Half-Life 2 Episode 2

The Short


Pros
- Easily the best story currently presented in the Half-Life 2 universe
- Tighter shooting, better enemies, and a much improved sense of pace throughout
- Setpieces are epic, battles are insane, and the scope has been substantially increased
- Ending is genuinely heartbreaking and excellently paced and written
- Provides insight into the characters previously untapped or even considered
- Best looking rendition of the Half-Life 2 engine

Cons
- Still has a vehicle section
- Final battle can feel a bit unfair until you get a hang of it
- Gordon Freemon still doesn't talk, which dampens the emotion somewhat
- Shooty bits are still technically exactly the same as Half-Life 2
- The massive cliffhanger ending is still unresolved

This is Half-Life at its best. 

The Long

After Half-Life 2 and it's subsequent episode, I was anxious to see where Episode 2 would take us but not exactly frothing at the mouth for it. The ending of Episode 1 was a cliffhanger, but I had never really felt extremely invested into the story presented, if only because I had felt like I'd just been scratching the surface. The voiceovers and characters were great to pass the time, but for a while it really felt like the Uncharted games: great popcorn, fun to listen to while you are playing it, but with no real depth to speak of.

Luckily, Episode 2 showed up for Half-Life 2, and proved that Valve actually has stuff planned for this world. Not just planned, but willing to finally let us dip our toes into the true depth of this world, and start to understand on a deeper level the characters we've been spending time with and the story we've been skimming the surface of.

What is the connection with the Half-Life universe and Aperture Science from Portal? 

As stated, the story picks up right after Episode 1. You are again alone with Alyx trying to get somewhere, but this time it's all new territory, and a lot of it is spent between small towns rather than in a big city or an alien skyscraper. It's an excellent change of pace, and one that is riddled with twists, tricks, and bits of story.

Episode 2 works better than its predecessors because it actually has a story that is paced well and has depth to it. Half-Life 2 felt like a giant introduction to the world, padded on every side by shooting and physics puzzles and awful vehicles. Episode 1 fixed this a bit by teaming you up with Alyx, but for all her charm she never really conveyed anything significant or really evolved as a character. In Episode 2, however, I felt like I knew the characters better and learned more about them than the previous two games combined. There is just so much here, with plot twists actually happening in the middle and leading to further exposition, massive changes to the universe and (FINALLY) the possibility for a resolution to the ongoing conflict. That was another big problem with the previous two games: you were thrown into a world overcome by aliens, but nobody really had any long-term plans to free humanity. It was annoying; I felt like the mute little errand boy doing minute and inconsequential gestures that were great short-term, but in the end the Combine were still there and still ruled 99% of humanity. At last, in Episode 2, we get the feeling the end is in sight.

Time for a rave. 

I also have to mention the ending, which many people have said is one of their most emotional moments in gaming. I will say that, after all that has happend in the previous games, what goes down at the end of Episode 2 certainly had more impact than, say, Aeris' death in the middle of Final Fantasy VII. My main issue with this ending, however, is the fact that it is still unresolved. Valve hasn't even given us a hint of when Episode 3 (or just straight up Half-Life 3) will be coming out, the whole thing becoming a sort of joke where Valve will openly troll its fans at this point (like putting a game listing for Episode 3 on Steam on April Fools Day). Which is actually kind of a huge douchebag move, because the reason people want it so bad is because Episode 2 finally got us connected and emotionally attached with the character, ended with an insane twist, promised us an upcoming resolution at last, and then...nothing. This is really just being downright cruel now, Valve. Especially considering how many games have come out since this one with still no hint as to the future of the Half-Life series.

Though I have to admit, I probably have a deeper emotional attachment to this shotgun than any character in particular.  This shotgun...is my friend. 

So aside from the excellent pacing, a deeper commitment to story, and whole new setpieces...what else is here? Well, Episode 2's shooting is still the same, though for some reason it feels oddly better. Not a lot, just a little. Aiming seems tighter, guns feel like they pack more punch, and the enemies (with improved AI, thank goodness) react more realistically to getting the crap blown out of them. While it isn't going to totally reconvert you to the shooting if you are sick and tired of it, the improvements are appreciated.

What isn't appreciated, however, is the return of vehicles. 

Dammit, Valve. Everything was going so well. 

Ok, I will admit the car in Episode 2 is waaaaaay better than any vehicle in Half-Life 2. I'll give it that much. It drives smoother, doesn't control like absolute garbage mixed with crazy physics everywhere, and can get some serious speed. However, it still feels really cumbersome and drags the otherwise well-knit game down. While in the car your radar can go off to find ammo caches, which basically means one is close and you can waste a ton of time digging for it if you really want more pistol rounds or something (protip: probably not worth it). Getting stuck on stuff is still a pain, and it also has a good dose of "Oh no, this thing is blocking the road! Now we have to get out and shoot stuff before we can drive some more!"

The pain is slightly fixed by hanging out with Alyx the whole time, but seriously...vehicles suck. The fact that the final confrontation completely relies on vehicles to operate was just...a mistake. It takes a really epic battle and gives it a flat tire. I get you are trying to do something unique here (and the spectacle on display is excellent) but just...this series doesn't need vehicles. Ever again. Just...cut them out, everything will be fine. I promise. 

This guy is also pretty funny. 

Graphically this game is the best looking out of the three. Facial animations are excellent (as usual), lighting is superb, and the new areas you visit look great. It has a rustic, foresty look about it that is new to the series and fits, with a lot of natural beauty intermixed with crazy new aliens and nasty violence (and an awful car, sigh). I personally found this the most visually appealing chunk of the Half-Life 2 story, so props for that.

Sound design is also excellent throughout, especially during the particularly emotional scenes. Voice actors really bring it home, though again...Gordon still is mute. Which makes it weird when people ask him a question, pause, and then respond as if he answered. Just have him answer. Seriously. 

I think I need a bigger gun...

Episode 2 is an excellent piece of entertainment. Aside from a few flaws (and the fact that, at its core, this is still Half-Life 2) it takes the already good game Valve made in 2005 and jacks it up to what could very well be near its full potential. If this is the progression the series is going, than Episode 3 or Half-Life 3 is going to be astounding. Just with no cars. And have Gordon talk. Then it'll really work out great for ya there.

Niggling flaws aside, you should really give this game a go. It's a pity you have to slog through Half-Life 2 and Episode 1 to fully get the impact of the story, but it all is worth it in the end.

Four out of five stars.

See you, space gnome.