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The wait for Episode One is finally over, well almost. Perhaps not quite at the level of feverish excitement that a certain Star Wars based Episode One motion picture created, but nevertheless, gamers are still keen to get their hands on the next instalment in the Half-Life universe.
Half-Life 2: Episode One doesn’t require the original Half-Life 2 game to run, and will be available via Valve’s Steam service from June 1. The game will also be released at retail stores on June 2, with EA handling the title. With the announcement of Episode One going gold, Valve has also revealed that the game will come with a first look at Episode Two. Fans will be pleased to hear that the second instalment in the trilogy isn’t far off, and will ship by the end of the year.
“Given the rapid changes in PC gaming, we expect episodic games will have the same impact on single-player gaming that Counter-Strike had on multiplayer,” said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. “The frequent releases of upgraded technology and new content works better for both consumers and developers, and is one of the key reasons Counter-Strike grew to be 80% of the online action market. We decided that a follow-up to Half-Life 2 delivered in 18 months with our first episode was more in tune with what our customers want than waiting 6 years for another monolithic product.“
Expect to get 4-6 hours of gameplay from Episode One’s single player game, plus the bonus of two new multiplayer modes and access via Steam to the Half-Life 2: Lost Coast interactive tech demo.