So when will we see Half-Life 2 Episode 3?

I was pretty geeked way back when it was announced there would be Half-Life 2 Episodes. I thought it meant more Half-Life 2 using the same engine, and released every 6 months or so.

Well, considering it has been NEARLY FIVE YEARS, yes that long, since Half-Life 2 was released, it seems odd that we only get a fraction of the gameplay every couple of years.

To me it seems that they should have been able to make expansion pack maps that continued the story using the same game engine fairly quickly. But it seems we only get 6-8 hrs of gameplay every couple of years. Which means there will probably be 5 years or so before Half-Life 3 (or 4 whatever they call it) is released.

That being said, anyone know WHEN Episode 3 will be released?

 

Between Episode Three, Team Fortress 2, Portal, Left 4 Dead and its upcoming sequel, I think Valve has had plenty on their plate.

Don't get me wrong, I'm just as excited for Ep. 3 as you are, but I don't hold it against them for taking their time. After all, it's supposed to be the end of the Half-Life 2 series, so they damn well better make it right.

 

I believe they're different development teams, aren't they?

Either way, I don't understand why they used Episodes then, instead of just taking five years to make a Half-Life 3 sequel. Nobody would knock them if it was just a modified Source engine either. I'd rather see it all at once then a taste every couple of years.

 

Well, trying to answer your question htwingnut, here is my best answer: maybe next year. Why so? Well, Valve goes into releasing like a game per year, and this year comes LFD2. Actually I think that LFD2 is going to be released this year because Valve was not able to finalize many details about HL2:Ep3.

And about your question on the episodic content: I think it has been a great disaster:
1) The idea was to release the episodes faster than a regular game, but so far it doesn't work that simple, and next year will be 6 years since HL2, same time between the releases of HL and HL2.
2) Also the episodic content is a double-edged sword since if the first episode fails, the rest of the project is doomed... like happened to Ep1, it failed to be almost a simple expansion. While many people may disagree the only proof I can offer is The Orange Box. Otherwise why would they release basically 3 new games together with two old games?

Anyways, those are my 2 cents.

 

What I've been able to figure out over the last year, is that Valve realized the episodes weren't working like they wanted, so EP3 is going to be more of a full game, material and length-wise. We're looking at the Borealis and probably a return to Xen as well.

I might been wrong, but that's my take on it.

 

I just think they were too overambitious. They tried to develop new technology for each episode, when, in fact, it probably would have been better to use the same engine and just make "expansion packs" more or less.

F.E.A.R. did this wit their expansions. They used the same game engine with two decent expansions one year apart. This way they make more use of the engine, and can crank out levels faster because they already know the technology.

 

I think it is fine to develop new technology, since it is done over the same engine, the problem is when such advances are backed by so little meat. The perfect example is Episode 1: it was supposed to be the beginning of the new game, but it ended up barely qualifying for an expansion pack... and it was after more than 1.5 years after HL2!!! I think that was the most shocking part.

In any case, I also hope Ep3 will be very long, since somehow it seems there is still quite a bit of history to be shown.

 

I hope so too. I enjoyed Ep 1 and 2, but they were quite short. Again, I'd be fine with that if they were released in rapid succession, but taking 1.5 to 2 years for each, there should be more meat to it.

As a matter of fact, I didn't realize it had already been almost 5 years - wow!

I may have to go back and play the original along with the episodes again. By the time I'm done with it (will probably take me a couple months) maybe Ep 3 will be just around the corner.

 

Long story short, Valve at one point had all of their eggs in one basket ie Half Life 2 and HAD to make the game sell something ridiculous like 2+ million copies (which can never be guaranteed) or the company would be in serious financial trouble. Luckily, HL2 was great and it sold really well.

Valve, however, didn't want something like that to repeat again when they could literally go bankrupt because one game didn't sell up to expectations so they have multiple, but smaller, groups working on different projects. Given all of the new games they have released thus far, they probably have a much smaller group working on the Episodes than they did for Half Life 2, thus their extraordinarily long turnover times.

 

Well, that is disappointing. For once Valve over-promised and under-delivered. Sad but true.

 

While they're clearly not putting all their eggs in one basket anymore, they could be setting themselves up for failure by taking so long to develop/release EP3. The longer it takes, the more people expect, and it's taking so long, the expectation now it huge. The Half Life series is the most successful set of games they've made, and it would be a huge disappointment for them if EP3 doesn't go out with a bang.

 

2010 - 2011

L4D and L4D2 will easily carry Valve through 2010, and they are working on an official Portal prequel currently as well. That game was teased back in 2008 and I know Valve wants to take their time on it, as the first was so clever and unique. Just painting Portal for Portal 2 would hardly do it any justice, and Valve has said they don't want to go there.

So where is Ep3, the ultimate conclusion to our beloved Freeman saga... purely by guesstimating I am saying late 2010 or even 2011. The OB is still selling, TF2 is still popular and getting periodic upgrades, the L4D's will continue to dominate co-op shooter sales. There is no financial reason for Valve to release Ep3 anytime soon.

I would have much preferred an Ep3 announcement rather than a L4D2 announcement at E3 this year, but Valve knows where the money is right now and they are going to milk this cow till it runs as dry as stale feta.

 

Let's not forget Black Mesa Source is coming too... I get a real feeling that Valve might try to buy it once it's finished and release that before EP3.

 

I am personally very disappointed by how slowly the episodic releases have been turned out by Valve. They don't often add new gameplay mechanics or features to each release, so there won't be much reason to play it once it comes out, given that competing games are constantly released with refined ideas. It seems to me like EP3 will already be old the second it is released, at least compared to competing titles.

 

I am way excited for Black Mesa Source.

 

Well, there is a financial reason, and that's fan loyalty. To make such a great saga as Half-Life and Half-Life 2, only to bomb on the (supposed) finale to the story, will make fans pretty mad. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. It's like if Lucas never released Star Wars Episode VI.

You wait too long then you get into the Daikatana or Duke Nuke'm Forever syndrome. Expectations increase dramatically, and it's impossible to deliver to that expectation. Not only that, but even though Source is a great engine, it is starting to show its age.

 

QFT.

 

I hear you. But somehow I don't think Ep3 will end up a DNF no show. It was 5 years between HL1 and HL2. Maybe Valve is thinking HL to go out with a bang, a really big bang, maybe a new engine? Who knows? Yes the wait could lead to a big disappointment, that is a real possibility, but the same could be said if they just painted up Ep2 after a couple years, gave us a portal gun in the final couple missions and saved the world from the Combine. It would be closure, but ultimately underwhelming if it wasn't something legendary. So maybe Valve is thinking legendary, and thus is our dilemma. That's my rare optimistic side showing there.

 

It's been so long that I would actually be surprised if they don't use a heavily updated version of the Source engine.

And I think the Portal gun will be there somewhere