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Terrific game, terrific value

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 44 / 48
Date: July 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I can't understand all of the criticism regarding the game's length vs. price, and its originality. Yes, HL: Episode One is a short game (4-7 hours, depending on how you play, whether you cheat, etc), but it costs less than half the price of a new game (even less than that on Amazon right now). This is a better game, both technologically and in terms of fun, than most full-priced games that are coming out. Why this obsession with game length? I'd rather have a terrific 6 hour game than a dull and tedious 15 hour game!

The GOOD: Graphics are even better than in HL2, they now use HDR lighting effects which look pretty cool. The gameplay is also more refined, with more creative logic puzzles, and better enemy AI. Your sidekick, Alyx, is one of the few computer companions that you actually care about, and she's smart and resilient (ie: doesn't walk into pillars all the time). The story is great fun, too.

The BAD: A couple of the puzzles can get annoying, such as the Antlion sections of level 3. The use of darkness and flashlight is atmospheric at first, but makes it feel like Doom 3 at times, and I don't mean that in a good way. And yes, it'd be great if the game were longer, but that's more a testament to the quality of the experience than a shortcoming!

The UGLY: Those Zombines... ugh.

Bottome Line: If you like HL2, this is a no-brainer. If you like a thinking man's shooter, this is for you as well. Recommended!

Episode 1 a winner by any standard

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 40 / 47
Date: July 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Episode 1 proves once again why HalfLife is still the best first person shooter on the market - sharp graphics, engaging sound, a panoply of weapons, and plenty to do besides pulling the trigger.

Episode 1 might be better thought of as HL3 Part 1. The story picks up right where HL2 left you standing, at the top of the now ruined Citadel. Together with Alyx, your task now is to save the human survivors of City 17 by first preventing a complete core meltdown. To do that you've got to get into the crumbling, darkened interior.

This sets up some clever sequences that require you to power-up segments of the Citadel to allow you to cross bridges, open doors, or use elevators. Two of the more frustrating and spookiest scenes have you running around in the dark with a flashlight that has a periodic recharge cycle of several seconds. Standing in the darkness, you can appreciate the sound design as you hear the zombies shuffling and moaning. Once you've taken care of the core, your next task is get to the City 17 survivors and shepherd them to the train station.

Like it's predecessor, Episode 1 requires many maneuvering and manipulating activities, one of the features that sets HL apart from most other first person shooters that require little more than running and shooting. You also have the full complement of weapons from HL2; ironically one of the last for you to pick up is the crowbar. For about the first quarter of the game the only thing you'll have in your arsenal is an enhanced Gravity Gun.

There are no eye-opening, jaw-dropping sequences, like HL2's falling tower during the airboat ride. Nor are there are any vehicles in Episode 1, except for an automobile ride right at the beginning that really puts you square in HL universe - Dog throws your car across a canyon-size cliff.

Complaints about Steam aside (and personally I haven't had any trouble with them yet), Episode 1 is a great addition to the HL series. I look forward to Episode II.

"Steaming", Buggy game, almost works..

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 37 / 62
Date: June 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

HalfLife 2 Episode One

Here is a transcript of my interview with Valve Software's new Scurity/Public Relations Director, Mr. Knute Case:

