90
Title: Half-Life 2: Episode Two
Released: October 2007
Official Website
Update History
Steam Game Page
Half-Life 2: Episode Two Walkthrough
Half-Life 2: Episode Two Achievements

Although it arrived a little later than was initially projected (Valve were operating on an optimistic ‘an episode every 6 months’ schedule), Episode Two was nonetheless worth the wait. It took players outside the now levelled metropolis City 17, and into the surrounding countryside; a wild, unregulated forest where the worst excesses of the Black Mesa Incident roam free. It was this terrain that Gordon and Alyx would have to navigate, pursued by the remaining Combine forces, as they attempted to reach the science team with a crucial data packet. The Advisors had awoken from their slumber and, acclimating themselves to Earth’s atmosphere, took the task of restoring communications into their own spindly hands. Humanity may have been granted a reprieve, but the Combine had every intention of keeping it as brief as possible. And then, chances are, they were going to kill everyone.

The arrival in the outland allowed Valve to continue expanding their repertoire. For the journey, a new vehicle was in order: the Dodge. Faster and flashier, this new vehicle was a great improvement on the series’ Airboat and Buggy, both of which were generally considered awkward and cumbersome to use. Large outdoor environments likewise made their appearance for the first time in the series. However, despite an expansion in the space in which players could roam, the game maintained the series’ staple linear level design. To top off these introductions, Valve set a new enemy against us: the Hunter: a versatile and vicious synth, ideal for navigating the countryside in pursuit of its prey.

Episode Two was warmly received and met with critical praise for expanding the series – if albeit timidly within the scope of an ‘episode’ - in new directions.