Half Life 2 Episode One

Valve is just about to unlock Half Life 2 Episode One over Steam (my version has downloaded already). In promoting the expansion pack, Valve has released 3 (now 4) movies over steam that center on Alyx, one of the main characters from Half Life 2 (movies are also available on 3D Gamers, among other sites).

The really interesting thing is how cinematic the movies are. I can't wait to utilize the new capabilties in some machinima. Valve is supposedly working very hard on increasing the effects capabilities of the Source engines. The recent Day of Defeat movie showcases a number of them. Upcoming effects include depth of field, motion blur, color correction, and a film grain effect.