Half Life 2: Episode 1

It was a rainy November morning in 2004: cold, windy and foreboding. I skipped work, not because I was hung-over, or because I simply couldn't be bothered, but because it was release day for 'Half-Life 2', something I had been waiting half a decade for. The enlightenment to the renaissance that was the original 'Half-Life'; the game stood as the shining city upon the hill of first person shooters, and indeed quality game development as a whole. The game was a work of pure art the deserved all the kudos it received. While, it must be conceded that it was not as revolutionary as the original, it was a polished powerhouse of a game with more explosive set-pieces than a Jerry Bruckheimer box-set.

So now, 18 months later, it's time to look forward to the next chapter in the series, Episode I: a stand alone add-on that picks up where 'Half-Life 2' left off. Formally known as 'Aftermath', Valve is calling this a 'new episode' in the half-life saga. Maybe a little pretentious, but Valve has never been the laid-back kind and we have no reason not to take them very seriously; especially when you consider the graphical improvements first seen in the free mini extra 'Lost Coast'.

The recent teaser trailer revealed little about actual gameplay, but some of its themes were hinted at. Things look like they'll focus heavily on Alyx (who you'll remember 'helped' you in 'Half-Life 2') who seems to be undergoing some kind of trauma, understandably considering the last time we saw her, a very large building was in the process of exploding in her face; enough for anyone to be a little agitated. Chances are we could be facing a darker Alyx, especially since Valve has been promising more character development with explorations of their histories and motivations. The trailer also includes images of an ominous black train, Eli looking suitably worried, and the return of dog. Most interesting however is the discovery by Alyx of the worrying mutilated Stalkers. These creatures, which many are assumed to be captured humans made into mechanical slaves for the Combine, were only glimpsed from afar during 'Half-Life 2', either doing manual labour or screaming in some form of genuinely understandable terror/pain/abstract realisation on the nature of their existence. Indeed the main part of the trailer seems to suggest some kind of revelation over who they were, and more importantly, if they know what on earth is going on.

Valve have also stated that the entire episode will take place within City 17, which is no bad thing considering that the last few hours of 'Half-Life 2' were comprised of some of the most intense urban battles in F.P.S. history. Some pictures even suggest an invasion of the city by the relentless, Starship Trooper-like Ant Lions. Actual plot details are sparse with Valve staying very quiet as usual. All one hopes is that it helps to clarify just what the hell happened at the end of 'Half-Life 2'. Additionally, while most characters such as Dr. Kleiner and Eli have been guaranteed to return, there has been no mention of whether either Gordon Freeman or the G-man will return. With no Freeman who will we control?

The aforementioned graphical improvements seem to be shaping up nicely with the possibility of employing even better dynamic range lighting than was present in 'Lost Coast', which, while taking advantage of new technology should not hinder you if your still playing 'Half-Life 2' on a barren old G-Force MX. The visuals should appear grittier and sharper, providing a far more realistic world than were getting from most of the games coming out on the 'Doom 3' engine which are tending to look like character models are built from shiny plastic.

Valve has claimed that Episode I should last only a mere four to six hours (four hours then…) but that it should still be a rich experience. Yet at a predicted price tag of £20 and with no concrete mention of multiplayer additions, this may well be pushing things a little too far. Then again Valve has never been one to let us down and with Episode II already in development we could be witnessing the development of the first game serial. At least we shouldn't have to wait long to wake up and smell the ashes once more; Episode I should be out by the end of the month.


Release: Q2 2006
Valve/Sierra