Half-Life 2: Episode Pack: Windows

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I can play them on, but I haven't had any major problems with Steam yet. It's something you should be aware of though if you're buying any PC versions of Half-Life games; you are required to "activate" them online at installation or you aren't able to play. It also appears that, for this particular set, the games must be fully downloaded from Steam when you insert this disc, rather than installing from there and simply patching, which would be much faster. If the idea of Steam bothers you, get a console version of the Orange Box if that's available to you.

Now, onto the episodes themselves... they're fantastic! Episode One picks up right at the "OMG what happens next!?" ending of the original and lays the foundation for an interesting new story arc. This episode features some slightly improved graphics and great facial animation, and manages to retain most of the orignal flavor of the original with some excellent story-telling scenes and action. The entire voice cast (of the characters still alive) makes a return too.

Unfortunately, while great, I didn't feel that Episode One lived up to it's predecessor. It was short and way too easy. There was also a point in the game where you are required to escort groups of citizens across a hot zone to a train station. I found this to be the worst part of the game since it required you to backtrack several times (something the original never required) and escort 2 or 3 citizens at a time. Plus, the boss battle at the end was just like a certain battle toward the end of the original HL2, except you're only fighting one (instead of like 5 at once) and there's plenty of cover (also unlike earlier), so I found it to be a real breeze and a poor choice for a final boss fight. I loved the character development Alyx underwent in this episode however, and I love the little details the game presents, like Alyx squinting and covering her eyes with her hand if you shine your flashlight in her face. Things like that go a long way to add a realistic feel to the experience.

I hate to use the term "epic," but it's really the only way to describe the next episode. Ep. 2 is a departure from the previous HL2 games as it doesn't take place in City 17 at all. You'll visit lots of places you've not seen before, like an antlion den, a mine, and a forest. I've heard some people complain that this episode doesn't contain the feel of the previous installments, but I found the change welcome and exciting. At the beginning of this episode and throughout, this episode further develops your female sidekick Alyx as a character and gets you more attached to her. IMHO, Alyx is the best female lead character I've ever seen in a video game. By this point in the series, I actually CARED what happened to her, so when she went though a couple of terrible experiences, I felt sorrow, anger, remorse, etc. Pretty amazing that somebody can make you care for something that doesn't really exist! The ending was amazing too; it'll really make you want to get Ep. 3 the day it comes out.

So in other words, if you played HL2 and enjoyed it, these episodes are successful at extending the excitement. You'll really be missing out on a great gaming experience if you pass these games by.

Half-Life 2: Episode Pack: Windows

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a bit fatigued at the end and kind of glad I was done. I didn't feel that way with HL2 or HL2:EP1.

The story in episode two is developed significantly, but don't expect any real revelations to be handed out -- I guess everything will be answered in episode three. What is developed in episode two seems largely to be just an extension of episode one, and I do wonder how exactly they are going to wrap up this giant mess of plots and sub-plots in a five hour episode. Perhaps it will be a lot longer. The fact that I will have to wait probably another 18-24 months to see it is a real disappointment.

Graphics-wise, the game looks pretty good, but I do think it's starting to show its age. Compared to Crysis, Bioshock and others, HL2: Ep 2 is a step down. Sound and controls are all the usual you expect in a Half-Life story: decent but not amazing.

So, overall it's a fun episode but I played it, finished it and now it's forgotten. I suppose in summary I'll say that I've played HL2 and HL2: Ep1 three times through and enjoyed them both each time. When I play them all again, I will probably stop and think twice about whether to play Ep2 through again.

If you do not have episode one, but you do have the original half-life two, then this pack should be a must-buy and I'd raise the number of stars to 4, or even 5. But, if you're like me and you have Ep1, I put it at 3 stars overall (and it would have been 3 1/2 if amazon did half stars).

Half-Life 2: Episode Pack: Windows

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will probably be OK, but for those with dial-up this is to be avoided.