Half Life 3 speculation thread

[Saga_Studios]

Half Life, and Half Life 2 are great games. Both games have raised the bar of FPS games to a new standrad of there time. Most FPS games of today are still trying to pass Half Life 2. Some have done it, while others have not. My question to you is when do you think we will see Half Life 3 come out and raise the bar again? What will the next one be like? What new features will it bring to FPS, games in genral?

 

[RobertR1]

Next time please call it a "Half Life 3 speculation thread." I got my hopes up thinking this is real info...

 

[N_B]

I think I read somewhere that Valve considers the Half Life 2 episodes together to be the Half Life 3.

Still need Episode 3 though. And and it won't be coming this year sadly.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/19/game-informer-no-half-life-2-episode-3-for-you-in-2010/

 

[Hotcooler]

I have much more simple question - Where the hell is episode 3 ?

 

[BRiT]

It was a victim of the zombie infestation.

 

[Saga_Studios]

Sorry Rob. Yes NB, Ive read the same thing before, and its not true. They are going to make Episode 3 first, than make HF3. E3 was aspost tom come out last year, than it was moved to this year, and last time I saw a date for it, it had none. Might come out, might not. Kinda sucks if you ask anyone who finished E2, just left you hangin, and they told you that there was gonna be a E3, well? well is it? Been waitin on it for over a year.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

It seems that anything related half-life always takes forever to finish. Just like the black mesa mod. It was supposed to be pretty much done in December last year with a pretty much guarranteed before 2010 launch. Now we are almost 4 months later and there isnt even a new bit of news about the mod.

As for Ep3, has it even been officially announced? I still remember valve saying how episodic gaming would make sure gamers didnt have to way 5 years for a sequal. I rather wait 5 years and get a whole game than a couple of hours of game, than wait another 2 years and forget everything I played, get some more game, wait for another 2 years and than maybe get the last part.

 

[Rangers]

Half Life, and Half Life 2 are great games. Both games have raised the bar of FPS games to a new standrad of there time. Most FPS games of today are still trying to pass Half Life 2. Some have done it, while others have not. My question to you is when do you think we will see Half Life 3 come out and raise the bar again? What will the next one be like? What new features will it bring to FPS, games in genral?

No offense but the Half Life games are remarkably formulaic for all the praise heaped on them as being original.

And the driving sections are terrible. Maybe not terrible but will make you constantly long to be back on foot.

Half Life 1 was amazing for it's time. Since then the Half Life games, not so much imo.

Not that I wouldn't look forward to part 3, but if it doesn't get at least a major graphical upgrade I wont be all that excited.

 

[nintenho]

I'm personally not a fan of the episodic system. The annoying thing is that even though you wait 2 years, you only get a 5-6 hour game that has little gameplay and level design variety. I'd much prefer what ToC said about waiting 5 years for a full 20 hour game.

otoh, they make small graphics boosts each episode and maybe this frees up the manpower to work new IP's like Portal or L4D.

 

[Saga_Studios]

Any one even know when HF2:E3 is coming out, or did it get scraped? L4D, once you beat it, really no point to play it again, hardly any replay value. Probley the same with L4D2, haven't really played it though. Portal 2 comes out sometime this year, just seen it in game informer. I'll probley check it out.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Why is this in the console forums?!? It's a pc game, damn it!

 

[hughJ]

Half Life 1 was amazing for it's time. Since then the Half Life games, not so much imo.

Yep. HL2 didn't exactly blow my mind, the later episodes just feel like more of the same, and the story doesn't exactly make up for the lack of innovation. Going from Quake 2 to HL was a huge leap. Going from Far Cry to HL2 actually felt like a step back in certain respects.

 

[N_B]

Half Life 2 was my game of the decade, in spite of playing in 2008...on PS3

It's really the atmosphere in my opinion that sets it apart, the ambient sounds, physics and realistic building designs combine to create something special; travelling down the lonely roads on Highway 17 is an excellent experience. Bioshock really is the only game IMO that competes in atmosphere.

 

[Malo]

Any one even know when HF2:E3 is coming out, or did it get scraped? L4D, once you beat it, really no point to play it again, hardly any replay value. Probley the same with L4D2, haven't really played it though. Portal 2 comes out sometime this year, just seen it in game informer. I'll probley check it out.

L4D primary focus is cooperative online play with the various modes, not as a single player campaign.

 

[liolio]

Why is this in the console forums?!? It's a pc game, damn it!

Because Valve will wait for the release of the next consoles to unleash HL3 and the engine supporting it

 

[Saga_Studios]

L4D, yes it is ment for online play, but once you beat the 4 campains, whats there to do? Not to much. I'd rather play WoW, Nazi Zombies, but thats just me. L4D, just feels hollow, once you beat it. Only reason to play WoW is NZ. MW has better MP.

 

[RobertR1]

HL2 was/is a perfect shooter. There's absolutely nothing I'd change about. I wasn't too keen on the Episode format but god damn, I can't wait to play HL3. I rather Valve take their time to provide me something like HL2 then to put out another generic FPS in an endless sea of FPS mediocrity this gen.

Couple it with CS2 and I'll cream all over B3D servers.

 

[infinity4]

Half life was pure quality gameplay. Games like Gears of War will never match level design of Half Life's ones.

I would rather play 20 hour game in 5 years time rather than to play 3-4 hours minutes worth every year which would considerably degenerate the rhythm that you set in around 3 hours.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Because Valve will wait for the release on the next consoles to unleash HL3 and the engine supporting it

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[nintenho]

HL2 did have a lot of problems. The platforming bits were frustrating and the chapter after you control the antlions and attack the turrets was just really tedious. Combat/level design just doesn't feel that satisfying in HL2 except until you get to the Citadel.

OTOH, I loved EP1 because I played it using only one bullet (for the achievement). It meant having to search through rubble and dark corridors for anything I can use and really think to survive. That felt satisfying and honestly made it feel like a survival horror so I was disappointed to go back to killing Combine soldiers at the end.

Hopefully EP3 gives you more ways to take on every environment so you can play how you want.