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Half-Life 2: Episode One GOLD GOLD

by Maarten Goldstein, May 24, 2006 12:26pm PDT
Related Topics – Half-Life 2, Valve

Not much of a surprise with the June 1st release date being announced a while back, but hey it's Valve and so you'll be glad to know that Half-Life 2: Episode One is all done. The game is the first in a three part series, with the second installment coming late this year

"Given the rapid changes in PC gaming, we expect episodic games will have the same impact on single-player gaming that Counter-Strike had on multiplayer," said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. "The frequent releases of upgraded technology and new content works better for both consumers and developers, and is one of the key reasons Counter-Strike grew to be 80% of the online action market. We decided that a follow-up to Half-Life 2 delivered in 18 months with our first episode was more in tune with what our customers want than waiting 6 years for another monolithic product." Episode One offers a new single player experience created by Valve, and is designed to be four to six hours in length. Stepping into the hazard suit of Dr. Gordon Freeman, you face the immediate repercussions of your actions in City 17 and the Citadel. Alyx Vance and her robot, Dog, will accompany you in your efforts to aid in the human resistance's desperate battle against the totalitarian alien menace of the Combine.
A new gameplay movie is available from FileShack.


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Half-Life 2

  • PC, XBOX
  • Release Date: Nov 16, 2004
  • Genre: Action
  • Developer: Valve Software
  • Publisher: VU Games

Videos

  • Video: Half Life 2 'No More Room In Hell mod' Trailer
  • Video: Half Life 2 'Escape from City 17 part 2' Fan-made Movie
  • Video: Half Life 2 'Escape from City 17 part 1' Fan-made Movie
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Screenshots

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Comments

37 Threads* | 143 Comments
  • #108
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    By: Vorlonesque x
    Reply
    I actually like the idea of episodic content...its something I've been expecting to see for year really. You can do certain things in terms of story telling that you can't do if you can only do a single large product (and the reverse is also true). It seems natural to have different models of games...I mean you have TV series, mini series, movies, short films, etc for filmed media...you have books, short stories, novellas, epic poems, serialized stories (which often end up compiled as novels...Great Expectations was originally serialized in pieces in a publication of some sort as I remember) and all sorts of things in written works.

    A lot of people get all bent out of shape over this episodic thing...but I think its putting a limitation on games as a medium and an art form to simply dismiss it outright. Episodic games aren't going to completely replace full blown retail games...its just a different approach. I'd also add that I think this approach was sort of needed with HL2 after that cliffhanger ending they had...waiting god-knows-how-many years to say "ok here's what happened" just seems like a bad idea...especially when some folks weren't too happy with it.
    May 24, 2006 5:27pm PDT