Me: Hello Mr. Case, can I call you Knute?
Knute Case: Sure hacker.
Me: What? Why am I a hacker?
Knute: Well, here at Valve, all users are guilty of hacking until proven "not so guilty"; its our policy.
Me: Oh, that explains "Steam". Well let's talk about the new game HalfLife 2 Episode One. When I finally got to play the game, it was great but..
Knute: Wait a minute, you figured out how to install it? YOU ARE A HACKER!
Me: No, I just realized that I had to uninstall all the Steam software that was already running on my PC first-
Knute: Let me guess, you installed Steam where you wanted, not the default location?
Me: Yeah, well it is my PC after all. Anyway, I was able to install Steam, then I re-installed Half-Life 2 then this game-
Knute: But you still had to download the actual game, The DVD just contains just a few pieces of Episode 1. It may be your PC but the game will never really be yours, Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha! So Hacker, were you able to download and decrypt the game?
Me: Yes I was eventually but it took a while. I still resent having to log onto a web server to play a single player game, this seems kind of crazy. And what about giving us gamers some clear instructions?
Knute: Next you'll be asking to be treated like a customer. Clear installation instructions would be like giving you hackers free access to the source code. That is why we bury the Episode One executable in a hidden folder deep inside your PC.
Me: Knute, the game also crashed a lot, many graphical glitches.
Knute: That's a new game feature we call "sucker-vision", we updated/fixed that feature in Episode Two. Want to guess at how to get this patch now? I can't tell you directly but here is a clue:"jhusyow848eokfjcnciej * 125 / 6"..
Me: I'll pass. Also, the game is awfully short.
Knute: We here at Valve have determined that selling a game in 80 short parts for twenty bucks a piece is better than selling a game in 2 parts for 40 bucks each. But we pass that savings on to the consumer.
Me: Really? How?
Knute: We will be bundling the next chapter of Half-life 2 with a free retina scanner and a DNA sampler. This technology will make the game more secure and fun-fun-fun!
Me: Sounds awful. Is there any way to play this single player game off-line? I just want a few hours of fun minus the aggravation.
Knute: Yes, but that would be telling, Har-Har-Har! Seriously, that will never happen - its Valve's game, not yours...

Episode I answers many questions left in Half-Life 2, while opening quite a few new ones.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: June 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Half-Life 2: Episode I (aka Aftermath) continues where Half-Life 2 left off in every aspect, extending the technology, story, and gameplay. Valve has yet to disappoint with their star franchise, and this is no exception.

The story in Aftermath takes a much more direct approach than Half-Life 2, preferring to have the events and Alyx give the plot clicks, rather than letting the environment tell the weight of the story. Aftermath also takes a hint from ABC's popular series Lost, showing you bits and pieces of story, revealing information and answering questions while opening new ones.

The episode starts off by showing you the Citadel, with a dark cloud looming over it and debris falling from the sky. As in Half-Life 2, there's a sense that you are looking at the inevitable end of the chapter, just waiting to explode. You instantly meet up with Alyx and DOG as they scatter the remains of City 17 looking for our orange-suited super hero, and soon hook up with Dr. Kleiner and Eli Vance via radio communications, and they have bad news: the Citadel is going to explode and you have to get out as soon as possible. For the rest of the episode, Alyx guides you on your way out of the city any way she can.

The gameplay in Aftermath is traditional Half-Life, switching styles and introducing new ones flawlessly. From the simple, yet complex puzzles, to the building-to-building urban fighting, the pieces that Half-Life 2 initially set up return once more. Added into the mix are new challenges, such as fighting in pitch dark with limited ammo and your trusty flashlight, forced to use Alyx as your main weapon. The finishing touches are the unique and challenging boss battles, which substitute the quantity Half-Life 2 often used for quality.

As for the graphics and sound, both are done to the highest quality that is to be expected from Valve. HDR lighting (not Lost Coast intense), detailed environments, and improved models are all included. Additionally, the commentary system (once again unlike Lost Coast) works to perfection, giving game details without screwing anything up, although the occasionally makes you invincible or freezes your enemies (most likely on purpose), but often works without a hitch. Episode I also includes the 20 minute HDR test level "Lost Coast" and HL2: Deathmatch.

The experience will run most people about 3-4 and a half hours, but increases in difficulty, the ability to replay the game in its entirety in one sitting, and the commentary tracks will give some replayability. For those looking for a brilliant first person shooter experience in a drought of sorts, Episode I delivers a cheap, unique experience with a decent multiplayer experience.

Very familiar but still very fun.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: June 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

When Half-Life 2 came out in 2004, the ending left many of its fans scratching their heads. The game ended leaving some pretty big questions unanswered. Instead of waiting for another six years for the answers, Valve software has gone the way of episodic content. By releasing three much shorter "episodes" in six month intervals, they are able to get the game out quicker.

