This is just as well as it has been reported that Valve's Index VR headset sold out in stores following the Half-Life:Alyx reveal.
Updated 4 March 2023
Valve's Half-Life game franchise is a well-known and beloved series that has garnered a massive following since its release in 1998. The series follows the protagonist, Gordon Freeman, as he navigates through a dystopian world overrun by aliens and military forces. Half-Life 2 was released in 2004, and its episodes were released sporadically between 2006 and 2007. However, it has been over ten years since the release of the last episode, and fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the next game in the series.
Speculation and rumors have circulated for years about the possibility of Half-Life 3, but there has been no official word from Valve. Many fans consider it to be one of the greatest retro games that never was, along with other long-awaited games like Escapes from the Bermuda Triangle. However, with the franchise's continued popularity and Valve's history of surprising announcements, some fans still hold out hope that Half-Life 3 will eventually be released.
As a Half-Life fan, I can attest to the excitement and sheer depth of the franchise. It's not just the main games that make Half-Life so great - it's the user-generated mods, which add countless hours of gameplay and creativity. There are also the books, which flesh out the universe even further, and the prototype releases, which give us a glimpse into what could have been. And let's not forget the incredible world-building and storytelling that Valve has put into the games themselves - it's what makes Half-Life so unique and memorable. Whether it's fighting headcrabs in Black Mesa, taking on the Combine in City 17, or exploring the mysteries of the G-Man, there's always something exciting to discover in the Half-Life universe.
The absence of new Half-Life games has had a significant impact on both the franchise and its fans. The lack of new content has left fans, like myself, feeling disappointed and frustrated. It may have also led to a decline in interest in the franchise as a whole, with many gamers moving on to other titles. The lack of new games has prevented the franchise from keeping up with technological advancements in the industry, potentially limiting its ability to innovate and remain relevant.
Attribution: HL2 Lamdba logo served by Wikimedia Commons and attributed to Valve Software [CC BY-SA 4.0]. HL2-counter developed by Lorenz Leitner and adapted for this page. Attribution holders have not endorsed this article.
I have created a clock that counts the the time (years, months, days) since the last real half-life 2 release. This clock creates a sense of dispair for me as a fan of the franchise. The years also represents the technological advancement that is possible for an innovative franchise like Half-Life.
The passing of time since the last release can certainly create a sense of longing for more content and excitement. However, it's also important to remember that the franchise has had a significant impact on the gaming industry and has inspired many other innovative titles. While the clock I've created may count the years since the last release, it's important to look forward to what the future may hold and keep an open mind about new possibilities and advancements in technology. Who knows what the next Half-Life game may bring?
The G-Man character in Half-Life is known for his enigmatic and cryptic manner of speaking, making it difficult to say for certain what he would make of counting time. However, given his mysterious nature and his tendency to manipulate events to suit his own agenda, it is possible that he would view the clock as a tool for keeping track of humanity's progress, or as a way to measure the passage of time in relation to his own plans. Alternatively, he might see the clock as a futile gesture, since he likely possesses a greater understanding of time and its intricacies than any human could ever hope to achieve.
Stop the press. We can't believe it either. Valve has finally announced the sequel to Half-Life 2, sort of. It is Valve, it is SteamVR, it is Half-Life; Half Life: Alyx. We have seen Valve use beautiful game trailers before with the sneak release of the Half-Life 2 trailer. The announcement came from a newly created Twitter account, but it is claimed to be official. Full details are given on the Half-Life homepage. Forget about old school press releases, Valve is a company that does it differently. It used to be a very quiet, almost introverted, consumer organization. And then boom, an avalanche of news and information has been cascading out to the gaming community. And we can expect many more leaks to come.
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The announcement has already created huge controversy as Half-Life: Alyx is clearly driving the VR, or virtual reality, technology very hard. But there has been an outcry from the loyal fanbase hoping for a standard 2D version. Comments like, "… please think of the other 99.62% of the user base," and "what a shame valve, We don't want VR, we want [a] cool and normal game."
