Half Life 2 - Episode One

Total success for some, title largely overestimated for others, Half-Life 2 leaves few really indifferent players and it should be the same about it of this One Episode as one has, first of all, of the evil to encircle. Not really a continuation, not really an extension, this new title of Valve does not require the original play to function and, as its name indicates it unambiguous, it inaugurates a delivery system by episodes which one can download directly since Steam or buy in the trade on a DVD distributed by Electronic Arts…

Impossible to speak about this One Episode without completion to then waste the end of Half-Life 2 before continuing this article, I hope that you already finished the famous title of Valve left in November 2004… The end of this one proceeded more or less at the top of imposing Citadelle of Doctor Breen and if the plans of the latter seemed thwarted, we did not know what it occurred of our heroes, Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance. To be completely honest, Episode One finally does not bring of true answers and it begins whereas Alyx and Chien, its “robot of company”, excavate the debris in the search of Gordon… to the foot of the Citadel. Such an amount of worse for the explanations, we do not have in any event took time to think of it since a message of Doctor Steiner explains us why the zone is particularly dangerous: the core inside the Citadel threatens to explode and carry all the town of City 17 with him.

The first mission of our accomplices is thus to turn over inside the Citadel in order to restore the protective system of the core. That will not prevent its explosion, but must make it possible to gain sufficient time to flee the city. Accustomed of Half-Life 2 will not be dépaysés since there is in fact strictly nothing again, side player, in this One Episode. The possible actions are identical, the weapons also and if the progression of the scenario is obviously different, one remains in the same spirit of alternation puzzles. The latter are always very simple, but it will be regretted all the same that they are generally copied on those of Half-Life 2.

This classicism compared to Half-life 2 is at the same time the force and the weakness of One Episode. Weakness! of course, because throughout the part, one has this terrible feeling of already considering. The decorations are identical so that we know already, the adversaries are for the majority of old knowledge and the “boss of end of level” is hardly more surprising. But it is also about the force of the play, because there is immediately really the impression to find Gordon Freeman where it had been left. Valve did not try to mislead us on the goods and for the bazaar which one has foutu in the Citadel of Doctor Breen, it is now necessary to find a means of fleeing City 17. That passes, as we said, by a turning via the Citadel, that continues by the cleaning of an infested car park of ant-lions and with a sequence that the survival-horror would not disavow where it should be joined an elevator whereas the zombies attack everywhere.

Without revealing the contents of only the six chapters of this One Episode, it is important to announce that the beginning is undoubtedly the least interesting. It is also necessary to speak about these some continuations in the streets of City 17 or these sequences during which it is necessary to escort some civilians. The unit is always very rate, very dynamic so much and so that the player time does not see to pass… or rather if, he sees it passing since after only five hours of play, last kinematics appears and with her a rapid presentation of what will be the Two Episode. Although there exist three levels of difficulty and that the occasional player will have some more probably for eight hours, that remains very short and frustration will undoubtedly be read on many faces.

If Episode One constitutes a sympathetic nerve extension, Valve was not tired and we would have liked to find some new creatures. The only innovations of the “bestiary” are at the level of the alive ones which are seen supplementing by the zombies “combine”: large strapping men resisting the balls well themselves with a grenade. It would have been also liked that Valve innovates on the side of the gun antigravity rather than to serve again us of the “puzzles” which function always as well, but which feels heated. Lastly, on the side of the technique, Valve was satisfied to exploit the HDR for one returned of quality, but sometimes too luminous. That does not waste however an effective realization which proves to us that the Engine Source, in spite of its limitations in term of depth of field, is capable of beautiful things. Special mention for the band, always of good level, and French doubling, convincing: the amateurs of VO will appreciate that Steam makes it possible to choose one or the other of the versions.

Ultimately, Half-Life 2: Episode One is exactly it for what one had to expect: without real genius, but in very serious manner, Valve gives following the adventure begun in November 2004. It is not necessary to have Half-Life 2 to play this opus, but it is highly advised to have finished it in order to know the main characters and to better appreciate the history. This history precisely lack a little plume and innovations, but the essential ingredients are there and it is necessary to be particularly demanding to be bored during the five hours of adventure suggested by the team of Gabe Newell. In spite of the presence of the module of network game “deathmatch”, the lifespan is obviously the large weak point of a title which costs however only 25 dollars and is thus in the current average of the FPS.

