RETROSPECTIVE: 'Half Life 2: Episode 1' AND 'Half Life 2: Episode 2'

Fans were disappointed when Half Life 2 ended on yet another cliffhanger, but subsequently delighted in 2005 when Valve released the confusingly named Half Life 2: Episode 1. It's basically 'Half Life 3' but split into episodic instalments so Valve could deliver games faster and respond to audience feedback as they went on. The whole thing seems laughable now.

The episodic model lasted for just one game. Half Life 2: Episode 2 was delayed, and so as an apology Valve bundled the release with Team Fortress 2 and Portal - both of which are two of my favourite games ever made. So Half Life was suddenly overshadowed, hence why we've had to wait eight sodding years and counting for Half Life 2: Episode 3. It's taken so long that now fans are expecting 'Half Life 3,' which in turn is making the whole thing go on even longer because now Valve have to turn out a full product instead of a single episode.

I'm glad Valve didn't call these episodes 'Half Life 3' because they don't offer enough innovation to be considered a standalone instalment. I suspect this is why the actual Half Life 3 is taking so long - because whilst Half Life completely scrapped the 'maze' level-structure to introduce narrative progression, and Half Life 2 introduced a fully involved physics engine - what else is there to invent? Valve have run out of lands to conquer, hence why they've stopped making games. Although, Valve are fully embracing virtual reality, so maybe the next step from natural level progression to realistic physics is being one with the game world...though I still can't shake off the feeling that VR is a gimmick.

But I digress. Half Life 2: Episode 1 takes place right after the events of Half Life 2. Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance miraculously survived the big explosion at the end, but now there's going to be another explosion and so it's time to get the hell out of City 17 before everyone gets blown away.

This game is like Blue Shift in that it's ridiculously short and doesn't add anything new. You start off by going back into the Citadel, and whilst the graphics engine still looks impressive - I've seen this all before. Once again the gravity gun gets overcharged and you get to fling Combine around to the point it gets boring. I know it would be awesome if the gravity gun was overcharged all the time, but the reason why it was so cool in the first game was because we had to slog through the narrative with a relatively weak weapon before finally getting some payoff. Handing it to us right away is just too easy.

From there, it's fighting through an underground complex which only really picks up when there's a section in complete darkness and you're forced to use your flashlight to guide Alyx. Your flashlight only has a certain amount of power before it switches itself off to recharge, meaning tension is created when you can hear an enemy but don't have the resources to see it. Things further ramp up when you fight through an abandoned hospital crawling with both zombies and Combine alike. Then the game directly copies from the climax of Half Life 2 where you're fighting through a war-torn City 17. The final fight is against a lone strider, which is really disappointing considering there was that section in the previous game where you fought about four of them at once.

But there are two things which, for me, redeem the experience. The first is Alyx. She's no longer a well thought-out damsel in distress. You're with her almost constantly throughout the game, and her company is most welcome. She cracks jokes, she laughs, she cries, she shows empathy, regret, fear, hope - she's a joy to be around. She's also really useful in a combat situation, and she's for the most part immortal so she never feels like a burden. Part of the reason why I like the section in the abandoned hospital so much is because Alyx finds a shotgun there and there is nothing cooler than blasting waves of zombies together with shotguns. It's such a shame that when people talk about positive examples of female characters in gaming they skip over Alyx just because you don't play as her.

The other reason why I regard this game with fondness rather than the cold criticism it deserves is because of a self-imposed restriction. For the first two chapters of the game, the only weapon you're given is the gravity gun. I actually really like this because it forces you to be tactical. Every fight becomes a puzzle...well, a puzzle more complex than "vot do you get ven you add man to machine-gun?"

Originally, you were only supposed to get a gun in the last few chapters of the game, but Valve chickened out and made it so you can't progress until you've shot the lock off a door with a gun you find in a locker filled with other guns. If you go through the levels, you'll notice that - like Ravenholm in Half Life 2 - there is much more of an abundance of physics objects than normal, meaning Valve clearly wanted players to get through these levels using only the gravity gun. In fact, the last weapon you get is the crowbar...which you use about once. It's actually really funny when Barney hands it to you considering that by this point you're armed to the teeth. Uh, I'm good for weapons thanks.

