Whereas Alyx's former appearances were by-and-large plot-driven and reserved for periods of relative inaction, she's now in the thick of it and by your side for pretty much the entire span of the episode. "She'll protect you more often than the other way around, but you do need to keep an eye on her," he adds, pre-empting our unconscious kneejerk response to those hated FPS levels in which you have to babysit flailing female NPCs. "Many of the problems you encounter in Episode One would be too much for any one person to deal with, even if they are Gordon Freeman."