Half-Life 2: Episode Two
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Half-Life 2: Episode Two is the second installment in Valve Corporation's series of episodes for the computer game Half-Life 2. The first two episodes of Half-Life 2 were developed concurrently by separate teams.[4] This episode was released as a part of a bundled package, The Orange Box. A separate copy of Episode Two is available in Russia[5] and via Steam worldwide ($US15 as of June 2008).[3]
Continuing with Valve's policy of orienting each episode around a particular theme or set of technologies, Episode Two aims to focus on expansive environments, travel and less linear play. Following the closing events of Episode One, it sees Gordon Freeman and the series' other major players moving away from City 17 to the surrounding countryside.[4]
Episode Two's retail version was released on October 10, 2007 in North America and Russia for PC and Microsoft's Xbox 360, after repeated delays. The version for Sony's Playstation 3 was to be released "around two or three weeks later", as it was produced separately at the Electronic Arts UK studio, according to Valve marketing director Doug Lombardi.[6] This version was further delayed. For the rest of the world, the release date was October 18.[7] The Steam version was released on October 10, 2007 worldwide.
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[edit] Gameplay
One of the focal points of Episode Two was meant to be vehicles in open areas. However, the game retains its original linear style until the final battle.[8] Episode Two has more puzzles than Episode One, including the biggest physical puzzle yet in the series - a damaged seesawing bridge.[8] The game features numerous "achievements" (similar to Xbox Live's Gamerscore) for carrying out certain tasks. Some are essential to game progress, such as protecting the missile silo from destruction or defeating the first Hunters. Others are optional tricks or feats the player can perform, such as killing a Combine soldier with his own grenade or killing a Hunter with its own ammunition. Some optional achievements challenge the player to be thorough or flawless in the execution of certain tasks, such as killing all 333 Antlion grubs in the game or preventing the Striders in the final chapter from destroying any buildings. The most unusual achievement, "Little Rocket Man", requires the player to pick up a lawn gnome in the first chapter, carry it to the sixth chapter, and use the White Forest rocket to launch it into space. Messages appear in the bottom-right corner of the screen to inform the player of their success or progress using numerically-based achievements.[8]
[edit] Enemies
The new Hunter synth was revealed briefly in a recorded message in Episode One. It features throughout Episode Two and acts as a nemesis and means of emotional development for Alyx Vance. The Hunter is a powerful enemy and players must often run while seeking a means to fight back; Episode Two's environments are designed with this in mind.[9]
An interview in the August 2006 issue of PC Gamer magazine reveals that the Hunter stands 8 feet (2.4 m) tall, and Erik Johnson, the game's project lead, states that the Hunters are "big and impressive, but they can go anywhere the player can go."[10] This proves true as the Hunters can be encountered indoors as well as out. Ted Backman, senior artist for Valve, talks about how the Hunter can express emotions, being a somewhat non-human character. "We want the Hunter to be able to express nervousness or aggression, [to show you] whether it's aggressive, hurt, or mad." Hunters have a powerful gait similar to a gorilla's, and are very swift. They tend to operate in packs, but can also be found supporting other Combine troops. Late in the game, they can be found escorting Striders, using their flechette guns to destroy the sticky bombs the player must use.[10]
Hunters primarily attack the player by bracing themselves and firing bursts from their flechette cannon. If they do not strike the player, these flechettes charge up for several seconds and then explode, dealing minor damage to everything nearby. Hunters may also conduct a charging attack or strike with their legs if the player gets too close. Hunters are vulnerable to all weapons but remain difficult to kill, making explosives and the pulse rifle's charged energy ball the most attractive options. Objects thrown with the gravity gun are also effective, especially if the player catches some of their flechettes with the object before hurling it (one of the in-game Achievements). In outdoor environments, they can be run over with a vehicle.[11]
Two new forms of Antlion are present. The first is the glow-in-the-dark antlion grub, which is immobile, unable to attack, and is functionally a minor health pickup. It also serves as a light source, as its body glows like a lightbulb. Killing all 333 of these earns an Achievement. The second is the Worker Antlion (or 'Acidlion') whose body carries strong acids; in addition to a ranged spit attack, this property makes them deadly to be near when their bodies explode on death. Functionally, they are similar to the bullsquids of the original Half-Life, but are thematically closer to the poison headcrab—a creature that the player will instinctively prioritize as a target. A new antlion guardian which has glow in the dark features was also added. This "Guardian" hunts the player in the final stages of his quest for the larval extract in the antlion caves. Despite this, the vortigaunt that accompanies the player forbids him from harming it, as the extract will be ruined if he does, so the player must accomplish his goal while being harried by a creature he cannot eliminate.[12]
