A former writer for Valve, Marc Laidlaw, provided a synopsis for Half-Life 2: Episode 3 earlier this year – causing fans to dream big with the possibility. However, as this outline was the only means fans had to think of for episode 3, they rose to occasion to start bringing this concept to life. Let’s just say the gear and weapons look fantastic, and the creatures appear to be something out of the Lovecraftian realm.

The team behind this fan-made project provided updates on their progress via Reddit, and shared tons of concept art. Below is a portion of the announcement made by the developers on the Half-Life 2: Episode 3 project:

While maybe not the most glamorous area of development, PB’s team of programmers have been making huge strides in developing the game’s core gameplay systems including recreating HL:2’s iconic movement, UI, weapon functionality and AI. The team now enjoys testing regular builds each week focused on perfecting these systems in order to build a solid foundation for which the rest of the game can expand on. The team’s goals at this stage is to make the base experience as close as possible to the original. We consider the above mentioned systems critical to capturing the HL:2 experience so it’s imperative that these systems be tackled first in order to ensure the rest of the game’s flow can mechanically match the game it’s inspired by.

On movement alone, the team has spent numerous hours poring over HL:2 speed runs and documentation to make sure we get every mechanic right so that players who use those features feel right at home, even in a new engine. Yes, this means re-introducing things like accelerated back hopping, circle strafing, bunny-hopping, etc. For those who are just interested in the general feel of movement, the team has been working hard to make sure acceleration, friction, momentum, etc are properly handled to stay true to what people expect.

The concept art team has been hard at work further expanding upon and defining the overall look of both the Rebel and Combine forces. Project Borealis takes place primarily in an arctic setting, meaning both sides have had to adapt their outerwear and gear to match the harsher climate. We’ve also had our environmental artists produce some stunning renders of upcoming locations to be featured in PB. Below are links to just a small handful of some of the team’s latest concept images, just keep in mind these are ALL work in progress concepts and will change as we continue to iterate.

The writing team has taken the initial Epistle 3 story posted by Marc and broken it down into critical plot points and then added more as needed to fill the gaps and flesh out a full and compelling story true to the lore and feel of the Half Life universe. Working through this more detailed story, the first 1/2 is nearly complete and undergoing review by the design teams. As we’ve stated in the past, the team does not intend to provide any spoilers into Epistle 3’s story development beyond what was originally laid out by Marc. However, we did at least want everyone to know things are moving forward smoothly.

The 3D art team has been hard at work churning out a variety of assets to be used in PB. Much of the work involves the thankless task of creating the game’s countless props used in the set dressing of levels. That being said, work continues on many iconic models, some of which can be seen below in various stages of completion:

First Person HEV Suit Arm
First Person HEV Suit Glove 1
First Person HEV Suit Glove 2
Completed Strider
Strider Close-up
Completed Spas-12 Shotgun
Gravity Gun WIP
Gravity Gun WIP 2

If you’re interested in seeing more on the project, more concept art can be viewed here. Half-Life 2 fans should remain excited, as the team plans to provide better up in 2018.

What do you think about the latest update on the Half-Life 2: Episode 3 fan made project? What else would you like to see from the developers? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below, and don’t forget to check out DFTG on Twitter for gaming and entertainment news live 24/7!

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