Post-Christmas detox

It's over.

The festivities have left most of America yearning for more Britney and Government related news. Personally the easiest way to shed the emotional baggage is to dive into my pile of shame and beat a few games before the realities of the world feel fit to intervene once again.

As the name may suggest, there are quite a few titles available for me, free of charge, to beat and feel good about playing. I've decided that the most recent purchase the Orange Box should be beaten, and work my way back.

I understood that Episodes One and Two of the Half Life series were a departure from the originals. There was an emphasis on characters and relationships that didn't exist in either Half Life nor Half Life 2; where you spent most of your time hitting things with crowbars. At least you still have a crowbar.

During the beginning of Episode One, as I'm fleeing with Alyx from the Citadel, the bad guy HQ, the subway we've highjacked wrecks, freeing it's super-creepy cargo (think worse than zombies). Disturbing? It got my heart racing, but the real interesting part was Alyx's reaction; sheer and utter terror. She was curled up into a very panicky ball desperately trying to free herself. Throughout Half Life 2 she comes across as a strong and self-knowing smart-alyx used to fighting all manner of strange beast.

The fact these Episodes are short enough I can play in a weekend, against 16 hours spent at work and ramen noodles for lunch, dinner and post midnight snack, is a godsend for any overworked gamer. The entire Orange Box, with the exclusion of the original Half Life 2, is literally jammed pack full of short games that leave you feeling good about the hours spent playing them. If only more games could be this way; short yet fulfilling.