tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9611352.post3551180444414920839..comments2024-02-19T19:53:01.688-08:00Comments on Cathode Tan: Half Life 2: Episode One, First ImpressionsJoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04260309971152360156noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9611352.post-52219250956422410832007-05-15T07:15:00.000-07:002007-05-15T07:15:00.000-07:00The problem with treating Gordon's silence as a ga...The problem with treating Gordon's silence as a gag, though, is the constant nagging of many that it's some kind of statement of art or breakthrough concept in narration.<BR/><BR/>I would agree the AI doesn't seem bad until you compare your average Combine soldier with the marines from the first game. I remember entering a room, watching three people take cover as one lobbed a grenade at me. That was exciting. That was thrilling.<BR/><BR/>Much of this first part of Ep1 features soldiers just stupidly running to their deaths as they gang rush my uber grav gun. Once - once - I had one actually hide behind a corner. Course, the grav gun is such an easy weapon it didn't really do him any good.<BR/><BR/>If anything - I think this is rather unfortunate. Half-Life 2, Ep 1 is prettier than any of it's counterparts - but it seemed to get a lobotomy in the process. Sure, the animation and cinematics between Alyx and Dog are way impressive - but rather non-interactive.<BR/><BR/>The jumping part, I'll confess, is just Half-Life design. It's a staple of the franchise. I've never liked it, but there it is. And my frustration level may be higher than the norm because jumping "puzzles" are one of my top five pet peeves of game design.Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04260309971152360156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9611352.post-46348225651400681792007-05-15T06:25:00.000-07:002007-05-15T06:25:00.000-07:00I've been trying to think of something helpful to ...I've been trying to think of something helpful to write here, other than "but I loved Episode 1!" And I've got nothing.<BR/><BR/>Honestly, at this point Gordon's silence is a running joke, and it becomes a lot less annoying if you treat it that way. <BR/><BR/>As for the other problems you seem to be having, I guess they didn't bother me because I don't remember them. The only part of the episode that annoyed me was that I didn't figure out at first how to shut down the ant lions, and was trying to fight off way more of them than I should have had to. Once I worked that out, the rest of it just fell into place. I'm actually on my seconod playthrough in occasional bursts, listening to the commentary track.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08947215225025651626noreply@blogger.com