The Bottom Line: I'm only giving this a 5/5 because its Half-Life 2. It does offer few new things but it is definetly worth a play for any FPS or HL2 fan.

When Half Life 2 originally came out I remember how amazing everything about it was, from the graphics and sound down to the core gameplay and physics engine. After finishing HL2 I craved more. Thankfully we don't have to wait 5 years for another installment. Now we wait 2 years for one "episode" and 6 months for the next. This is my first dive into episodic content and I have mixed feelings about it after Episode 1. My main complaints are that theres only a few incremental upgrades to the source engine, not a big addition of features, and its just plain to short.

The story continues off of HL2 obviously and I made sure I finished Half Life 2 (again) before playing Episode 1 to keep up with and remember the story. The beginning sequence shows (SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T FINISHED HALF-LIFE 2) the end of HL2 where you (Mr. Freeman) and Alyx right before the explosion at the citadel. The Vortagons warp in like the G-man does and takes both of you away. When you wake up D0g finds you below some rubble. You soon find out that Alyx and Freeman must get into the citadel to delay the explosion to save more people (END SPOILERS). Just like HL2 the story is compelling and well-paced throught it's whole duration. Unfortunetly its much, much shorter. The average length is 5 hours but most people can beat it in 3-4. However, the developer commentary, that was first introduced in the "Lost Coast" level through Steam, comes back. This gives you another reason to replay the game. It's interesting to find out what the developers went through to create the experience as you play the game. Theres also a teaser for Episode 2 after you beat the game.

Graphically, Episode 1 looks very much like HL2. Thats not bad at all, but HL2 did come out holiday of 2004. The source engine has been tweeked and some parts look better but nothing like a jump from HL1 to HL2. The things added include the HDR lighting, which looks real nice when light hits Alyx from different angles since you play by her side almost the whole game, and the facial expressions, which can be seen on Alyx obviously. Most of the characters return in some way or another to give you an idea of what else is going on, but its mainly you and Alyx the whole game. This very much shows you Alyx's personality and portrays it in different and funny ways. One part I remember is when she starts screaming like a zombie and I thought it really was one so I looked behind me and it was Alyx. The she said "scared ya, didn't I" or something along those lines. It was a pretty funny moment, and theres several of those (especially with D0g, despite his brief apperence) along with more serious ones. Just like HL2, the voice overs and in-game sound is all spot-on. Personally, I love the "theme" song of Episode 1 along with the rest of the music.

Gameplay-wise theres not much addition. Off the top of my head I can't really think of anything. Theres no new weapons or "moves" you can preform. But if your buying this game your probably not looking for a whole new experience. The gameplay is still fun and exciting, the story still has a great pace and adds on to HL2, and the overall experience still leaves a lasting impact on you. I don't know if I can say that this game would be worth 20 bucks, but I bought it on sale for $7.99 and that was worth it. It comes with HL2 deathmatch and HL1 deathmatch (one of which I already have). But, like I said before, if your looking into this its probably not for whole new game, but a continuation on one of the best games ever made.