Finished Episode 1; My Thoughts

[Shoal]

Got it, finished it. Personally, I don't like it as much as HL2 proper; I was hoping for far more awe-striking, extra-dimensional material with the Combine and all, but instead all I got to do was crawl through that ugly, god-forsaken Russian city again. I don't know... it just wasn't as mysterious, new, and overall fun as the original HL2. I thought it was good (great perhaps, compared to other FPS's), don't get me wrong, but far short of what I think Valve could have done.

Did anyone else find it extremely irritating that Alyx is with you 95% of the entire playtime? Personally, I liked the fact that Alyx was used sparingly in the original HL2... with her around all the freaking time in E1 I never felt like much of a hero; I could just sit back and let her do most of the work, and there was never the tense desperation of being alone. Furthermore, in E1 (and possibly in HL2, I don't remember) she always, always, always got in my way when I was trying to walk through tight spaces. It was supremely frustrating. In short, I appreciated her a lot more in the original due to the fact that she wasn't around so much.

I also somewhat resent Alyx in E1 beyond these factors, actually; she's taken the spotlight away from Freeman, where it rightfully belongs. Sure, you could argue that Freeman is "you," so it would be hard to really work with him as a character, but Valve managed to convince me they could do it in HL1 and HL2 proper. You could also argue that Valve is making sure Freeman isn't exhausted as a character too soon, and is using Alyx as a way to extent not just her character life, but actually Freeman's as well. Either way, I felt that Alyx's presence in E1 was far too great.

I've actually heard some people -- professionals critics, even -- claim E1 is better than HL2. This I simply can't believe. How can they possibly believe that? E1 is 1/3 the size of HL2, if not smaller. By definition it can't be better solely based on the fact that you can't fit in as much interesting and innovative gameplay, plot, character, and setting material. Pure hype, that's what it is.

Again, I just want to state that I think Episode 1 is very well made; far better made than just about every other non-Half-Life FPS out there. As for achieving the status of its older, big brother? No, I think it unfortunately fell somewhat short. Was this expected? Yes, and (wishfully) no. You just can't top Half-Life 2 proper without a full-blown, five-years-in-the-making sequel.

Shoal

 

[99.vikram]

You forgot one phrase: IMO. :cheese:

I felt Episode One was a fair bit better than Half-life 2 for many reasons -

1) More than enemy type per firefight. This kept things fun, coz I was never sure whether to first take out antlions, zombies or soldiers. :sniper:

2) Tight direction. The game was extremely well paced (waaay better than HL2) in my view, and the "fight while puzzle solving" dynamic worked with me. :E

3) Epic feel. How do I put it? From beginning to end, I felt a desperate urgency to escape City 17, and the ending was a masterpiece among cliffhangers.

4) ALYX! :E I cannot imagine how you came to that conclusion about her. For the first time I was glad that an NPC was with me. Her tidbits of dialogue, and crack aim came in handy:sniper:. And she never once got in my way, unlike the retards in HL2.

5) STORY! Why is Mossman in the Arctic? What happens to Alyx and Gordon now? Is the Gman really that weak?? I'm filled with questions that will inevitably be answered in the next episode(or the next ).

Summary:
I felt that making Ep1 shorter allowed Valve to control the gameflow more, so Ep1 felt like a whole; half-life 2 at points felt like incomplete bits of various games.

Weakness:
The "escort citizens to safety bit" was frustrating :flame:, reminiscent of Bungie's lazy work (copy-paste, anyone?).

 

[Shoal]

You forgot one phrase: IMO.

I actually said "I think" and "I feel" quite a bit. I also prefaced many things with "personally."

1) More than enemy type per firefight. This kept things fun, coz I was never sure whether to first take out antlions, zombies or soldiers.

The antlions were such a pain the ass that it left "fun" behind long before the end of the episode. In that underground area where you have to climb three flights of parking garage to find cars to plug three burrows I literally felt like throwing my PC out the window.

I don't mind thinking in a FPS, but I DO mind thinking under pressure. I play these games to relax, dammit. To add insult to injury, Valve used the same mechanic (plug the burrows while getting raped) over and over again during the episode. And you're complaining about Bungie using cut & paste?

As for more than one enemy at a time, I felt it gave the episode an identity crisis. No one area felt unique from the others.

2) Tight direction. The game was extremely well paced (waaay better than HL2) in my view, and the "fight while puzzle solving" dynamic worked with me.

