First off, it doesn't play like an add-on or a mod... nor does it play like a sequel... In fact, it feels a lot like you were forced to stop playing Half-Life 2 for, say, eighteen months, and then were finally given permission to play again. Fortunately, after only a few minutes of starting it up, you’ll be so absorbed in the game that you’ll almost completely forget about that eighteen-month hiatus. As sad and anti-social as it sounds it’s like you're visiting old friends and, similar to previous Half-Life games, in Half-Life 2: Episode 1 you actually feel as if you are re-assuming the role of Gordon Freeman rather just controlling him.

Because the game is so short (four to six hours), I’m not going talk much about any of the game’s major events or story for fear of divulging a crucial, surprising, fun, or otherwise awesome part of the game. Instead I'll try and focus on the feeling of the game and why it's a great piece of software. What I can say - and something pretty much everyone seems to agree on - is that not much is answered in this episode. As Valve have been saying since they announced "Aftermath" (which would later become Episode 1), this portion of the saga serves as a way to build on the relationship between you and Alyx, and it does this with more finesse than any other game I've played. So while the main objective (and as mentioned, the game’s awesomeness) is obvious after the first five minutes, the underlying theme is the relationship between the characters. Like good storytellers, Valve is using the first act to set the stage.

Now even though you're partnered with Alyx the entire game, she is nothing like that useless chick in ICO. Alyx is more of a companion (as in an equal) than a run o'the mill NPC that you feel obliged to escort (read: babysit). If she's not busy holding her own against combine forces, she'll actually be helping you out or interacting with you in very natural ways. Valve must have spent a lot of time thinking about what the players reaction would be to the different in-game scenarios because every time Alyx throws in her two cents they're right on par with (if not precisely) what you're thinking as well. Alyx's wittiness and realism in dialog, movement, and A.I., allows for the NPC co-op dynamic that the game is based on to work extremely well throughout the adventure.

To give you an example; I was making my way through a dimly lit car garage listening attentively for zombies further off in the darkness. After a few moments of calm I heard some unfamiliar grumbling behind me and, thinking it was a new type of enemy, turned with the intention of firing. The glow of my flashlight (and my crosshairs) landed squarely on Alyx, the source of the noise, who then smiled and exclaimed, "Gotcha!" There are instances like this throughout the game (like the introduction of the "Zombine" or when you get your crowbar), which add greatly to the realism - and the humanity - of the story and characters involved. In the middle of unnerving situations, I was actually glad that the cast of recognizable characters was there to back me up (particularly Alyx, but there are others). "Single-Player Co-Op" indeed.

That reminds me - the audio is awesome. Not just the ambient noises, weapon or sound effects, but the music and, even more so, the voice acting are riveting. While rare (although not as infrequent as HL2), when the music plays it fits unbelievably well within the context of the Half-Life universe. The trance-like futuristic sci-fi-esque electronica (which I’ve just trademarked) seems to start up and crescendo at just the right moments to further enhance the drama or action of a given scenario. Not to be out done, the voice acting is clearly a few steps above what I’ve come to expect from even Triple-A titles. It goes without saying that facial animation and lip-syncing are areas of technical prowess for the Source Engine, but these graphical features are truly hammered home by the performance of the voice actors (I think I even saw Lou Gossett Jr. in the credits).

Speaking of facial animation and lip-syncing, it's hard to believe that Half-Life 2 is nearly two years old. Regardless of its age, the Source Engine has held up quite well over time and Half-Life 2: Episode 1 looks as good as, or better than, most other games currently available. That said this isn't the exact same Source Engine that shipped two years ago. Valve took some time to slightly update the engine to better suit Episode 1 (see Half-Life 2: Lost Coast). Probably the biggest new addition is HDR lighting, but some of the more subtle tweaks (like the improved facial and character animation) actually play a larger, more important role due to the co-op dynamic you share with Alyx. Needless to say the improved engine ran great on an X1800, even with the resolution set to 1600x1200 and all graphical quality settings maxed (except for Anti-Aliasing, which I left at 2xAA).

