Best new element of episode 1?

[smokeythebear]

Whats your favourite new element that episode 1 added to halflife 2?

For me it was the coop play with Alyx, specifically when she covered you with the sniper rifle :E

 

[Cpl_Facehugger]

Alyx. Definitely Alyx. She was just so... real.

 

[SFLUFAN]

Unquestionably Alyx and the sense of humanity she brought to the experience.

 

[Black Op]

Of course Alyx, as the work done on her will have the most impact on the future of computer gaming in terms of character development. Everything else mentioned are gimmicks in comparision, since they might only reappear in VALVe games. The flashlight gameplay might come in second since any game can use it as well, but Doom 3 already shows the perils of abusing the power of darkness.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Alyx, although I give a close second to zombines.

 

[MorganFreeman911]

Rollermines, cause of there awsome awsome battles.
im gunna make a big, ugly square and make rollermine battles for fun.

 

[Hyp3d]

I hated the zombines, especially when they weren't running for you but they
were walking, and just when you have to reload, you're in a corner and you're
thinking quietly: "Please don't pull the grenade out." And well, he does indeed
pull the grenade out, the best thing though was alyx.

 

[Asus]

Having Alyx, being a competent ally, at your side was awesome.
Also the blend of enemies involved in a battle was a good change (in the hospital and the dark elevator battle). It was good to prioritize your targets. Do I kill the Combine, Zombie or Zombine first?

 

[kupocake]

Alyx has the best AI i've ever seen so she wins it. However, I think there's still work to be done there, especially as she's amazingly invulnerable (hell, if they'd given her a salvaged hazard-suit or something she might be that bit more believeable). I feel the "flashlight/flare" gameplay is just an extension of the Alyx experience BTW. Rollermines were a welcome edition, but hardly that exciting. Zombines were probably the second best on the list. The antlion burrows were kind of very annoying weren't they? The stalkers were in some good scenes, but otherwise overused. Plus, I think just about every bit of shock-potential they carry has been undone for most of us forum goers, who will have watched the teasers and read about them in depth in Raising the Bar.

 

[Ennui]

I voted the Stalkers, but Alyx was fantastic too.

 

[curtis13]

you bearly had to fight any stalkers at all. what was is 4. but alyx for sure

 

[Yatta]

I thought the friendly rollermines were available near the end of HL2, also.

 

[Asuka]

story
Alyx as your sidekick
gfx

 

[nutcrackr]

alyx was good, rollermines were pwnage

 

[Asknoone]

Alyx was amazing, she has re-defined cooperative play with an AI companion. Go Alyx.

Why then did I vote Zombines? Because Zombines are out of this world awesome.

 

[Hypnosos]

Alyx. She was amazing in Episode 1, just as I thought she would be.

 

[Someone]

Have to go with everyone else: Alyx.

I think without her, this wouldn't have been half as interesting. Without her, it becomes a standard, though cool, FPS.

Ever watch a good movie where you simply don't like the characters? You end up not caring what happens in the end. With EP1, and Alyx, you care what happens; you have an "attachment" for her and what to get to the end with her, not in spite of her.

Although I liked Oblivion, I think one thing it had missing was something/someone like Alyx.

The "human condition" is something we all experience in real life, after all.

 

[Cormeh]

Zombines!!

I've had some great hospital memories thanks to those things. And considering I almost strangled myself when Alyx made that Zombine crack, she lost my vote. D:

 

[Innuendo]

I liked friendly rollermines. Especially when one friendly was fighting another one

 

[fez]

Alyx was definitely the better overall, however I voted for zombines due to alyx's crap joke (in a funny way!) and the fact that they pull out grenades and attempt to run at you and blow themselves up. When you see the first one it blows itself up trying to get to you from the other room, one of the few moments I literally burst out laughing

 

[smokeythebear]

sorry people but rollermines was the correct answer

anyone else take out the sniper with a rollermine? Best part of the game for me! at first i thought it was a waste of an allie, but then it hops out the window and kills the surrounding combine!

 

[MorganFreeman911]

I loved that bit

*Pickup*
*PUNT*
*Combine Death cry*
*More combine death crys*
Bliss

 

[Orgror]

Alyx without doubt, best character in gamming industry/history

 

[kupocake]

Well... because Dog's Ball can be taken to Ravenholm, Rollermines didn't feel all that new :/

 

[Neko!]

I voted Alyx.

Because if it's any revelation to any of you, I do so love Alyx.

Of course, I even liked her before Episode 1, but now? Now it's love.

 

[Rocketman9mm]

I'd say a split between alyx and the zombines. I really liked that she helped a lot instead of just got into trouble like most side kicks. also loved all the one liners and snappyness to her. But i got a real kick out of the zombines. I stood shocked the first time it pulled a nade out, laughed my ass off when it blew itself and another zombie up, ran terrified when they chase me (killed me so often!), and was like "sweet!" when i began to suck the nades from their hands with the grav gun. a good new element that made you really dread the zombie instead of looking at them as mere ammo eating pawns. cuz i knew in a group, zombines would surely appear to cause mischief there was a real sense of urgency to take the zombines out first. kinda like when we first saw fast zombies, but more so. I actually found myself really angry and desperate to save alyx when i had to run over cuz there were 3 zombines circleing her!

 

[kamikazeCow]

alyx as your side kick, definatly. Even though she didnt really seem to die, it was well worth the trade off of always worrying if she would, and getting pissed off having to redo everything :/ (i have had that happen to me FAR to many times in games) I kind of wish they had explored the roller mine thing more in the game, that would have to my second

 

[Asknoone]

Well... because Dog's Ball can be taken to Ravenholm, Rollermines didn't feel all that new :/

I never did try that.

 

[CrazyJeepDriver]

Toss up between Alyx, and the Zombines.
Zombines were a damn cool enemy, but Valve have done a really great job with Alyx, she seems so real, her AI is great.

 

[eber]

wtf are rollermines good for ???? the only thing they can do is casting abit electricity. :\

 

[bliink]

I liked the jokes

 

[Asknoone]

wtf are rollermines good for ???? the only thing they can do is casting abit electricity. :\

Did you have to come back?

 

[Baldrick]

I liked it how when you grouped with alyx, it gave you a feeling that you were safer, even though she did occasionally block my escape from zombines weilding hand grenades.

Then when you had to go off alone, made you think 'when will I meet up with alyx again?'.

I didnt like it how alyx was almost invincible though...

In many cases - I used her as a bullet shield, and a never ending supply of firepower to take down the enemies for me.

It kind of made hard more.. easy.