Half Life 2 Episode 1 Update

This commodity has withal to exist cleaned up to a higher standard of quality.

You tin aid by correcting spelling and grammer, removing factual errors, rewriting sections to ensure they are clear and curtailed, and moving some elements when advisable. Visit our Cleanup Project for more details and, please, notify the administrators before removing this template.

One-half-Life 2: Episode I is the starting time of a planned trilogy^[1] of expansion packs/episodes for the 2004 first-person shooter game, One-half-Life 2. The episode takes identify immediately after the stop of Half-Life ii, in the state of war-torn setting of Urban center 17. The role player is forced to deal with the effects of their actions during the main game. The episode is a stand-lone game; while a continuation of Half-Life 2, it does non require the original game to be installed or registered to a user's Steam account to play. It takes reward of several major upgrades to the Source engine since the release of One-half-Life 2, primarily its high dynamic range rendering capabilities and the upgraded facial blitheness organization.

Episode One was released together with Half-Life Deathmatch: Source, a port of the original Half-Life's multiplayer, which doubles as Episode One's multiplayer component. The retail copies of Episode One also come with Half-Life 2 Deathmatch for those who have non previously purchased the later title.

Plot

Taking identify in Urban center 17, just after the events of the terminal game, One-half-Life two: Episode one again follows scientist Gordon Freeman and his friend Alyx Vance as they stabilize a damaged Citadel core to buy time before information technology explodes, which will destroy the city and the surrounding area. They then rush to make it out of a war-torn City 17 equally quickly as possible and too assist evacuate any remaining citizens left.

Details

Episode 1's focus is on grapheme development, in particular that of Gordon'southward female sidekick and friend Alyx Vance, to the extent that she accompanies the histrion for most the entire game:^[2] "It's kind of ironic that despite so much of the theme of Half-Life 2 being about other characters and other people, you lot spent most of the game alone," project pb Robin Walker said in the episode's announcement article in PC Gamer UK.

The announcement commodity likewise saw Marc Laidlaw explicate the game's premise:

"Episode One deals with the events and issues prepare in motion during Half-Life ii. Yous've done disquisitional damage to the Citadel. The whole place is going to go up, taking out City 17 and what'southward in its immediate radius. Yous and Alyx are leading the flight from the city getting upwardly shut and personal with some of the creatures and sights from the end of the game."

Despite this comment and much fan speculation, the Combine Crab and Mortar synths were not present in Episode One; Stalkers and previously glimpsed areas of the Citadel are instead encountered and explored by the player.

After some initial confusion, sparked partly with an attempt at sense of humor by PC Gamer UK, which suggested that Alyx was Episode One's playable character, it was confirmed that players would indeed play every bit Gordon Freeman – unlike the original One-half-Life expansion packs, which all dealt with dissimilar characters. Part of the reason for this change of direction may lie with the in-house development of Half-Life 2: Episode I: previously, Half-Life expansions were adult by third party Gearbox Software (albeit with scripts produced by Valve).

The game runs on an incrementally upgraded version of Valve's proprietary Source engine, and features both the engine's high dynamic range rendering capabilities, and a new version of its facial blitheness/expression technology. It also features the commentary node system debuted in the Lost Coast tech demo.

The renaming of Aftermath to Episode I ^[iii] was an indication of Valve's conviction with their episodic structure, an implication confirmed in February^[iv] and May^[5] of 2006, with news of a trilogy of episodes covering the nowadays story arc. While the plots and dialogue of Half-Life and Half-Life 2 were written solely past Valve's in-firm author Marc Laidlaw, the "Half-Life 2 Episodes" are collaboratively written by Laidlaw, Chet Faliszek and Erik Wolpaw with Laidlaw retaining overall leadership of the group.

Characters

Gordon Freeman
Alyx Vance
The Thousand-Man
Barney Calhoun
Wallace Breen (mentioned)
Isaac Kleiner
Judith Mossman
Eli Vance
Dog
Resistance members

Enemies

Xen Aliens
- Antlion
- Antlion Guard
- Barnacle
- Fast Headcrab
- Fast Zombie
- Headcrab
- Poison Headcrab
- Poison Zombie
- Zombie
- Zombine
Combine Forces
- Civil Protection (brief advent)
- City Scanner
- Combine Counselor
- APC
- Combine Dropship
- Combine Gunship
- Overwatch Soldier
- Overwatch Sniper
- Overwatch Elite
- Hopper Mine
- Hunter-Chopper
- Manhack
- Rollermine
- Shield Scanner
- Stalker
- Strider

Behind the scenes and Trivia

Aftermath wordmark.

Vortigaunts rescue Gordon Freeman from the Chiliad-Homo clutches.