See above.

3) Epic feel. How do I put it? From beginning to end, I felt a desperate urgency to escape City 17, and the ending was a masterpiece among cliffhangers.

I didn't get an "epic" feel in HL2 until I entered the Citadel, at which point I practically wet myself. However, in Episode One, the Citadel was old news and smashed beyond its former glory.

What I felt in HL2, mostly, was an intense "you are there" feel, which I wouldn't define as epic. They're two very different feelings. What contributed to that feel were all the little things that a short episode didn't have time to include to any large extent, such as very slow points that involve wandering through City 17's residental district and seeing the effects of the Combine on a personal level or hanging around Eli's lab and feeling at home.

Note: I am NOT complaining that Episode One was too short (unlike everyone else who's played it). I very much enjoyed the length: it was the perfect length for what it was.

4) ALYX! I cannot imagine how you came to that conclusion about her. For the first time I was glad that an NPC was with me. Her tidbits of dialogue, and crack aim came in handy. And she never once got in my way, unlike the retards in HL2.

As I stated, I liked having her with me in HL2. But that was only because she wasn't with me the whole blasted time. I can't tell you how many times I just sat there watching her kill everything with her infinite ammo and health while I twiddled my thumbs. Why waste the ammo and potentially the health? A game shouldn't force a player to be inefficient to be fully immersed.

5) STORY! Why is Mossman in the Arctic? What happens to Alyx and Gordon now? Is the Gman really that weak?? I'm filled with questions that will inevitably be answered in the next episode (or the next).

Eh. For some reason or another I felt shafted in E1 regarding story. I was hoping a lot more would be explained, but instead all I was left with was more questions. Kinda irritating, really. The least Valve could have done was answer a few questions raised in HL2.

Summary:
I felt that making Ep1 shorter allowed Valve to control the gameflow more, so Ep1 felt like a whole; half-life 2 at points felt like incomplete bits of various games.

I didn't feel that way at all (regarding HL2, not E1). I thought the imperfect pacing of HL2 added to the realism; it made the game more believable for me.

Weakness:
The "escort citizens to safety bit" was frustrating, reminiscent of Bungie's lazy work (copy-paste, anyone?).

That and everything regarding the antlions. Um, isn't that most of the episode? Well gee-willickers, that's not good! :hmph:

Shoal

 

[99.vikram]

Each to his own I guess

 

[marty177]

I'll be brief.

I really loved the game and here are some specifics!

• I loved the opening scenes with Dog helping the way he did!
• I liked the pace of the game; it gave a rest when needed.
• I found the dark scenes with the torch frustrating. I though Doom 3 did that a millions times better (ignoring the fact that you couldn't have your gun out at the same time!)
• I loved the fact that Alyx was with me most of the time. I really enjoyed the company and the eye-candy
• I was surprised about the size of the game. I was expecting it to be longer.
• I liked the fact there were enemie-types per fight. I felt it was a bit more real-life.
• Enjoyed the puzzles and didn't find them impossible to solve. The Antlions versus car problem didn't phase me too much.
• I died many more times in E1 than HL2? Anyone else ...

 

[DigiQ8]

I'll be brief.

I really loved the game and here are some specifics!

• I loved the opening scenes with Dog helping the way he did!
• I liked the pace of the game; it gave a rest when needed.
• I found the dark scenes with the torch frustrating. I though Doom 3 did that a millions times better (ignoring the fact that you couldn't have your gun out at the same time!)
• I loved the fact that Alyx was with me most of the time. I really enjoyed the company and the eye-candy
• I was surprised about the size of the game. I was expecting it to be longer.
• I liked the fact there were enemie-types per fight. I felt it was a bit more real-life.
• Enjoyed the puzzles and didn't find them impossible to solve. The Antlions versus car problem didn't phase me too much.
• I died many more times in E1 than HL2? Anyone else ...

What he says ^

+ Its harder than HL2, i've died many times too, tho it shorter

 

[Shasta]

Why did you "feel" this didn't belong in the "Episode 1" forum, just two forums down?

 

[Shoal]

While patroling the 'net in the last few days, I've been surprised hearing so many complaints about the length of Episode One. I honestly never expected it to be longer than it was.

People need to remember that Episode One isn't an expansion, it's something entirely new: an episode. 3-5 hours seems like a good length of time for something like a video game episode. Keep in mind that many such episodes will be released, and in the end, they'll quite likely sum up into much more than a mere expansion.

