Whats your opinion of Half-Life 2: Episode One?

[TheDan]

There seem to be a lot of mixed opinions about Half-Life 2: Episode One. There seem to be quite a few people who actually don't think the game is very good (Shocking I know). I myself, think that it is an excellent game. Others disagree. Post your own opinion of the game. It would also be a good idea to state why

 

[fez]

I thought it was great, I haven't really played many games since HL2, only dabbled with a few MMO games. I almost forgot about this until I ran steam for the first time in a blue moon and the pop-up came up

My only disappointment with EP1 is the length, not because I expected it to be longer, but because I don't get to play anymore and have to wait to see what happens next

The thing with EP1 was it was more of HL2, it never got boring. I was always entertained and never once thought god I wish this bit would end (this happened to me quite a bit in HL1, although the game is still awesome).

Anyway, I love valve

 

[Hypnosos]

Excellent. It never got boring, Alyx is so much better in EP1, dialogue pwns everything, <3 hospital and the explosion of the citadel, and it has everything HL2 had.

 

[cadaver]

that the first level suck! the rest of it pretty fun.

 

[Loke]

The best of the best.

 

[mezz]

that the first level suck! the rest of it pretty fun.

LOL, I enjoyed the first level but thought that the last was the weakest. (Not that the last was bad, just that City 17 was getting a bit dull so it couln't compare with the incredible greatness of the rest of the game).

 

[MorganFreeman911]

My faveorite level had to be the one wit the reactor core (Level 2 i think)

 

[Asuka]

Excellent

 

[Orgror]

Just Excelent, best game in history.
I have played and play lots of games, but Half life , Half life 2 and Ep:1 have allways make me happy, they are played right how i like, and have a storytelling that I find incredible, Ep:1 continue the story and have a great level desing, and a great atmosfere.

 

[Asknoone]

Excellent.

 

[mutant_llama]

Disappointed, for me it does not have nearly enough in it even if it was an episode, I begrudge paying for something so short lived even if it was not that expensive....I sat down and played waiting for something amazing to happen but instead I went through the same citadel again and got the train out. Some stuff in the levels, almost identical to HL2, happened inbetween as well.

And before you start the flaming and tell me my opinion is wrong, it is my opinion and will always be right to me, no matter how much it differs to yours....

 

[incorrigible]

Excellent. I would have preferred a bit more time alone w/o Alex there though (like maybe 50/50). I'm kind of a "lone wolf" type of gamer.

Overall excellent stuff though. Can't wait for Episode 2. From the trailer, it looks real good. Fighting in the forest, mini striders (look like gorillas the way they run), and new locales.

 

[PvtRyan]

And before you start the flaming and tell me my opinion is wrong, it is my opinion and will always be right to me, no matter how much it differs to yours....

I think the world is flat and it is my opinion so you can't say it's wrong because my opinion will always be right to me.

It's still factually wrong though, just as your claim about how the levels are identical to HL2 levels (only Exit 17 was similar to Follow Freeman), which is simply not the case.

 

[TheDan]

I'm actually pretty surprised with these poll results. I was expecting to see more votes around Average/Below Average because of the amount of posts around here saying that they were disappointed with Episode 1. It's great to see a lot of well deserved positive feedback for the game

 

[Orgror]

well, as i have read in this forum and others in the net, the poeple who think Ep 1 was excelent outnumer the people that think is was bad in 4:1, so in my experience this expansion and the episodic content is a great succes.

 

[mutant_llama]

You are more than welcome to your opinion and clever comebacks but EP1 still did not do it for me, and my opinion is based on my own experiences of the game (someone that can persuade me I actually enjoyed a game that I did not enjoy needs to be in politics)

I have no doubt that some people enjoyed it thoroughly but claims to it being the best game ever are beyond me, I can think if plenty of games better than EP1.

 

[Orgror]

well i repect your opinion mutant_llama, i asume that people may not like a game, its a opinion based in their experience and we are noone to try to persuade them, i just cant underestand why they dislaike it, but then again, each man has it owns likes and dislikes .

Peace.
(sorry for all the errors, as you can see i cant master the english language for some reason )

 

[TaoFan]

For someone who originally didn't like the idea of a 1984-style dictatorship and another alien subjugation of humanity, I've rather warmed to the Combine, frankly.

Silly, isn't it? I actually find them more fascinating now they've been defeated - for the time being, at least.

 

[mutant_llama]

Cheers Orgror, and just for the record, the world is flat, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If it was round we'd all fall off the edges.

 

[WingsofJecka]

The few gripes about the game I have is the lack of really intense gun battles. I'll admit the elevator in the basment was good and the hosptial squence was top notch, but the other areas seemed lacking in that regard and that is part of what Valve sold me on.

