Episode 2 has finally arrived, though despite an irritating cliffhanger, the game is easily better than HL2 itself.
First off, the story is top grade. Never has a first-person shooter engrossed me as much as this one did. The disappointing storyline (or lack thereof) that many professional reviewers went gaga for was strangely...not there. What story really took place in Half-Life 2 other than a few revelations of what has changed in Gordon's absence? Episode 2 offers up an action-packed, believable, and emotional story about the survivors of City 17 and their hero Gordon Freeman. We finally begin to experience more of the key characters that make up the cast. Far more depth is given to the G-Man, who almost comes across this time as a likable character. And by that I mean one that you don't love to hate. The Vortigaunts are as fun as ever, and the Combine is truly the video game equivalent of evil incarnate. And just as we saw in the trailer a year ago, Dog tears it up with a Strider in one of the game's most satisfying moments.
The familiar run-and-gun action is accompanied by some simple puzzle solving that is more closely related to the story, rather than a method for simply clearing obstacles. Never once does it make you feel removed from the game or story, and it leads you right where you need to go in the end. There are even more ways to dispatch your foes using the gravity gun, where one can catch a new enemy's flechette rounds in a physics object and launch it back and them for explosive results. A new achievement system has been added, giving the player some unprecedented (for Half-Life) replay value, which may or may not add to gameplay once all achievements are unlocked. This gamer hasn't gotten that far yet.
Speaking of new enemies, the Hunter units are the real bad boys of the game. Virtually coming out of nowhere, they are like two-legged mini-Striders that launch high-speed flechette rounds which stick to any surface and explode a few seconds later. This includes your vehicle and any object you can heft with the Gravity Gun. Though they are more vulnerable than a Strider, they pack plenty of power in their ram attack and firepower, and their speed and tactics are superior to any other enemy in the series so far. Without trying to spoil any plot points, the player finally comes face to face with a Combine Advisor. Few enemies equal the sick and twisted demeanor of these abominations. Okay, so I'm getting a little dramatic. But one key encounter really knocks the wind out of you when they...well, you'll see.
The myriad gameplay enhancements are incredible. They are immediately noticeable, as the whole game seems to operate so much more smoothly as a result. Rate of fire is much quicker for some weapons, especially the Glock 9. Firing it as quickly as possible almost makes it feel like an automatic weapon. The Gravity Gun is a key weapon as always, and there are some new objects to pick up and deal pain with. Large rocks, tree stumps, and a new item called the Magnusson Device round out the delightful lineup of physics projectiles at your disposal. With the use of pre-rendered physics, Valve has added an extra kick to the already gorgeous visuals by allowing the player to directly move and manipulate huge objects such as a portion of a collapsing bridge to make a ramp. And when I say large, it means a two lane asphalt bridge about seventy feet in length. This review wouldn't be complete, however, without mentioning the one thing Valve joyously removed from the game: the roller bombs. Is that a chorus of angels singing?
The soundtrack is amazing yet again, though not quite as present as in previous installments. Nonetheless, music comes in when it needs to and is totally non-invasive to the experience. This and the other elements make you feel like the star of your very own action movie. The geniuses at Valve should be commended yet again for this.
With all of these elements combined, you have a game that surpasses all it's predecessors. Not an easy feat considering the two parents games, HL1 and HL2, have both garnered more than forty Game of the Year awards from various publications. Now let's hope that Half-Life 2: Episode 3 is already finished and will roll out around Christmas time, otherwise we have a long and anxious wait for the grand finale. In any case, you won't be disappointed.