Valve Speaks on Half-Life 2: Episode 3
By Shawn on Sunday, May 20th, 2007 at 10:41 AM PST In Electronic Arts, Half-Life, Valve
Eurogame’s Tom Bramwell has an interview with Valve’s marketing director Doug Lombardi. He says with Episode 2 in the final stages of production, Episode 3 is in preproduction and will be ramping up very quickly. Valve hints that Episode three will finally take the gamer out of City 17. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the series, while fans wait for “Half-Life 3″ to hit shelves, Valve has been issuing episodic additions to the Half-Life 2 storyline.
I thought Episode 2 was going to take us out of City 17
It’s nice to know that the story is continuing so fast :mrgreen:.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R,
I think the news is about the fact that we wont return there for Episode 3 either, but that Lombardi is intimating we may be seeing something quite different for the setting by then. Though I don’t think saying we aren’t going back to City 17 is not a big revelation based on the fact there is not probably much left after Half-Life 2 and Episode 1’s ending.
I think they know that Clinton..hence the “Half-life 3″ comment in the news piece, but what makes you think it’ll be less than 6 years before Episodes 1-3 are released?
We’re already pushing that because of the delays between Episode 1 and 2.. how long till episode 3? Another two years? Valve did not win me over to episodic gaming with this.. they just proved they can’t do short term projects.. they have to make a major development cycle out of everything they do.
Does getting Team Fortress and Portal with Episode 2 make up for the delay? Maybe not.. I wanted to see them ride the excitement from the first episode but that interest has cooled for most folks now.. its been a year! I would buy TF2 as a game.. I don’t like that it delayed the release of HL2:Ep2 if that is indeed the case.
i think valve can make a short time projects but dont you realize that they are not making only one game … think about it left 4 dead 2 is coming half life 2 ep3 they made team fortres 2
I’ve heard half life episode 3 will take place in the artic as seen in a short clip of ep 2 or 1 trailer.
well i dont care what anyone says about it all i know is good games take time.
and if i have to wait a while to play or see it i will.
when cs source cam out i bought the package and included in it was
half life 2.so i played cs:source then one day i decided to try it out.
i loved it to the end.and now ive clocked it like 4-5 times thats how much
i injoyed it.
i actualy played half life2 more than cs:source.i havent got episode 1 yet but i im planning on getting all 3 of them in the end.and i hope they make alot more half life games
yeah sure there taking there time and poeple cant wait but give them time.dont rush em
Dont you think if half-life 2 ep1-2 is half life 3 it would be called half-life 3 ep1-2 ?
Maybe we will go to City 14 in Episode 3
Lord Gothmog….
To be honest, Half-life 2: Episode 2 was well worth the wait. And if you want more, then I’ll say that portal was also, well worth the wait. Any delay that we had to endure was fine, considering the “awesomeness” of both games. I know, I’ve played and beaten them both. They’re both extremely well-crafted games. Plus, I think that valve chose to use episodes because at the end of each episode there is some sort of revelation, or dramatic event. I won’t give anything away here, but the end of episode 2 is making very anxious to play the next installment…but in a good way. I’d say they were, and will be, worth the wait.
I think Episode 2 was pretty well worth it and so was Portal and Team Fortress 2.
Episode 2 was AWESOME! Valve definitely heard gamers’ complaints that episode 1 was too short, they made this one perfect! The environments are rich and the battles are heated, and they didn’t skimp on the plot either. Can’t wait for episode 3!
I didn’t think a game could make me cry…
The wait was well worth it.
hay Half-life rocks!!! you said Episode 2 was AWESOME! no no no it still is AWESOME!
WOW What a game,just finished EP 2 and I’ve got to say that was one hell of a game although I thought it was a bit short but maybe I’m just being greedy!I shall now enter hibernation mode and await EP 3…
Well I just finished playing HL2 EP2 and I have to say I’m really impressed with how valve has continued and expanded the storyline. The ending was extremely well thought of that makes the gamer want to play EP3 ASAP. I understand valve has other projects, but I’m going to be bummed because we all know EP3 will take a good year or year in a half to complete. To bad I couldn’t meet up with some of them and “discuss” future installments
Hm, well, it looks like in the next episode the worlds of Aperture Labs and Black Mesa collide (Portal and Half-Life 2)… As the supercomputer from Portal jokingly said “Maybe Black Mesa…”, it seems it will actually be more or less true. Which I think is rather interesting. IIRC, Aperture Labs goes back as Black Mesa’s competitor for teleportation technology.
This could explain why Valve wanted to release Portal and EP2 together. And no, Portal was not done back in January 2007 (when EP2 was supposedly finished). The teaser released around that time showed a game that was more or less the same, but completely different. The recursion for Portals, was done by taking a still screenshot at that point, and placing it into another portal as a texture. This was hopelessly inefficient, of course. Besides, all the levels were different.
Yeah ep 2 - great game, but frustratingly short. but the story does keep you drooling for more. the battles were also really well done, and some good puzzles in there too. I’d suggest sticking it straight on to hard to play it first time, will make it more satisfying. I did that with EP1 but not this one
ah well. Portal was also awesome! the ‘ending’ had me well excited
There are very few games that I will play through multiple times. If we have to wait for episode 3… I will have fun playing HL1, HL2, HL2ep1, HL2ep2, and portal again before it comes out.
I absolutely agree with you Phacider. The HL series is just one of those series that you don’t get tired of playing through! Maybe I should buy HL1….>.
Kupoff789x,
I highly recommend getting HL1. You will get the microwave caserole reference made in HL2:ep2 then.
