Half Life 2 Episode 3- The Never Ending Story

[Dirzzit]

Over hyped, imagine DKF with 100 percent more anticipation.

My prediction.

 

[Phlakes]

Looking at it objectively, we see a game that was slow to release from the very beginning, and while it was award winning and fantastic I can't help but wonder if Valve dragged their feet for a reason. Like a kid who just doesn't wanna do the damn dishes(!), Valve only really wants to produce multiplayer games. They declared their intent to only produce multiplayer not long ago, whether this discluded Ep. 3 from production is something to wonder about.

Left 4 Dead and it's very quickly released sequel were produced so fluently because though it has singleplayer, the ultimate attraction was the multiplayer. And let's face it; had the effort that was put into Left 4 Dead 2 been put into Half Life 3 (and I mean without the episodes, the actual game as a whole) then the game would have been released LONG ago. And Left 4 Dead 2 was release ONE YEAR after it's prequel.

...dafuq? Because some people at Valve, probably not the HL team, and another studio made other games, they've all given up on single player altogether?

Episode 3 could have been released Long ago, but it hasn't. And there is a reason for said delay. Valve dragged their feet for too long and, just like that kid who doesn't wanna wash up, they're still sitting in the sink while he's off doing something else.
Valve doesn't feel obliged to complete their game series, they've moved on. And whenever they're pressed, the questions are dodged with little effort. Just move on, next topic please.

You could've said the same thing about Diablo 3 a couple years ago. You can't assume people's intentions, because you have no evidence other than that they don't talk about it.

If the gaming community were to group together and SOMEHOW get Valve to promise to finish (by finish... I mean START) Episode 3, then who would buy it?

Um, fucking everyone? I don't know if you noticed, but Valve is sort of universally agreed to be one of the best developers that has ever existed and consistently puts out great games. The hype may be fading now, but once people see it exists, it'll explode.

Episode 3 won't sell as well as it would have, especially when you consider that it'll probably NEVER be seen on XBOX or Playstation.

Why do think that? Could it be because every Valve game so far has been on consoles too?

Shall we forget about Episode 3? I think so. The sooner the better because, well... Ep. 3 just isn't coming. Though Valve won't admit it (because they like to keep you on the hook) Ep. 3's production hasn't even been started.

Yes, since you obviously know exactly what's happening at Valve this very moment with a game that's been said to be in some sort of production.

 

[ramboondiea]

i cant see valve screwing there fans that bad, i mean a lot of the love for the,m comes from good faith on there part, at least as far as i can gather. and just look at that play halflife 2 day from several months ago, showed a pretty hefty market for the game.

i am sure the game is being worked on to some degree somewhere, but they are likely just trying to get the story down, i personally don't think the series could be tied up with one more game, and valve dont rush anything.

what i do hope that happens though is that they announce it about a month before release and watch as steam implodes through rage and pre-ordered frenzy

 

[ohnoitsabear]

In fact if they didn't revamp the game but still sold it with the same elements as the previous episodes, it would be a disaster.

Here's the thing, everybody knows this, especially Valve. They know that, after all this time, if they don't do this, everybody would be more pissed and disappointed than if they didn't release anything at all. That's probably the biggest reason why this game has taken so long; they want to make sure that the wait will be worth it, and that means not just rehashing Half-Life 2 and the episodes.

 

[Lugbzurg]

Duke Nukem Forever took long, and was made by GearBox, they've made Half Life Games before. One of my favorites even. We're doomed.

It was finished by them. Not made. They didn't do it from scratch, most of it was there already.

Let's not forget that there were another four companies in Duke Nukem Forever's production, on top of that!

3-D Realms, Triptych Games, Piranha Games, and 2-K Games!

Anyone remember how Episode 1 wasn't announced until maybe a month before it was released? And how during that short period of time, via osmosis alone, everyone went crazy with the hype machine? I have a feeling that Valve will do the same thing here.

Everyone will continue saying "half life is dead" and "it will never be released", and then Valve will announce the game is shipping in one month, and the entire internet will go ballistic once again. Valve pretty much learned not to do pre release footage ever since their 2003 leak incident, and it works well for them.

Wait, what? I haven't actually heard about this one. What happened?

 

[TheScientificIssole]

Duke Nukem Forever took long, and was made by GearBox, they've made Half Life Games before. One of my favorites even. We're doomed.

