Half-Life 2 (PC)

[Spatial]

Aftermath is due `summer` according to Valve. I'd take that to mean summer next year mind

Kotatsu, I don't get what you mean ? Aftermath is going to be the expansion

->Open Spoiler<-

which puts you back in the shoes of Freeman. It's going to explain how Alyx and Gordo escape the citadel, and what happens to City 17 next - probably Eli, Mossman, Kleiner and all too.

You can see from those pics that the citadel seems to be still standing. Looks like the Breenplosion didn't do much except send him to God knows where (though I'm willing to bet that's just a placeholder model as they won't want to spoil too much)

But with City 17's defenses weakened, all the hostile creatures have free path through the city. That and there's now a bit of a power vacume which I'm sure Breen's benefactors might use to their advantage.

[Kotatsu Neko]

Kotatsu, I don't get what you mean ? Aftermath is going to be the expansion

->Open Spoiler<-

At the end of HL2 there is a huge explosion, the citadel should be destroyed, along with Alyx, Mossman, Eli etc. As well as you would expect most of City 17.

And yet from those shots it's as if nothing has happened!

[Spatial]

That's just it.

The end did seem a bit

->Open Spoiler<-

premature to me. Valve have said they took player feedback on board when they looked at doing the expansions, and it seems everyone wanted to know what had happened to Freeman et all before having to wait until Number 3.

The cynic in me always did wonder if that ending was just put in so they could actually get the game on the shelves. Saying that, having talked to Marc Laidlaw myself he said that he has oodles of plans for what he want to do with Freeman next.

They might have even decided the explosion was a good point to end it on while they figured out what was going to happen next.

But you have to bare in mind that its Breen that's telling you everything is going to be destroyed when you trash the transporter, and he just can't be trusted. Maybe he was just trying to save his own skin, and the explosion was more contained. Lets face it, the citadel went so far into the roots of the earth it might take more than an explosion at the top of it to bring it all down.

Again, I think the Citadel in those pics is just a placeholder model, put in not to actually spoil anything.

Who knows, but it seems Valve wouldn't make a direct continuation if it wasn't going to work / be chock full of the same goodness.

I guess this is going to Half Life 2, part 2.

[Rossco]

Rossco,

You'll have to go back to an earlier save, 'cos you'll probably need more health to take out both of those tanks (there are two) once you've done that, you need to find a freight container thingy that goes behind that row of pillars that holds the pier up in your picture. You'll know it because it's got a large crack on it's side.

You need to throw a grende inside it to "blow the bloody doors off". You can then drive through, zip along under the pier, make a sharp left and up the ramp at great speed.

Hope this helps,

Gunrock

Dude, pay attention I done it already! I'm way past it now!

Thanks anyway!

[Tig]

The whole bit at the end where

->Open Spoiler<-

the G-man intervenes

was such a dramatic closure of Gordon's adventure, and it brought things full-circe. It doesn't feel right that Gordon should immediately get dumped in the same place. And it opens the question: how to end Aftermath?

->Open Spoiler<-

*G-man releases Gordon*
*Gordon runs around City17 for a few more hours*
G-man: "Uh, I'm back... again..."

I was hoping the expansion would take the veiwpoint of an ordinary citizen. Trying to survive the chaos of post-citadel City17. It's not like Gordon is a "character" himself anyway!

I'm sure Valve will make Aftermath work... but imo, there's a wealth of potential plotlines which would be far easier to pursue.

[Len]

As Marc Laidlaw says regards Aftermath, quoted from PC Gamer and nicked from here:

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=58579

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"[Aftermath] deals with the events and issues set in motion during Half-Life 2. You've done critical damage to the Citadel. The whole place is going to go up, taking out City 17 and what's in its immediate radius. You and Alyx are leading the flight from the city getting up close and personal with some of the creatures and sights from the end of the game."

So you've sort of taken out the Citadel but not quite yet, though I agree that was one big f@cking explosion so it'll be interesting to see how they manage to get them out of that one and back onto the streets.

Then again the G-Man can be very helpful, maybe with a bit of gravity gun madness...lol! We'll see, can't come soon enough.

And on that note I think I'm gonna have to run through HL2...again!

[Rossco]

Just past the buggy section, now onto the ant thingys! Amazing. This game just gets better and better. So much satisfaction just from playing about doing silly things too!

Plus, ITS SO PRETTY!!!!

[Mardigan8]

The areas where you have control over the Ant Lions is fantastic. Proper warfare going along the beach front!! Setting them off against the Overwatch is fantastic to watch and listen Some sections I really have to play throuigh again... this being one of them... great stuff!!

[Harmony]

Hehe I liked throwing bug bait at Overwatch soldiers. It stuns them, and they stand their scratching themselves furiously. Hilarious.

[Spatial]

Lost Coast screens

edit :- there's also a lovely looking trailer been released. You can find it over at www.Gametrailers.com or your usual VG trailer place

[Rossco]

Yeh it sure does look sweet.

I hadn't played this for a few days but I just had a good sesh on it there, up to Chaper 11 now. Anticitizen something...

I can't believe how good it is. It really is impressive. The part where your in the dark tunnel and then all the lights go out and the team come in throwing their flares and shooting the hell outta you.

Brilliant.

[Spatial]

After rumours that it was going to be Steam download only, Aftermath is getting a traditional retail release after all. Freeman is confirmed as being the main character but with an expanded role for Alyx (whatever that'll mean)

Apparently its going to be released in September. Hmm... now where have I heared that before....

[Zapp$ter]

After rumours that it was going to be Steam download only, Aftermath is getting a traditional retail release after all. Freeman is confirmed as being the main character but with an expanded role for Alyx (whatever that'll mean)

Apparently its going to be released in September. Hmm... now where have I heared that before....

So did that date come from Valve then? Personally I'd have thought they'd have learnt by now to go handing out release dates early. I'd much rather they give the "'it'll be done when it's done" line, if they're asked about it.

[Spatial]

Doug Lombardi is the one saying "September".

Note how he didn't give a year

[Spatial]

Wasn't sure where to post there so I thought I'd put them in here




















Impressive stuff. I really love that last one - "Portrait of an Overwatch Soldier"