Half-Life 2: Episode One starts out with a disappointing explanation of how Gordon and Alyx survive the ending of Half-Life 2. While the explanation does appear make some sense, it feels like a big cop-out and could have definitely been done better. The good news is that the story get a lot better from there. The game quickly has you infiltrating the citadel once again to try to stop a reactor overload and you eventually attempt to escape from City 17.

Unfortunately both the citadel and City 17 were fully explored in Half-Life 2. All of the areas that you visit in Episode One seem very familiar. In fact, you will probably experience de-ja vu a few times before the game is over, which will take most gamers between four to six hours.

The levels are not the only thing that has remained the same this time around. Your arsenal of weapons remains completely unchanged. The selection of weapons is impressive and they worked great for the last game, but it would have been nice to see at least one or two new weapons. It is also worth noting that there are no vehicle sequences in the game, which is a shame.

The enemies in the game are the same as well except for one new addition, a combine zombie. These "zombines" take a lot of punishment and like to pull out grenades and rush after you. This tactic makes them extremely deadly and usually makes the first enemies you go after in a crowd.

With pretty much the same enemies and weapons from Half-Life 2, it is no surprise that the gameplay remains mostly the same. However, there are a few additions here and there that do a little to help keep the game fresh. For instance, it is now possible to plug up ant lion burrows to stop them from coming up out of the ground. Puzzles are back in the game, but unfortunately a lot of them boil down to finding switches to open locked doors, which is a shame as the last game relied heavily on physics based puzzles. They also tend to reuse the same puzzles over and over again, which can get pretty stale as you are trying to find the 4th fuse box to power a locked door.

The great voice acting and animation is still there. The characters seem more believable and show more complex emotion then ever before. Alyx, who is with you for most of the game, has great dialogue. She also does a pretty good job of taking care of herself when you are busy solving puzzles, so it does not feel like a babysitting job.

The graphics in the game are pretty much unchanged from Half-Life 2. It looks like most of the textures and objects in the game are reused art from Half-Life 2. With reused art and locations, the game pretty much looks exactly the same as it did two years ago. The only difference is that Valve has added its new High dynamic range rendering (HDR) lighting system into the game (if your video hardware supports it). The main purpose of HDR is to allow bright things to be very bright and dark things to be very dark while still being able to see detail in both. While HDR can look amazing, it tends to be over used in the game and looks downright silly on some objects. For instance, characters will glow unrealistically when you shine your flashlight on them. Still, the two year old source engine still looks pretty good today and runs pretty well on older hardware.

So you ask, "With all the gameplay and graphics the same, why should I buy Episode One"? First, while the gameplay is mostly the same, that gameplay is still extremely good. Half-Life 2 was way beyond many of the mediocre action games out then, and it still holds up very well today. Second, Episode One does a great job in continuing the story. There are a lot of awesome scripted sequences that move the story along. While you don't learn a whole lot more, and it ends with a cliffhanger ending, it sets up what looks to be a very interesting Episode Two. So if you don't mind the short length, no new multiplayer content, and think $20 is fair for more of the great Half-Life 2 gameplay and storyline (though not as epic or original), then go ahead and pick this one up. That being said, if you were one of the few who did not enjoy Half-Life 2, this game will do nothing to change your mind.

Don't Bother unless you feel like getting a STEAM burn

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 12 / 17
Date: June 14, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Loved HL2 but that was when STEAM was only mildly annoying. Now the STEAM activation system has reached a whole new level of sadistic pain. I won't rehash what's been described below but suffice to say it takes longer to activate this game than play it. The game HL2 Ep 1 is OK but nothing new but hey who wouldn't rather spend 2 hrs trying to activate the game ala STEAM than play it. I think I'll pass on HL2 Ep 2 until Valve comes to their senses. In the meantime, if I want to frustrate myself I'll go back to trying to purge my system of all the STARFORCE subroutines (I can only imagine what STEAM has bugged my system with?).

