Sunday 29 July 2007

half life two episode one

ahem i have an announcement to make... i recently completed half life two episode one. yes most of you will be laughing as you read this, because this game has been released a few years back, and this fella has just completed it?! unbelievable ya?! don't wanna give any spoilers or ruin the element of surprise, but this game should be played by any self-respected first person shooter fan. much shorter than the original half life two because it is delivered in an episodal format via steam, valve's proprietary online software delivery system. you have to solve your fair share of physics problems and in game puzzles, eliminate your fair share of irritating pain in the ass son of a bitch thorn in the flesh foes which play hide and seek with you, but at least you won't be alone in the game, your trusty female sidekick will help you rid the Earth of the Combine scum. some pretty interesting new enemies will be introduced, and we also welcome back some old familiar enemies (if you played half life two you should be very very acquainted with them). the game ends with a cliffhanger which leads to half life two episode two, due to be released soon.

gamewise it is pretty similar to half life two, you don't need half life two to play episode one. the game has a linear sequence where you have to solve the puzzle before proceeding to the next section, so replayability is limited. there are three difficulty levels to test your skill and ability. and you get to admire the beautiful high dynamic range lighting visuals which will blow your mind away. the game requires decent specs to run, check the website for more details. i find the game a bit long-winded, but the character animation is flawless, excellent voiceovers, havok physics, realistic explosions, intelligent AI, cool weapons (read confiscation field), plus a couple of nasty surprises that will hit you when you least expect it. overall an excellent game!!! I give it 95%. for me i can't wait for episode two to hit the shelves. can't wait to meet the new enemies and new allies.


half life two episode one

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