"I know you have a crossbow that shoots flaming bolts but...well, you never know..."

But there's an achievement that you can get by completing the game only firing one bullet. Determined to obtain this, I replayed the game using only the gravity gun and found it one of the most tense and enjoyable experiences I've had in a while. I soon found out that both radiators and old CRT computer monitors are the best weapons in the game, and I'd make an effort to track down every one of these and create a stack before each fight whilst Alyx looked on silently judging.

So overall I actually recommend this episode despite it being way, way more flawed than Half Life 2. Aside from Elizabeth from BioShock Infinite, there are so few companions in gaming that are actually your equal in terms of abilities and characterisation.

As I said, Half Life 2: Episode 2 was released in 2007 alongside Team Fortress 2 and Portal. That's already like being a support act to Queen and AC/DC, but then you consider the fact that 2007 was a fantastic year for games. BioShock, Shadow of Chernobyl, No More Heroes, Super Mario Galaxy, Assassins Creed - it was a time when 'next generation' really did seem like we were moving into a third golden age of gaming and the Wii was actually a good idea. But it's still surprising that Episode 2 got caught up and lost in-amongst all this considering it's a very strong game that's far superior to Episode 1.

Finally, Gordon and Alyx are out of City 17 which means a refreshing change of scenery and artstyle as you traverse through a forest to reach what remains of the resistance whilst battling what remains of the combine. The start is slow. Alyx receives a grievous wound and is taken out for the first hour of the game. This means you're back to flying solo, which is good for the narrative but still feels like a comedown. However, you soon stumble across these two hilarious resistance members and you aid them in a really fun battle against an army of insects. Then the vortigants show up and things become completely kickass.

Once Alyx is back then the action starts to really pick up again. You're forced into an industrial complex crawling with zombies before grabbing a car and speeding off with Alyx through the forest. It's at this point you meet the Hunters, a new enemy type who are extremely challenging to fight in a really good way. Well, until you realise that you can kill them just by ramming them with your car - which never stops getting old. Finally, the whole thing climaxes with an extended, tactical, and palm-sweatingly tense battle where you must defend the rebel base from an army of Striders and Hunters. You must use your car to get around the battlefield and stop the Striders from breaching the gate.

The build-up to this battle is so well done. You're given a new weapon and your car is modified. Both of these come with tutorials on how to use them, and the way the characters interact with you makes it seem like the fate of this whole resistance rests on you. Come the battle, there is nothing more terrifying then the droning, ear-splittingly loud alarm warning you that a Strider has almost reached the gate. Once the final Strider goes down, the moment when you sink back into your chair with relief whilst the rebels cheer loudly is almost orgasmic. I've saved the day about a million times in my gaming lifetime, but aside from that moment in BioShock Infinite where you take down a zeppelin, this is the only time I've actually felt like a true hero. I can never resist doing a handbrake turn when I return to the base whilst everyone applauds me.

"And why is our communication system so advanced?! Skype isn't even this good!" 

More than ever, there's a focus on character. I mentioned before the two hilarious resistance members, but soon you're introduced to Doctor Magnusson, who is my favourite character of this series. He's an absolute jerk who, despite Alyx almost dying, moans about them taking so long to get to the base. When you meet him in the flesh, he's just as priceless, but eventually reveals a softer side and proves to merely be a guy worn down by the Combine dynasty like everyone else.

Then, just when it seems like every thing's won, that ending happens. It's like something out of Game of Thrones - a brilliant cliffhanger undermined by the fact we're still waiting to see what'll happen next.

Part of me wishes that Valve had skipped Episode 1 and started with this game, because the second half truly feels like a worthy follow-up to Half Life 2. The Half Life series is like the Indiana Jones and Star Wars trilogy in that it's definitely not for everyone, and it's completely understandable if you don't enjoy it, but ideally every person in the world should experience it at least once before they die. And hopefully I'll be able to play Half Life 3 before I die...