If you play one episode this year make it this one.
User Rating: 9.6 | Half-Life 2: Episode One PC
I JUST finished Half-Life 2: Episode 1! It was soooooo awesome! It took about 5 hours(would have been less but I'm retarded with some of the puzzles) to complete. I like that it was short because I actually get to finish it(many know that my attention transfers from one thing to another frequently). I don't want to spoil anything for the 2 or 3 people that will read this. The ending was incredible, but the game as a whole didn't answer too many questions left by the previous game other than what happens after the ending of the other one. The level design has to be the best of any game I've ever played. Heres a couple of my favorite instances, I'm walking around some appartment buildings(the game is pretty linear) when I see across one of the rooms a crate with ammo. I run over to it only to have the floor give out underneath me. I fall to the next floor littered with zombies, headcrabs, and Zombines(Alyx comes up with it after she kills one). Another one? Sure why not. I'm running through a wide hallway in a "hospital" when I see a room with lots of breakable ammo crates. I walk in cautiously to have the ceiling collapse dropping dozens of headcrabs, and zombies. Surprisingly I didn't jump during these freak out moments given my track record of scaring easily. One level scared the crap out of me though. It's totally dark and I have to provide light with my flashlight for my AI controlled partner Alyx. I have a gun too but she can only shoot where I'm pointing my light. I had fun walking up to her, turning my flashlight off and then turning it on right in her face. She would wince and make a comment at how inconsiderate I was. One time I noticed that when the fighting got really hectic as I'm turning every which way I spray the light across her face really quick as I'm turning around and see her raise her hand blocking the light from her eyes. The last thing I have to say about this game is PLATFORMING DOES NOT BELONG IN ANY FIRST PERSON SHOOTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
