Half-Life 2: Episode One

[biff 24 2000]

so far i am really enjoying it but i think that it wont last that long but i can play through again and listen to the commentary.

 

[buck]

Originally posted by: bdude
Wow, that was an intense episode. Good one Valve, I'll be sure to buy the next.

How long did it take you? How was it compared to HL2?

 

[Cabages]

There are mods for HL2 that make it look even better?

Debating on whether to buy this or not. I have nothing to do tommorow, will probably end up playing through the whole thing.

 

[Trevelyan]

Yup, I just finished it... took me 3.5 hours on easy. Not as much time as I was expecting, unfortunately. And for some reason my game crashes before is shows the coming soon thing at the end.

 

[bdude]

Originally posted by: buck

Originally posted by: bdude
Wow, that was an intense episode. Good one Valve, I'll be sure to buy the next.

How long did it take you? How was it compared to HL2?

Took me about 4 hours total. Compared to HL2, I'd say the pacing is much quicker in terms of action sequences; the story also takes some interesting turns. Especially in the last sequence.

Just to add, HL2 is one of the few stories where it truly feels like you are in the middle of it. The dialogue is never cheesy or forced, and the interactions between you and Alyx feel very smoothlined. Her AI is pretty damn good too. All in all, I'd say it was worth $17.

 

[Regs]

Ok you guys convienced me to download it...

@140kb/sec. I usually get well over 500kb/sec. Ugh.

 

[torpid]

Man, these guys are going to revolutionize gaming. $20 for an episode that probably takes them less than 1/3 the time to develop compared to a brand new game. Profitable and yet not "really" a rip off if it's a game this good.

 

[MSCoder610]

Very fun, I'll definitely be playing that through again (after I get my new PC put together, heh).

Note: For anyone that can't view the "Coming Soon" chapter/ HL2 Ep II trailer, the official word on the Steam forums is that you have to roll back from Windows Media Player 11.

Of course, I wasn't doing to do that, so I downloaded GCFScape ( http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?p=26 ), and opened episode 1 shared.gcf\episodic\media\ep2_teaser.wmv, and extracted it. The second episode looks like it'll also be good.

 

[Trevelyan]

Now I just need Ep2 to come out

 

[linkgoron]

So 20$ for a 1/4 of an FPS game?

 

[MSCoder610]

Price seems about right to me, 1/3 of HL2's price (when new) for 1/3 of the playing time.

 

[linkgoron]

Originally posted by: MSCoder610
Price seems about right to me, 1/3 of HL2's price (when new) for 1/3 of the playing time.

But you got CSS with it.

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: linkgoron

Originally posted by: MSCoder610
Price seems about right to me, 1/3 of HL2's price (when new) for 1/3 of the playing time.

But you got CSS with it.

You get HL2: Deathmatch w/ this. It's not near as good but you still get more than what you're saying.

 

[rstrohkirch]

You got HL2M with HL2
Also, if I recall correctly, for the msrp store price of $54 you could have bought it online from them and also recieved DoD:S

so for ~$55 you have HL2/DoD/CSS/HL2DM
vs ~$20 for EP1/HL2DM

obviously price vs quanity is quite a bit lower but whatever if you're happy with the purchase

 

[VIAN]

I played for about 1 hour so far. It's a bit slow paced, but I'm kinda liking it so far, but not thinking it's great. Seems like the whole of Chapter one was puzzles that seemed old school. I'm in the middle of Chapter 2 right now and the action is picking up. I'm also content with the bits of story introduced so far.

Full HDR is so unrealistic and annoying. Bloom is better.

 

[Horus]

I think Valve has done really well with the "dialogue" between Alyx and Gordon. The part on the train where she's like "Hey, it's a combine zombie...it's a Zombine. Get it?" and she's laughing, but you're silent...I found myself laughing. It works -SO- well.

 

[flashbacck]

Originally posted by: Horus
I think Valve has done really well with the "dialogue" between Alyx and Gordon. The part on the train where she's like "Hey, it's a combine zombie...it's a Zombine. Get it?" and she's laughing, but you're silent...I found myself laughing. It works -SO- well.

haha, yeah Alyx's dialogue is awesome. They did an amazing job with her animations and facial expressions too. She does so many things besides running around shooting her gun. Dog's scenes in the beginning are awesome as well.

I'm halfway through and I REALLY like it. 4-6 hrs gameplay is short, but it's definitely quality.

 

[JBT]

I just finished it in a touch under 4 hours. I thought it was a good expansion. I have to wonder though. How would you get 6 hours of game play out of it. I am the type who likes to find all the hidden areas so I did waste alot of time and looked all over the place and I just don't get how they think this would take someone 6 hours to complete.

 

[thebigdude]

Originally posted by: JBT
I just finished it in a touch under 4 hours. I thought it was a good expansion. I have to wonder though. How would you get 6 hours of game play out of it. I am the type who likes to find all the hidden areas so I did waste alot of time and looked all over the place and I just don't get how they think this would take someone 6 hours to complete.

I think it took me about 4 4.5 hours.

 

[thebigdude]

Originally posted by: biff 24 2000
so far i am really enjoying it but i think that it wont last that long but i can play through again and listen to the commentary.

Has anybody played it through with the commentary yet? And if so is it worth doing?

 

[Topweasel]

Originally posted by: thebigdude

Originally posted by: biff 24 2000
so far i am really enjoying it but i think that it wont last that long but i can play through again and listen to the commentary.

Has anybody played it through with the commentary yet? And if so is it worth doing?

I haven't played the whole thing over again but so far the Commentary seems worhtwhile.

 

[warcrow]

HL2:E1

Well guys, I'm about 2.5-3 hour in and I am amazed. I am blown away. I don't know what to say, man, but I'm so impressed. I consider HL2 to be one of the best games (including all genres) I had ever played. I mean, I really did love it. So, loading up E1 and starting to play really was like a breath of fresh air. Which sounds weird to say, I know, because it's not really a brand new game. Its like an expansion pack.

As I'm playing through E1, I have been continually thinking:

- Valve (I will generallize since I dont know who's responsible for creating specific events within the game) *knows* how to make a real game. I mean, everything has been so polished and so well thought out. Nothing **feels** stagnat like FEAR where you were in the same office building and visiting the same room over and over again even though its all the same stuff from HL2.

- Valve knows level design.

- Valve knows how to inject this game with personality. Depsite the fact that alot of the models and textures (albeit updated and prettier) are recycled from HL2, it felt fresh and new.

- I LOVE where the game picks up from in the beginning.

- Voice acting is phenominal for a video game.

I'm so so happy with this so far. (if you could tell) Oh and....

"eeeeeww! Whats that! Oh! Its a combine....but he looks like a zombie.......must be a zombine...get it? Zombine...because he's a combine....and.........eeeh....ok, never mind." -Alex

Incrediblly funny.

 

[otherblaster]

Has anyone figured out the cheapest place to buy the retail version yet? I think BB has it for ~$18.

 

[flashbacck]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
I hope my x800xl can stil handle it

FYI, my A64 1.8Ghz@2.25Ghz, 1gb ddr, 9800np runs it at 1024x768 w/ HDR, no AA, almost all settings on high, very well.

 

[Azndude51]

Originally posted by: torpid
Man, these guys are going to revolutionize gaming. $20 for an episode that probably takes them less than 1/3 the time to develop compared to a brand new game. Profitable and yet not "really" a rip off if it's a game this good.

I just hope the success of Ep. 1 doesn't encourage crappy games to release short episodes for $20.