Half Life 2: Episode 1 (PC)

Herald rating: * * * *

Pros: More twisted sci-fi action from the makers of Half-Life 2, the best PC role-player since, well, Half-Life, the original. Episode One leaves things nicely set up for another brief episode and Valve's graphics are top-notch as usual.

Cons: Even hesitant gamers will only need 8-10 hours to finish it. Still, at $50 it's relatively cheap.

Verdict: The compelling Half-Life plot thickens and there are enough new twists and clever sequences to make this a satisfying instalment.

Censor's classification: R16