"The worst Half-Life yet. Take a good look at the score."

Valve is really, really unlucky. Every time they put out a game, it's fantastic. So, how are they supposed to improve? How are they supposed to raise the bar for shooters, if they're the only ones who ever set it? Well, I'm not complaining, and neither should you. This may be the worst Half-Life yet, but that just makes it awesome rather than amazing.

The graphics in Half-Life 2 Episode 1, are essentially the same as in Half-Life 2. It still uses the source engine and I am sure glad about that. The source engine delivers the most terrific visuals I've ever seen. There are some subtle differences in this game though. First, are the updated textures. Surfaces will now seem smoother (skin) or rougher (walls, glass). This update really isn't much, but it is a nice addition. Second, Valve has updated their facial animations. This will make faces, as well as facial movement, look even better than before. Last, is the addition of the Dynamic Lighting and Shadow. This allows for light and shadow effects to look beautiful in this game. The game takes advantage of this by having both dark levels, and brighter levels.

The sound is, as usual, terrific. The voice acting is really good. Scary good in fact, as it seems like you are having conversations with real people. This game moves past the seriousness of Half-Life 2 and throws in some humor. Granted, most of it is dark humor, but it's nice to have some lighter sections. Especially when Alyx first says "Zombine". Written by comical genius. Anyway, the writing is fantastic. Sound effects remain almost completely unchanged. Some may call this a lack of innovation. I call it, sticking to your strengths. A very good sound production.

This is the single downfall of this game. There is zero, and I mean ZERO, depth. The story is as basic as they come. This is because of an attempt to spread the plot through every episodic entry. Basically, it's just you and Alyx trying to escape from City 17. That leads to a problem unfortunately. The game is short. Like Gary Coleman short. It's only 3-4 hours long. That means that an experienced gamer (not that I'm referring to myself) could beat this between the time he gets home and dinner. This is kind of understandable, because of the now episodic nature of these games. Even so, 3-4 hours is ridiculous. It may be short, but there is a lot of action packed into it.

The game play is similar to Half-Life 2, in that, it doesn't stay the same for very long. While it is Co-op throughout, it changes to elements of horror, puzzle solving, and just bald faced action. One part in particular I'd like to point out is the part where you fight hordes of zombies in a hospital. It's really fun. There are no cut scenes, but this game relies noticeably more on uncontrollable, scripted sequences that I honestly enjoyed. As with all Half-Life games the controls are fluid and easy to use.

This game does not achieve the greatness of it's predecessors, but it comes pretty close. Although it's a little short, it has tremendous replay value. That way you, Alyx, and your trusty crowbar will be cracking Combine skulls for a while.

I give it 9 striders...out of 10.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/25/08

Game Release: Half-Life 2: Episode One (US, 06/01/06)