Orbifold Studios, an independent, community-run developer, is working on an ambitious, RTX-powered remaster of the legendaryHalf-Life 2. Though clearly endorsed or at least tolerated by Valve, given its availability on Steam, the originalHalf-Life 2creator doesn’t appear to have any direct involvement with the mod’s development. But that doesn’t mean that Valve can’t capitalize on it.
TheRTX remaster ofHalf-Life-2will be available as a free download for anyone who already owns the base game.
Half-Life 2, likeTeam Fortress 2andPortal 2, is something of a bittersweet game. On the one hand, it was a revolutionary release, forever changing how AAA developers viewed storytelling in the FPS genre, and it still holds up today. Even its visuals, which certainly don’t hold a candle to modern releases, are shockingly appealing and impressive even 20 years later. On the other hand, the game is a constant reminder of Valve’s famous phobia of the number 3, as the story ofHalf-Liferemains incomplete, with no news about a third game on the horizon. It has been nothing short of disappointing for fans of theHalf-Lifeseries to sit by, year after year, without hearing a word of confirmation about a proper conclusion to the story, but Valve may have the perfect opportunity to change that.
Half-Life 3 Should Coincide With the RTX Remaster
The Stars Are Aligning For a Half-Life 3 Announcement
Audiences don’t just want a threequel becauseHalf-Life 2is one of the best shooters of all time, but because the series' story is obviously not over. Without getting into spoilers,Half-Life 2ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger that clearly intimates a follow-up game of some kind. But it’s been two full decades sinceHalf-Life 2released, and although it received post-launch DLC and a VR spin-off in the form ofHalf-Life: Alyx, the main narrative still has loose ends to tie up.
With 2024 markingthe 20th anniversary ofHalf-Life 2, it would be the ideal time to give players an update on the franchise. Plus, with the RTX remaster modernizing the game’s visuals dramatically, there will almost certainly be an influx ofHalf-Life 2players in the next few weeks, including those who never checked out the game in its original state. Indeed, all eyes will be onHalf-Life 2in the near future, and this visibility would be the perfect excuse to start getting the word out about a new game.
Half-Life: Alyxandthe early-access hero shooterDeadlockindicate that Valve is getting back into the business of making games, which may offer some hope thatHalf-Life 3is on the way.
What a Half-Life 3 Announcement Could Look Like
At this point,hoping for aHalf-Life 3reveal can feel like getting lost in delusion. Valve’s silence about the game in the midst of raucous demand is something that gaming fans are all too aware of, but the studio hasn’t explicitly stated that it won’t happen. And with a fairly notable expansion coming toHL2in the form of this RTX remaster, th stage is set for an announcement.
One can hope, but a proper reveal trailer or gameplay showcase forHalf-Life 3probably won’t be happening any time soon. That said, maybe the RTX remaster could include some sort of reference to the third game, implicitly confirming that it’s being worked on. Quite frankly, even anElder Scrolls 6-style logo reveal forHalf-Life 3would be welcomed with rapturous applause after so many years of silence. Essentially, Valve could do as little as tweet out a JPEG of said logo while players are re-experiencingHalf-Life 2with the RTX remaster, and audiences would probably eat it up. The company may not want to pass on such an opportunity.
Half-Life 2
WHERE TO PLAY
- HALF-LIFE sends a shock through the game industry with its combination of pounding action and continuous, immersive storytelling. Valve’s debut title wins more than 50 game-of-the-year awards on its way to being named “Best PC Game Ever” by PC Gamer, and launches a franchise with more than eight million retail units sold worldwide.NOW. By taking the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original, and adding startling new realism and responsiveness, Half-Life 2 opens the door to a world where the player’s presence affects everything around them, from the physical environment to the behaviors even the emotions of both friends and enemies.The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people he cares about are counting on him.
