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Half-Life 2: Episode Two Review - PC

Introduction

After yet another extended development window and countless delays, Half-Life 2: Episode Two is finally in our grubby little hands. And what eager and salivating minds are attached to those hands, as we finally get to pick up where the excellent first Episode left off. So, was it worth the wait? Oh hell yes!

Gameplay

Let’s not kid ourselves here. Valve never promised to revolutionise the concept of the first person shooter with Episode Two. Anyone expecting nothing but new, bold and daring gameplay concepts can probably uninstall the game right now (shame on you). The game starts off with a nice little video summarising the events of Episode One, which is probably just as well: a lot of players have probably forgotten what happened, unless they’ve gone back and played it in anticipation for Episode Two. After the video, you’re thrown directly into the game: no creepy G-man flavoured sequence here folks. Without spoiling too much, you’re able to witness first hand the massive step up in terms of presentation from Episode One to Two. Yes, that’s right: not from HL2 to Episode Two, but from Episode One to Two. The change is, quite frankly, unbelievable, but we’ll save that for the Graphics section, shall we?

Having lost all your weapons (apart from the Gravity Gun - sorry - the "Zero-Point Energy Manipulator", which is graciously handed back to you by Alyx), your arsenal is slowly restocked as you progress through the game (yes, you get the mandatory crowbar back). It is clear where the Half-Life series stands out above most generic first-person shooters, as you’re basically playing from the get-go, with a vague notion of where you need to get to as conveyed by Alyx, rather than simply slap in a pre-rendered, non-interactive cutscene. Traversing through the lush scenery is a strictly linear affair, but you do get a chance to poke around every now and then to find a conveniently placed weapons cache, or a spot of health.

Unlike a lot of first-person shooters, you don’t just happen upon a group of enemies. Rather, the game has been designed so that the enemies appear to discover you. Valve’s superb scripted sequences truly had me surprised at times, and while they do mean that you can expect the same thing again when you replay it, they’re so brilliantly done that it’s an absolute joy to relive them again. For example, the new enemy in the game, the Hunter, is slowly revealed to you via creepy sound effects as you progress further, before you’re ambushed by one of them. Again, without spoiling too much, it had me expressing (or, at least, feeling) a true emotional response as the events carried out, something that very few games have ever managed to achieve.

One thing that has crept into this game is the notion of wave-based gameplay, when waves of enemies will appear which you will have to deal with before dealing (continued next page)