CS-Nation

Covering the future of Counter-Strike
hl2: episode 2 preview
Graphics (cont.)
If I were to fault the graphics of Episode 2 at any point, it would be for what has been a long-standing complaint of the Half-Life 2 series. The textures seem to just lack in detail in some areas. This is most notable on the main characters that are sporting the same garb from the previous two titles in the saga. I could very well be mistaken here. The textures may have received a slight detail upgrade, but from my time spent, I did not notice any significant change.

Additionally, there seems to be some slight issues with the default distance at which the outdoor flora appears. There is some slight “pop-in" of the plant life that is really most noticeable when you're racing across the countryside in your vehicle. However, I did notice it while on foot as well. This “pop-in" seems to be only limited to the plants on the ground, and did not happen with the trees. This isn't a major issue, but it can sometimes pull you out of the immersion and go “oh hey, wait a minute, that was a little odd." I'm sure that shortly after its release, those well versed at the console variables will find a way to push this distance out a ways from the default.

Don't let these two personal nuances bother you too much. Episode 2 is still quite the visual feast for the eyes.

Enemies
I certainly won't bore you with a list of the usual suspects. You know already you'll be facing off against Combine soldiers, and your favorite Headcrab infected buddies. No, Episode 2 brings to light a new enemy that you only caught a few brief glimpses of in Episode 1. I won't expand on that any, but you can take a wild guess as to who I might be talking about, and no, I'm not referencing the G-Man.

A few new additions to the Antlion family decided to join the party in Episode 2. The Antlion grub may not technically be an enemy in the typical sense, as they have no direct attack, but they can cause their older siblings to seek you out should you harm them. The tradeoff being that the destruction of these glowing grubs can act as a one-point health restoration device. It may not sound like much, but there will be many grubs. No health and less fighting, or health and some very ticked off Antlions? It's your choice.

The second of three new Antlion members, is the glow-in-the-dark Antlion Worker. The good news is, well, there is no good news with these guys. They have a tendency to dodge your shots, they retreat and attack you from various angles when you get too close, and that's not even the worst part. These guys can shoot green globs of acid at you from a considerable distance, and it will hurt.

Imagine if the poison Headcrabs from Half-Life 2 were larger, green, and could shoot their poison at you. You now would have some idea as to what these Antlion Workers are all about. Oh, and don't stand too close to them when you kill them, they have a tendency to explode and damage your player. Cute, aren't they? The third member of the extended family will have to remain a mystery.


The little brother of the Strider, the Hunter, makes its debut in a big way in Episode 2. They will hunt you in packs, and you will most certainly feel like you are nothing but prey when these show up on the scene. Shooting explosive darts at you, these will land on anything in their path and explode after a short period of time. They're fast, and they are smart. Get your sprint finger ready, because you will be using it quite a bit as you run away and back pedal from the three-legged foe.

Guns are one way to dispatch of a Hunter, but you will want to make use of everything at your disposal to impede their advance. Everything from tires, to crates, to the vehicle you're driving can and should be used against them. Honestly, outside of boss battles, you may not come across too many battles more exhilarating than when you're faced off against three Hunters out in the wild.

Closing
Really, what more is there to say? It's Half-Life 2: Episode 2. It has Half-Life in the title so you know it's going to be another great experience. Jaws will drop, revelations will occur, and more questions than answers will be raised. Perhaps, even a few heart strings will be tugged on, you'll just have to wait and see.

Just what exactly did I think of it? I can't tell you, at least not just yet. The 10th is just a few short hours away now. Remember, the release will come at 12:01AM (Pacific) or 3:01AM (Eastern). If you're in another time zone, make sure to use this handy time zone conversion tool so you know exactly when you'll be able to play.

Look for the final entry in CS-Nation's look at the Orange Box to come later on the 10th. Now that these previews are out of the way, the review will not be as long in length, but it will give our cumulative score for the Orange Box and the titles contained within it.

    

  

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