Half-Life 2
News, coverage and analysis tracking Half-Life 2 across the outlets.
Latest coverage
SGF 2026: SPRAWL zero Preview—Movement Never Felt This Good
SPRAWL zero is a forthcoming first-person shooter developed by MAETH and published by Kwalee, heavily inspired by early 2000s FPS titles like Half-Life 2 and Halo. The game features fast-paced combat with mechanics like weapon swapping, throwable items, and special abilities such as Bullet Time and Gravity Shield, emphasizing fluid movement and reactive gameplay.
ILL Showcases Story and Gameplay in New Trailer, Coming to PC and PS5 in 2027
Team Clout has released a new trailer for their upcoming horror game ILL, showcasing gameplay that involves stealth and combat against grotesque monsters. The trailer also confirmed that ILL will be released on PC and PlayStation 5 in 2027. Inspirations for the game's creature design include classic horror films and titles like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Half-Life 2.
The Sunday Papers
This article rounds up various gaming-related articles and discussions. It includes pieces on the humor in Titanfall, the unique presentation of Angelique Special 2, and the complexities of trans segregation laws in the UK. Additionally, it touches upon political funding related to cryptocurrency and a lighthearted debate comparing dogs and cats in gaming contexts, specifically Half-Life 2's Dog versus Stray's Cat.
Former Half-Life 2 Writer Doesn’t Want to Pen Half-Life 3: “I Don’t Want to Touch Anything Old”
Former Half-Life 2 writer Chet Faliszek stated he has no desire to work on Half-Life 3, preferring to avoid established lore and the pressure of adhering to existing narratives. He expressed similar sentiments about other franchises with extensive backstories, including Left 4 Dead and Destiny 2, highlighting his preference for creating new intellectual property.
Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek has no interest in writing Half-Life 3: 'I don't want to touch that with a…
Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek stated he has no interest in working on Half-Life 3 or any other sequels due to the pressure of existing lore and fan expectations. He prefers creating new characters and stories rather than revisiting established universes, finding the prospect of writing for them a "disaster nightmare."
"We tried something different": Looking back on SiN Episodes: Emergence, the Valve-backed shooter that tried and failed to kick off an age of episodic gaming
Ritual Entertainment's 2006 sci-fi shooter SiN Episodes: Emergence, backed by Valve, aimed to pioneer episodic gaming but ultimately failed to launch a new era due to financial and development challenges. Despite its ambition and innovative features like adaptive difficulty, the game's short runtime and the studio's financial struggles led to the cancellation of future episodes and the eventual sale of Ritual Entertainment. The article reflects on the game's legacy and the difficulties faced by developers attempting new distribution models in the mid-2000s.
Elon Musk considered calling OpenAI 'Freeman' because 'it reminds me of the scientist protagonist in…
Internal documents from OpenAI reveal that co-founder Elon Musk considered naming the company 'Freeman,' inspired by the protagonist of Valve's Half-Life series. The discussions also touched upon other naming ideas like 'Cogito' and involved early figures like Sam Altman and Greg Brockman.
Game History and Preservation
The difficulty of a specific sewer puzzle in Half-Life 2 has been confirmed to have been adjusted since its original release. This discussion highlights how game design elements can evolve over time, touching upon aspects of game preservation and player memory.
You're not crazy, that one sewer puzzle in Half-Life 2 really did used to be harder
A YouTube analysis by Ocelot highlights that a specific buoyancy puzzle in Half-Life 2's Route Kanal level was indeed made easier over the game's 20-year history. Earlier versions required more attempts to use floating objects as platforms to reach dry land after raising the water level. The video also touches on differences in console ports and a rare Japanese arcade version.
The Brotherhood Unveils a Terrifying First Look at Their New Survival Horror Adventure Game ANIMAL USE PROTOCOL - GameHaunt
The Brotherhood has revealed Animal Use Protocol, a new PC survival horror game built on Unreal Engine 5. Players control Penn, an intelligent chimpanzee, escaping a dystopian lab with his rat companion Trip while being hunted by a monstrous chimaera. The game blends elements of Alien: Isolation and Amnesia: The Bunker, focusing on stealth and puzzle-solving with a gravity control device. A release date has not yet been announced, but the game will be available on Steam and GOG.
Our Steam Controller second opinion: what works, what doesn't, and what Valve should add for the next one
This second opinion piece offers a detailed look at Valve's Steam Controller, with reviewers James and Julian sharing their experiences. While acknowledging some minor technical hiccups and wishing for better non-Steam launcher integration, both find the controller comfortable, functional, and a strong contender for PC gaming, even suggesting it could be Valve's most impactful hardware release.