The VR-haters clearly miss the point. Half-Life has always been used as a tool to push technology. Back in the day of the dinosaurs, I had to buy a bigger graphics card just to play HL2 when it was release. Those same Twitter-complainers would have been up in arms then too, if Twitter had been around, about a game for the masses. Well, I say grow up. Half-Life: Alyx is going to be the killer application for VR gaming, and more specifically SteamVR. Valve has said in its marketing material that "VR was built for the kind of gameplay that sits at the heart of Half-Life". In very clear terms, Half-Life: Alyx was built from the ground up for VR. The release may also be an attempt to respond to the industry heavyweights, Oculus and Sony, that release lock-in titles to their own platforms. Valve has taken an alternative approach with an all-welcome response to playing Half-Life:Alyx. This is just as well as it has been reported that Valve's Index VR headset sold out in stores following the Half-Life:Alyx reveal. The Valve Index equipment is also orientated towards the North American market and it not available in all established markets.
HL:Alyx story setting—The Half-Life:Alyx story takes place between the original Half-Life and the Half-Life 2 story. The Earth has already been invaded by a nefarious alien race called the Combine. The steam Half-Life: Alyx store page describes Alyx as Valve's VR return to the Half-Life series. Playing as Alyx Vance, you are humanity's only chance for survival. The release date is set for March 2020. Unfortunately, Valve Index is reported as not available in all countries yet.
This is just as well as it has been reported that Valve's Index VR headset sold out in stores following the Half-Life:Alyx reveal.
Half-Life has also been a demonstration vehicle for its flagship game engine. The original Half Life game used the GoldSrc game engine. Then Half-Life 2 burst onto the scene using the newly released Source game engine. This game engine has evolved into Source 2. All of these game engines can trace their lineage back to the Quake Engine.
This point was possibly missed in the stampede to announce a new edition of Half Life. The protagonist is the female character, Alyx. Marketing agents have been saying for years that products are being created for a male orientated world. This, apparently hyper-violent, first-person shooter will be played with a female lead. But remember, VR games are about giving players a totally immersive gaming experience. That means that male players will be entering a virtual cross-dressing environment.
I'm excited about the prospect of playing as Alyx in the upcoming Half-Life: Alyx VR game. It's refreshing to see a female lead in a hyper-violent first-person shooter, especially in a genre that has been predominantly male-oriented. VR games take immersion to a whole new level, and playing as a female character will provide a unique perspective and experience. I'm also glad that this move towards inclusivity will allow male players to step out of their comfort zone and play as a female character, giving them a chance to see the game from a different perspective. While some may feel like they're entering a virtual cross-dressing environment, I see it as a step towards a more diverse and inclusive gaming industry.
Source Half-Life Screenshots
Some of us missed half-life as the Commodore Amiga at the time.
Unfortunately, the Commodore Amiga and First-Person Shooters
(FPS)
do not mix.
Eventually everyone turned to the dark side and supported the Wintel franchise.
After a major upgrade in 20014 with an investment in a decent video card the author purchased Half-Life 2.
And fell for it in a big way.
In doing the same, many gamers unwittingly became a convert to Valve's Steam distribution service.
Most player's biggest confession, and shhhh I will only whisper this, is that they used games cheats to finish these very difficult games. That is maybe not as bad as it would first seem because it was the story line and the characters that people really enjoyed so much.
Half-Life 2 is still such a masterpiece of gaming and it's a crime that we will never see the conclusion we were promised more than 10 years ago.
— Zarah (@ZarahLP) May 19, 2019
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As always, there is an excellent write up of the Half-Life franchise in Wikipedia. Half-Life became the starting point for many items. Starting with the story development of the protagonist Gordon Freeman. The game also forced players to install the Steam content management system fronted by steampowered.com. Half-Life 2 was both a critical success, described as one of the best videogames of all time and huge commercial success, listed as one of the best-selling videogame franchises of all time.
There have also been numerous short films and fan content developed on the Half-Life story.
Source Half-Life Screenshots