Half-Life 2: Episode Two

9.0

Format PC

Developer Valve

Publisher

Genre First Person Shooter

15 Comments

There's no denying it; Half-Life 2 is getting old. Three years ago we thought the Source Engine sequel would never look dated, but alongside the Unreal Tournaments and Direct X 10 wonders of modern PC gaming, the old boy's finally starting to look its age.

There's a lot to be said then for the fact that this near-four-year-old tech can waltz in and still show up nearly every Unreal Engine FPS of the last twelve months. The excellent pacing, unbeatable cast of characters and mental physics puzzles still make for a brilliant experience, and Episode Two doesn't disappoint.

That's not to say it's not beautiful; wonderful art design and the odd bit of technical spit-shine ensure that Episode Two - delayed from its original release, in typical Valve fashion, by almost a year - doesn't loose any of its wow factor.

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Back to work
Dusting yourself off and stepping back into Freeman's HEV suit you'll be dazzled by Two's gorgeous soft shadows, surprised by the fancy water effects, and finally impressed by the fantastic and beautifully animated 'cinematic physics'. It won't push your ninja PC rig, but we're not complaining.

Basically, Episode Two goes about fixing a lot of the niggling complaints we had about Episode One; after the last instalment's location recycle-fest it's great to finally see some new environments in Half-Life 2. The lush, open forests and rocky hills are a far cry from the blocks of City 17, and it's a real joy to get rough in the jungle.

The AI too - arguably the weakest facet of Half-Life 2 - has seen some much-need improvements. Computer opponents in Episode Two seem far more real this time around; their dialogue is far more relevant to your given situation. For example after knocking a cart off a ledge you get "the Freeman is a quick thinker and a quick mover".

There's also a bit of visual touch up going too and that helps in erasing the "AI clones" feel from Episode One. These attentions to details are clear factors of why Episode Two's world feels more alive than ever.

In one section we spied a random conversation between city folk and the country resistance; after a full minute of nattering we left only to find them still bickering later on. "In City 17 we used to wrestle hunters with out bare hands!" screams one. "Yeah right!" belts out the other. As you can imagine, in a linear shooter like this these little scenes goes a long way in building the atmosphere.

Virtual Insanity
As proved in Episode One Alex is as believable and compelling as AI companions come. Alien race the Vortigaunts, your newest wingmen are an even greater joy to flight alongside, no-doubt aided by the fact that they're not trying to intricately imitate real-life people - something gamers will pick holes out of in seconds.

Anyone who says Half-Life has a rubbish plot needs a slap; we won't spoil any details of Episode Two's intricately thought-out storyline (for fear of Doug Lombardi more than anything else) but the latest instalment features some long-awaited explanations to Half-Life's mysteries. It also features some of the series' most emotional scenes yet.

Not only does the plot finally flesh out one of Half-Life's oldest and unexplored characters, but it also battles with the Vortigaunt. Not only do they look bloody awesome, smashing green electricity through beasties' chests, but unlike other AI partners the big brown guys don't steal your thunder; most of the time their zapping attacks just stun, so you need to work together to finish them off. It's a great partnership.

In one early section you're forced to use sentry guns to defend the entrances of an underground mine. It's no way near as challenging as the similar prison scene from Half-Life 2, but at the same time it's no way near as tedious either thanks to your hugely entertaining comrades.

This is where you first get to see the Vortigaunt in action; together they wrestle ant lions to the ground before unleashing devastating electricity attacks. They're a force to be reckoned with and feel far more alive than your average grunt thanks to a plethora of plucky dialogue. "I think you will be very glad you saved those crates, Freeman."

Free running
With Crysis et all currently dominating the PC space, Half-Life desperately needs to ditch the linear battles and embrace the world of open combat and thankfully that's exactly what Episode Two's mammoth forests introduce.

The environment is Valve's new play thing; driving sections are no longer empty roads with the occasional zombie on them, they're hard, off-road and your motor's not the only thing on the road flattening stuff anymore. These free-roaming forests are the scene for the most intense strider battles yet. Whole teams of the 30ft tripods descend on rebel camps, and with the assistance of tricky Hunters dancing between their spiky feet, it's a more challenging game than ever.

The Hunters themselves single-handedly knock the firefights up a notch. They're relentless, wield Needler-esque exploding ammo and provide way more challenge than the Combine's 'stand around and get shot' grunts - who now look too much like Killzone's Helgast. Hold up in a house and Hunters will smash through the windows. Try and take them up close and they'll simply charge your arse down. After the relatively disappointing gun fights of the last episode, the Hunters are a very welcome addition to the Half-Life universe.

The Combine meanwhile is not quite as thick as before, but it could still do with a bit of extra maths tuition. They seem to work together as a team more than before, taking up positions on rooftops and barely straying too far from the pack - but at other times you'll find them standing around getting shot in the face.

Been here before?
But Episode Two's biggest problem isn't some huge, glaring fault in its design, it's the fact that we've replayed, obsessed over and caned Half-Life 2 and it's subsequent episode so much that the formula has become all too predictable.

The first half of Episode Two definitely borders on tired ground; one minute you're in an exploration section, then you're fighting ant lions. Oh, here's where we have to solve a physics puzzle - and now we're fighting zombies. It's still fun to play but the boys behind Half-Life desperately need to shake things up a bit for the next Episode - and we reckon Portal's excellent gravity gun might be the trick.

Thankfully Two's length rests an hour or so beyond Episode One's four or five hours (for an experienced FPS fan)- which most people managed to clear in a single sitting. We could argue that most of the re-treading of the first few hours would've done better on the cutting room floor, but who's going to turn down more Half-Life? You're always going to want more.

Its cast of characters still beats out anything competing titles offer (though that might be a different story once Mass Effect is out), and fire fights and the AI in general have seen long overdue improvements since the last episode.

So what if it's a continuation of the Half-Life story, with familiar gameplay and a few surprises? We still dare you not to put it in your top ten games of the year.

Andy Robinson