Tuesday 29 January, 2008

I just finished this episode last night and I am very pleased. Without spoiling anything I must say that this episode really beats the socks off Episode 1 and in some ways it's better than Half-Life 2.

Apart from all the really neat encounters, places, and gameplay, I think that one of the reasons I feel most satisfied with Episode 2 is that it I feel that it achieves a certain sense of closure. Yes, Episode 3 is clearly set up, but I feel that the ending of Episode 2 was positive and fulfilling. Something important was achieved and you don't feel cheated out of that victory like I had in prior episodes.

On another note, this episode goes against convention in many ways, which was refreshing. For example, there's a bit where you have to take out a dropship. Immediately I began looking around for the rocket launcher (and ammo). Big enemy = biggest weapon is the standard rule. However, in this area there was no rocket launcher ammo! So, something else had to be done. Nice way to mix it up and go against the grain (even if it is the grain that you have established yourself in prior episodes!). Also, no more annoying physics puzzles!

I don't remember destroying a dropship - do you mean the crashed ship with a strider?

No, the ship (gunship?) that you have to take out by lobbing the mines it drops back at it.

Oh, the Hunter-Chopper fight! (That's what they called 'em in Half-Life - in Ep. 2 they just say "chopper," presumably so you don't confuse it with the Hunters) Man, those don't even look like dropships. Also, you referred to rocket launcher ammo like you had the launcher and needed ammo, but you don't even get the launcher until after the chopper fight (and it's optional, to boot - in fact, I don't think I ever used it even though I picked it up.)

Did you get Puttin' On a Clinic? I missed that one, but I did get Neighborhood Watch.

Oh, I guess I should be more precise with the names of the different enemies. The truth is that I don't really pay that much attention to them. I don't think I used the rocket launcher either, now that I think about it. :-)

As for the achievements, I haven't checked in a while so I don't really know. Also, I've been playing with Steam in offline mode and you need to turn it back on in order to check and update the achievements. I definitely did not get the achievements you mention though.. :-(