The game was originally named Half-Life ii: Aftermath, but was renamed to Episode One after planning to make the game episodic.
Valve'southward Marc Laidlaw and David Speyrer have us behind the scenes of Episode I's development
With Dr. Breen'south absenteeism, Dr. Kleiner has hijacked City 17's public address system, appearing on Television receiver screens throughout the game and keeping the Resistance updated with information well-nigh the Combine:
- All Citizens are told to evacuate City 17 as quickly as possible, for while the Citadel'south Core is currently stabilized, the Combine will eventually succeed in making it go disquisitional once once more, and when that happens, all of Urban center 17 will be destroyed.
- Humorously, Dr. Kleiner informs humans already out of Metropolis 17 that, due to the suppression field being disabled, at present would be "an excellent time for procreation", and urges citizens to "do their part for the revival of the species". Alyx replies to this by asking, while glancing at Gordon, "is Dr. Kleiner actually telling everyone to... get busy?"
- The destruction of the Citadel'southward Night Fusion Reactor has caused a concatenation reaction that has put a damper on the unabridged Citadel Reactor Network, finer cutting them off completely from the rest of the Combine. However, Dr. Kleiner states that information technology is but a affair of fourth dimension before communication is re-established; warning that "In addition to the completely xenotheric species, there are many modified postal service-human allies (Overwatch Soldiers) still remaining on Globe who will be doing their utmost to re-establish lines of communication and supply with the larger forces."
- And lastly, Dr. Kleiner hints that the Resistance has fabricated "hole-and-corner technological advances" that may have long-lasting benefits in the war against the Combine.

The grouping of Vortigaunts in the game's opening scene are part of the "third ability" at which Valve hinted;^[7] their role and purpose are mysterious.
According to Marc Laidlaw^[8] ^[ix], when the Vortigaunts intervene, they accept a way of winding time back a little scrap. Then when they enter the scene, they rewind events to just before the G-Homo has his style, and extract Gordon and Alyx from the G-Man's clutches.
The G-Human's loss of command to the Vortigaunts is reinforced by his consummate absence from the game thereafter. While he appears at least once in virtually of Half-Life ii'due south chapters, he is not seen at all in Episode One. Neither, notably, are Vortigaunts, but Combine Advisors are seen at several points on diverse video screens, tracking the player and Alyx from their theft of the Combine'due south data packet onward. The G-Human being is besides, for the get-go time ever, without his signature briefcase during the opening scene.
This is the showtime game in the series in which Gordon does not get-go on a train or tram. Somewhat like scenes are experienced, however, during the slide of the thrown van inbound the Citadel and the terminal train ride out of Urban center 17.
A conversation between ii Resistance soldiers can be overheard in which Dr. Kleiner and other main characters are criticized. One of the soldiers states that he "kind of misses the Combine" and Dr. Breen's show. The remark "it seems like everyone's a doctor but me" is besides made.
A reference is fabricated in dialog by 2 Resistance members to the fight that Gordon took part in at New Fiddling Odessa. Their talk suggests that Odessa later took credit for beingness the i to destroy the Gunship, and that Gordon was never mentioned as being there or was said to accept washed nada.
An oftentimes unnoticed addition to the One-half-Life serial' gameplay fabricated in Episode One is the new alter in Combine Soldiers' AI. Episode Ane'south soldiers crouch more oftentimes than in Half-Life 2, and have the ability to crouch while being fired upon in gild to "duck" underneath the histrion'southward line of burn down, for the beginning time in the series. This feature is showcased to the utmost for the kickoff time in the large street battle the player progresses through earlier inbound the rebel safehouse in the game'southward fourth chapter.
An unnamed weapon, nicknamed Black Hole Grenade or Vortex Hopwire, tin exist used by using panel codes.
One of the most infamous Achievements in The Orangish Box is "The One Free Bullet"; to acquire it, players must consummate Episode One having fired exactly one bullet in their entire run-through. This leaves the player using only the Gravity Gun, crowbar, rocket launcher, and grenades.
A glitch in the game can cause Alyx to dice past the combine energy balls/secondary burn down on the Pulse Rifle. It can also happen in Undue Warning, and Alyx will atomize about the elevator. The game will not fade out, only the player will non be able to start the elevator anymore.
In the affiliate Straight Intervention, when the player noclips to Judith Mossman'south chill base of operations, the histrion tin can run into Dr. Kleiner's Corkboard and the Mark 5 HEV Adapt specs in the far cease of the hallway where Judith is filming.
The Shotgun animation for Alyx, and other female resistance fighters, is greatly improved. It has a higher pumping rate, and does not take to aim first, which allows them to fire the shotgun while beingness attacked by enemies; still, for the male fighters, information technology withal remains the same. It also has a newer reload animation; however, this does not utilize for Combine Soldiers.

