FortKnox's Journal: HL2: Episode 1

Before I get onto my gross JE about my flareup, I'll start with something light.
I bought HL2, episode 1 last week. Had it preloaded so I didn't have to wait all night tonight to get the bastard downloaded.
However, it did take quite a while (like 15 minutes, maybe longer) to decrypt the bastard... then I had to get new catalyst drivers... but eventually I got to actually play it!

I wanted to know how it started. It supposedly picked up right after the end of HL2 (btw - if you haven't finished hl2, you pretty much should stop, cause this is spoiler central to that story).
Anywho, the end where the explosion happens, you get stuck in time as the G-Man takes you away... how can you go on from this unless the G-Man lets you back? What happened to Alyx??
What a FANTASTIC beginning. It starts with Alyx in the frozen state with the explosion... you are already gone. You see one vortigaunt appear doing a wierd dance... then 2... then 4... til there is like 12 of them on the screen. Two take Alyx and vanish.
Then there's the G-Man... the point of view is from Gordon. 4 Vortigaunts appear between you and him, then two come to you and zap you away and disappear. Then the G-Man says something along the lines of "We'll see about this!"

From there I was pumped. You get to know a lot more about the combine and the thing that the lead scientist talked to right before the end. You find out more about stalkers (the worker... 'things'). There are zombie combines... and you fight alongside Alyx who kinda gets a rollercoaster of emotions due to some thigns... she gets scared, worried, out of breath, etc... She even jokes sometimes. Like you hear a female zombie moaning, I flip around with the shotty out, and she's giggling saying "I got you!"

Only put in a few hours last night, but so far its been mostly puzzles then shooting your way around. Yet, its already worth my $20.

oh yeah

[mackil]

I love what they did with Alyx. The new facial animations and combat moves that she has in Episode 1 are incredible. I almost shot her too when she mimicked the zombie (hilarious). I've noticed that episode 1 is a bit more puzzle centered than Half-Life 2. Thinking and shooting don't usually go together in games, so I'm enjoying this a lot. Haven't beaten yet but hope too tonight. I agree, worth every penny.

Huh? What?

[gmhowell]

A new HL2? Time to wipe the dust off the PC, it seems.

i've started now

[subgeek]

and i remembered how much i loved hl2 and why.

i'm not very far in and i'm already failing one of the puzzles. i'm trying to get past the core containment. can't figure out where to go after the first containment beam is activated. it'll be obvious as soon as i figure it out.

Re:i've started now

[subgeek]

i was right. it was something obvious. i had pointed the grav gun at the bottom of the door instead of the window in the door.

zombine.

Re:i've started now

[FortKnox]

Now that I finished, I really like what Valve is doing... basically making HL3, but bit by bit, and it'll be expensive (I'm guessing they'll do like 5 episodes, so like $100!). However, it will be worth it, cause each episode is done individually, and there is so much polish... just how Alyx reacts and how she jokes with you... it really adds to the immersion. Anxiously awaiting episode 2 now ;)

Re:i've started now

[subgeek]

if we are to believe what valve says, there will be three episodes. the next one should be out for the holiday season and then the final one out sometime in spring-summer 2007. that would make it the cost of an xbox360 game, which they are probably aware of.

i've been away most of the day so i haven't experienced more of it yet, but i really like the care that went into it so far. i'll probably play it through again when i'm done to hear the commentary track.

HL2 Ep1 -- Spoilerific, but you already knew that.

[Cliff]

Grabbed it and finished it during the nights this weekend, while I was toiling away during the day sleeping off something nasty I had picked up the previous week.

Loved it.

Didn't even know it had come out, except I couldn't sleep (since I spent the day hacking, coughing and catching up on sleep while not hacking and coughing). The meds finally took sometime Saturday night and I couldn't get back to sleep. So I went browsing around, found it was releasd, and then booted Steam and managed to forget about

Re:HL2 Ep1 -- Spoilerific, but you already knew th

[FortKnox]

Wow... you like FEAR that much? I've heard a lot of good things (I haven't played a decent scary game since System Shock 2), but to say its more immersive than HL2? That says a lot. I'll have to pick that bugger up!