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Half Life 2: Episode Four – First Screenshots Revealed From This Cancelled Title

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ValveTime has unearthed some screenshots from the fourth Episode of Half Life 2 that has been cancelled (yes yes, it was actually a fourth episode under development). This episode was in development by Arkane Studios in collaboration with Valve, and  these new screenshots come to us via the personal portfolio of Robert Wilinski, a Senior Environment Artist at Arkane Studios between 2007 and 2008. Enjoy!

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  • Too bad we can probably never have it. Valve stopped giving a sht about singleplayer games.

    • MB.Mephisto

      And i prefer single player games 🙁

    • Shame indeed. Their games were the best.. 🙁

  • durka durka

    i miss that kind of level design. Thankfull wolfenstine new order and old blood have it.

    • juanme555

      ye but wolfenstein and old blood are trash

      • 7thGuest

        Boooooo you!

        • durka durka

          best shooter in years, good narrative solid shooting mechanics, agressive ai…well kinda. Good level design no idea wtf he is talking about.

          • Nines

            Well, it’s the same team who made Enclave, Riddick and Darkness, after all.

          • durka durka

            i think physcho circus was better than both, riddick had horrible level design and shooting.

      • durka durka

        GET OUT

  • Umair Khan

    “Gabe where is Half Life 3???”
    Gabe: “Here is new Dota 2 update. Have fun.”

    .
    Valve used to be greatest PC game developer. Sad to see they are all about Steam and Dota 2 now.

    • FasterThanFTL

      They were up there with the best but their real Legacy is not the games they made but how they single-handedly saved PC gaming with Steam.

      Everyone knows Half-Life 3 is being worked on in “Secret” and it will be nothing less than the best game ever.

      • connos

        No their not working on it. They said couple of times that the way Valve is structured if people are interested in making it then it will happened. And no one is interested.

        • FasterThanFTL

          There will be no Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed games in 2016 because we don’t know about the details so they are definitely not making them in secret.

          • Nines

            “With Source 2, our focus is increasing creator productivity. Given how important user generated content is becoming, Source 2 is designed not just for the professional developer, but enabling gamers themselves to participate in the creation and development of their favorite games.”

            They’re basically saying you to go and make your own HL3. But seriously, Valve’s interests shifted many years ago. Maybe they will make something to promote SteamOS / Linux, Vulkan and Source 2, but there’s no indication it will be HL3.

          • oxidized

            It’ll come out eventually have faith, you can’t let unfinished one of the greatest saga ever

          • 7thGuest

            Apparently they can. 🙁

          • oxidized

            They won’t

          • 7thGuest

            Because?

          • oxidized

            because it’s just stupid and pointless

          • 7thGuest

            Heh, stupid and pointless would be people hating it because it doesn’t have a satisfying conclusion, or isn’t innovative enough, or looks dated, or it didn’t lived up to the massive hype that in retrospect makes people hate it even more and makes the previous installations more of a object of hate and scrutiny.

            Valve doesn’t want any of that associated with it, they can’t be @rsed with all that DOTA money in their accounts.

          • oxidized

            Man it’s VALVE we’re talking about here, not some scrubs like ubisoft ea or activision. It’ll be near to impossible that a new half life won’t be satisfying

          • 7thGuest

            You are underestimating how “gamers” are nowadays.
            Also, Valve isn’t perfect, and the hype surrounding the game helps to further cement the probability that HL3/EP3 would be just “meh”.

            Bear in mind, I’m a fan, I just want a f’ing closure but I’m not the only one who is also a fan, and I know for a fact that if HL3/EP3 isn’t the “absolutely best game ever made in the history of mankind” Valve and the whole saga reputation would go to sh*t.

          • oxidized

            I disagree, i’m sorry

          • 7thGuest

            It’s okay. ¯(?)/¯

          • Nines

            I actually believe they “just” need to make a great game. There are some standards in the industry, and if the game will meet these standards, and will contain something beyond, something unique, nothing will go to sh*t, even if someone will be upset (and someone will be, no matter how good you are).

          • 7thGuest

            I believe that too, but I talk about how is the perceived notion that the series represents nowadays.
            Today “everything is overrated” and all the advances that HL/HL² brought upon the industry is already taken for granted, and only if Valve deliver something absolutely unique people would not be satisfied. But I don’t believe that it can/it will be done, for me as a fan I know that I would love anything, but for the medium as a whole (which HL/HL² did) I just don’t see it, not this time around.

          • durka durka

            have you thought it the other way around?

            Valve doesnt have to make half life, ubisoft keeps making games, valve can do whatever they wanted. If they wanted to make they probably would but instead they pushed more portal more l4d and more counter strike.

            I give it 2 years after that its over.

          • oxidized

            Well yeah, 2 yrs seems enough, after that it’s probably not going to happen

          • Nines

            But it is finished, aside from cliffhanger with Borealis.

          • oxidized

            that would open an entire new part, they said it themself “the whole story script is ready, what we need now is a game to put that on”

          • Nines

            It was suppose to open a new part, but since Episode 3 and 4 were canceled, no point in taking this cliffhanger seriously. They stopped the combines, closed the portal, all that matters. This is the end for me.

            Actually, Marc Laidlaw himself said (Jul 26, 2015) that “there has never been a finished script for a Half-Life game, unless the game itself was finished”.

          • oxidized

            Whether you trust this news here or not, it doesn’t matter, what matters is that they could just publish a new half life, not episode 3 not 4. Also you can’t be 100% sure the portal is closed or that new ones will open, the story could easily keep going, and the end of ep2 pretty much assures that, it’s not the end.
            Honestly i read some claims (i don’t actually remember who said that) about the story script being completed, for long time, earlier this year.

