H-L 2: Aftermath, a long-awaited expansion, will take full advantage of the updated Source engine’s new effects like High Dynamic Range lighting and improved Depth-Of-Field effects. In a surprise move, Valve has announced that Aftermath will be only the first in a series of episodes to be released via the Steam content delivery system. Pricing (if any) is not yet determined. This appears to be of a trend for Valve, following the recent release of Ritual Entertainment’s Sin Episodes, the continuation of the long-thought-dead SiN series. The SiN series also uses the Source engine, and features cheap, episodic release. Could this be the end to waiting years for game releases? Would you rather pay 20 dollars per piece for 4 pieces of a game as they get made? Or 50-60 total and just wait for the whole thing? Only time will tell when we see how successful Half Life 2: Episode 1 is in the upcoming months. In the meantime, we’re all looking forward to enjoying Aftermath, and we’ll see how it progress’s HL2’s cliffhanger Storyline.
