Half-Life 2: Episode One

Half-Life 2: Episode One
Studio	Valve Corporation
Publisher	EA Games
Erstveröffent- lichung	Windows June 1, 2006 Xbox 360 October 10, 2007 October 19, 2007 October 25, 2007 PlayStation 3 December 11, 2007 December 14, 2007 December 20, 2007 macOS May 26, 2010 Linux June 9, 2013
platform	Windows , Linux , Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3 , macOS
Game engine	Source Engine
genre	Ego shooter
Game mode	Single player
control	Mouse , keyboard
system advantages preconditions	CPU : 1.2 GHz RAM : 256 MB Graphics card : DirectX 7 compatible 56k modem
medium	DVD-ROM , download
language	German
Current version	1.0
copy protection	Registration key
Age rating	USK PEGI
information	German version cut

Half-Life 2: Episode One is the first part of three planned expansions of the first-person shooter Half-Life 2 . The name of this sequel was originally Half-Life 2: Aftermath and was changed to Half-Life 2: Episode One in February 2006 .

Episode One is standalone, which means that you don't need the original game to play. The game uses many innovations of the source engine, which were already presented in the demo level The Lost Coast . Episode One offers High Dynamic Range Rendering (HDRR) and an extended character animation system. There is also an optional Commentary Mode , with which you can listen to comments from the developers about certain parts of the game. Gabe Newell stated in an interview that the name Half-Life 3 would be more appropriate for this series , but was ultimately not chosen.

action

The sequel, Episode One, follows on from the end of Half-Life 2 . The teleporter's "dark matter reactor" explodes, but Vortigaunts save Alyx and Gordon from being attacked by the G-Man.

Course of the game

• Undue Alarm (No need to panic) - Alyx's robot dog Dog, together with Alyx, frees Gordon, who has been buried by rubble. After Gordon got the Gravity Gun back, the three reached a computer terminal in front of the collapsing citadel, through which Alyx contacted her father Dr. Eli Vance picks up. He asks Alyx to flee as soon as possible, as the core of the citadel will soon explode. Then Dr. Smaller into the conversation. A plan is developed for Alyx to go to the citadel with Gordon to delay the explosion of the core, which could allow more civilians to be evacuated. Then both are supposed to flee City 17 in a train from the citadel . However, entering the citadel seems almost impossible because there is a wide and deep moat between its location and the citadel. Alyx and Gordon get into a wrecked car, which Dog throws with them over the abyss into an opening in the citadel. After their flight and a roller coaster-like crash, Alyx and Gordon land in the middle of the citadel and begin to pave their way to the citadel core, which is made difficult by soldiers of the Combine, stalkers and other obstacles.

• Direct Intervention - Alyx and Gordon arrive at the Citadel Core area. Because of the ionizing radiation , Alyx has to stay in the control room and Gordon alone save the unstable core from exploding. To do this, he has to activate three generators against the resistance of the Combine, each of which shoots a “dark matter beam” into the core and stabilizes it. When Gordon arrives back at Alyx, she finds a hint in the Combine consoles that the Combine intentionally want to destroy the Citadel with a nuclear explosion, which would also destroy City 17 . The core overload is necessary to send a message to the Combine's home dimension: The explosion of the Teleport Reactor in City 17 sent a shock wave through the Combine network, temporarily damaging the reactors of all the other citadels. Thus, all Combine stationed on earth are currently cut off from their dimensions. Apparently ready to sacrifice the citadel for a single message, Alyx makes a copy of it and escapes on a train with Gordon.

• Lowlife (Underground) - The train derails before they can leave City 17 . To reach another train station , they have to fight their way through a multi-storey, underground parking garage , under which the train has derailed. However, in some pitch-dark park teems of headcrabs ( head crabs ), zombies Antlions ( ant-lion ) and the first emerging Zombines (an affected by a Headcrab Combine). In addition to weapons, Alyx and Gordon find a still working elevator in one of the parking decks, which eventually brings them to the surface.

• Urban Flight (Landflucht) - Once there, the two protagonists see a repetitive video sequence by Dr. Smaller. Among other things, this informs people that now would be a good time to save the human race and reproduce, since the inhibitory field that has prevented the formation of proteins required for embryonic development has been deactivated. From this place, Alyx and Gordon fight their way through City 17 to the next train station. In addition to the ant lions, the Combine in particular stand in their way before they meet Barney Calhoun in a small resistance fighter base . It is agreed with him that Gordon and Alyx make their way to the train station separately from Barney and his companions in order to distract the Combine from the civilians.

• Exit 17 (Exit 17) - After paving their way through a gunship- guarded hospital, they meet Barney again at the train station. Together they escort the civilians, divided into groups, to the refugee train. This then leaves with Barney and the citizens of City 17 . Alyx and Gordon stay at the station to distract the Combine from the refugees again. While Alyx calls in a train, Gordon leads a final battle against a couple of Combine soldiers and a strider .

The End

Episode One ends with Alyx and Gordon fleeing City 17 on the train when the citadel's reactor finally explodes. Only seconds before the explosion, the transmission to the combine dimension is sent, while countless spaceships and advisors leave the citadel and swarm in all directions. The last thing the player sees is the shock wave from the exploding citadel that eventually catches up with the train.

characters

In Episode One , all characters from Half-Life 2 are represented. However, you only meet Alyx, Barney and Dog in person. The rest of the people draw attention to themselves indirectly during the game.

In Commentary Mode you learn that this was done deliberately to show the player that everyone, including Lamarr, survived the Citadel explosion without having to be actively involved in the plot. In this way, Episode One and the role of the characters should appear more realistic, since you don't run into every protagonist "by chance". Only with Dr. It remains unclear to Breen whether he is still alive as his video sequence is a recording.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Episode One was composed by Kelly Bailey. Music is used sparingly in the game and is only heard when there are important developments in the background story. Great battles and encounters with new enemies are also highlighted.

1. "Disrupted Original" - 1:18
2. "Combine Advisory" - 1:54
3. "Guard Down" - 1:39
4. "Darkness at Noon" - 0:56
5. "Self Destruction" - 2:00 am
6. "A little elevator music" - 1:18
7. "What Kind of Hospital Is This?" - 3:04
8. "Infraradian" - 4:37
9. "Decay Mode" - 3:06
10. "Penultimatum" - 2:49

filming

The Canadian Purchase Brothers produced the two-part fan adaptation Half-Life: Escape from City 17 . The first part was released in February 2009 and tells parallel to the events of Episode One of the escape of two fighters of the resistance from City 17. The short film , produced with a budget of 500  C $ , was praised by Valve for its high production quality. The second part was published in August 2011.

Web links

• official website
• Half Life 2: Episode One at MobyGames (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One and Half-Life 2: Episode Two Beta Released. In: Steam . Valve Corporation, May 9, 2013, accessed June 26, 2014 . 
2. ↑ eurogamer.net: Opening the Valve (English)
3. ↑ Half-Life: Escape from City 17 - Part One. February 12, 2009, archived from the original on February 20, 2009 ; Retrieved January 3, 2013 . 
4. ↑ Steam News. February 13, 2009, accessed January 3, 2013 . 
5. ↑ Half-Life: Escape from City 17 - Part Two. August 24, 2011, archived from the original on August 27, 2011 ; Retrieved January 3, 2013 .