Need For Speed Pro Street: the crash landing with the honor

According to with ease the soft technological slope, new the opus of Need For Speed dissociates very singularly its predecessors grace in particular to his simulation mixture/arcade far from displeasing, quite to the contrary.

Often accustomed to know videoludic continuations explicitly directed towards horizons of accessibility, the players will be this pilot time of an incomparable care touching in a direct way the gameplay to come to readjust realism present in Need For Speed: Pro Street.

That implies that the various cars present will have the good taste to be respectful true life, it will be the same on the level for the physical aspect and mechanics. Having been able to spend not less than two hours on the play, I acknowledge today to issue some technological reserves in margin of my conceptual satisfactions.

This realism will affect the final size of the play since it will not be any more question of evolving/moving in an opened city, but only through closed circuits and one cannot organized any more. As always, the player will have to climb the levels of Street Racing by gaining numbers of tests automobile.

A return to the sources

The principal innovations come from the destructibility of the vehicles as of the influence of the mechanical modifications which carry out an impressive return. Visual realism will be also of the part since he meets in any point the current technological standards.

For the time being, not less than sixty vehicles are officially integrated among which only eight supercars appear which are as example Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 and other Pagani Zonda F, the remainder being quite simply devoted to the spirit of Street Racing drawing started from changeable and extremely flexible cars.

Need for Speed Pro Street coming out in November 22, 2007 for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, DS, and in December 15 for Wii and to finish in the first quarter 2008 on PSP.

Driver - Parallel Lines Review

Such Tomb Raider, the series of the Driver knew to be dissociated as of its exit before being seen catching up with by a latent stagnation of which largest can themselves suffer. The third episode was particularly pointed out by its service in half-tone, fact whose developers are well-informed logically.

At the beginning, Driver stressed the police control and continuations. Under the pressure of a stop watch, the player saw himself in the constraint to arrive in time and in hour with go fixed under penalty of having to start again the mission in question.

From the third opus, many phases with foot were put at contribution as a diversification. These phases had all the same the merit to exist and fill our merry afternoon of play.

Left more than one year ago, the play met a success in half-tone due in major part to its poor diversity. Far from imitating the references, Driver on the matter: Parallel Lines is satisfied to get a thin handle of secondary missions to us whose finality remains more than debatable.

One year after its exit, the developer had the reflex all the same to adapt it on the PC and other Nintendo Wii so can be to prepare its future peacefully. Under cover of handing-over on level, the concept does not remain unchanged even identical about it.

One will incarnate a young person and ambitious racing driver of the name of “The Kid”. Not very conscious of its potential, this last will be satisfied to propose its services with the shades of second zone before seeing true professionals of the organized crime.

From there, its destiny literally will change and lead it to the top of its art. In search of money and recognition, our hero will gather around an old band of shades whose objective is to pile up a maximum of money through a ransom.

The play is divided into two great parts separated by one period from imprisonment 28 years, period during which our hero thoroughly will prepare his revenge. With the orders of various and varied racing cars, we will have to achieve a broad active panel of missions of the simple track race to the flight of car while passing by the convoying.

That means our statute of criminal will lead us to make use of weapons with fire and explosives in any kind. Handy and precise, the weapons can be shown and be made hear while at the same time they occupy only one shy person left the game play.

It will then be necessary to be general-purpose and effective in our destroying tasks worthy of Rambo. To track, destroy or protect will be our principal occupations in margin of our automobile activities.

Motor bikes are also available and playable, unfortunately these last are shown often delicate to control. The fall is often synonymous with defeat during the track races, but during my periods of transit that does not pose any problem. It is also possible of customizer our vehicles through specialized garages.

Finer than its predecessor, Driver: Parallel Lines knew to benefit from this long time and to make bear fruit its knowledge to make. One finds oneself with final with a play optimized and free from major faults. Nevertheless, it does not manage to join the demanding one normalized imposed by the current plays PC which are to tell the truth richer and varied in terms of textures.

Equipped one lifespan estimated between 8 and 10 hours, without counting the secondary missions, the play offers feelings to us which one lived many times. Waited a long time by the fans, this fourth opus draws some overall well and this in spite of the few defects technique. A return to half succeeded for a series which played in theory like in practice with the Russian roulette.