When is the next one?
The graphics were improved over the originl half life two engine, and I noticed that team members I was working with were more effective fighters and a lot better at working with me. In other words the rest of the human race didnt just get in my way. The aspect of working with Alyx was also very cool and enthraling. It added a whole lot to the story. I thought it was really interesting how she could take a grenade, but if she couldnt, it would be impossible to get her through the game alive.
The story was really brought to life, and made much more of a focus in this game. Although in this episode, most of the major points in the story are left incomplete, I didnt expect to get all the answers, then what would be the point of two more episodes? The ending was really anticlimactic. I was expecting a little more. I know that there are going to be more episodes, but I still wanted something more challenging so that I felt like I accomplished something by beating this game. As it stands, I didnt feel like I had really done anything.
The game play was a little harder. Most of this was a reasult of new enemies and new weapons (those mine things that you could pick up with your gravity gun and throw and they would explode). The learning curve is extremely quick if you have played before, but there are a few new tricks. However, puzzles were a much more prominant part of this game than half life 2. Actually, if there was anything that I was dissapointed with about half life two, its that the puzzles just didnt match up with those of half life one. Episode one almost changes that. Although there were more puzzles, almost all of them had to do with the gravity gun. As a result, they got a little repetative. However, we are on the right track with the more puzzles, they just need to be a little more challenging and skill based.
Over all I was very impressed with this game and cant wait for the next episode to come out.