The bottom line is that it's an exceptionally well-done expansion pack to an exceptional first-person shooter. Is Episode One revolutionary? Maybe in how the content is delivered. It brings back a lot of memories! Logic would dictate that Episode Two might contain Team Fortress Source. I was hoping for an upgrade along the lines of what Counter-Strike got when it went to Source, but it is fun to play on a dedicated lag-free server. The models look about the same, as do the maps in general. Don't expect any huge visual upgrades though, but the water and some of the textures were touched up a bit. Yep, all the original fun ported over from the Quake engine to Source. With that said, Episode One could use a patch or two to fix any other issues that aren't driver related.īesides the single-player content, Episode One comes with a Source port of Half-Life deathmatch. Steam will auto-detect any issues, then let you know if you're out of date and need to update. Not all crashes are Valve's fault though-make sure all your hardware drivers are current, especially for your video card. Much like when Half-Life 2 was released, Episode One suffers from some instability issues especially sound-related ones. There is some trouble in paradise, however. If your rig can handle Half-Life 2, have no reservations about Episode One. The real perk is that you don't need a bleeding-edge machine to run it well either. The character models and enemies all look fantastic as well. Episode One may not be able to compete with such games as FEAR or Oblivion, but Source is able to render extremely good, realistic environments. The Source engine might be getting old (game engines age in dog years), but it was built to be an ungradable technology. From the spunky facial expressions of Alyx to the increased physics support that's present in every facet of the game, it's hard not to be impressed with what Valve has done. The game abounds with cool little details that you can't help but appreciate.
The quality of character animation went from average (in HL2) to exceptional. That's the plan, at least.Įpisode One is a real upgrade from Half-Life 2 in the fact that Valve has given a lot more personality to the non-player characters-not only from a vocal perspective, but in how they move and interact with Gordon (you) and the environment. Alyx also avoids oblivion and together you make your way to the tower that dominates the skyline to prevent a total meltdown in City17. Needless to say, you survive! *Gasp* I know, it's a stretch, but Gordon Freeman is a pretty lucky dude. I doubt everyone reading has actually finished Half-Life 2, so I won't spoil the cliffhanger ending. One of the attractions is the ability to purchase and download them online, but for folks without high-speed connections, boxed editions can be purchased from your local geek shops for the same price, if not less.Įpisode One begins where Half-Life 2 ends. It's rare for present-day first-person shooters to boast more than around twelve hours of content, so the price point is right on target. SiN took me around seven hours to complete and HL2: Episode One kept me busy for over five hours. They might not be full-length games, but neither are expansion packs. At first, I wasn't sold on the idea either, but after playing a couple of them (SiN Episodes and now this) I'm warming up to the concept. Episodic what? Just think of them as expansion packs released every six months or so that cost around $19.95 each. Half-Life 2: Episode One - the first of a trilogy - is Valve's debut into the world of episodic content.