Lol I was wondering about that! I had that line from episode 2 on my xfire status because, even without fully understanding the reference, I thought it was pretty funny. I’ll definetly pick HL1 up then. Should I get any of the HL1 spinoffs too?
I’d recommend Opposing Force and Blue Shift (Hi-res pack was in this expansion). Though they are all pretty cheap so you might just get the Platinum pack if you don’t already have TFC.
The spin offs are pretty fun, but I didn’t play through them as much as the origonals.
I need to play opposing force and blue shift… Ive played through hL1 at least 4 or so times but never the expansions
, and that casserole thing made me laugh
Hehehe just finished EP2 and it was great. When leaving the farm just before racing the helicopter down the tracks to the first tunnel, Just as you get to the tracks if you cross the tracks there is just enough space at the end of the fence on the far side to crash through into a restricted zone out of the normal game area. That was crazy fun for a while driving around in the air. It was funny because I drove off the edge of the world and flipped the car onto it’s top. Alyx was still strapped in and complaining so I hit the car with the gravity gun and righted it then headed out towards the vortex.
Narf!
Wel,well,well, was give HalfLife 2 Episode 1 as a gift, compleated it in just over a day, then i got HalfLife Episode 2, also compleated that in a day, both was good game, some very hard parts in it, specialy on Part 6, defending the Silo against the attack, that was realy haed, kepted running out of ammo.lol
I like to see Episode 3 to this game very soon. Like to know what happens after the rocket is launched, where to they go next.????
Fantasic games tho, im normaly a gammer on like Call of Duty 2, Battlefield .ect Getting COD4 next month, but love to play next episode of Halflife when it arrives, when will this be.. Also when is HalfLife 3 due out…??
My Rateing Eps 1&2 9/10
Cheer
Steve
When you type that horribly, you lower the bar. And no one wants to limbo under that.
The definition of embarassment: running into a wall with a boner and breaking your nose first.
As funny as that was, I must point out that there are no bones in your penis.
ive completed all the half life 2 games and the episode 1 and 2 leaves you on a cliff hanger and thier too short but they are amazing. I thoguht there was another half life 2 called half life 2 lost coast i played a demo and that was out of sector 17 … HALF LIFE ROCKS
true, there are no bones in your penis… but it is also true that you can “break” it.
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2382.html
on another more relevant note… just beat episode two… wow.
Half Life 2 ep. 3 will not take place in City 17, nor any other city. Not even on planet Earth. We will be out in space…. on a spaceship (The Borealis).
@ Panda,
Lost coast is a ‘lost level’ it’s just one level that you can play that was a tech demo for HDR before Episode 1 came out.
As if it wasn’t said enough, ep2 was amazing. To me, it seems, they bring the bar up each time, so its just as amazing to me each time. I think that ep2 was damn amazing, DESPITE my ONE COMPLAINT: No new one piece hand held weapons! WTF MAN, WTF. some guy a shit load of lines up spoke of a reference to ep2 making him cry. I agree! I agree that is was a VERY sad ending. Dramatic, climactic and well exucted as well as sad. I however didn’t cry.
Wow the EP2 is awesome, and the new enemy is…. well, looks awesome but wants quite much bullets in ass. At the ending. I thought this was the happy happy ending but those urr.. not spoiling anyway. And I need to play Portal, Opposing Forces and Blue Shift…
OFFTOPIC: Yay for killing the HL1 Boss with a crowbar!
I LOVE HALF LIFE!
@ Nate…
Yes Nate, I was quite teary-eyed. I won’t give much away, but it was really because of the Alex-effect that they did at the end. You know what I mean.
Oh, and ignore the Russian, he’s only upset because Rocky won.
See? Lots of anger there, lots of hatred. Don’t worry “Russian”, just let it all out. We’re here for you ‘lil buddy.
Raboot….
A spaceship? whats wrong with you?! and if we’re going back to Xen in ep3 i wanna see those little cute puppies that hit you with their soundwaves…and i also wanna see that gun come back that looks like a vacuum cleaner lol. Oh and by the way in ep2 that part when ur on the mountain road in the forest….the bird sounds and …like just the nature sounds are beautiful! i set there for like 30 mins exploring things looking at the mountains…..by the way i was extremly stoned…
kiss my ass you ASSHOLES!!!
suck my penis!
Russian, you’re desecrating a holy Valve-related topic. Please take your broken penis elsewhere.
BOT, Hl1 and HL2 were freaking awesome! I’m going to buy the black box or whatever it’s going to be called which has all 3 episodes in it.
AlexFromBrampton….. there is lot’s wrong with me! Where should I begin? Nevermind…. back to the Half Life universe…, most likely we will be traveling to the stars in ep. 3. On a cargo ship named The Borealis. It’s where there may be a dangerous new technology (developed by Black Mesa rivals Aperture Science). We may need to retrieve the tech before the evil Combine get hold of it.
And no…. this is not made up in my head. Read page 059 of the November issue of PC Gamer (bottom half of page) to see a small write up and a picture of The Borealis.
Just Finished Half Life 2 Episode 2 it took 7.5 hours and the ending will leave marks in my heart. Anyway i loved it so much and just wished they would have made it a bit longer, overall better then HL episode 1 and the graphics make it so much more thrilling. PS. I thought Half Life 2 Episode 3 was somewhere in the Antarctic.
AMB, judging from the ingame visuals of the actual ship, it most likely IS somewhere cold, however, I couldn’t really verify the Antarctic part…it could be Greenland for all we know. Anywhere cold.
LOL. I don’t know where i got the antarctic part, but i think i herd it form somewhere (another forum perhaps) anyways i just added my posting earlier because someone was on about it being in space and i disagreed. Thanks for the Heads up. I thought it really was Antarctica