Much better than the first episode and that is saying a lot, considering this is an expansion it provides a lot of content and if you are a fan of the original you already own and beat this haha, but if you are not consider getting the original and both addons, you won't regret it.

Great game! But too short for money!

Really quite saddened by how this game turned out. The latter portion was incredibly boring, and the story seemed to drag. This was quite the shame as Episode 1 was very entertaining.

Everything I have come to expect from Valve, repetitive puzzles, similar action sequences throughout, and BY GOD DO I LOVE IT!

Like all HL series... Awesome!

That's the best game I have ever played!

THE BEST GAME EVER!!!! Seriously, it's kind of short, but the gameplay is excellent, the story is amazing, and the characters are incredibly believable. I know I became more attached to them than I should have, but I felt like crying when Eli was killed, that's how involving this game is.

The gameplay and story pick up in this one, but carrying that stupid gnome through the whole game is a bugger. Still, it's a good game in its own merit, with great level design as usual. Worth playing even if you haven't played HL2 or Ep. 1.

As awesome as ever...my only gripe is the tease where you think you're going to get to fly a chopper and then they kill off a major character! Grrrrrrrr. But great action, and I love that you get to drive a pieced-together old muscle car, and jump it across a chasm. Nice. Excellent combat as always, great physics and AI, and the plot just continues to get more interesting.

Excellent story-telling, game-making, technological achievement in entertainment.

I would give it 9.5 but I'm unable to set it there. The game continues the saga wonderfully, is a little short but for those who say "it's too similar", it actually is improved: the AI, flashlight, breaking buildings, certain render features, etc. It isn't as groundbreaking as some games are soon likely to be, but it does what it's made to do very well.

Visually stunning, the source engine continues to evolve and provides wonderful scenery and backdrops as you race to save earth with the iminant portal always looming in the background. The open areas are a real treat and makes you want to jump out and explore all the niches and crevices as u drive along. Episode 2 definately brings back the impact half life 2 originally had, lots of neat puzzles, intense fights, great AI and important progress in the wonderful story that is Half life. I'd definately play this through again, there was enough new 'stuff' to entertain the creative but intact is what Gordon Freeman is all about, blasting zombies, bugs and rising up against all odds. Episode one was good, Episode 2 will have you craving for more. Least to say, it was worth the wait. Definate two thumbs up, great job Valve.… Expand

Episode 1 was disappointing because it added nothing new to the HL2 series. It was boring, linear and 4 hours long and really added nothing. Episode 2 however...my god...this is what I'm talking about. Episode 2 adds new outdoor environments, enemies and a cinematic story and REALLY feels like an addition to the series because it feels fresh and adds new things not seen in HL2 & Episode 1. When we played HL2 4 years ago, we were amazed at how fresh the game was, never having played anything like it before. Episode 2 feels the same. It's great fun and you won't want to stop playing until you've finished (unlike Episode 1). Graphical improvements have also been added and the environments just look amazing. It's also twice as long as Episode 1 (about 7-8 hours). This game truly feels polished today, just like HL2 did in 2004. Episode 1 however does not which feels like the same HL2 from 2004.… Expand

It's just the best part of the Half-Life series. Great experience, original gameplay, better dialogs and characters. I loved it all.

First of all I am not a valve fanboy, and outragous rating of this game thouraly angered me. The half life series has to be one of the most origanal and different ever to be created. The story line completely took me in, the visual effect leaps out at you like no other game. Valve has no been repetitive with the half life series, Valve is a gaming company that is not afraid to differ from the happy little feel good games such as call of duty! And I'm sorry mr. Hlep U but frankly all of the games in theorange box were utterly brilliant! Portal made you think beyond the level of other puzzle games. If you want something a little different and fun then where else to look but team fortress 2, it offers a fun experiense with a feel good cartoony style, and i'm sure you already know about the outright brilliance of hl2 and it's succesers! And I'm sorry if I right now am sounding like a Valve spokesman, but the only way the orange box could have possibly made any better a deal was if they had included left 4 dead.… Expand

This game is Great the combat feels fresh even tho its an old game and it makes you think on your feet. my only problem is some of the bits get a bit repetitive like killing the Hunters and Striders outside white forest, apart from this i have no problem with this game and its worth buying. :)

I liked HL2 and EP 1 but EP 2 is one of the best FPS I've ever seen...

