Now, with a title like that I got to have something to back it up with. I've personally played through all the
Half-Life games on more than one occasion and hands down, Episode Two
has truly been the best and most enjoyable experience yet and left me
at a gaming high hours after finishing it, only to have me get up the
next day to play through it again, this time with developer commentary
turned on which is this great new feature the episodes have brought
that gives you insight in a lot of the work that goes on behind the
scene. Needless to say, the game gave me the same sensations during the
second play through, which is an absolute amazing feat and something that I
really haven't experienced with any other game before.
Naturally,
Episode Two picks up after the events of Episode One - so if you liked
Episode One and Half-Life 2 and want to see what's going to happen,
stop reading and get playing. Be warned though, because you'll be
wishing you could play Episode Three when you're done.
The
introduction sequence is very different from what players have
experienced in previous Half-Life games and is sort of a dramatic,
cinematic dream sequence that re-caps what happened in Episode One. It comes of as kind of odd, but it's good to see some new directions are being taken.
Like
Episode One, the game states a goal and reintroduces some of the cast.
Waking up in a train wreck you get freed by Alyx equipped with the
trusty gravity gun. Together, you set of towards The White Forest,
where the rebels are holding up garrison and await the arrival of Alyx,
you and the data pad you recovered in Episode One. Obviously we're
talking about Half-Life here and this journey won't just be some easy
hike up a hill.
The beginning of the game is also where the
game introduces a new enemy (which you've seen a glimpse of in Episode
One) who no doubt makes an unforgettable entrance which also fuels the hate
for those enemies throughout the remainder of the game, and to me became one of the most memorable parts in the Half-Life storyline.
In
Episode Two you travel through many new areas and scenery that all
blend in perfectly with the Half-Life universe and flesh out some of
the enemies in the game. Of course, in line with what Half-Life has
always been, questions answered make many more arise - and Episode Two
stays true to that.
Similar to Episode One, Episode Two hits
the player with combat "highs" coupled with calmer moments of puzzle
solving to keep it interesting and to keep battle fatigue at a minimum.
The combat here however, is far more interesting and versatile compared
to the older games, and dare I say experienced Half-Life players will
actually see some guys put up a real fight on the harder difficulty,
which is something I truly recommend if that's your cup of tea.
Right
away you feel that the game has gone through a lot of play testing and
as such it has the same smooth finnished feel - and a blend between combat, puzzles and
driving that you'd come to expect after Episode One. Yes, driving. In Episode Two you finally get to drive again which is
something I missed in Episode One, but don't be alarmed! The driving is
much more enjoyable and has its own memorable moments - very unlike how
players experienced it in Half-Life 2. The driving feels just right,
and long enough to keep you interested. And having someone to share the
ride with really makes those "Oh, I'm totally going to turbo of that
ramp"-moments that much better.
Episode Two fixes many of the
gripes I had with Episode One such as characters being oblivious to your
presence (and crushing or pushing you around) as some scenes are now played
out with the AI catering to the location of the player, and those
"story sections" feels just right now.
Another new feature in
the game is the achievement system. Like we saw in Episode One where
the player would get praise from Alyx and rebels when doing something
good, achievements are just another reward system to the player. Most
of them can be gained through normal play, but they also cater to us
achievement junkies who go above and beyond for the sake of achieving.
The harder ones include things like bringing an item from the beginning
of the game all the way to the end of the game or stepping on every
single bug in the game.
This and more pretty much adds up and
makes for a great gaming experience, and I can really recommend playing
Episode Two. If you decide to do so, you can look forward to 3-6 hours
of game play depending on your pace and the difficulty level you play
at.