14 years ago, Valve boss Gabe Newell thought Steam would be replaced by something else in "2 or 3 years" because things always "change dramatically"
In 2011, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell predicted that Steam would be replaced within two to three years, believing that digital distribution platforms were inherently unstable. He cited the rapid rise and fall of social gaming and the unique success of the Nintendo Wii's motion controls as examples of dramatic industry shifts. Despite competition from platforms like EA's Origin and Games for Windows, Steam ultimately became the dominant PC game storefront.
Gabe Newell once said Steam wasn't 'the answer to digital distribution,' proving that even Gabe Newell is…
Valve boss Gabe Newell reflected on his past statements about Steam's dominance in digital distribution, acknowledging that the landscape has changed dramatically since 2011. Despite competitors like Epic Games and Amazon attempting to challenge its market share, Steam has continued to grow, setting new concurrent user records and maintaining its 70/30 revenue split with developers.
Slay the Spire 2 "may not be perfectly balanced yet," Half-Life writer and Valve veteran Erik Wolpaw says, but with 1,500 hours in the first game he has no doubt Mega Crit will pull it off
Valve writer Erik Wolpaw, known for his work on Half-Life 2 and Portal, shared his thoughts on Slay the Spire 2, stating that while it may not be perfectly balanced yet, he has confidence in developer Mega Crit. Wolpaw, who has over 1,500 hours in the original Slay the Spire, is currently playing the sequel extensively, both solo and in co-op.
"There was an arrogant assumption that players of shooters didn't want and wouldn't care about a story; we just didn't believe this": Go behind the scenes of Half-Life with legendary Valve designer Marc Laidlaw
Legendary Valve designer Marc Laidlaw discusses the development of Half-Life, revealing early concepts like 'Ivan the Space Biker' and the decision to delay release for a major redesign. He emphasizes Valve's belief that players desired story in shooters, a contrast to the prevailing industry assumption at the time. Laidlaw also touches on the game's technical achievements, innovative AI, and its lasting impact on the first-person shooter genre.
Gamers obsess over Valve boss Gabe Newell telling critically ill Half-Life and Portal writer Erik Wolpaw to "get better" instead of resigning, but the full story is even better
A story about Valve founder Gabe Newell encouraging writer Erik Wolpaw to focus on recovering from severe ulcerative colitis rather than resigning has gained traction online. The incident, originally documented in Geoff Keighley's digital book 'The Final Hours of Portal 2', highlights Newell's supportive approach to employee well-being during a critical health crisis.
Portal 2: Community Edition promises to take the game's modding potential to new heights, and it's out in open…
Portal 2: Community Edition, a community-maintained build of the game, has been released into open beta. It introduces new lighting technology, volumetrics, support for higher-resolution textures, custom campaign functionality, and expanded scripting capabilities, built on a fork of the CS:GO engine. This edition aims to enhance the game's extensive modding potential beyond its original limitations.
15 years on, Portal 2 Community Edition just breathed new life into Valve's classic
Portal 2: Community Edition, a fan-made project by 29 developers, has been released, breathing new life into Valve's 2011 puzzle game. This enhanced version utilizes the Strata Source engine, a modified branch of the CS:GO engine, to introduce significant technical and visual upgrades, including physically based rendering, improved lighting, and dynamic shadows. While not a remake of the original campaign, it offers vastly improved tools for custom content creation and is available for free on Steam for owners of Portal 2.
Steam’s 2005 Website Sparks Gaming Nostalgia Wave on Social Media
A Reddit post featuring Steam's 2005 website has sparked widespread nostalgia and discussion about the evolution of digital distribution and the gaming industry. The article contrasts the simple, functional design of early Steam with its current complex, engagement-driven interface, reflecting on how the industry has shifted from serving players to maximizing value extraction. While acknowledging modern Steam's improvements, it laments the loss of a perceived simpler era in gaming.
Why Gabe Newell Quit Making Games (It's Weirder Than You Think)
This article explores the unique leadership challenges faced by Valve co-founder Gabe Newell, stemming from his immense influence and the company's flat organizational structure. Newell's attempts to be an equal team member were often hindered by employees' deference, leading him to step back from direct creative input. This shift, while intended to foster autonomy, is argued to have contributed to years of project cancellations and creative stagnation at Valve, with the company only recently showing signs of renewed focus with titles like Half-Life: Alyx and Counter-Strike 2.