Game won't run. Keep getting 'You do not have permissions to run HL2' and can't get it to work at all. All in all the experience has left me annoyed and out of pocket. A complete waste of time and money.

It would be a ten if it weren't for the fact that certain things seem ripped off. The "Striders" look like the things from "War of the Worlds", the aliens use humans to build their army, kind of like "Quake". Everything other than that was amazing though.

Has the experience for gamers to play.

Really loved the story line, even liked it more that zombies weren't the the most npc's that gave you trouble. I'll give it an 10 for story line and that alyx is with you 80% of the game instead you doing everything alone.

An excellent chapter of the half life saga, well told and acted; as well as offering loads of eye candy. my advice would be to wait with playing until closer to episode 3, or you'll be hungering for more.

It sticks to the true story and form of the original. Game flows smoothly and action is alway awaiting around the corner. Just as good as the original.

This is even better and better, will there be a Epesode 3 THEN I WILL PLAY :D

Much better than ep1 (only because ep1 can be completed in 2- 30 minutes). Though this game's ending was left completely open (for ep3) it takes quite a bit longer to complete. Graphics are amazing (especially the car scenes through the forest) Definitely worth he money! I actually didn't feel bad for buying this episode.. Nice challenging tasks ... YOU'LL LOVE IT!!!!

It's a little bit on the "more of the same" side but very much worth it.

Excellent continuation of the story with new challenges not seen in the previous episodes.

If you've played half-life2, much of this plays like a re-run. I thought way too much has been done in the previous games, and was just recycled here. I give it an 8 for the characters, both major and minor, and the visual and audial quality.

Great continuation of the epic storyline against the combine. Graphics and gameplay are a tad outdated though but still pretty to look at.

Awesome as usual. Cant wait to the next part. The Episodes are so short. Too short. Bigger please. Only thing that sucked was the ORGANGE BOX Package. Buy the whole game again. 2 copies. Great thoe for new player. Great package.

I don't know, how Episode Three will look like, but I do know, that Half-Life 2: Ep 2 is showing the best gameplay in all of FPS (Not counting HL2 & Ep 1, because evolution of the series started with superior game).

They improved so much from half life 2 , graphics are awsome.. the only disadvantage is that the start is really slow and long.. and really got bored killing antilions for 2 hours.

I'm sure the game is impressive - gameplay, storyline and characters are excellent. The only thing to worry about is graphics. The game was released in October 2007, but it doesn't support DX10 features or full dynamic shadows and detail level is very low... I know many gamers think graphics in this game isn't so important as gameplay, for example, but I think Source engine needs a serious modernization. P.S. Sorry for my English because I'm from Russia.… Expand

Good game, nice graphics, only... it's a litle bit short for it's price. Perhaps, give less attention to the graphic layout (because it's very good now!) and give more attention to make the game longer. Looking forward for episode 3.

I would first like to say that half of the User Reviews don't even make sense, let alone give you a decent reason for why they rated the game as such. I will refer you first to Danny G who rated the game a 1. It seem he hated this esp, WTF is a esp? Probably short for episode but the individual is too stupid to realize the "p" is before the "s" in episode. I hope nobody continued reading his review after that unless they were trying to get a laugh out of it. The second I would like to note is Philip B. He rated the game a zero because operating system didn't grant him the permission to run executable. Please don't abuse the game rating system because you can't play it. Personally I gave the game a 9. It had everything I could want in good FPS. The story line was amazing and continued an arc that seems to keep the mystery of what is going on alive, well progressing itself in an interesting manner. The graphics continue to amaze and delight me and the physics compliment it nicely. The only two things I have against this game is difficulty and length of play. Since everyone already knows that these are episodes and are going to be short I don't have to explain my lust for more when I get done with an episode. However my problem with the fact that the game isn't very hard even on the hardest of settings still bugs the shit out of me. Please valve make another setting for die hard gamers to give us the challenge we need.… Expand

Best Game Ever!!!!