Your logic is so bad it isn't even funny.

Jesus, I made you angry. I apologize. I'm not going to justify what I said though. Hopefully, I read your comment incorrectly.

 

[DoPo]

Duke Nukem Forever took long, and was made by GearBox, they've made Half Life Games before. One of my favorites even. We're doomed.

It was finished by them. Not made. They didn't do it from scratch, most of it was there already.

Let's not forget that there were another four companies in Duke Nukem Forever's production, on top of that!

3-D Realms, Triptych Games, Piranha Games, and 2-K Games!

Precisely. That's why I don't like people saying "Gearbox ruined Duke Nukem" or anything to roughly that effect. It's like accusing somebody of ruining a frozen dinner because it's too salty or there isn't enough carrots in it or something.

 

[Lovely Mixture]

Episode 3 won't sell as well as it would have, especially when you consider that it'll probably NEVER be seen on XBOX or Playstation.

Why won't it sell well? You seriously underestimate Valve fans, and why won't it get a PS3 or Xbox360 release?

I personally don't think it's gonna be as good as it is hyped (yes even though I haven't seen any screenshots or gameplay footage, but I'm hoping my expectations will be wrong). But saying it won't sell well is just plain silly.

Precisely. That's why I don't like people saying "Gearbox ruined Duke Nukem"

People actually blame Gear Box for Duke Nukem Forever? That is insanely ignorant.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

Yeah, I don't even know where to start.

-Pretty much everything you said about Valve's motivation for not releasing another Half Life game is just made-up guesses.
-Every game Valve has made since the Orange Box has been released on consoles, why wouldn't Half Life 3? That makes no sense.
-If they weren't going to make it, why wouldn't they just tell us that? Oh right, to "keep us on the hook". Except you JUST spent an entire rant explaining that NO ONE is on the hook, and everyone has FORGOTTEN about the series. You can't have it both ways, that makes no sense.
-You have no idea how they would resolve the plot of the series, so you can't say with any confidence that it's impossible. Again, you're just making stuff up.
-Valve didn't say they were done with single-player games, they just said they weren't making any more EXCLUSIVELY single player games. Considering how Portal 2 turned out, I'd say that's hardly a bad thing.


I find this topic to be a nonsensical waste of time.

 

[Freechoice]

I felt this was relevant.

 

[skywolfblue]

Worth mentioning is that Episode 3's plot won't be resolved logically. Can you think of a logical way to explain the G-man's plot that wouldn't leave people disappointed or insulted. Telling the player that the g-man is apart of Gordon's subconscious and not actually real, would be like ME3's ending (and we all know how that went down).

I do have to agree with this bit.

A) If they explain the g-man, then the "mystery" is lost. Fans whine.

B) If the g-man is left unexplained, then it's what a lot of people threw a fit over ME3's ending for. Fans whine.

There isn't really any way to resolve the g-man plot without pissing off half the fanbase.

 

[SajuukKhar]

I do have to agree with this bit.

A) If they explain the g-man, then the "mystery" is lost. Fans whine.

B) If the g-man is left unexplained, then it's what a lot of people threw a fit over ME3's ending for. Fans whine.

There isn't really any way to resolve the g-man plot without pissing off half the fanbase.

There is a LARGE difference between Half-Life and Mass Effect 3, in that people EXPECT the G-Man, and EXPECT him to be mysterious.

Mass Effect 3's ending sucked because it was pulled out of nowhere at the final minute. Half-Life has built up the G-Man as a mysterious unknowable god-like force.

It can get away with not explaining him because people EXPECT that.

 

[skywolfblue]

I do have to agree with this bit.

A) If they explain the g-man, then the "mystery" is lost. Fans whine.

B) If the g-man is left unexplained, then it's what a lot of people threw a fit over ME3's ending for. Fans whine.

There isn't really any way to resolve the g-man plot without pissing off half the fanbase.

There is a LARGE difference between Half-Life and Mass Effect 3, in that people EXPECT the G-Man, and EXPECT him to be mysterious.

Mass Effect 3's ending sucked because it was pulled out of nowhere at the final minute. Half-Life has built up the G-Man as a mysterious unknowable god-like force.

It can get away with not explaining him because people EXPECT that.

Fair enough I suppose.

