Half-Life 2: Episode One First Look

Ever thought of what the most engrossing video game would be like? Ever tried to imagine what elements this best-selling, maniacally addictive title would have to incorporate? Well, I have given this very thing some thought and eventually concluded the new game would have to be a cross between Half-Life 2, The Sims 2, Silent Hill, and Tetris. I am sure that any game bold enough to combine the elements from the mentioned titles would be an instant hit. Picture this: Gordon would be running around like a maniac with a green diamond-shaped icon above his head. His icon would turn yellow and eventually red if you didn't feed him or change his bandages often enough. Gordon would have to catch ant-lions and feast on their meat in order to survive. It could get bloody from there on, so we could also introduce some Silent Hill elements in order to spice it up a bit. So Gordon could wield a gravity shovel for example, and in order to reach a specific area in the game he would have to slide down the hole.

Of course, from time to time, you would need to treat him to a shower or a nice soak in the tub, and you could send him hurtling through the streets of City 17, buck naked. You would never get tired of this, especially after you've downloaded some neat new skins for Gordon, even the one that allows you to see his naked, non-pixilated butt (No thanks -Ed). If he weren't satisfied with his environment, you would have to buy him a new suit, preferably something with a lot of leather (or spandex), otherwise he would start screaming in that unpleasant, high-pitched voice. Yes, Gordon shrieks rather than talks, especially when he's wildly excited. You realize now of course why he was never allowed to speak.

Having said all this, I really cannot see how Tetris fits in the whole story, but I definitely had a brilliant idea of how to make it work. It's only I've forgotten it in the meantime. This is too bad, because my brilliant game that would forever change the history of gaming will never see the light of day. But the add on for Half Life 2, Aftermath will, so although Gordon won't be able to take a bubble bath or a nap on his new comfy pink couch, this is definitely good news. What's even better is that Valve commenced the work on the new expansion as soon as the work on HL2 was finished. (That PR line sounds vaguely familiar. -Ed) The interesting thing is that Valve's first expansion to their best-selling title Half-Life 2 will be available via their Steam broadband service for a while before it hits retail. I'm not sure what Vivendi's position is on this matter, but I'll bet you $20 bucks they don't like it much.

Half-Life 2: Episode One will follow the plot of the original. The game takes place in the grim surroundings of City 17, which is supposed to undergo certain changes in this episode. The biggest change may be the fact that you've dealt critical damage to the Citadel. It is now going to launch into space, leaving the city to face its impending doom in one big bang (several big bangs would be more probable), and it's vital you take your silly old spectacled head out of the whole mess and live to tell the tale. As the expansion takes place after the events in HL2, you will be forced to fight against the creatures that were blocked from entering the city. Of course, Alyx Vance will be there to assist you in your effort to escape the city, together with her faithful robot, Dog.

Organizing a full-scale city evacuation is rather stressful, so I guess you'll need to find something that will help old Gordo relax, preferably with your charming assistant, Alyx. Hell, if this was The Sims, Gordon would finally get lucky, but I'm afraid we'll be seeing none of that in the Aftermath. Aftermath is all about killing mutilated scum and that sort of thing and it's obviously not intended for horny people such as myself. No rest for the horny - I will eventually make my HL/Sims crossover, just you wait and see (Cue the EA lawyers -Ed).

In the meantime, Valve's programmers are striving to improve Gordon's social life by giving other characters more screen time. Feeling that the personality of Alyx was somehow underdeveloped, they intend to make her more complex in the expansion, insisting on the importance of her role in the game, as well as the importance of her 'professional' relationship with Gordon. She will of course need to be well prepared for the hell that awaits her, meaning she will be granted with a number of special moves, the purpose of which would be to prolong her life expectation.

With the Citadel erupting and City 17 going up in flames, there's hardly anything better for improving your social relations than a large-scale disaster. Due to the fact that the situation's gone from bad to worse (meaning you are in dire need to find a ride out of the city before all hell breaks lose), you may discover some things are different in the Aftermath. Such as your possible relation with the Combine soldiers who may feel betrayed, and other creatures that appear in the game. The details are, however, very scarce at the moment, so we can only speculate about your possible friends and allies in the expansion. It is still unclear if the mutilated Stalkers will tend to bite your head off, or simply invite you over for a cup of coffee (or rather, blood and plasma). It is also unclear if the physics gun will be available in the game.

Robin Walker and writer Marc Laidlaw weren't eager to discuss the details, but instead they said a few words about 'design economy' that Valve considered to be so important. "How economically do we use each game element? How well is an object in the game connected to all the others? The heart of the game design is making those connections, and making them more interesting. By the end of Half-Life 2, we could see them very well and understood how they work. The better you understand those connections, the better you are at processing new gameplay. Can I sit today with five other people, and create a new level using the elements we already have?" While Valve may be using the same tools for creating the expansion, and while settings and game mechanics may be similar to what we've seen in HL2, the gaming experience may differ considerably thanks to the newly developed situation, which is the result of your actions in HL2. Giving other characters more room to 'grow' may also have a significant impact on the way the expansion develops, but it's way too early to speculate on that still.

The release date of Aftermath isn't set yet, but we are told to expect it later this summer. You're skeptical? Don't be. Robin Walker said they're really good at making Half-Life right now, so maybe the wait for the first HL2 expansion won't be as frustrating as what we're used to. (Let's hope so -Ed)