yes could it be? something that actualy may be better then half-life 2! episode two (of three) push's the envelope for the series as it breaks out of the norm and gives us insight like never before! the enviroments are beutyful and the story is as wonderfuly told as ever and if i had to have any gripe with the expansion it would only be the finale, not that it's a bad finale, i just couldnt get 'into' the last little bit of action… Expand

The ending. I've never been so drawn into a game like this. This was the episode that REALLY made me care about Alex Vance as a person and not just as that quirky/funny chick that happened to like Gordon form the other games. Because of Episode 2 my outlook on this series has completely changed. Before I loved these games. But episode 2 ingrained them in me. Good job Valve, here';s hoping that the announcement of your progress on Episode 3 come out this year.… Expand

Great game, loved all the half life 2 games, love this one cause u get to continue the great adventure of gordan freeman! of course has alot more great action and puzzles and its fun!

TOO SHORT!!! It is good as the game play is concerned but it ends before it really starts. When I finished the forest battle I expected it to continue, instead I saw a lame ending. Come on Valve, make the third one last as long as original HL2, you owe your fans at least that much...

I liked the extension of the storyline done here, but as usual the episodic content for HL2 once again rides far too short for the amount of development time that does into it. I love the episodic content model Valve is doing, but for them to truely be hitting home runs with 6 hours of content, that 6 hours of content needs to be developed and released within around a 3 - 6 month time scale, and Valve has yet to meet a quick release schedule for the HL2 episodes. In general while the expansion is good, theres not alot of majorly new concepts in pay here and while the levels are good the lack much in the area of new content and resources to justify the amount of time its taken to develop it all. Overall I have no complaints about Episode 2, but to get above an 8 rating from me Valve is going to have to either increase the amount of game play content per Episode to at least 12 hours, or start releasing these 6 hour episodics at least once every 6 months.… Expand

This is definitely one of my all-time favourite games. Episode Two has it all: a gripping sci-fi plot, memorable characters, amazing graphics, incredible action, the list goes on. I agree with the other reviews that it seemed a bit short, and the last chapter was somewhat diminished by what I thought an abrupt (but good) ending. (Even before starting the game I had a feeling that Eli Vance would die.) However, niether of these small shortcomings can make me take off even one point, because the game is so AWESOME!!!! I was left wanting the sequel right after it ended;I really can't wait until it comes out! I think this is an excellent continuation of the Half-Life saga. Nice work, Valve. Thank you for making this game, and please release the next episode ASAP. Also, thank you for reading and posting up this message. Peace, y'all.… Expand

This game is alot of fun!I was hooked from the beginning on and the view after you exit the train....wow...Again, like in episode 1, the gametime is a little short. I know its just an episode but the story and game was well made and i just wanted to play for at least another two hours but than it ended quickly...This is the only reason why i didnt give it a 10.Amazing gameplay, Awesome story and unbelievable graphics!… Expand

Episode Two brings you the moments when just stick to the monitor and can do nothing but play... no not play, you live these 5 hours of gameplay all by yourself. It`s a great experience after such masterpieces like Half-Life 2 and Episode One. Remarkable as always.

Back on par with the half life series for quality after the disapointing episode 1. Good story advancement, character dialogue and gameplay. No knew weapons though.

Truly a masterpiece of gaming.

The story is great and gameplay is way more fun, than it was in original HL2 or in Episode one.

It's way too short, but you can't get everything.

And with it, you'll get even 2 great games: Portal (With it's genius gameplay and atmosphere) and Team Fortress 2, which is the most fun online multiplayer shooter yet.

This game is perfect. Just one thing : too short.

Half life 2 Ep 2 is by far one of the most thought out games in the HL series. It is not only a good story but the story relates to the player's expeirence. I have gone thought the game and have listened to all the creators comments in the game and I was amazed at how much though that the makers of ep2 put into the game. In my opinion HL2 ep2 surpasses my expectations and turned out to be a Great gaming expierence.… Expand

Fantastic addition to the Halflife Life canon. Adds to and improves the story telling aspect, and a MUCH better experience than Ep1.

I was moved to tears by the emotional impact of this act in the continuing battle of Dr. Freeman against the evil alien Combine. I cannot wait until I can play the next act. Rest in peace, Eli. I will savor your vengeance. And as for the creature who may bring "Unforseen consequenses", I wish him my early condolences... May broadswords and bullets be his undoing. Freeman Forever!

