Episode Two continues the story from the previous games, pushing the
narrative forward in ways it hasn't been before. For it's time, the
original game was pretty impressive in its immersion but now is very
limited and a bit simple. The sequel took huge steps forward in
presentation and upped the ante quite a bit with consistent characters,
but was still a little basic. The first episodic expansion really
raised the bar with its development of Alyx as a believable and likable
character, and she's maybe the best ever in a video game. This game
takes big steps forward in adding intrigue and surprises to the plot,
with more than one shocking moment. It's still not as smooth as a good
movie, as plenty of little things can break the illusion, but it's
still quite a feat for the medium.
What really matters is the
gameplay and not the story though, and Half-Life still excels in this
area. Valve hasn't added a new weapon since 2, but that's not the only
way you can mix things up. They've added a couple new enemies that
require brand new combat tactics, including one that's especially
interesting, the Hunters. They announce their presence in dramatic
fashion and are a very intimidating foe while still being beatable.
They do get annoying in the final climax when they prevent you from
accomplishing your goal, but are still pretty cool. The balance between
combat and puzzle-solving is still fantastic, as you never spend too
much time on a specific kind of experience. It's a lot of fun just
cruising from location to location in the new vehicle, seeing what
there is to see, before the next big battle happens. The Vortigaunts
are given a spotlight in the second episode, and they make a pretty
effective and intriguing ally. The added achievements maybe caused me
to spend too much time playing in a specific way to unlock them, but
they still add some satisfaction to your progression. The last big
battle is one of the best designed large combat sequences I've ever
played, that combines the skills of driving, Hunter combat, gravity gun
use, and precise aiming in a way that is exhilarating while maintaining
a manageable difficulty. As part of the high-value Orange Box, it's something truly worth seeing.
