Like the pre-launch trailers said, Alyx really does hate zombies.
The cover art and trailers for Half-Life 2: Episode 1 feature Alyx Vance predominantly and rumors swirled that you would actually play as Alyx, at least for part of the game, similar to the different perspectives in the expansion packs for the original Half-Life.
Throughout Episode One’s five hours of single-player action, the perspective does not change: it stays firmly within that old familiar hazard suit. Yes, in a break with tradition, this expansion continues the story of our favorite handy-with-a-crowbar physicist.
I welcome it. Half-Life 2’s story was so big that it begs for elaboration and continuation, not an alternate point of view. The biggest difference from the full game is that throughout the entire thrilling journey you are accompanied by Alyx. While you had a buddy tagging along for some segments of the original campaign, here Alyx is always somewhere in the picture.
This turned the narrative into one part buddy-cop movie, one part romantic comedy. Now I am talking about narrative, not gameplay, which still bleeds action, but having Alyx co-star makes things more, well, happy.
Take the zombies. During the third of the game’s five chapters, you must wallow through an underground highway system in complete darkness, with only your flashlight to guide you. Naturally, this means there are going to be tons of every kind of zombie. I personally hate zombies. It’s hard for me to accept that I don’t know where all the bad guys are any given time without nervously shaking. But, with Alyx along, it almost became soothing. I had a friend, someone whose eyes would be watching the inky blackness with me—and has unlimited ammunition and health (to some degree).
Teamwork even is necessary and works well. While fighting zombies, I would shine my light on them (as she requested) and try to use the gravity gun while she finished them off with her automatic pistol. Later you can knock antlions over with the gravity gun, content in the knowledge that Alyx will finish them off. This kind of efficiency is welcome when you have to try and knock cars into position to block the antlions’ tunnels. Sadly, in this episode at least, you cannot control the Antlions with a pheropod. However, blocking their entrances replaces activating thumpers and is a good challenge.
Much like the grunt zombie from Opposing Force, there is now a Combine zombie, or as Alyx calls them, Zombines. See, isn’t she great? They are stronger than your standard zombie and can pull out a live grenade that is a lot of fun to steal with your gravity gun. Aside from the Zombines, the only other new enemy is the Stalker, the deformed human slaves seen in the citadel at the end of Half-Life 2. They only appear briefly, but are very creepy and I wish I had seen more of them.
The game begins with Gordon and Alyx attempting to shut down the Citadel’s dark matter reactor to give them and the rest of City 17 more time to evacuate before it rips the place apart like The Rolling Stones’ hotel room. The rest of the game consists of their attempts to flee the inevitable destruction. Just so you know, this episode does not take you outside of City 17.
The levels, although set in familiar places, are wonderfully designed and varied, but what makes this short adventure so satisfying is the presence of Alyx. The Source engine creates the most believable digital actors in any game, and Valve has done a spectacular job of breathing life into Alyx. Her character is smart, funny, and good with a shotgun, and her presence brings greater emotional depth to the game. The Source engine also allows High Dynamic Range lighting, which Valve has incorporated nicely. While you need a newer card to run it at all, much less well, it casts things in a whole new light, so to speak.
I feel I must mention that even with its expansion, Half-Life is still Half-Life. There is no ability to lean or use melee attacks or throw grenades without switching to them first. For the most part it doesn’t hamper gameplay, but more than once I found myself wanting to peer around a corner or wack something when it got too close. Oh, and you also don’t get to use the sniper rifle, which I am still looking forward to trying.
To offset the relative brevity of the campaign, Episode One comes with a few bonuses. The best is a commentary mode, with icons scattered throughout the levels that, when activated, let the player into the minds of the game’s creators through audio recordings. They are incredibly engrossing and I once I started listening I wanted to play the whole game over again to hear them all. I only wish there was an option to be invincible during the entire mode, rather than just when commentary is playing.
You also get Half Life Deathmatch: Source, a Steam-compatible port of the original Half-Life’s multiplayer with prettier water effects. Those who did not play this back in the day will probably have little interest, but for fans it offers madcap, nostalgic fun. It’s also worth noting that Episode One does not require any installation of Half-Life 2 to play, so it’s the cheapest way to get Half-Life 2: Deathmatch if that’s all that you want.
Episode One does everything right while the trip lasts. It starts with the citadel scenario that Half-Life 2 should have climaxed with. When it’s time for the zombies to have the spotlight, they don’t hog it too long. Throughout the game, it only pits you against the three boss types once. The levels are intriguing, especially a blood-stained, dilapidated hospital filled to the brim with both the undead and the mutated. Finally, the story makes you care and is filled with humor and details. My biggest complaint is that there are newer and bigger questions now, and the fact that I have to wait so long for Episode Two.
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