Alright, we all know it came out AGES ago, but I just recently joined up and purchased the game Friday and beat it Sunday.

It's not a long game, and so it shouldn't be. This is a great way for Valve to make a bit of money in between the slow months and possibly distract us from other major projects they are working on (Half-Life 3 depending on how the HL2 series goes).

The game was alright....in my opinion. What I love most about this game, is that I would have my headphone/Stereo Speakers on, and then all of a sudden, i would hear a can or some piece of rubbish on the ground being jostled. This would scare the CRAP out of me, and the adrenaline rush begins. The controls were exactly the same as HL2, and I knew it wouldn't change all that much. Storyline, still freakin' amazing. A good game, if done properly, would be just like reading a book. The storyline is solid, and well rounded. Character development was executed in HL2 (hell, even the original HL), and because there was a huge gap between HL and HL2, they reintroduced those characters by having them chat with you and explaining who they were and what part they played in a previous adventure.

And Like any good story, there has to be a point where the hero (in thiscase, the player)is put into a suspensefulsituation (escaping City 17). And finishing this chapter with the readers at the edge or their seats. I know when I left City 17 on that train, and watching the Citadel ready to implode, I was wondering "Well, crap, what's gonna happen now?" and....

Fade to black....

Episode 2 has my highest expectations in terms of where the story is leading up to (According to PC Gamer, we'll get to know WHO GMan is, and who he's working for, as well as the vortigan(sp?)).

I'm excited to see such game in October.

Cheers,