Over all any fan of half-life will enjoy this game. Ignoring the the irony that ritual and valve were rivals for the original releases of their games the steam release is a great idea. Only $20 and you don't have to pay for a box or shipping. The game it self is stunning as I've come to expect from source. Graphics, physics, character models, all are top end. I use a fairly high end machine but even my friends old laptop can run it at low quality, the flexibility is amazing and the stability is rock solid, I played right through without a crash (better than counter-strike source). The game starts some indeterminate amount of time after the first one (though Cannon's still a rookie so it can't be too long) And you, as Blade, are right back in the thick of things with Sinclair and, a new baddie, Radek. the plot is fairly straight forward, (though this is only the first episode) but there are hints of a deeper story, especially with Cannon's apparent familiarity with Radek. The game play is a nice cross between half-life's puzzles and SiN original's massive firefights (depending on what settings your on). My biggest complaint with game play is that Blade's a big huge guy who can pick up and throw 10 gallon drums of fuel but can't hold onto an assault rifle on full auto? The limit of 3 weapons keeps things nice and simple and would make for a good multiplayer, something similar to UT's assault maps perhaps.
Review of SiN Episodes: Emergence
