Phoenix|Down x5: Half Life 3

[Neon Ignition]

It's been 12 years since Alex held her dying father in her arms as the second follow up episode to Valve's hit sequel came to a close. Fans eagerly awaited to see what would happen in the third planned episode but soon discovered that Valve was moving on to other... steamier... things and had little interest in letting the promised trilogy come to an end. As is well known, Valve dislikes the number three and third entries have recurringly failed to materialise. This includes a true sequel to Half Life 2...




Half Life 3


In the time that the series has been dormant fans have tried to keep the flame alive with remakes and free mini-expansions but the genre has leapt and bounded forward through several trends and styles. If you could cast a phoenix down and revive the series, after so much time, how would you go about attempting to produce a third true Half Life?

[Neon Ignition]

How much faith in ever getting a third game has fallen

[Cassius_Smoke]

I think half life 2 has an atmosphere that's almost impossible to reproduce. It's got a creepy sci-fi feeling. Almost British in a Doctor who kind of way if you know what I mean. All the environments made you want to explore it and learn more about what the hell happened to the earth. I really don't think they'd be able to capture it again.
Every part of HL2 has been a labour of love but I don't think Valve have the talent involved anymore. Most have jump ship as they changed focus on Steam.
I wouldn't want them to do a 3rd at this point.

[Brad]

Half life 3 has to be in vr when the tech is right up there, including hand controllers and they need to have been working on it for a couple of years already for release in 2022

[CMcK]

Half Life ran its course a long time a go. The first game was great but the second didn’t sustain things as well. It started strongly but got quite dull later on. I doubt it would resonate with the Call of Doody and Fortnite crowd anyway.

[Cepp]

I've long since stopped caring and moved on.

[Golgo]

I'd make it just like 2 only without the long driving and boat sections and with real bosses instead of differently coloured helicopters as bosses. I confess I got bored and never finished it but the 2 dlcs were better - in my view. Unusual for dlc nowadays.

[Neon Ignition]

It'd probably be nicer for Valve to just finish of Episode 3 as it would have been but also use it as a franchise closing love letter to fans. It's cancellation makes less sense than HL3 not happening

[Golgo]

Didn't they at one point claim that Eps 1 and 2 were HL3?

[Cassius_Smoke]

Didn't they at one point claim that Eps 1 and 2 were HL3?

Yeah i think that's right, it was meant to be rounded off with Ep3 taking place on the Borealis...but Valve don't like 3's.

[Zen Monkey]

I still want a third. If it's great then it's great. Fantastic. And if it isn't then it isn't. No big deal. I don't subscribe to the notion that disappointing sequels can somehow tarnish what came before.