T
his month we got to sample the first installment of what probably should
have been called Half-Life 3. Though Episode One lacks the overall
emotional impact of a 15-hour game, it’s a fantastic, inventive shooter that’s
awesome from start to finish—albeit a little shorter than we’d like.
The episode begins right where Half-Life 2 left off—you’re in the
Combine citadel in mortal peril. In a true deus ex machina, you and Alyx are
miraculously rescued, and must escape from the crumbling City 17. The
next five hours are a whirlwind of puzzle-solving, co-op combat with Alyx,
and incredible battles that are as memorable as they are difficult.
The variety of new experiences in the game is splendid. The physics
puzzles are much more fun and challenging this time around, and the fight-
ing is as harried as ever, with several boss battles that are as explosive
as a Michael Bay movie. The big focus this time around, however, is the
interaction with Alyx, which Valve got just right. You’re with her for 90 per-
cent of Episode One, and she’s never a bother. In fact, she’s very helpful in
combat, a reassuring presence (Valve’s commentary track notes her role in
praising the player), and has terrific dialogue that made us laugh out loud
a few times. She’s a genuine pleasure to be around, and in no way reminds
us that we “can’t leave without our buddy SuperFly,” which is a significant
achievement in FPS gaming.
The weapons are the same as in Half-Life 2, which is disappointing.
Worse, there’s only one new enemy—the Zombine—which is just a zombie
Combine soldier. We were expecting at least a few new baddies, and maybe
a new weapon or two.There’s still plenty of goodness to experience here, however, and even
though it’s “just” more Half-Life 2, we’re OK with that, because Half-Life 2
is pure FPS awesomeness. Episode One represents quality over
quantity. While we would have
loved more, we were satisfied
with what we got for our $20.
—JOSH NOREMM
edieval and fantasy MMORPGs are a dime a dozen these days, but
not everyone is into wizards, orcs, and dragons. So along comes
Auto Assault: an online MMO that breaks with the standard fantasy fare in
favor of action-packed, post-apocalyptic car racing. It’s an atypical MMO
designed for people who don’t enjoy the life-sucking time requirements of
RPGs and, frankly, just want to blow stuff up. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
You begin your adventure by allying yourself with one of three factions.
Each faction offers four player classes: There’s a combat-oriented comman-
do, a healing-centric engineer, a support class, and a stealthy agent. This
lack of diversity in character customization is disappointing—we like to be
able to distinguish our characters from the others in MMO games.
You don’t have to pay attention to the game’s backstory to have fun;
just pick up missions wherever you like and drive around the massive
game world destroying baddies and collecting loot to your heart’s content.
Most missions involve destroying targets, collecting items, or scouting new
areas. A helpful waypoint system and mini map prevent you from getting
lost, and are especially welcome later on in the game when you have to
drive long distances. Battling with NPCs makes for fast and furious fun. The
combination of fast-paced driving, shooting, and destruction-derby-style
carnage makes combat more than just a point-and-click affair. And there’s
no punishment if you die, so you’re encouraged to go nuts.
Leveling up and finding new items is supposed to keep you coming back
to the game. New weapons, armor, and power-ups can be acquired from
quests, but eventually you have to rebuild and repair your car with compo-nents found around the game world. It can be difficult, however, to find other
players who you can team up or trade with. While a dearth of players adds
to the barren atmosphere of this game’s desolate world, it belies the game’s
“massively multiplayer” status, and could ultimately be the kiss
of death if subscriptions don’t
increase significantly.
—NORMAN CHANAuto Assault
A bit too simple, with too few players
90 MA XIMUMPC SEPTEMBER 2006
reviewsTESTED. REVIEWED. VERDICTIZED
In Episode One you often have to depend on Alyx to help you in
combat. Here we see her line up a sniper shot on these brain-
munching zombies. Boom! Headshot!Most game-world objects can be destroyed, so you can run over
anything (and anyone) that gets in your way.AUTO ASSAULT
$50, http://www.autoassault.com,
ERSB: THalf-Life 2: Episode One
The best FPS of all time just keeps getting better
HALF-LIFE 2: EPISODE ONE
$20, http://www.half-life2.com,
ESRB: M9
MA XIMUMPC
KICKASS