Half-Life 2: Episode One
Hooks you almost right away
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours 1 in 10 reviews are negative (10%); after 4h it's 1 in 30 (3%).
- The opening is criticised less than in 90% of games we track.
- 78% of players who start reach the ending.
- The biggest drop-off is between “Containment” (Contain the Citadel core) and “Attica!” (Destroy the gunship in the hospital attic): from 96% to 82% of starters.
- Only 62% of owners have even the first achievement — the rest barely played.
When it gets good
Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.
before it gets good opening up fully opened up
Based on all 31,614 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 262 reviews: 4.7h for positive, 4.6h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.
Where players quit
Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (62.4% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
- Started playing 100%
- Watch Your Head! Make it to the bottom of the Citadel's main elevator shaft in one piece. 100%
- Containment Contain the Citadel core. 97% −3
- Attica! Destroy the gunship in the hospital attic. Most players quit here 82% −14
- Elevator Action Survive long enough to get on the parking garage elevator. 87% +5
- Escape From City 17 Escape City 17 with Alyx. 78% −9
story milestone ending biggest drop-off
Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.
All achievements (13)
story milestone ending side
- Watch Your Head! Make it to the bottom of the Citadel's main elevator shaft in one piece. 100%
- Containment Contain the Citadel core. 97%
- Elevator Action Survive long enough to get on the parking garage elevator. 87%
- Attica! Destroy the gunship in the hospital attic. 82%
- Escape From City 17 Escape City 17 with Alyx. 78%
- Citizen Escort Don't let any citizens die when escorting them to the escape train. 52%
- Live Bait Help Alyx snipe 30 enemies in Episode One. 46%
- Think Fast! Kill an Elite Soldier with his own energy ball. 43%
- Car Crusher Use the cars to squash 15 antlions in Episode One. 26%
- Pacifist Contain the Citadel core without killing any stalkers. 18%
- Conservationist Kill five enemies with the same energy ball. 17%
- The One Free Bullet Finish the game firing exactly one bullet. Grenade, crowbar, rocket, and Gravity Gun kills are okay! 15%
- Zombie-que Use flares to light 15 zombies on fire. 15%