Only single player campaign played. This game series is overrated by today's standards. First two or three chapters were okay and fun to play but chapters four through seven where sort of lumped together. I don't believe there was anything to do in the last chapter but move Gordon and watch the ending. Shame. I suspect the developers lost interest half way through and just wound it up as fast as they could. And now we have the final third part to look forward too--boring.… Expand

It's amazing how you can also use your head in a shooter and how have to be strategic! i love that!

Just finished HL2:EP2 ... no words to describe this great 2nd addon to HL2 ... so perfect, so beautiful, so immersive. Can't wait for EP3!

An Amazing chapter to the already amazing story of Half-Life 2. Better then the First Episode although I wish there was a trailer for the 3rd.

Episode Two is a great new adventure, full of interesting plot changes. After the somewhat disappointing Episode 1 (great story, but in less then 2 hours I beat it on hard) it makes up to all the promises and more! The game looks plain awesome, even on my 4 year old game pc (I can still run HDR lightning and AA ^_^)!! The new maps are large, and the locations are variated. The only negative point would be that I'd like to see some new weapons, and maybe some more "boss fight" kind of things (like an advisor battle). This game is by far the best game of 2007 however!… Expand

Little short but great game, can't wait for Episode 3

Awesome game, but its so damn noob friendly..... and i thought this was supposed to focus on "non linear" gameplay , its pretty much still linear maybe not so as much with the huge maps but still. i also have some problems with the ai. like the ai is rlly smart whern your fighting them, they take cover n stuff, but the enemies always seems to know where you are, which is just retarded, i want the ai to be like fear, where they search the area for you and u can sneak up on them and stuff that adds a whole new level of tension.… Expand

Excellent. As part of the Orange Box this is an exceptional value. Episode Two picks up right where Ep 1 left off. No new real weapons, but the story really moves in this chapter, as does the character development. While not a sappy love story, the connection between Gordon and Alex grows, but never does the action completely stop. Final battle will make you heave a sigh of relief when you finish it. Anyone that plays this through can only think one thing; "Bring on Episode 3".… Expand

One of the most compelling and driving stories i have played in an FPS In a long, long time.

Had everything, scenery, fast cars,emotion, striders, striders, striders.

I have bought Half Life 2 Ep 2 last weekend, and have been playing it ever since. And everything, the graphics, the scenery, the enemy's, the action, just everything is so awesome, it doesn't deserve less than a 10 in my opion.

A sublime game introducing some great and difficult new enemies. Replayability from the achievements. This game is a visual treat - you have to have a good look around, when the action lets you, to see what a delight the graphics are. Bring on Episode 3 and quickly.

It was a great addition to the episodic series. Nice graphic improvements and effects. The new environmental feel was great for this episode.

Although an acceptable foray in its own right, all the set pieces and puzzles have been done previously, it is still completely linear and just adding time pressure to the battles left me unimpressed. The only piece of story that really made me want more is delivered near the end, which highlighted the vacuum of the previous 4 hours gameplay. It is under 5 hours playtime, including plenty of exploring, with most of the achievements unlocked on the first try. This is only worth your the money if bought as part of the orange box.… Expand

Whilst the story and graphics were great, I found there were often frame rate slow ups and that the gameplay was getting old and slightly repetitive. Why is it that valve always have really repetitive final set pieces at the end of each episode, like moving the refugees in episode 1 and fighting the striders in episode 2. I found COD4 to do better on variety of gameplay. Still I did find the that the NPC characters were interesting and emotionally engaging.… Expand

Very nice game.. i loved playing even though it was a short 8-12 hours (over a span of 2 weeks). i loved the story starting from HL:1 all the way to HL:2 EP2. can't wait for HL:2 EP3. Best storyline ever!

