Ships Ahoy - Half-Life 2: Episode One [Jun 01, 2006, 6:42 pm ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
Valve announces that Half-Life 2: Episode One is now available via
Steam:
Valve Launches First of an Episodic Trilogy
Bellevue, WA, June 1, 2006 - Valve®, developer of the blockbuster series Half-Life® and Counter-Strike™, announced Half-Life® 2: Episode One is now available via Steamgames.com for just $19.95 and at retail outlets around the world.
The first in a trilogy of episodic games, Episode One reveals the aftermath of Half-Life 2 and launches a journey beyond City 17. Episode One does not require Half-Life 2 to play and also includes a first look at Episode Two, which will ship by year's end.
In addition to the new single player experience, two multiplayer games are included. And those who purchase Episode One will have free access via Steam (www.steamgames.com) to Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, the interactive technology demo that introduces High Dynamic Range lighting to the SourceTM Engine, Valve's award-winning game technology.
Stop letting your own prejudices about the game cloud the facts the game has laid out. And it makes sense. People like to cling to heros. Gordon was the closest thing they could find to one. The entire Earth failed to stop the Combine. But Gordon singlehandedly beat thousands. They use him for hope. It's happened thousands of times in history.
I don't think I'm wrong here, I understand what is supposed to be happening from the story they are telling, I just don't think they are delivering the epic vision they have in mind. The hero and savior of the human race spends this episode with a groupie in tow. It makes it very hard to accept Gordon as a larger than life hero. Mabye it's just me but compared to many other super human hero's in other games this guy doesn't stack up.
Oh, and how are ant lions and striders NOT "larger than life" enemies? I'll admit I never got very far in Halo (mainly due to its utter mediocrity), but I never saw any enemies that were "larger than life." Cartoonish, sure, but not "larger than life."
I figured the Halo reference would stir up some emotion, but I'm trying to focus on the main characters and the impression they leave with the player. Like the game or not Halo presents an epic struggle that is very convincing and has many moments where it reminds the player just how big the story is. The fact that you can constantly see the massive Halo ring while outside is a good example of them doing this.
And the problem with Striders and Ant Lions is that they are common and not terribly dangerous. You can take them out without too much difficulty and move on. They look cool but you see them a lot so it loses the effect it's supposed to have. And IMO they aren't big enough, They need to make one that is large enough to drop standard size striders onto the ground as it's minions while it try's to kill you.
SPOILER
Imagine the ending sequence of EP1 with that strider, you kill that and then something tears off the roof of the train station and you look up to realize it's the biggest strider thing you've ever seen. It drops 2 more Striders and you are in the fight or your life trying to take out this huge thing above you and 2 striders on the ground harassing you. That would have been an ending that makes gordon larger than life.
This comment was edited on Jun 7, 17:08.
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