Also the lack of new synths or the onese showned at the end of HL2.

Storywise everything is great and golden. And it looks like epsiode two is going to even better

 

[Jeremyofmany]

I'd say above average simply due to how short I found it to be. The underground dark parts got annoying at some point. "Alright, a case of stairs that hopefully takes us to the surface... oh.. just more Zombines and Antlions..." but everything after the underground stuff was awesome. The ending was nice with all thr flashes of light and "explosions" but there's didn't seem to be any closure on any of the secrets/mysteries. Somewhat disappointing. Breen seems to have been transported to another planet via the enclosed host body seen directly after the video footage. G-Man is held back by the Vortiguants' energy shield somehow, he's pissed off, AND without his briefcase. Judith is on that planet seen in the E2 trailer because you see the mini-strider things come through the blasted wall. Maybe it's just a different part of Earth, who knows. City 17 and the surrounding area may or may not be totallyu vaporized now. Regardless, can't wait for Christmas time, E2 will make a great present.

 

[Black Op]

Didn't people moan about HL2 back when it came out for having many things cut out and.... being too short? They'll be people that always set their expectations way too high. However the rest of us like I seem to have enjoyed EP1.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Definetly excellente'!

 

[Venom404]

I would have paid 50 dollars for Episode One.

 

[TaoFan]

Venom, you're nuts. I once paid £50 for doom TWO, back in 1995! I wouldn't wish that on anybody, no matter how good the game is.

 

[cadaver]

all the puzzles are lame! I yawn everytime I have to grab an "energyball" and send it towards something. at times the game feels like a mod. its fun , but it feels uninspired. l

 

[Dodo]

EP1 was sexy, kliener's a pervert and i like the episodic concept + mini-striders a 1337.
(EP1 > above average)

-dodo

edit:

all the puzzles are lame! I yawn everytime I have to grab an "energyball" and send it towards something. at times the game feels like a mod. its fun , but it feels uninspired. l

that was in the first chapter, and yes, i agree, they where lame and the gameplay felt like a mod. but ! the the other chapters wheren't that bad ...

 

[AmishSlayer]

Well haven't been able to finish it yet since I keep crashing when Alyx seals the door after I escort all those refugees.

It's a step up from HL2 and I wasn't crazy about that game so I'd say it's pretty good.

 

[Jeremyofmany]

Didn't people moan about HL2 back when it came out for having many things cut out and.... being too short? They'll be people that always set their expectations way too high. However the rest of us like I seem to have enjoyed EP1.

I'm just surprised it took Valve 18 months to make something I played in an hour and a half.

 

[bigburpco]

This game is ownage.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

It was Above Average but very close to Amazing...

The one thing I didn't like is that some questions need to be answered!

 

[mastapenguin]

Honestly?

Hands down, Ep1 was much better than HL2 for me. Mostly because I like big fights with multiple "factions". And because there was a lot less "driving/speeding/walking through large open expanses with very little to look at" nonsense.

Oh, and because the quality of each (as valve called it) "arena" was so much more exciting. The elevator fight was a RUSH, the Antlion Guard was intense, and the hospital was all around sweet. And this is because Valve had the TIME to add scripted moments, tweak gameplay, change the physical space, and all that.

So yeah, good stuff, and a well spent $20

 

[DrAbysmal]

Above average. A few parts got on my nerves (antlion garage, escorting citizens, using the dark energy balls got a little old after a while, too), but otherwise I really enjoyed it and I'm not disappointed in dropping 18 bucks for it at all. The length was not an issue for me, it went about four hours for me, not all in one sitting, which was what I was lead to expect. Claims of an hour and a half are rubbish to me, there's almost no way you could get through it that fast.

Zombines... came off as a "Semi Fast Zombie" to me, and weren't scary at all (whereas my first encounters with fast zombies genuinely creeped me out a little and had me frantically trying to kill them before they got close). I think the grenade attack is an attempt to draw the same type of response, and it just didn't do it as much for me, especially when you can just back up a bit and the threat eliminates itself, or that you can even send the grenade flying away harmlessly with a shotgun blast or the grav gun. Still, not a terrible enemy or anything, they were fun to fight, just not on a ground breaking level.

Alyx was fine from a gameplay standpoint, never got in my way and was a worthy ally in combat. Her dialogue pretty good and they did a good job making her into a real person rather than just a gameplay tool. However, I didn't become that attached to her where I would put myself in harm's way instead of her. As the music started and the zombines began to stumble forth, I heroically hid behind her and tried to line up headshots with my rather puny arsenal of six shotgun shells and a next to pea shooter pistol. Hey, if somebody gets hurt, it's better her, who has the nearly endless life supply, than me.

One other bad thing I've found that I really have no desire to replay it, at least not right now.