From the original Half-Life to all of its expansions it continued to develop an enticing world that we all grew to know and love. With the release of Half-Life 2 i among other other gamers were stunned by the visuals and physics that were introduced. It wasn't just the graphics that sold me to buy the game, it was the further adventures of Gordon Freeman. Playing through the series of HL2 left me filled with emotion. Valve has really out done themselves with this epic series and I look forward to playing Episode 3 when it comes out!… Expand

il y a beaucoup de succes dans HL2 : episode 2 l'histoire est plus émouvante , et elle joue surtout un tres grand role dans l'histoire qui montre la mort d'un personnage que je ne citerais pas pour ne pas le dire devant ceux qui n'ont pas encore vu ... et je leurs souhaite de ne pas rater ça ( text in french )

Definitely the best part of whole HL2 -series, visually enjoyable and realistic, good mapdesing. Good sense of humour and drama. Do we really need DX10?

I had an amazing time playing this. The fast paced gameplay was complimented with a superb story, and there was a true feeling of panic whenever a hunter appeared.

I quite liked this, but the graphics, especially the blood and some body light, were over done. The blood exploded rather than stick to the walls and other surfaces. Also, half the time seeing Alyx, I got quite annoyed with a somewhat glowing face. Some of the levels were a bit confusing for me, (the antlion tunnel one) were some places, even after 5 mins of looking, seemed to be a place half hidden. Though apart from that, I like the fact Valve added some new stuff, but also, the lack of new stuff to.… Expand

Best game I've EVER played. Utterly brilliant digital acting, stunning setpieces, eyepopping visuals and superb action sequences!

It was a great expirience playing this game. Not a dull moment if you ask me, I find that it wasn't too long nor too short, so it was a good length and the new graphics and characters were great.

This game deserves a high rating for one simple fact: Innovation There isn't a single new FPS out there, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. aside, that doesn't just follow a standard. Half-Life 2: Episode 2 not only breaks away from other FPS games, but even breaks away from the previous episodes, adding much more interactivity.

I had an amazing experience playing this very masterpiece of art. Valve made truly hard work to make this project what it is now and personally I am glad to know, that today such games exist.

good game

I loved it! Storyline, action, voice acting, atmosphere, and those new cinematic eyecandy debris effects. Great game, The length is seriously not that bad, ep. 1 was 5.5 hours long plus ep. 2 which is 7 hours. Just 2 out of 3 episodes are only a couple hours shorter than hl2, all there together will be a pretty nice collection to the franchise. The ending is fantastic, the twist voice acting, I felt a gut punch when I was watching the credits. Just means I'm emotionally gripped to the story... not many games do that. I can't wait for Left 4 Dead, The new portal, ep. 3 and what else they decide to throw into the next release! Could be the Blue Box for all we know! But I don't know how Valve is going to top the Orange Box 10 out of 10 for me.… Expand

That's the best game I have ever played!

Enjoyed every last bit of this game. The story line gets better and better. Can't contain my self for the next one to come out.

Marvelous expansion. If Ep1 was 2 times better than HL2, this is surely 3 times better. Tense, dense and brings a full load of emotions and more acknowledge of the characters feelings. 9.5. What holds it back from 10/10 is the old game mechanic.

Half Life 2 is my favorite game of all time. Episode One was enjoyable, but not on the same scale. Episode Two, however, is pure awesomeness. The story, the characters, the animation, the level theme mix, the music, the controls, everything fits perfectly. It's only a shame it's shorter than HL 2, or it would be a better game.

Everything about this game was amazing. The graphics, the story, and physics, and game play were extraordinary. I thought this game was better than Episode One but matched Half Life. The way the story flowed together made you want to keep on playing. I thought the best part of the game was how you could interact with the virtual world; even more than the previous games. If you love FPS, I cant recommend this game enough.… Expand

I thought that this game was a great addition to the half-life series, bu two problems, endless antlions for at least 2 of the chapters, and abunch of my in-game textures are those crappy pink,black squares that replace missing textures. when i download a game, i expect it to come with everything it needs to run properly.

This game is truly amazing!, nothing close can match up to it.

Best episode of Half Life 2.

Excellent game just like every other produced by valve. Only gripe is that it could be longer, but one of the best series I have ever played.

Half-Life2-Half-Life2: Episode 2: "The best game(s) ever made...".

Brilliant. Expands on the story very well, with the ending leaving me in shock. The final chapter of thise episode is one of the most intensely fun gaming experiences I have ever had.

