With this rollicking roller-coaster ride thru the country, Valve makes us forget all about missed deadlines.
The biggest legitimate complaint with Episode 1 was the length of the game. At roughly 4-5 hours long, it simply wasn't the fully satisfying experience most of us craved, and Episode 2 has made at least some attempt to correct this. Granted, at around 8 hours in length, it's still fairly short, but the developers have managed to pack so much action into those 8 hours that the game feels longer than some productions requiring twice as much time to complete. It's like a filet mignon, broiled to perfection…maybe not the biggest steak in the house, but what's there is all prime.
The game picks up right after the end of Episode1. The train Gordon and Alex were riding to escape City 17 has crashed, and we open with our heroes picking themselves out of the wreckage. Still peeved about the theft of the data-packet from the Citadel, the Combine is hell-bent on retrieving it. And so the race is on to get the vital information to Dr. Vance and friends at a secret rocket base in the mountains. Not an overly complex story-line, but as with previous releases, it proves to be compelling in it's simplicity.
The environments here are a welcome departure from previous games, which were set primarily in ruined cityscapes. Although there is a fairly lengthy excursion into underground mines and ant-lion lairs at the beginning, the majority of the adventure takes place in a picturesque forest setting, complete with a brief stop at a bed-and-breakfast resort nestled in the mountains. Since walking cross-country can get tedious, Gordon and Alex pick up some transportation along the way; a souped-up Dodge charger, which provides driving sequences that are reminiscent of the GTA series. This all gives E2 a fresh, open feel that proves to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game.
As with Episode 1, Gordon will often have some help as he makes his way to the silo, in the form of either Alex, or a Vortigaunt ally (both, for a brief stretch). But he also spends much more time on his own this time around, and I for one was grateful for that. As great a sidekick as Alex is, I found her to be a bit pushy at times in E1, and I often wondered who was actually playing the game…me, or Alex. So I appreciated my alone-time here. Still, when the going gets tough, she's invaluable, particularly since she never runs out of ammo. She's not immortal, however, and leaning too heavily on her can result in a game-ending "Alex Died" message, so Gordon definitely has to pull his own weight in the toughest fights.
And there are plenty of those throughout E2. One very minor concern I've always had with the franchise has been the fact that the difficulty has always been a bit…uneven…in my humble opinion. In the previous games, the action sequences are relatively easy, only occasionally interspersed with a set-piece battle that provides a legitimate threat. Not so in E2. From start to finish, the action is frenetic and non-stop, and I encountered no fewer than nine set-piece scenarios where I truly felt at risk. This, coupled with one of the most excitingly intense end-game fights I have ever experienced, makes E2 the most challenging entry in the franchise to date.
Adding to the increased difficulty, we find a couple of new foes, the first being the Acid Ant-lions. Spewing globs of corrosive mucus, I actually found these guys to be more annoying than anything else. Their acid globs are fairly easy to dodge, and there are usually ample numbers of explosive barrels and gas cans lying around to take them out, so I didn't have to waste any ammo on them for the most part. The second addition, however, proves to be somewhat more dangerous. The Hunters are sort of like fast moving mini-striders, with taser-like electrical darts that can be quite devastating if they connect. They're tough, quick, and in my personal opinion, are possibly the single most dangerous opponent we've yet come across in the HL universe. Yea, the Striders and Gunships are hard, but they're few, for the most part (wink…end-game fight!), and it's usually pretty easy to dodge their attacks. But the Hunters are numerous, and they're fairly adept at tracking Gordon down wherever he tries to hide. A great addition, and I hope we'll see more of them in E3.
Which brings me to my conclusion. For me, Episode 1 was a bit of a letdown, feeling more like an epilogue to HL2 than a legitimate expansion of the game. Having been a fan since the original Half-Life, I couldn't help but wonder if the series had run it's course for me. Thankfully, Episode 2 completely dispels that notion. The new settings and plot line make it feel like a true stand-alone game. And I must admit, the dramatic conclusion has me chomping at the bit for Episode 3.
So bring it on, Valve, 'cause I ain't quite ready to hang up my hazard suit just yet!