Also keep in mind that Half-Life 2 itself was only 9-15 hours in length, with perhaps some people taking longer than that. I imagine that video games -- even after the technology is developed -- are a lot harder to make than the lay person might think.

Shoal

 

[Shoal]

Why did you "feel" this didn't belong in the "Episode 1" forum, just two forums down?

There's an Episode One forum? Oops; I didn't even see that. I suppose that would make sense, wouldn't it. That might explain why fewer people replied than I expected. I apologize!

...and there's really no need for reason for that tone, my friend. People make mistakes. If you get used to that fact now, I guarantee you'll live a much longer, happier life.

 

[BeaverMon]

Please delete.

 

[Shasta]

There's an Episode One forum? Oops; I didn't even see that. I suppose that would make sense, wouldn't it. That might explain why fewer people replied than I expected. I apologize!

...and there's really no need for reason for that tone, my friend. People make mistakes. If you get used to that fact now, I guarantee you'll live a much longer, happier life.

I didn't use any "tone". I simply stated a fact. If you want to start on about living longer and happier, try using your eyes once in a while. Most people find that more helpful than putting up with other peoples mistakes.

 

[bigburpco]

Shoal; you said 'I feel' only once, and 'I think' thrice. Am I supposed to think that that's a lot? Does it hurt to just insert IMO to your original message?

...and there's really no need for reason for that tone, my friend. People make mistakes. If you get used to that fact now, I guarantee you'll live a much longer, happier life.

So now you're superior to Shasta, eh? Shasta might have sounded harsh, but you can't take it in? Are you offended? Well, how 'bout you explore the internet more?

Even though he said this:

I didn't use any "tone". I simply stated a fact. If you want to start on about living longer and happier, try using your eyes once in a while. Most people find that more helpful than putting up with other peoples mistakes.

(con't) afterwards, it was due to your... 'I am superior to you' tone.

How about you lighten on that tone yourself, if you ask others to do so?

NOTE: I use this tone because you are being an ass. Sorry, but that's my very first impression of you, and it counts.

Ironic that Shasta had a 'I am superior to you' but that he has changed a bit, I guess.

 

[Shodan]

I agree on some parts, Shoal, I thought EP1 was the perfect length, didn't surpase HL2 perhaps, but some of the sequences really made me hold my breath, it was fantastic, Alyx didn't annoy me the way I thought she might, I rarely had to wait for her to catch up (usually on stairs) and I loved the way that she would deal with zombies, ie a knee to the crotch. D:

I'm pretty confident this is the way that Valve should take their games as I'm more than happy to buy an episode than wait so many years for a massive game, this just works.

...and it looks like we have another forum police officer on our hands.

Edit: Of course its his ****ing opinion, HE'S THE ONE POSTING IT.

 

[bigburpco]

The antlions were such a pain the ass that it left "fun" behind long before the end of the episode. In that underground area where you have to climb three flights of parking garage to find cars to plug three burrows I literally felt like throwing my PC out the window.

I liked it...

 

[99.vikram]

Give Shoal a break.

 

[bigburpco]

That's fine with me.

 

[Sparda]

Shasta you Dumb ass you be a ass then say "no i wasn't" you do it all the time, and not once have i seen you be nice or try to help anyone you just tell them how retarded they are. so hear is my opinion "SHUT THE **** UP"

 

[dcxs]

I must agree with you in some parts Shaol (was that ur name? ) its not better then HL2 and well it feels kinda boring to be in City17 always, lets just say that the enviorment just looks the same all the time but I loved Alyx, she didnt get in the way for me any time and the scripted sence ware awsome really feel sorry for her some times. But the game was very good anyway EP2 seams to be even better

 

[Sam]

I enjoyed it, had a nice feel to it I think. I only got blocked by Alyx once and I've played through some bits a few times. The sniper in the escorting citizens bit annoyed me though, gave up trying to move and use cover using the technique that worked so well in HL2 for me, so just legged it over the area and threw a grenade up lol. Also got killed by being hit by the gunship that you shoot down at the hospital.

 

[Fliko]

I liked Alyx in the game, they worked on her AI very carefuly

Originally they had her as your 'hero', but they scrapped it because it stopped you from playing at your own pace.

 

[Beerdude26]

My thoughts: It is the best single player experience I have had in years. It even topped off Half-Life 2.

 

[MorganFreeman911]

AGREED!