A re-skinned Combine soldier model makes an appearance throughout the game, sporting orange goggles, a dark brown and green suit pattern, and the Combine Elite symbol on an orange armband. They exclusively carry the shotgun, as opposed to the previous games where any soldier might have one. On a gameplay level, they are distinct in that they always attempt to close in on the player and use the shotgun's double-barrel secondary fire, a unique trait that allows them to inflict more damage than the shotgun-wielding soldiers in previous installments of Half-Life 2.[13]
[edit] Weapons
Episode Two features no new additions to Gordon Freeman's inventory, but introduces a new form of Gravity Gun 'ammunition', the "Magnusson Device", named after the egotistical head of the White Forest base rocket project, Dr. Magnusson. Prior to the game's release, this weapon had been referred to as the 'Strider Buster'. The item is useless on its own—it must be deployed via the gravity gun. Level designer Dario Casali describes it as a "sticky bomb that you fire at a Strider's underbelly that will draw power from the Strider's internal power source". In-game, the device will stick so long as it contacts the Strider's body, and will instantly destroy it when fired upon with any other of the player's weapons. However, Hunter escorts will prioritize them as targets, either destroying them in the player's grasp or shooting already-attached ones off.[14]
Valve's developers said new weapons were not a priority. The gravity gun was the direction of innovation they were most interested in, and objects like saw blades and flares were more interesting additions to the game. This policy was implemented with the Magnusson Device and more varied Gravity Gun "ammunition" such as wood blocks and half-height butane tanks, which are easier to aim than full-size fuel drums.[14]
[edit] Vehicles
Large sections of the game feature a car which resembles a gutted-and-rebuilt 1969 Dodge Charger, dubbed the "Jalopy".[15] As in the "rat rod" meaning of "jalopy", it appears to have been tuned for performance. A radar system is installed later in the game, allowing the player to locate Rebel supply caches. In the final battle, a rear-mounted storage rack is added and the radar is adjusted to track enemies and Magnusson Device dispensers. A homing unit is also installed so the player can quickly locate the car in the chaos of the final battle via a readout in the Hazardous Environment suit.[15]
[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Setting
By contrast with Episode One's entirely urban setting, Episode Two sets the action in rural areas, villages, forests, as well as mining facilities and mountain caves. The exact location remains vague, with signs in the cyrillic alphabet still hinting at a generic Eastern European setting, although gas pumps with the prices displayed in Finnish and Swedish have added to the confusion. The gameplay is in parts and to an extent less geographically linear than in the previous games, with the climactic fight in particular taking place across an entire map rather than in an enclosed arena.
[edit] Plot
Continuing the plot of Half-Life 2 and Episode One, Episode Two consists of seven chapters telling the story of Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance's journey to a large Resistance base called White Forest. The Combine's Earth-stationed forces have used the destruction of the Citadel, to create a massive super portal through which - once it reaches critical size - reinforcements can join them from their unknown home world. However, as explained by Dr. Kleiner's broadcast in Episode One, it has also inflicted a portal and communications blackout on them, leaving them isolated and disorganized in the meantime. In addition, Advisors themselves, some of them still unhatched from their pods, have had to be evacuated and scattered in the region. A crucial part of the plot is the transmission packet which the Combine sacrificed the Citadel to send, a copy of which Alyx and Gordon stole before making their escape. It contains information relating to the location of the Combine home world and allows the creation of the super portal to be controlled from the "other side". This information has to be delivered to White Forest so that the Resistance can use it to shut down the super portal and prevent an even greater Combine invasion.[16]
After Gordon and Alyx climb out of the wreckage of the train they used to escape City 17, they make their way to White Forest. At an abandoned mine, Alyx is gravely wounded by a Hunter while Gordon is trapped under fallen rubble. They are discovered by a Vortigaunt, who leads them to an underground Resistance base. The Vortigaunts there have the power to heal Alyx; however, Gordon must accompany the Vortigaunt into the nearby Antlion colony to recover larval extract necessary for the healing ritual.[17]
Once the extract is retrieved and the healing process begun, the G-Man contacts Gordon. He hints at Alyx's importance to his own long-term plans, revealing that he had preserved Alyx's life at Black Mesa despite objections from unnamed others. The G-Man then instructs an unconscious Alyx to tell her father to "prepare for unforeseen consequences." (Unforeseen Consequences is the title of the second chapter in the original Half-Life, which takes place right after the resonance cascade occurred.)[17]
