Half-Life 2: Episode One is more of Half-Life 2, which is a good thing because Half-Life 2 was a great game. But man, I didn't expect it to be that short! The clever level design returns, mixing gunplay with puzzle sections. The complete darkness section was honestly my favorite part and imo one of the best moments in all of Half-Life 2. Up to this point the flashlight served a utility purpose for dark areas but here it's in the spotlight. The drain rate is slower than recovery, so sitting in the dark for the Aux Power to recharge isn't too bad. With limited visibility, this section is tense. Then it's mixed with more clever environment interactions. There are gas canisters and other flammable objects that can be thrown at zombies with a gravity gun. Not only does that kill them faster, it also lights them on fire, giving a light source, which is pretty cool. The Strider section at the end is admittedly not that great and it feels you're forced to take L and eat up damage to proceed, but to be honest, I didn't find Strider sections of base Half-Life 2 to be very enjoyable either, so I think it's par for the course. Overall, as I said, it's more of Half-Life 2. If you like that game, then you'll likely enjoy this continuation. It's short, but sweet enough.