Outstanding game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: June 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is the first (hence, episode one) game in a half-life 2 (HL2) sequel serial. The game environment is essential HL2 with sharper graphics - which was actually a great improvement. The game play is different as the puzzles are more challenging and less "cookie-cutter" than HL2. Also, the game is played in tandem. You, of course, play as Gordon Freedman, scientist turned gun-weilding devastator (aren't they all like that though?), and the other main character is the beautifully rendered Alex. Alex's AI is pretty decent and, when I played through the game, she didn't do anything unexpected. I really have to hand it to the guys at Valve they really know how to cater to video game nerds: attractive, AI, female companion that flirts with you in one scene and is blasting zombies in the next. Overall the voice acting was stellar.

What makes the game great, however, is it's rich storyline and immersive enviroment. The best way to describe this game is to compare it to a violent, well-written comic book that you just do not want to end. I really liked the game and I think that Valve implemented the new serial model extremely well. Hopefully, one day they will be able to offer subscriptions and put out small episodes like this every few months.

Still hard to believe that Half-Life 2: Episode One is just a game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 31
Date: June 01, 2006
Author: Amazon User

You don't have to buy HL2:EP1 on DVD, you can purchase it for download with Steam. Now, to the story so far... In the Beginning... There was nothing new much in the Half-Life game engine which was essentially just a modern hack of the Quake game engine, so how could a game that based itself on software that others developed succeed in becoming the biggest selling game of all time? When Half-Life first came out it did a couple of things right that most other first person shooters failed to do... (1)Story,(2)Story and (3)Story. Valve created Half-Life in a period of our lives when Area 51 was a hot topic among UFO buffs and the X-Files was to become mainstream family television viewing. Alien based entertainment media was a craze in the mid and late 1990's, unprecedented since the 1950s. Smack in the middle of what could be considered the most influential era for UFO enthusiasts came HALF-LIFE where YOU get to play as Gordon Freeman, a physics researcher who witnesses a freak accident in an Area 51 type facility. All hell breaks loose and YOU have to survive. No cut scenes. No initial story. No explanation. You where just there and you had to escape. Cue interactive characters that could follow you around and say a few things, maps rich in objects that you could break eventually leading up to rapid action shootouts with monsters and marines. The GOOD NEWS was that Half-Life 2 is another world beyond HL1 and was like nothing you have ever played before. It was the first person shooter 'Game of games', hands down, period. As a stand alone game, HL2 was 100% pure adrenaline, no holds barred, from start to finish. If you own a PC or Xbox then you owned HL2 because you knew your world will never be the same again after playing it. Half-Life 2 did destroy lives, educations and marriages and......WAS MORE THAN JUST A GAME! ... or at least that was the net result. Take any of the best pixel pushers out there and HL2 just mashed `em into the ground and then sets off an amazing fireworks display to welcome everyone back. How many games within the first two levels had you literally calling friends, family and neighbours to have a look at it? You had to LIVE that game. Nowhere else would you see anything as amazing as City 17. The game starts right where the previous one left off, as you are dumped into this futuristic eastern European city like something out of Orwell's 1984 following a brief meeting with the GMAN. Learning that citizens are slowly going missing from City 17 you must meet up with old friends - scientists from the first game including security guard Barney. As soon as your teleporter went wonky you where landed right in on the action with soldiers storming apartments looking for you. On the run you managed to land a hovercraft and go on to tear through flood channels ramping over obstacles while seeing full scale battlecrafts flying overhead... and when you hit them, bits break off and explode... slowly... so you give `em more heat... and more bits break off... and then they crash and burn with a roaaaaarrr! The gem of the game though was when you play with DOG and learn a neat trick with the new Gravity gun weapon. Let a few disc saws whirl and watch what happened to the bad guys or even throw a petrol canister into a group of zombies and hear them scream. The animation was hyper-realistic and your fps matched your heartbeat. It was the real deal. The characters all had their own unique personality and walk, talk and act differently. The cut scenes all looked great and where done in 1st person as you walk around the event. Like its predecessor, each level is designed with plenty of tasks to do, puzzles to solve and bad guys to mow down. Join the resistance in City 17 and win the war! If you have a thing for 1984, conspiracy theory or the New World Order, then HL2 had it all! HL2 also borrows HUGELY from other games and films you have seen, but that just makes it all the better because it seems somewhat familiar, yet ABSOLUTELY NEW. Episode One is a legit Half-Life entry in the series from Valve. It is not just a quick fix like the dissapointing "Lost Coast" was. This is a fully fledged game with new graphics, dynamic lighting and expansions to the plot that makes it an all important HL2.5 and quite possibly, the FPS game of 2006! Picking up where HL2 left off, Gordon and Alyx have survived the reactor explosion. A self destruction sequence is initiated in the Citadel. The two must get out of there before City-17 becomes a pile of ash. This episode opens with a helping alien hand getting you away from the GMAN and back into City-17 when Alyx's father, Eli Vance, tells you that the whole city is about blow. You are sent back into the Citadel (With DOG giving you a helping launch followed by a quick surprise ride down some tunnels) to deactivate the latest problem. The actual chamber where the orb device is being primed to detonation has some outstanding bleached out type lighting effects. There quite a few puzzles to solve along the way, some quite well thought out. The game design is also very well conceived. You can tell that lots of top designers have sat down and planned this one to the last detail. After the Citadel escapade there are some scary tunnel sequences without much lighting and some new and improved variations in the Zombie hybrids that you will enjoy. You also make lots of use of the gravity gun in HL2:EP1. Making your way through the tunnels eventually you are back out in the city. Stick around for the emergency Dr. Kleiner speech over the large public video screens. It is funny and well worth watching. The vortex of the reactor explosion is some of best rendered environmental effects seen in a game ever. It will have you in awe. There is a cool sequence through the city apartments, meeting up with Barney again, and helping groups of people evacuate by getting them through the train yards before the final escape through the country while the Citedel goes wipeout. A great finale, but much like HL2, HL2:EP1 ends rather quickly. I guess Valve probably want to do EP2 and EP3 and so on. To be honest, we should not be complaining. It is all great suspense for the price. The bottom line is that Half-Life 2: EP1 is hands down, the best 1st person shooter you can find around at the moment. It plays more like a movie than any other game to date. HL2 lovers MUST PLAY THIS. It is an official valve release and well worth the price-tag for the quality of the graphics and adventure. Just remember that it is not a full blown game, but for the price you get around 6 hours of solid all new Half-Life game.