After Alyx has recovered, she and Gordon proceed to the surface. There they see that a large group of Combine forces in the distance is moving towards White Forest. They acquire a working car and attempt to get there first, but are slowed down by multiple Combine road blocks and ambushes. They also encounter an encapsulated Combine Advisor, which Alyx attempts to kill by damaging its life support system. The Advisor awakens and demonstrates its telekinetic powers, pinning Alyx and Gordon to a wall. It appears unfamiliar with its environment, as it crushes a barrel and stabs a dead rebel with a tentacle-like tongue before an explosion wounds it, forcing it to flee.[17]
Arriving at White Forest, Alyx and Gordon reunite with Dog, Isaac Kleiner, and Eli Vance. The player is also introduced to Dr. Arne Magnusson, another former Black Mesa scientist who is egotistical, verbose, and authoritarian. The team of scientists are preparing a special rocket, which they plan to use in conjunction with the satellite array launched during the events of Half-Life to close the Combine superportal.[17]
Alyx gives Judith Mossman's message to Dr. Kleiner, who finds additional embedded video showing a ship, the Borealis, icebound somewhere north of the City 17 region. The Borealis was a research vessel formerly operated by Aperture Science, which one day suddenly vanished into thin air with part of the surrounding drydock. The player is not told exactly what the ship contains or the nature of its significance. Dr. Kleiner believes it could be an invaluable asset, while Eli Vance adamantly states it must be destroyed, suggesting that it has the potential to cause a disaster as great as that at Black Mesa. The G-Man's image flashes on the screen as they argue, compelling Alyx to unconsciously deliver the message he gave her earlier. After convincing Alyx to leave temporarily, Eli reveals to Gordon that the G-Man, whom he refers to as "our mutual friend", had issued the exact same warning back at Black Mesa after giving him the test sample that caused the resonance cascade. Eli is physically shaken by the new warning and promises further revelations to Gordon.[17]
While the rocket is being prepared, White Forest comes under attack by Combine forces, namely a dozen Striders escorted by Hunters. Gordon engages and destroys them using experimental explosive charges created by Magnusson. Afterwards, the rocket is launched and successfully closes the superportal. Right after, Eli again warns Gordon about the "cargo" on the Borealis, which he wants destroyed, and they head into a hangar where an old helicopter is being kept. However, just as Gordon and Alyx are about to board the helicopter to find Judith Mossman, two Combine Advisors fly in through a window. Alyx and Gordon watch helplessly as they are restrained by one Advisor, while the other kills Eli with its 'tongue', piercing the back of his skull. Dog hears Alyx's cries and bursts in, injuring the Advisor restraining Alyx and Gordon and causing both to flee. The game ends with Alyx mourning over Eli's body.[17]
[edit] Development
Episode Two was developed simultaneously with Episode One by a development team led by David Spiros. This schedule of simultaneous development aided them in streamlining the story between the two games to create an immersive storyline. The technology used was the same for both games, allowing the development teams to quickly fix any technical problems that might arise from either game; this happened often because of the multi-platform release.[4]
An announcement was made on July 13, 2006 stating that Episode Two would be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in addition to the PC, where previous iterations of the series operated.[1] It was originally rumored that Episode Two would be delayed until 2008. On June 14, 2007, however, Valve confirmed the release date for Episode Two to be October 9, 2007 for all announced platforms. Valve handled the development of the game for the PC and Xbox 360, while Electronic Arts British office in Chertsey worked on the PlayStation 3 version of the game.[2] It was announced on September 7, 2007 that the PlayStation 3 version of the game would be delayed because the development studio behind the game was in the United Kingdom, away from Valve's development team, and therefore lagged behind in its schedule. Valve's marketing director, Doug Lombardi, gave assurance that the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC versions of the game would be identical in functionality and performance.[6]
[edit] Audio
Episode Two's soundtrack was composed by Kelly Bailey, who also composed the music for the Half-Life series' other installments. The music is used sparingly throughout, played primarily during scenes of major plot development or particularly important action sequences, such as an encounter with a new enemy. The soundtrack is included in the Russian edition of The Orange Box and is also sold separately.[18] An audio commentary is also featured, as in Episode One and Lost Coast.[19]
A notable change to the vocal cast is the inclusion of actor Tony Todd as the voice of the Vortigaunts.[20] He replaces Louis Gossett Jr. in the role.[21] Popular film and television actor Adam Baldwin (Angel, Firefly) voices several of the civilian and rebel NPCs, most notably the character who informs the player of the Striders' locations in the penultimate chapter.[20]
[edit] Reception
| Reviews | |
|---|---|
| Publication | Score |
| 1UP.com | 10 of 10[22] |
| Computer and Video Games | 9 of 10[23] |
| Eurogamer | 9 of 10[24] |
| GameSpy | 4 of 5[25] |
| IGN | 9.4 of 10[26] |
| PC Gamer UK | 93%[27] |
| New York Times | 86%[28] |
| Compilations of multiple reviews | |
| Compiler | Score |
| Metacritic | 90%[29] |
