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I enjoy the Half-Life series for its excellent level design, world building, and action. The first game is a classic and was followed up by an amazing sequel. Half-Life 2 was followed up by an extra level and episodic sequels that continue the story. Episode One is pretty good but I do feel it’s way too short. Just when things start to get really exciting, it ends. But it does showcase some cool new stuff and if I look at it as part of the Half-Life 2 package as a whole, I think it’s a fine addition. This review will focus on Episode Two. Developed and published by Valve, Half-Life 2: Episode Two was released for PC and as part of The Orange Box for PC and Xbox 360 in October, 2007. The Orange Box was also released for PlayStation 3 in December of that same year. For this review, I played the PC version.
Set directly after the events of Episode One, Gordon and Alyx escape the wreckage of the train they used to flee City 17. Shortly after, they learn that the transmission Alyx is carrying may be able to close the portal the Combine plan to use to summon reinforcements. The story primarily centers on the duo’s journey to the White Forest resistance base and rocket facility, and the pitfalls they encounter along the way. Episode Two continues the series tradition of immersing the player into the world and narrative by never taking control away from the player. The campaign is a bit on the short side but it’s not as short as Episode One and it’s another showcase for excellent world building. I also feel the pacing here is better than that of the last campaign. In my opinion, this campaign introduces some cool and exciting stuff early on and remains pretty consistent throughout with a nice blend of action, exploration, and puzzle solving. It does slow down at certain points but none of the downtime feels like it drags on for way too long.
Much like Episode One, there’s not much about the gameplay that we haven’t seen before and there’s no new additions to the arsenal but the end of the campaign does introduce Magnusson Devices which are like sticky bombs that can be picked up and launched with the Gravity Gun. In fact, this episode gives you a lot of reasons to use the Gravity Gun. There’s a lot of items and objects, or Gravity Gun ammunition if you will, lying around that can be used against enemies. Unlike Episode One, Episode Two does include new locales and more interesting new enemies including new Antlion foes and the Combine Hunter, a synth that can fire fléchettes.
Episode Two takes the player to new locales including a mine, Antlion caves, and the White Forest base. There’s also some driving sequences which I found to be quite fun mainly because they don’t drag on or feel padded out. The vehicle is eventually equipped with a radar that can detect supply caches so you can stop and get out to explore and find them. When compared to the driving sequences in Half-Life 2, I feel Episode Two does it much better. Mainly because the distance you have to travel isn’t super long and the stops you can make along the way offer exciting action and/or resources.
While the new enemies are cool and new locales are a nice change of scenery, I think the real highlight of Episode Two is the set pieces and situations the game puts you in. There’s some really fun and exciting stuff here. You’ll once again fight alongside Alyx and at a certain point, you’ll be accompanied by a Vortigaunt. You’ll help resistance fighters defend an area from Antlions, be chased and attacked by a chopper before taking it down, and use Magnusson Devices to take down Striders. There’s also a cool sequence where Gordon and Alyx get trapped and ambushed by the Combine.
Episode Two features no urban setting. No City 17. Instead, you’ll fight your way through rural and underground areas. You’ll get to explore abandoned and run-down buildings and will have to solve puzzles to progress. You’ll work your way through Antlion caves, fending off Antlion Workers, move through a Zombie infested area as Alyx covers you with a rifle, and at one point you’ll have to carefully advance towards an auto-turret and disable it. The environments are linear but with plenty of space to maneuver and explore and it seems like the game is always throwing something fun or interesting at you at every turn. Whether it be a set piece, firefight, or puzzle, I found the campaign remains engaging from beginning to end.
Even though I think the Source engine shows its age at this point, Episode Two is still not a bad looking game. It does showcase some improvements over the previous entries but it’s not a major facelift. I did notice frequent pop-in and that’s the only real eyesore I can think of. I enjoyed the new environments and I think some of the backgrounds look really cool. Seeing the portal in the sky in the distance helps create a neat sense of dread. The sound work is on par with that of the previous games and the gameplay is backed by a solid soundtrack consisting of a nice mix of ambient and more intense tunes. On the technical side, I encountered no major issues.
I really enjoyed my time with Episode Two. I think it’s much better than Episode One mainly because it’s more exciting. You get some pretty good firepower early on and the action is a lot of fun. To be clear, it’s not constant action from beginning to end. There is downtime and you are given room to breathe and explore. The puzzles are good, the new locations are nice, and I like the new foes. Furthermore, I feel this campaign puts you in some really cool situations and offers great set pieces. I can’t say the campaign reaches the same highs as that of the Half-Life 2 campaign but it comes closer than Episode One did. But much like Episode One, my biggest issue with it is its length. While it is longer than the previous campaign, you can still easily beat Episode Two in a single sitting.
I would absolutely recommend Half-Life 2: Episode Two. It’s of the same quality as the previous campaigns with great pacing, exciting action, and some cool new stuff. As a standalone game, when compared to Episode One, Episode Two gives you more bang for your buck in my opinion. I think if you’re already invested in the world of Half-Life, Episode Two should not disappoint and it makes for another solid continuation of the story. Definitely check it out.