Terrific improvement but too short a game.....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: July 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

They really did more with this episode than just add a couple of new shooter maps to get through. The graphics are great but the character realism, facial expressions & body language have definately improved. The game play is also terrific. I won't give a blow by blow detailed account of the game (that's for magazine articles and it's lame coming from a customer satisfaction review blob) but this game continues RIGHT off from where the previous one ended. Your almost constant companion is Alyx & she is much more helpful, expressive and entertaining in "Episode One" than she was in the previous game; right down to the corny sense of humour, voice over work & animation realism. They did a great job on her character developement, both in CGI & writing to bring empathy to a computer character. I gotta wonder, where can you find a >real< gal like her?....do they make em like that? The price is right as well for the game, especially since it can stand alone according to the box. The game even gives a link that is graphic card specific if your system needs a graphics update to make the game play smoothly.....kinda nice & helpful verses having your computer crash in the middle of play. My only two complaints are that the copy protection efforts by STEAM can be irratating with the "Steam" account being required and all. (though it is WAY better than having some company invented copy protection program invade & make a home in your hard drive like some program companies do and then you can't get the alien program out and it gives up your private info and then you have to format your HD and it ticks you off to no end) ....and the other is that the game is pretty short but then it was only 16 bucks for a NEW release from Amazon so still not a bad deal. A good buy all and all.

Unstable

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: June 10, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I bought this and Sin: Episode 1, and frankly I liked Sin better. I'm running a P4 2.2, ATI 9800 with 1Gb of RAM and the graphics are excellent, if only the bloody thing didn't crash every five minutes. Sucker freezes at random, requiring me to unplug the machine every time. Didn't have this problem with HL2, or Sin, and the tech support suggestions are no help, basically they claim it's Creative's fault, though Id, Epic Mega Games, and Ubisoft seem to handle my sound card just fine. Aside from Valve passing the buck, game is mostly pretty fun, with the exception of the elevator mission which was infuriating (you'll know it when you see it). Buy this game at your own risk, or better yet buy Sin.

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