| Game Rankings | 90%[30] |
The game had an average score of 90% based on 21 reviews on the review aggregator Game Rankings.[30] On Metacritic, the game had an average score of 90 out of 100, based on 18 reviews.[29]
Dan Adams of IGN rated the game 9.4 out of 10 and praised its improved visuals and expansive environments, but cited the short six-hour length as a drawback.[26] He said: "Any way you look at it, Episode Two stands out, even among the Half-Life series, as something special. He said the game was "a burly experience packed into roughly six hours or so that offers up all the diversity, level design, and thoughtful gameplay we've known while making sure to propel the story forward and leave us wanting more."[26] Bit-tech.net awarded the game a 10 out of 10 score, citing approval of how the story turns and the introduction of side stories and new characters.[14] 1UP.com praised the game, noting that the game's "entire five-hour experience" was "vivid, emotionally engaging, and virtually unsurpassed".[22] PC Gamer UK also applauded Episode Two, noting it "is the most sumptuous chapter of the Half-Life saga, and by a country mile."[27] The New York Times enjoyed the gameplay, saying, "The battles in Episode 2 of Half-Life 2 often require as much ingenuity as they do fast reflexes."[28]
Computer and Video Games commented on the game's graphics, saying that although the game's engine was "starting to look its age", its "wonderful art design and the odd bit of technical spit-shine ensure that Episode Two [...] doesn't lose any of its wow factor." They also noticed that the game "goes about fixing a lot of the niggling complaints we had about Episode One", especially applauding the open forests and rocky hills from Episode Two.[23]
Several reviewers noted shortcomings. The New York Times commented on the story for Episode Two, noting, "While it sows a few seeds for the final episode of the trilogy, the game lacks the driving force of the previous episode."[28] GameSpy criticised the game, saying it is "a little more inconsistent than its predecessors."[25] They also commented that the opening segments of each set piece were "arguably the weakest" parts of the game.[25]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Ocampo, Jason (2006-07-13). The Orange Box. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b Remo, Chris (2007-06-15). Valve confirms Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 launch date. Shacknews. Retrieved on 2007-06-15.
- ^ a b Half-Life 2: Episode Two on Steam. Steam. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b c Bramwell, Tom (2006-06-06). Opening the Valve. Eurogamer. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ Half-Life® 2: Episode Two. Buka. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b Bramwell, Tom (2007-09-07). Valve explains PS3 Orange Box delay. Eurogamer. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ Half-Life 2: The Orange Box. Play.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b c Half-Life 2: Episode One Interview 1. GameSpot (2006-05-30). Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ Simmons, Alex (2006-08-24). GC 2006: New Half-Life 2 Trailer Dissected. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b "Half-Life 2: Episode Two" (August 2006). PC Gamer.
- ^ Goldstein, Hilary (2007-10-09). The Orange Box Review. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ Caron, Frank (2007-11-16). Half-Life 2 game statistics live. Ars Technica. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ Half-Life 2: Episode One: FAQ/Walkthrough. GamersHell. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b c Martin, Joe (2007-10-11). Half-Life 2: Episode Two. bit-tech.net. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b Steam Update. Steam (2007-02-16). Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ Half-Life 2: Episode Two Q&A - Story, Setting, and Technology. GameSpot (2007-04-23). Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b c d e f Half-Life 2: Episode Two Guide. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ The Orange Box Original Soundtrack. Steam. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ Cashon, Jonathan (2007-11-05). 'Half Life 2: Episode Two' entertains as strong sequel. University of South Alabama. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b Half-Life 2: Episode Two. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ Half-Life 2: The Orange Box. Yahoo! Games. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b Elliott, Shawn (2007-10-10). Half-Life 2: Episode 2 (PC). 1UP.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b Review: Half-Life 2: Episode Two. Computer and Video Games (2007-10-10). Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ Reed, Kristan (2007-10-10). Half-Life 2: Episode Two. Eurogamer. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b c Accardo, Sal (2007-10-10). Half-Life 2: Episode Two (PC). GameSpy. Retrieved on 2008-05-12.
- ^ a b c Adams, Dan (2007-10-09). IGN: Half-Life 2: Episode Two Review. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-10-10.
- ^ a b Half-Life 2: Episode Two. PC Gamer UK (2007-10-10). Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b c Herold, Charles (2007-10-25). In 1 Box, 3 New Games Filled With Puzzles and Fights. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-05-12.
- ^ a b Half-Life 2: Episode Two. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
- ^ a b Half-Life 2: Episode Two - PC. Game Rankings. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
[edit] External links
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