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.