Loved the game felt alot longer and more entertaining then Episode 1 and the new enemies and allies was pretty fun. It was also nice to have awards you could earn through steam for the game and im happy to know that Episode 3 may have a link to Portal since Aperature science is involved. Only thing i didnt like was the ending since it was a little depressing. Really makes me want to see whats going to happen in Episode 3 though.… Expand

Normally I would give this game a nine, but I feel desperately I need to use whatever I can to overpower "Help U" and his poorly written monstrosity which ceased to make sense to those of us with logical brains about 10 minutes in. In retort to what (I think) he was trying to say, The Orange Box was not just some rip-off game package deal. For $20 you can get two, freshly released games, a brand new episode for Half-Life 2, and because it wouldn't make any sense at all to give you a new episode standalone, the other two chapters of the Half-Life 2 experience. Since three of the five titles then were brand new in the Orange Box, and the other two titles were basically a free gift, I hardly think there is anything to complain about unless you were at the frightening level of idiocy that would have compelled you to buy all these games separately. Your opinion of Episode 2 is your own business, but dropping the rating because of the packaging deal is just asinine. What's more, I am inclined to disagree anyway with your review, whose grammar gave me throbbing pains in my frontal lobes, by stating that with each of the Episodic releases Valve is not only adding more to the rich storyline of Half-Life 2 (which probably doesn't matter to the kind of gamer you group yourself under), and not only enriching the gameplay with new stirring sequences whose difficulty is amped up much further than the previous two installments and innovative additions to the Source Engine and interaction with the environment, but is also constantly adding to the game's original code to make it more visually stunning (the addition of full bloom and environmental lighting is felt most in episode 2, and beautifully) and user-friendly without the sacrifice of challenge. It is a wonderful game, and even if you can't see that, I encourage you to actually try using your mind before suddenly running your mouth and dropping the game with an insincerely low rating. I mean a two?! I reserve those for the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog games! Show some decency!… Expand

I loved almost every thing about this game, but a few parts were a bit annoying. Driving was a bit hard and trying to take down the striders at the end was almost impossible. It wasn't great, but better then a lot of games out there today.

Much better than Episode 1, but still not up to the standards set by HL2-TOG. Controlling the car is also something that needs to be overhauled, as driving it is nearly impossible.

A thoroughly satisfying gaming experience.

episode two remains in the frame of mind of half life, which one to reproach little has episode two is to so expensive pay a play not finished episode one couté already 20 dollars for 20 minutes of play what I to find exaggerated.

for episode two one spends approximately 4 hours plour to finish that Ci I find that it is expensive to pay 35 dollars for if little time of play whereas there exist devellopeurs creating of the plays of more than 40 H of play has similar prices.

if not the play remains always also playable and always also beautiful.

it is what I retain of half life 2 and of its engine.

I of course await impatiently the episode three which I hope for it will have a time of adapted play has its price

well Cordially a fan of half life… Expand

Still Half Life (2), but the weakest of the series. Lots of attempts at a story, with a decent script and still the same terrific voice acting. But the gameplay is old, and this was the most boring of the lot. Same old same old. The weapons and characters feel familiar, but there are no new things to entice us. There are the usual types of HL2 firefights, and an incredibly annoying end "crescendo" battle, thats not really fun, just plain irritating. I've played it through 3 times, thinking that it would grow on me with time, but it hasn't. As a MASSIVE Half Life series fan, I was supremely disappointed with this installment. Episode 1 was pretty thin, but it was nice to be engaged in in the HL story again. This time, it was like a weak movie sequel, just giving us enough to want to come back again to see what happens next. Its too bad actually, that the Valve folks took this route, instead of building us a game that really took us somewhere. Delivering little tidbits like this every year looks good on paper, but the way things are going, we all might forget about this series next time around… Expand

Incredible, it's cinematics are becoming more similar target with a TV show than an FPS, and it actually revealed a bit about the G-man for a change.

The new gameplay is amazing, along with the enhanced graphics with better HDR and motion blur. The ending leaves you longing for ep3, but it doesn't make you hate the game like Halo 2.

Excelent game ive played every one of them from the begining including blue shift and opposing forces this is the first to show the outside world with such amazing clarity. trees trees everywhere.