Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 Hours or Less

The Bottom Line:

"Best in series"

Half Life 2: Episode 1 improves on the original in a variety of meaningful ways. It removes the tedious puzzling sequences of the original and instead puts more emphasis on platforming and intense action. It also gives you the best moments of Half Life 2 condensed into a short package. There is one problem with this though, game is far too short. With only 2-4 hours of gameplay Half Life 2: Episode 1, though worth playing for any fan of Half Life 2, is not worth buying alone.

The plot of Half Life 2: Episode 1 (Hereby known as Episode 1 in this review) is actually worse then the original. There are no twists in it or any turns. All it does is explain how Gordon and Alyx got out of their situation at the end of Half Life 2 and then details their escape from City 17. That is actually it. Character development of everyone but Alyx Vance is also non-existent. Alyx though is well developed and it's a lot of fun playing through the whole game with her by your side. She is a great AI partner and never gets in your way. There are also plenty of moments where you will still be solo but Alyx is so well integrated it shouldn't cause you any problems.

The gameplay this time around has shifted it's focus. In Half-Life 2 there was an immense build up to the best action moments. There were also some annoying puzzling sequences such as the infamous crane. Luckily those are done away with. Driving sequences have also gone and all story telling is done on the fly in the action. This makes Episode 1 full of shooting, action, and platforming which is much more intense this time around. This is a welcome change and because of this, Episode 1 does indeed have superior gameplay to Half Life 2. There are some creativity issues though, there are no new weapons or enemies to play with this time around which is kind of disappointing. Even more disappointing is the lack of a sniper...still. Alyx gets to use one, why can't I?

The graphics have also received a tune up. Lighting effects are significantly improved and the textures also look stronger (possibly due to the better lighting). Facial animations and features overall also look better. Barney for some reason though looked a bit muddy and so do some textures but other then that the graphics are slightly improved. Sound is the same as in Half Life 2, same sound effects, same strong voice acting, same awesome sound overall. There is more music though and it's nice to have since the music is pretty good.

Episode 1 won't amaze anyone who loved the original Half Life 2, in fact you might be disappointed by how short it is. Despite this though it still has enough improvements to make it a great game to play and an excellent addition to any Half Life fans collection. For an action filled experience and a great game, you should give this game a chance though only after you play Half Life 2.

Pros: Alyx is a great AI partner, welcome emphasis on action, strong platforming, removed tediousness and driving, slightly tweaked graphics for the better...

Cons: ...except for the occasional muddy texture, poor character development of anyone else, lame story, doesn't answer any questions from Half Life 2, too damn short

Overall: A great addition to any Half Life fans collection