"Valve follows their masterpiece known as Half-Life 2...with another masterpiece."

Fans of the Half-Life series have been waiting more then a year and a half for the continuation of the Half-Life series (which pales in comparison to the 6 years for Half-Life 2) and we've finally gotten it. Half-Life 2: Episode One is the first in a trilogy of episodes, which promise to continue the story after the events in Half-Life 2. So, how does it do?

First things first. The game is short. The usual time is 5-6 hours, though I completed it in 4-5. I don't really see how you can be disappointed by this, though. What does the word "episode" say to you? It shouldn't say long. Episodes have always been short, with the length coming from all the episodes combined. Even if you're still disappointed, you quickly realize that the small amount of time spent playing is because the developers spent a lot of time on getting the gameplay right, and it shows.

The game starts off right after Half-Life 2, and I mean RIGHT after. It wastes no time continuing. Some questions from Half-Life 2 are answered, but the answers are so vague, the original question is still pretty much there, with some more. Of course, one should expect nothing else, as this is the norm for most things that have a storyline like this. I personally felt that the story was really pushed forward in this episode, for an episode, anyways.

The graphics in this game have been slightly improved. Improved enough to notice a difference, but not enough to make this game unplayable when the original Half-Life 2 was. "Hero Lighting" really adds to the game. HDR lighting still takes a toll on

The game smooth with all settings on high (except for HDR) just as it did for me in Half-Life 2, except for some instances where it stuttered. The most notable of these occurrences were rooms filled with water. Half-Life 2 didn't have this effect, but for some reason it was absolutely terrible in this. I'm not quite sure why that is, but I'm hoping it's something Valve will address and fix soon.

Sounds remain incredible, just as they were in Half-Life 2. All the sounds coming from the Combine feel just as alien as the first time we heard them, and the voice acting, too.

As for my favorite part of any game, the gameplay, I felt it was...well, simply put, it was incredible. I'd even say that it was slightly better then Half-Life 2's gameplay, in general. The developers at Valve have been saying in every interview how since they already have the experience with the Source engine from Half-Life 2, that they'll able to create better, and more varied gameplay in the episodes, and it is true. I don't want to give anything away, but you'll never get bored.

So, what's the final verdict on this? It's easy. If you're a Half-Life fan and want to know what goes on after Half-Life 2, you must buy this game. "Is it just more of the same?" you might ask. Well, the short answer is yes, but it's more complicated. You never feel like you're doing anything extremely different then you did in Half-life 2, but it's definitely not to the point where you feel that you've already done this. It's sort of a steady gameplay evolution, I guess. People who are disappointed in this fact aren't firmly based in reality. Episode One, no matter what Valve says, is basically an expansion, just shorter. It's only called an episode because it's shorter then the average expansion, and more will be released that are about the same time, and follow it like a TV show. Knowing this, have you ever known an expansion pack to drastically alter the way the game is played? No, for drastically different gameplay, I'm afraid we'll have to wait for Half-Life 3, whenever that may be.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/02/06