Half-Life 2: Episode 3 - The story is out... and it is now over...

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**Melissia**

Also, the last game they released was DOTA 2, in July of 2013. I don't think at this point anyone is expecting them to be in the game making business any more. They are now an online retailer of games, not a developer, and most people have just accepted that fact and moved on.

Steam is successful for a reason, even if it's deeply flawed, it is also far more competent than most of its major competitors (EA and Ubisoft's platforms both very dearly wish they were Steam).

**Alpharius**

It's been so long, I didn't really get that, so a quick search later and:

https://www.pcgamesn.com/half-life-3/half-life-3-release-date-story-gameplay-art

So what would have happened after Episode 2? Alyx and Gordon bury Eli Vance, and along with Dr. Mossman head to Antarctica via seaplane in search of the Borealis. After being shot down and spending time traversing the icy wastes, the team finally discovers the time-and-dimension shifting ship. They manage to board it, and fight their way through the decks as the entire ship phases through several realities. These include the Seven Hour War, the far future of the Half-Life universe, and even a glimpse of the Combine homeworld.

With the ship captured, a fight breaks out between Alyx and Mossman. Alyx intends to use the Borealis as a makeshift time-missile battering ram, while Mossman believes it will be useful for the Resistance. The argument results in Alyx killing Mossman, and so Gordon goes along with the battering ram idea. The plan is a suicide mission, and as the Borealis is about to collide with what is clearly an indestructible Dyson Sphere that it will have zero effect on, the G-Man shows up, saves Alyx, and leaves Gordon to his doom. Thankfully the Vortigaunts have other plans, and lift Gordon out of time and space, only to dump him back in the Half-Life timeline many years into the future.

It sounds incredibly Half-Life, with sequences like the Borealis fight appearing akin to Titanfall 2’s Effect and Cause mission, albeit devised years before. It’s easy to see why, back in 2008, this could have been considered a technical challenge too far. Its publication also feels like an admission that Episode 3 will never happen. It’s nice to know what we missed out on, though.

Shame really, as I enjoyed Half Life and Half Life 2 - a lot.

Now pick up that can, citizen!

**BrookM**

Sorry for the necro, but this thread is as good as any to post this here:

**H.B.M.C.**

I don't agree with Jim because... I don't want them to cancel HL3.

I still have hope.

**curran12**

But Jim is absolutely right.

There is no way that HL3, if released, can possibly come close to living up to expectations and hype. It can only disappoint and flop.

Especially since Valve has shown so little interest in MAKING games in the past few years.

**SomeRandomEvilGuy**

curran12 wrote:

There is no way that HL3, if released, can possibly come close to living up to expectations and hype. It can only disappoint and flop.

To be honest I think HL2 is overrated. It's a great game and all but a lot of it's quality came from high modability. People seem to regard it as borderline-perfect and it just wasn't. The gravity gun and interactions with the environment were pretty well done though.

**LunarSol**

It was pretty revolutionary for its time and a lot of modern games crib from it pretty heavily. It's far from flawless, though. Most of the praise revolves around the opening escape sequence, Ravenholm, and the end. There's a LOT of padding in between. It's still an incredibly important game, but one of those games that's been so thoroughly copied that its hard to fully appreciate what originally made it so important.

**BrookM**

Looking back on it now, HL2 is more a glorified tech demo showcasing the physics engine and other bits of tech.

**Hanskrampf**

BrookM wrote:
Looking back on it now, HL2 is more a glorified tech demo showcasing the physics engine and other bits of tech.

I disagree.

HL2 is an incredibly well done game and still looked good years later.
Though I haven't played it since... 2010?

**Wyrmalla**

Well it was kind of sort of intended to be a tech demo, with each set piece just showcasing what they could do with the engine. One of Valve's "official" (if there can be a thing from Valve) lines on why there isn't a Half Life 3 is that there isn't enough new stuff they can cram into another tech demo to woo people. I suppose the same went for Portal as well.

Seeing as Valve isn't really a video game company anymore they don't have much of a reason for tech demos for their engine.

**Formosa**

I dont get it, I played HL2 and never really found it to be anything special, why all the hype?

**Ratius**

But Jim is absolutely right.

There is no way that HL3, if released, can possibly come close to living up to expectations and hype. It can only disappoint and flop.

Yeah but it took him over 14 minutes to effectively say this.

RIP HL.
Whilst one of my fav series of all times especially the HL1 engine overhaul, its simply a game out of time at this point.
Even if Valve did start on HL3, I'd be concerned how they would "take it to the next level" considering some of the excellent FPS's in the last 5 years.
Probably best left in the category of happy gaming memories for me.

And not in any particularly eloquent way

**Tannhauser42**

Formosa wrote:
I dont get it, I played HL2 and never really found it to be anything special, why all the hype?

When did you play it? Just curious. Sometimes, it helps to have played a game during "it's time" rather than later.

**BrookM**

At the time of its release aeons ago it blew me away, it certainly displayed an excellent level of innovation and polish for its time. It's certainly a better tech demo than a lot of the games id Software put out until recently.