"Well worth it"

Half Life 2: Episode 1 is the follow up to last years award winning Half Life 2. The story follows immediately after the events of HL2 and follow the exploits of Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance as they escape City 17.

Graphics: 9

Very well done, slightly better then HL2 but still amazing. HDR really helps the lighting and shadowing. Textures are very detailed and characters are very well rendered. Some slowdown with HDR on, but that is because my video card isn't really top of the line.

Story: 8

Answered some questions but gave you some new ones to think about till Episode 2. Kept you playing so you would see what was coming up next.

Sound, Music, and Voices: 8

Good ambient sounds and the guns sound nice. Appropriate music fits in nicely at moments of tension and action. Voice acting is top of the line with good dialogue and lip movement. Especially between Gordon and Alyx.

Gameplay: 8

Pretty much the same as HL2 but now you have Alyx by your side. She acts intelligent most of the time, and is fairly helpful throughout the game. Good ai. A good mix of puzzle and fighting. Only downside, its short, as in 3-6 hours short. Also no new guns, but i'm happy with that because the guns in the old game worked well and were fun. Levels change around and you get a mix of indoor and outdoor fighting.

Replay: 7

Since it is so short, it seems to breeze by, so playing it again is a good idea. But as with HL2 you can only play it so many times before it becomes tedious. But you will want to play it again for certain parts for the action and just to explore the area around the city, it is has a really nice look about it.

Overall: 8

If you liked HL2 you'll like this. It's pretty much that simple. They gameplay and visuals are pretty much the same. It felt just like HL2.

Pros:
- Strong mix of fighting and puzzles
- Compelling story
- Sharp graphics
- Good ai

Cons:
- Too short

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/02/06