My computer isnt that spectacular, but it still looked AMAZING!! And that REACTOR CORE!
OH
MY
GOD
it was nice

 

[Victor2]

I loved having Alyx by my side, she's of great assistance, and liked the expansion better the original game.

 

[eQUIV]

I really enjoyed having Alyx with me, and I found myself being quite protective of her, it gave an interesting change of play.

The length was what i expected, and the whole opening intro and some other parts of the game made me feel almost as if i was within a movie. I really enjoyed it. The only dislike I have is that now I have to wait for episode 2. RAWR!

 

[Shasta]

Shasta you Dumb ass you be a ass then say "no i wasn't" you do it all the time, and not once have i seen you be nice or try to help anyone you just tell them how retarded they are. so hear is my opinion "SHUT THE **** UP"

You don't have much intelligence at all, do you? Anyone that can read can see I pointed out a completely relevant fact. How is that being "an ass". Dumb ass.

Even the author of this thread could see my point.

Go have a cry somewhere else, and try to hit puberty a little faster. Even your typing gives the impression of high piched whining.

 

[Beerdude26]

You don't have much intelligence at all, do you? Anyone that can read can see I pointed out a completely relevant fact. How is that being "an ass". Dumb ass.

Even the author of this thread could see my point.

Go have a cry somewhere else, and try to hit puberty a little faster. Even your typing gives the impression of high piched whining.

Let me clarify what Sparda is trying to say:

I didn't use any "tone". I simply stated a fact. If you want to start on about living longer and happier, try using your eyes once in a while. Most people find that more helpful than putting up with other peoples mistakes.

The underlined sentence is the necessary part.
The bold sentences make up the unnecessary part.

 

[99.vikram]

So here's to Episode Two :cheers:

 

[Shasta]

Oh boy. It's retarded kiddies day again.

I merely returned the sentiment of the post that was directed at me. He said that I would live longer blah blah blah if I put up with people making retarded mistakes. What the fu*k kind of logic is that?

Go cry about Shoal telling us to put up with his mistakes and crap if we want to live longer.

If only Aussie would actively try to stamp out in-breeding, instead of encouraging it, people like sparda would not be around to inflict themselves and their whiny, self-pitying attitudes on the rest of us.

 

[bigburpco]

Oh boy. Another flame thread.

EDIT: I was wrong. Shasta hasn't changed.

 

[Sparda]

Oh boy. It's retarded kiddies day again.

I merely returned the sentiment of the post that was directed at me. He said that I would live longer blah blah blah if I put up with people making retarded mistakes. What the fu*k kind of logic is that?

Go cry about Shoal telling us to put up with his mistakes and crap if we want to live longer.

If only Aussie would actively try to stamp out in-breeding, instead of encouraging it, people like sparda would not be around to inflict themselves and their whiny, self-pitying attitudes on the rest of us.

You Dumb ass i'm not an Aussie.
And i'm sure this is a

So WTF are you doing hear?

 

[MysticalMrBob]

I respectfully entirely disagree with you on pretty much all points.

I loved every moment I was with Alyx. I did most of the killing, and she was backup. Though I'm pretty sure she's invincible (does she even have hitpoints?), Valve made you care enough to cover her when she was getting shot at, despite how it seemed she was unkillable. Seriously, I was like "shit" when I'm without her. Why? If I screw up, I'm DEAD.

And City 17, in HL2, was only mysterious in the very beginning when you leave the trainstation. So no, it wasn't mysterious in ep1. It was chaotic and desolate. It really did feel like the aftermath of the citadel explosion. Ashes falling from the sky, buildings in ruins, overrun by zombies and antlions and stuff. I loved it. It didn't feel like replaying HL2 at all.

 

[Corporal Taggart]

Did anyone else find it extremely irritating that Alyx is with you 95% of the entire playtime? Shoal

I actually enjoyed the almost constant presence of another character in the game. Not only did Alyx make some light-hearted jokes in the game, which me laugh, but also she is very helpful in fire fights. The fact that Alyx could operate turrets, upgrade to the shotgun instead of her pistol and even that she is unkillable all prove extremely useful in-game. When she ends up blocking your way, I didn't find it like other games where you can't push your teammates out of the way when they box you into a corner, infact Alyx never really affected my playing at all except when she bumped me off the edge of a holobridge inside the citadel.

 

[99.vikram]

Shasta and Sparda seem so alike, yet they fight