Shephard's Mind

Krim is best known as the second Master Mind, but he was very close to being the first, losing out in a race with Ian by mere hours to release Barney's Mind Episode 1 recorded in Half-Life: Blue Shift. Defeated but not deterred by his before-unknown rival, he elected to instead make a series in Half-Life's other single-player expansion Opposing Force.

So let's cut straight to the chase. Robin's series suffers from a few of the same problems as that which plagued the series he almost ended up making himself - situational characterisation shifts, trend jokes and that date really fast - Krim, to his credit, portrays a much more compelling and sympathetic (if somewhat misrepresented - the blurb describes Shephard as being a 'cowardly individual' though he never really comes across as such) character than Ian's Barney. Cyh's turn as Black Ops agent Lydia is dragged down a bit by the overuse of exposition, but it's still a very well handled moment and highly indicative of some of the dark humour Cyh would later incorporate into her own series. Pacing is sometimes an issue but the jokes are, for the most part, on point, and Krim at least balances out the shortcomings of the series with some very decent writing and a more focused performance. By the time we reach the all-too-soon conclusion of the series, despite knowing full well what's going to happen it's still a very poignant moment that you'd have to be a G-Man to not be moved by.

It may not be a perfect example, but it stands well enough on its own merits and it doesn't overstay its welcome, and it's surefire proof that Krimsin was and is a worthy addition into the ranks of the Master Minds. 3 stars for quality, effort and nostalgia.