In a newly released two-hour documentary, Valve’s current and former team members reflect on the creation of Half-Life 2 and finally reveal the truth behind the elusive Half-Life 2 Episode 3, including early gameplay footage of the canceled game.
Released on November 15 to celebrate Half-Life 2's 20th anniversary, the update includes fresh commentary, quality-of-life improvements, and Steam Workshop support. However, the highlight of the celebration is a comprehensive documentary that delves into the making of the iconic first-person shooter and its subsequent episodes, including the long-awaited Episode 3, which was never released despite years of fan anticipation.
As the documentary concludes its focus on Episode 1 and Episode 2, Valve’s developers begin discussing Episode 3. They reveal that the team had experimented with an "ice gun," a weapon capable of creating icy structures and pathways during combat, and a blob-like enemy that could split into smaller parts and navigate through vents. Despite this exciting early concept, the project was still in its infancy, with Half-Life 2 engineer David Speyrer noting that the team was only about six months into development before the plans shifted.
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Marc Laidlaw, the series' writer, expressed that even he was unsure what Episode 3 would have become, as the game had not been fully realized by that point. “It was all about exploration. We were finding ways to use new features and discovering what kind of story we could tell with them,” Laidlaw explained.
Speyrer also shared that the episode was set in the Arctic, a setting hinted at in earlier concept art, and that it would focus on the mysterious Borealis ship, which had been referenced in both the Portal and Half-Life series. However, after six months of development, the team had only produced a collection of unorganized levels and a few story beats. Speyrer speculated that with another six months, they might have reached a critical mass of mechanics, and could have finished the game within one to two years, depending on the team's ambition.
Ultimately, Episode 3 never came to fruition. The documentary reveals that Valve struggled with running out of ideas and innovation within the existing Half-Life 2 engine and tools. Laidlaw noted that even Arkane Studios faced difficulties creating new, exciting gameplay elements for the Half-Life 2 engine, leading the Half-Life team to feel that they were nearing the end of what they could achieve with the technology.