Ever since the release of the original Half-Life in 1998, the series of FPS( First Person Shooter) Game has achieved quite a lot of commercial and critical success. Developed and Published by Valve, the series was consequently renewed in the following years with new settings and a character, and physics-based game play.
In 2004 came Half-Life 2, then Half-Life 2: Lost Coast (2005), Half-Life 2: Episode One (2006) and Half-Life 2: Episode Two (2007). Episode Three was also to be released by Christmas 2007 but was cancelled later on. Half-Life Alyx was released in 2020, set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2.
The Complete Story So Far
Gordon Freeman, a theoretical Physicist, is controlled by players to survive an alien invasion. Half-Life 2 is set 20 years later, where the Earth has been occupied by a transdimensional species called Combine. Half-Life 2: Lost Coast was based on a segment of Half-Life 2 where the player( as Freeman) is supposed to climb a cliff and destroy a Combine artillery launcher. Valve announced a trilogy of Half-Life 2, and even though Episode 1 and Episode 2 were released, the third episode that was considered to be Half-Life 3 was never released. Chapter 1 saw Freeman escape with Alyx before City 17 was destroyed by dark energy. Episode 2 focuses on Freeman’s travel with Alyx in a terrain invaded by the Combine Forces.
A few other supplements were also released apart from the leading role-playing game. Half-Life: Opposing Force(1999) was released as a mission pack for Half-Life. It makes US Marine Corporal Adrian Shepherd assume the role of Freeman.
Half-Life: Blue Shift(2001) was the second expansionary pack which saw Barney Calhoun, a security guard attempting to escape a facility Black Mesa with a group of Scientists.
Half-Life: Decay(2001) was the final expansion pack, unique in itself since it followed a cooperative game between two players, Gina Cross and Colette Green( Freeman’s Colleagues). They work together to fight dimensional rift in an attempt to close it.
Half-Life: Alyx and Speculations about Half-Life 3
Half-Life: Alyx is a virtual reality title released on March 23rd 2020 which follows the events between Half-Life and Half-Life 2. It is considered to be a prequel to the latter, and it follows Alyx and her father Eli’s resistance against the Combine in City 17. It has been perceived as Half-Life 3 by some players but has been disambiguated by many others. Till date, the only official Half-Life 3 was the third instalment of the episodic trilogy which was supposed to release during Christmas 2007 but never did.
However, Valve developer Robin Walker disclosed that he is interested in creating a potential Half-Life 3, owing to the restored interest in the game with the release of Half-Life: Alyx. He has not confirmed anything yet because Alyx is his principal focus at the moment. But he most definitely sees the prospect of Half-Life 3 shortly because he stated: ” We see Half-Life: Alyx as our return to this world, not the end of it.”