Critical reception

Critical and public response to Episode Ane was broadly positive, with some reviewers praising the game for having more intricate, well-paced action than the acclaimed One-half-Life two,^[10] though a common critique of the game has been its short length;^[11] depending on the actor's skill (or patience) the game can accept less fourth dimension to complete than the company line of four–6 hours, which has acquired various observers to raise the upshot of whether it justifies the price tag.^[12]

The game'south interactivity, particularly in the shape of the character of Alyx, has also received praise.^[13]

PC Gamer magazine gave an 85% in the US edition and xc% in the UK edition to the game. In Australia, the mag PC Powerplay awarded the game with a rarely seen 10/10. Border gave the game eight out of 10, praising the "deftness" with which the game was able to direct the thespian'southward eyes, and the forcefulness of Alyx every bit a companion.^[14]

Awards

Episode One received the "Best First-Person Shooter" of 2006 accolade from IGN.^[xv]

Soundtrack

References

The Half-Life Wiki has more images related to Half-Life 2: Episode One.

↑ Valve printing release, May 22, 2006. Steam News.
↑ One-half-Life two: Episode I Preview. Computer And Video Games.
↑ One-half-Life two Goes Episodic. Gamespot.
↑ Valve Confirms Half-Life 2: Episode Ii. IGN.com.
↑ One-half-Life 2: Episode One gold, Two dated, Three announced. Gamespot.
↑ The Valve team (staff bios). valvesoftware.com.
↑ IGN Interview; "In Episode One, the G-Man loses command of Gordon due to the rise of a 3rd power.". IGN.
↑ Question made from a fan directly to Marc Laidlaw, regarding the Episode 1 opening scene. Fan question, past email.
↑ Marc Laidlaw's reply most what actually happens in Episode 1 opening scene. Marc Laidlaw, by electronic mail.
↑ Episode One review. GameSpot.
↑ Episode One review. GameOver Online Magazine.
↑ Episode One review. ActionTrip1.
↑ Episode Ane review. The Onion.
↑ "Review: Half-Life 2: Episode Ane". Edge. August 2006.
↑ Best PC FPS - 2006 on IGN

External links

Official: Official Half-Life 2: Episode One website (Archived); Half-Life two: Episode One on the Steam Shop
Game Guides: HeadCrab Union Game Guide; GameSpot Game Guide
Printing: Eurogamer'south Episode One Preview; GameSpot Q&A; 1UP.com exclusive Half-Life 2: Episode Ane preview; Official Half-Life 2: Episode One videos and trailers; Gamer Within's Episode One Review; Half-Life two: Episode 1 Review - BytePress; Review on VGRC.net viii.75/10
Critique: Half-Life 2: Episode i Critique (Google Video, 45 min.); Half-Life 2: Episode One Review (The Ant Nest)

Software
Half-Life game series	Half-Life (Opposing Force • Blueish Shift • Decay) • Half-Life 2 ( Episode One • Episode Two) • One-half-Life: Alyx
Portal game series	Portal (Still Alive) • Portal ii (Peer Review • PeTI) • The Lab • Discontinuity Mitt Lab • Aperture Desk Job
Demos	Directed Blueprint Experiments • Get Your Free TVs! • Half-Life: Day One • One-half-Life 2: Lost Coast • Portal: Offset Piece • Source Particle Benchmark • Zentraedi Tactical Boxing Pod
Cut content	Prospero • Half-Life Alpha • Half-Life: Uplink • Half-Life 2 Beta • Half-Life ii: Episode Three • Half-Life two: Episode Iv
Other official games	Deathmatch Archetype • Half-Life Deathmatch: Source • Source • Half-Life 2: Deathmatch • Half-Life 2: Survivor
Compilations	Half-Life: Further Data • One-half-Life: Generation • Half-Life: Initial Come across • The Orangish Box
Related third-party games	Codename: Gordon • LEGO Dimensions • Mods • Narbacular Drib • Tag: The Power of Paint
Game engines	GoldSrc • Source • Source 2
Evolution software	Half-Life SDK • Source SDK • Valve Hammer Editor

Real-World subjects
Companies	Gearbox Software • Junction Indicate Studios • Valve Corporation
Production staff	Artists • Character models • Composers • Voice actors • Writers • Other
Software	Achievements • Compilations • Demos • Games (Half-Life • Multiplayer • Non-canon • Portal • Third-party) • Game Engines • HL HD Pack • Mods
Other Media	ApertureScience.com • Books (Lab Rat • Raising the Bar) • Fan content (Films • Games • Mods • Serial) • Films • Merchandise • Preliminary Findings • Soundtracks (Songs • Composers) • The Final Hours (Half-Life • Half-Life ii • One-half-Life: Alyx • Portal ii)
Cut content	Prospero • Half-Life Blastoff • Half-Life ii Beta • Half-Life 2: Episode Iii • Half-Life 2: Episode Four
Misc.	Catechism • Development (Commentary • Half-Life 2 • Portal • Next Half-Life game) • Mr. Valve • Retcons