Expectations can be kinda a finicky line to walk though. I think that there are a lot of people who would be unsatisfied in an ending that leaves him unexplained, even if it was well-written.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

don't moan so much, considering they "wasted their time on"
Portal
portal 2
tf2
l4d and l4d 2

their some fantastic games, so frankly i say let them do what they do, its working.

If Valve had simply sat on their collective asses and did nothing ala 3D Realms (the creators of Duke Nukem) the sting would be worse for any fan, but they instead pulled out multiple launches stated by bahumat42. Yes they may have written themselves into a corner for the next episode, yes the episode model failed for them, but at least they admit it and are trying to move on and not blame the fans. I personally can't think of any game company that can pull off HL2 Episode 3 other than Valve and they do deserve some slack, they may need a prod but the results are often worth it.

 

[Olas]

I do have to agree with this bit.

A) If they explain the g-man, then the "mystery" is lost. Fans whine.

B) If the g-man is left unexplained, then it's what a lot of people threw a fit over ME3's ending for. Fans whine.

There isn't really any way to resolve the g-man plot without pissing off half the fanbase.

I've thought about this quite a lot and while it would be difficult, I think it's possible to give him an explanation that's both appropriate and to which doesn't deflate his intrigue. The key is to make it something completely unexpected and original. Something that'll make gamers gasp. He can't just turn out to be an alien or time traveler or demigod or something.

The truth around him has to be as good a feast for the mind as the mystery he's built up, which so far has been huge.

 

[aksel]

Considering the Valve's history of making games, I can definitely wait.

I think it is not impossible that they are actually working on a revamped Source engine, or at least a hugely updated one. However, they have been updating it steadily over the past years, so maybe not. But they did make it alongside/for Half Life 2, so who knows. Just a little thought of mine.

As far as multiplayer goes, Half Life has always had multiplayer. So why wouldn't they add it to Ep3? I would be let down if it DIDN'T have multiplayer.

Oh man, I always get all hyped up for Ep3/HL3 after these kinds of threads.

Here's hoping for a "Ricochet 2" announcement at this years E3.

 

[Falsename]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand still no word of the next episode. Black Mesa was released so that's something, but still I'm convinced there's going to be nothing release in terms of the Half Life saga (am I using that word right? Saga?).

It's been far too long, too much time has elapsed. Gamers are different now, most are the 'console generation' who barely know what Ep. 3 will even be about. Neither does anyone else, what I mean is that the game HL2, Ep 3 has a target audience specific to people who have played the first Half life games. No one's going to pick up a game series that's just now finishing.

TL;DR. The Half life games are now considered old compared to current games. If Ep. 3 is by some miracle released... the sales will be niche at best.

I'm no longer waiting. Giving up is better than waiting for something that will never arrive.

 

[Falsename]

In light of recent news I have to say this *megaphone hums in hand*

Ahem...... TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!!

HL3 isn't happening. Gabe apparently doesn't want a release similar to Portal 2's (not sure why... it's like he hates money or something).

Welp, time to start fundraising the kickstarter campaign. I'm sure there's one out there by now.

 

[Rayce Archer]

The G Man makes it abundantly clear that he represents one of the innumerable powers in the universe with a strategic interest in planets. He "recruits" agents like Gordon, presumably because bringing people and resources through portals is hard. That's why the Combine use mutated humans, local but upgraded small arms technology, and living weapons that they can breed on Earth. That whole screwy centrifuge thing at the end of HL2 was ONE Combine portal device, just like how it took a building-sized generator for Black Mesa's first attempt; in spite of the overall inferiority of human science in the cosmos human portal technology is decades ahead of other worlds, at least partly as a result of the G Man's tampering. The Aperture portal is, in game lore, actually the most advanced and compact portal device in the known universe, limited only by firing a projectile that travels at relativistic speeds to create its portals (in portal 2 the time it takes between

Spoiler

shooting the moon

and the corresponding portal in the lab opening is accurate to the portal traveling at the speed of light).

It's the advanced state of human portal tech that made them a logical choice for the G Man to manipulate into invading Xen, particularly since the encounter suit (which may or may not also be his work) gives humans comparable combat capabilities to the Vortigaunts and their kin. It's unclear whether the subsequent subjugation of Xen and Earth by the Combine is part of some long game on the G Man's part, or whether the Combine's spread was an unforseen consequence (ha) that he is simply making Gordon fix.

So apart from being a crazy alien dude with teleport powers, the only really mysterious thing about the G Man is his long-term plan.