Half-Life 2: Episode One
2006
Audio: Korean
- shooter
- action
- science fiction
- horror
- single player
The story
Half-Life 2: Episode One is the first of a planned trilogy of expansion packs/episodes for the 2004 first-person shooter game, Half-Life 2. The episode takes place immediately after the end of Half-Life 2, in the war-torn setting of City 17. The player is forced to deal with the effects of their actions during the main game. The episode is a stand-alone game; while a continuation of Half-Life 2, it does not require the original game to be installed or registered to a user's Steam account to play. It takes advantage of several major upgrades to the Source engine since the release of Half-Life 2, primarily its high dynamic range rendering capabilities and the upgraded facial animation system. Episode One was released together with Half-Life Deathmatch: Source, a port of the original Half-Life's multiplayer, which doubles as Episode One's multiplayer component. The retail copies of Episode One also come with Half-Life 2 Deathmatch for those who have not previously purchased the later title.
What it’s like
Dusty, sun-bleached industrial grime under a bruised, amber sky: the look of a city half-collapsed and smoldering, rendered with the Source engine's high dynamic range lighting so that shafts of hard daylight cut through broken tenements and the glow of headlamps and fires pulls warm color out of the concrete. Interiors are dim and close, with wet metal, flickering fluorescents and pooling shadow. The score is restrained and tense, a low pulse of synth and processed drone that swells in firefights and drops to quiet ambience between them, while the Combine's mechanical clatter and distant screams give the streets a constant unease. The vibe is grim, urgent and melancholic, a dystopian apocalypse with moments of wry companionship. Pacing alternates brisk combat with long stretches of walking, climbing and puzzle-solving, and the emotional thread follows a stubborn scientist and a fierce ally fighting through the fallout of earlier choices. Intensity is moderate to high: frequent gunfire and violence against monsters and soldiers, some bloody moments and creature horror, with dread more than gore. Best suited to players who want tense, cinematic shooting and a bleak, atmospheric world to lose an evening in.
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