Half-Life 2: Episode One review

Way better than The Phantom Menace

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

For the first part of the game, Alyx packs the only weaponry - you have the grav gun - which creates an unusual, co-dependant relationship between the two of you. In one lights-out section she can't see to shoot and you have the only torch, so you're looking after each other in a challenging, dynamic way.

Valve's achievement is in creating a character you can rely on and feel protective about. Whether she's watching your back or you're saving her from zombies, she's so effective that it's easy to forget Alyx is actually electro-brained AI. She's always aware of your actions, and makes great tactical decisions.

Above: The Citadel is super-unstable and ready to go bang in a big way

And you need Alyx, as Episode One really ramps up the action. Fights with combine soldiers are interrupted by marauding antlions, whose nest-holes must be blocked with wrecked vehicles before you turn your attention to a larger myrmidont antlion. There's lots of things to do all at once but, if you're skilled enough, you can turn this to your advantage.

The new zombified combine soldiers are a great example. Stronger than the shuffling corpses you've faced before, these 'zombines' charge at you while holding live grenades: hesitate and you're coffin-stuffing, but a quick flick of the grav gun allows you to pluck the grenade from the zombine's claw.

More info

DescriptionAlyx and Dog return to add chapters to the ongoing saga of super-scientist Gordon Freeman.
Platform"PC","Xbox 360","PS3"
US censor rating"Mature","Mature","Mature"
UK censor rating"16+","16+","16+"
Alternative names"Half-Life II: Episode One"
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
Less

Ben Richardson is a former Staff Writer for Official PlayStation 2 magazine and a former Content Editor of GamesRadar+. In the years since Ben left GR, he has worked as a columnist, communications officer, charity coach, and podcast host – but we still look back to his news stories from time to time, they are a window into a different era of video games.