The included developer commentary was one of the biggest shocks to me. Having spent a fair amount of time with Lost Coast, I thought I knew what I would be getting. And while technically I did, insofar that it was the same concept - the developers commenting on various aspects of the game's creation - the commentary in Half-Life 2: Episode 1 is so good that it makes a second play-through almost mandatory. Since the game is so short, this shouldn't be a problem for most gamers either. What makes them so cool is that the commentaries possess the same "I just want to finish the next one" addictiveness as the game's single-player objectives. So much so that when I started the game with commentary enabled, I found it incredibly difficult to stop listening/playing even though it was my second time through in as many days.

Not surprisingly, most of what you see will be vividly familiar to anyone who has played Half-Life 2. City 17 is still City 17, albeit in complete disarray, and no extraordinarily new plot twists are made (although a few are alluded to). However, even though you're using the same weapons (less, in fact) to take down what are essentially the same enemies in nearly the same environments, the pace and timing are tightened up so much that you'll hardly notice, let alone care. Instead you're more concerned about making it to the next goal, solving the next puzzle, or finding out what's around the next corner. Half-Life2: Episode 1's ability to sink its claws into the player, using almost the exact same assets and gameplay formula pioneered by HL2, is proof of the game’s unsurpassed polish.

It's not perfect though; the very essence of episodic content - short but sweet bursts of gaming delivered more frequently than traditional games - will cause some players to shy away from Half-Life 2: Episode 1. Just as you get to a point in the game where it seems some of the more important questions might be answered, the end credits start to roll.

Is it an awesome four to six hours? YES, definitely. But it is only four to six hours... And because it is so amazing, having to wait for the next episode, even if it is only six months away, is quite demanding of Valve.

At the same time - for me anyway - that was also part of this episode’s charm; you and Alyx are put on this urgent quest to get the fu..err..heck out of dodge and there is no time for Q&A. While Valve could have easily made the game longer by adding fluff content or stretching what they had, they decided to keep the game in its purest, action-intense, form. That in itself is a testament to Valve's dedication to making episodic content a more intense (and hopefully a more enjoyable) experience than standard sized games.

A lot of the criticism coming from the community seems to be that "waiting 18 months and spending $20 for only four to six hours wasn't worth it." But I think a lot of these (ungrateful?) people don't realize just how much Valve had to do - and has done - with this release. Half-Life 2: Episode 1 is the first major release of episodic content, and hence it’s the first influential release as well. Sure someone could argue that SiN came out prior, but for those who've played both games the difference in quality and style of gameplay between SiN and Half-Life 2: Episode 1 is glaringly obvious. Basing off of just franchise recognition alone, I’d be willing to bet that even if it was of the same caliber and polish (which it isn’t), SiN couldn't have had as much of an impact on the development of episodic content as Half-Life 2: Episode 1 eventually will. That is to say, in the game development community, the words “Valve”, “Half-Life”, and now “Episode 1”, are synonymous with the term “setting the standard.”

Valve spent a lot of time writing and then re-writing (creating and then re-creating) the game not to fit the mold of episodic content, but to create it. It seems to me that far too many people are being overly critical on the length of the game, rather than focusing on the fact that it's four to six hours of astonishing and addicting interactive entertainment. And if the tentative release timeframe for Episode 2 (fall/holiday 2006) is any indication, now that they've created the mold, new content will be made available much more quickly.

Episode 1 exceeded my expectations, which is not an easy thing to do when you consider the fact that we're talking about a franchise whose prior releases have consistently 'raised the bar' (no pun intended). Objectively, this game deserves an A. I know there are a few people who will be completely turned off by its briefness; however, anyone who ostracizes this game for being too short is incredibly naive. Episodic content might take some getting used to, but once it’s embraced for what it is, I think it will become incredibly popular. Half-Life 2: Episode 1 is the perfect example for demonstrating that the concept has great potential.

For any self-respecting gamer who enjoyed Half-Life and/or Half-Life 2, there should be nothing stopping you from picking up Half-Life 2: Episode 1. For those of you still on the fence, all I can say is between the incredibly tight pacing and the almost mandatory second run through with the developer commentary, it is absolutely worth the price of admission.