What Could Half-Life 3 Look Like Today?

Did You Know?

Did you know that Half-Life 2: Episode 3 was initially slated for a 2007 release? Valve’s prolonged silence and delays led to the episodic model being abandoned, giving fans hope for a full-fledged Half-Life 3. However, this hope came with a catch: we had to wait for the release of Source 2.

The Long Wait for Source 2

The years passed without any news about the new engine or the next Half-Life installment. This lack of information caused fans to lose hope. Half-Life seemed to be forgotten. Then, in 2015, out of nowhere, Dota 2 was ported to Source 2, confirming the engine’s existence. A year later, references to ‘HLVR’ were discovered in its files, which turned out to be Half-Life: Alyx, a prequel that finally launched in 2020.

The Many Attempts at Half-Life 3

Contrary to popular belief, Valve has not been idle. Several Half-Life projects were in the works over the years but never saw the light of day. Between 2013 and 2014, Half-Life 3 was in development but was ultimately canceled. Lead writer Marc Laidlaw, frustrated with the delays, released a brief version of Episode 3’s narrative, cleverly titled “Epistle 3.” He also worked on a VR game called Borealis, which was set on an interdimensional time-traveling ship. This ship was originally cut from Half-Life 2 but reappeared at the end of Episode 2. However, this project was also canceled.

Another VR shooter, which would have used Half-Life 2 assets, was planned as a tech demo-style game. This game was intended to be part of The Lab, showcasing Valve’s VR capabilities. A different Half-Life game, canceled in 2015, featured Gordon Freeman experiencing dream sequences of the Combine’s invasion. He would wake up in Aperture Science with a robot arm capable of resizing objects and changing their temperature. This game, set 20 years after Half-Life 2: Episode 2, would have been more open than previous games and featured procedurally generated quests.

Half-Life 3 After Alyx

To predict where Half-Life 3 might go, it’s essential to look at what led to Half-Life: Alyx. According to leaks, the new Half-Life game follows someone in a HEV suit, likely Gordon Freeman. Alyx ends with Eli Vance handing Gordon a crowbar, hinting at a new adventure.

Much of the canceled Episode 3 and Half-Life 3 narratives revolved around avenging Eli Vance. Before his death, Eli asked players to destroy the Borealis before the Combine could seize it. Dr. Kleiner, however, wanted to use it against the Combine, setting up a race to the Arctic.

In Laidlaw’s Epistle 3, Gordon and Alyx fly the Borealis into the heart of the Combine empire in a self-sacrificing mission to wipe them out. This mission barely made a dent, and G-Man takes Alyx, while the vortigaunts take Gordon. The Advisor who kills Eli is revealed to be Dr. Breen, who had transferred his consciousness at the end of Half-Life 2. Players would have found him in Episode 3, begging for death, with Alyx insisting on leaving him to suffer. However, players could choose to end his pain.

The New Path Forward

With Alyx taken by G-Man and Eli alive, the story must change. We’ll likely venture to the Arctic in search of the Borealis and clash with the Combine, but the fate of the Borealis will change. Instead of destroying it, we might use it to find where G-Man keeps people like Gordon and Adrian Shepherd in stasis to save Alyx.

Alyx won’t be with us during this trip to the Arctic, a huge shift from Epistle 3. Without her suggestion, the fate of the Borealis is in flux. Originally, the goal was to seize the ship before the Combine could. Now, it’s to find Alyx. For the first time, G-Man will be the main antagonist, having taken Alyx in Gordon’s place. Gordon and Eli are not the kind to sit idly by and wait. They’re going after her.

Potential Features of Half-Life 3

• Setting: Arctic, searching for the Borealis
• Antagonist: G-Man
• Main Characters: Gordon Freeman and Eli Vance
• Goals: Seize the Borealis and find Alyx
• Gameplay: Likely features from previous Half-Life games with new mechanics and storylines

Half-Life 3 has the potential to be an incredible continuation of the series, with new challenges and a fresh narrative driving Gordon and Eli forward. The quest to find Alyx and confront G-Man will bring new dynamics to the story.

Are you ready for what Half-Life 3 could bring?