. While the extremely basic squad mechanics of Half-Life 2 are still in place, it is unreasonable to expect Valve to live up to games such as Freedom Fighters in this regard as it is such as minor section of a much bigger game. Gordon's resistance buddies can occasionally find themselves in the way, especially in tight corridors, and seem to draw little if any fire away from the player. Nevertheless, they fire accurately and provide the player with invaluable support (by way of ammo and med kits) in dense areas of Combine fortification.

The player spends much of the game in the company of Alyx, however this potentially disastrous game mechanic that all-too-often fails in other titles and becomes a chore rather than a pleasure is executed to perfection. Alyx rarely tells Gordon to get a move on and allows the game to played at the desired pace of the player. She cracks jokes and often exhibits dread, excitement and relief, giving her a real air of humanity, and thankfully stays well out of the way during puzzle sections. It remains to be seen whether this would work during a full-length game (according to Valve, Episode One's average completion time is a little over four hours), however Alyx acts as effective and, crucially, welcome support throughout the game.

Aside from the expected shortness of the game and the basic squad mechanics, it is a genuine challenge to find fault with Episode One. Granted, there are no new weapons, only a single new enemy and everything looks pretty much the same, but then what did you expect? One could argue that the citadel section is underwhelming and superseded by the later sections, yet to me this only highlights the quality of the underground and city areas rather than suggesting the game's opening hour is below par. As with the Lost Coast demo, commentary from the developers is available to explain various aspects of the game and comes highly recommended. Valve are clearly a company that thrives on its fans, and the way they claim to have tweaked the balance of gameplay as a result of playtesters' feedback is palpable. In fact, Valve admit to having removed chunks of Episode One because of a negative reaction from players; if only all developers applied this level of scrutiny we would have considerably better gaming experiences on offer. Imagine, for example, if Hideo Kojima had removed the pointless cut scenes of pseudo-philosophical bullshit from the end of Metal Gear Solid 2. Perhaps it is indicative of the believability of the Half-Life universe that it requires so little explanation.

Overall, Half-Life 2: Episode One delivers enjoyable co-operative gameplay, hugely entertaining AI battles, challenging puzzles and a few scares along the way. The teaser trailer for Episode Two, a reward for completion, further highlights how Valve are reshaping the landscape of first-person shooters. While the likes of Prey are doing exactly what the original Half-Life did nearly eight years ago, Valve are one of a handful of developers innovating rather than imitating, and Half-Life 2: Episode One, in almost all respects, could not be better proof of that. It's just over before you know it. 83