Up next was a sequence featuring the new car, a beefy muscle car whose entire front bodywork has been destroyed, leaving its large V8 engine exposed. In Episode Two, Alyx rides shotgun, armed with a pistol. As in Half-Life 2, I am still not particularly proficient driving in first person shooters, and my scenic trip was punctuated by numerous crashes into rocks and trees. A Valve developer assured me that the sequence is not the first instance of the car in Episode Two, and that there is a driving proficiency curve designed into the game.

The destination is a small cluster of shacks situated upon a forested plateau. From a rocky vista, the sprawling, smoking landscape surrounding the Combine citadel is visible. That evocative vignette is a touchstone throughout much of Episode Two, serving as a visual focal point in the background of many of the game's expansive outdoor environments.

After restoring power to the outpost in order to gain access to its radio tower, several Combine Hunters show up for the most thrilling battle in the Episode Two preview build. Essentially smaller versions of the huge three-legged Striders from Half-Life 2, the nimble Hunters travel in packs, are much more tactically-oriented, and have been tasked with eliminating Gordon and Alyx. This Hunter battle--which can play out in, around, and/or on top of the few structure clustered on the plateau--is not quite in the same vein as past Half-Life battles, which tend to be fairly enclosed or directed.

Fighting Hunters is different--they will track you as you hide in buildings, burst through windows to surprise you, coordinate with one another to flank you from both sides, climb up on top of a building for a better angle if you've taken cover, and generally just be a lot more clever than most FPS enemies. I had to fight the battle a few times before I was able to take out all of my foes, and each time felt noticeably different. In fact, I found myself wanting to go back and try it again, just to test out my improved knowledge of the Hunters' battle tactics. Rather than getting better at remembering the set pattern and better attempting the "correct" shots with each attempt, I was actually becoming better at outwitting the Hunters on a strategic level.