          • Nines

            I’m just saying that I’m almost fine with the ending we got in Episode 2, and if there won’t be any other HL games, I won’t be crying about it. The story is finished for me. I won’t puzzle myself about what may ‘possibly’ happen, until Valve will announce a new game.

            It was a rumor, and it was denied by HL writer. He’s creating stories during the course of development, not beforehand.

          • oxidized

            The thing you learn on the internet is that everything could or could be not a rumor. I just won’t believe anything completely until it’s proven by clear evidence.

          • Nines

            I don’t see any reasons not to believe the guy behind the Half-Life story.

          • oxidized

            you know him in person? you talked to him and he confirmed you that? i really don’t think so, that’s what i’m talking about

          • Nines

            In the beginning of this conversation you was 100% sure that “they have a whole script ready”, although it was just a rumor which appeared from nowhere. And when I gave you the official answer from writer himself (I even gave you the exact quote from his message), you say that you don’t believe it. Wtf?

          • oxidized

            What i was talking about wasn’t a rumor which appeared from nowhere, so i’m still 100% sure, that they’ll make the game, not because they just said it in interviews, but also because is the most logical thing to do, unless there’re financial trouble or alike, which i’m pretty sure valve isn’t into. As the game might be finished or satisfying for you, but it’s not in fact (seen how ep2 ends) and it’s not for a big majority of fans, that are still pretty interested in the game and that are willing to pay for it.

          • durka durka

            To be fair there is no such thing as a half life script the original hl2 script was different and the game was much much longer.

          • durka durka

            Honestly man at this point he is right valve is not making it.

      • Umair Khan

        They are not working on HL3. Gabe said it countless times that they are more interested in F2P model and multiplayer. They’ve been trying to push their agenda ever since Dota 2.

    • Panzer

      You realize as you say Valve is no longer the greatest developer (and I’m not saying they are the greatest) that Dota 2 is arguably the most played PC game. This is coming from someone who doesn’t even play dota. You have to acknowledge Valve is doing something right.

      • FasterThanFTL

        Don’t forget Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Top 2 most played games on Steam are both Valve games.

      • Umair Khan

        More =/= better. Sure a lot of people play it and it’s also a very well made MOBA but is it the best you expect from a company that makes hundreds of millions of dollars every year? To make a MOBA and be done with it?

  • FasterThanFTL

    Valve take your time with Half-Life 3 and make sure it is nothing less than the greatest game of all time. And thank you for Steam, the savior of PC gaming.

    • John Mellinger

      Origin had refunds 1st so that makes EA the savior of PC gaming.

      • FasterThanFTL

        In order to refund something from Origin you need to buy something from there first.

        • John Mellinger

          Same with steam….

          • FasterThanFTL

            You did not get my point. What is the point of a refund from Origin if you don’t even buy anything from there.

          • John Mellinger

            I figured you might have meant that. But I own games off Origin. XD And many EA games you can only get off Origin.

          • oxidized

            ye only sh*t ones

          • John Mellinger

            I did not know BF4 was Sh+t….

          • oxidized

            well now you do 😛

          • John Mellinger

            only thing I know is you get a A+ for trolling

          • oxidized

            truth hurts

          • John Mellinger

            nice now how about you come up with something original

          • oxidized

            What is it with you? you think everyone is trolling. EA games are trash deal with it, and please stop answering 🙁

          • John Mellinger

            sorry EA is not trash at least they don’t do downgrades. and at least they have games come out unlike always waiting always hoping for valve

          • oxidized

            At least im almost 100% sure valve games are top quality stuff, but yes i’m also almost 100% sure ea games are lowest quality together with ubisoft and the rest of the sh**e.

            Goodbye and have a good evening 🙂

          • John Mellinger

            Please stop with douche bag comments. Nobody cares about them XD And I can answer whenever the F’K I want XD

          • oxidized

            “And I can answer whenever the F’K I want XD” that goes for me aswell 😛

          • John Mellinger

            keep on trolling. Well I am gonna play ACS on PC laters.

          • oxidized

            Another fine game 😀

          • John Mellinger

            It is I have not been so happy since Revelations came out on PC. Ubisoft finally getting their $h i t tougher

          • oxidized

            You really deserve there was no PC and all you had was consoles

          • MB.Mephisto

            it’s amazingly sh/7.

          • Edwin Obando Chacon

            So you are one of that 5% of PC gamers who bought something from origin? Congrats, I guess.

          • John Mellinger

            congratulations on trolling

      • Edwin Obando Chacon

        You know John, you really need to know when to stop writing, comparing Origin to Valve, that only show you dont know a thing or your are just a valve hater.

        • John Mellinger

          you are just a valve fanboy… I own hundreds of games on Steam. looks like you are the one that needs to stop typing while making assumptions

    • durka durka

      I dont think they even work on it

  • John Mellinger

    Valve…. “We used to make games…But now we make money”

    • Oscar

      Pretty much sums it up yes! They are rolling in so much dough that they don’t even need to lift a finger for the rest of their lives? Why should Gaben havtta move his large body if he aint gun need to?

    • Edwin Obando Chacon

      Cant you blame them? Isnt money capitalism is about?

      • John Mellinger

        how about making your fans happy and not forgetting about them

      • Capitalism is economic liberty, nothing more nor less.

        You’ve never told your employer or buyer, “No, no, you’re offering me too much.”

        • deusEx2002

          “economic liberty” haha…u cant be that innocent…

          Its a prison…and we are it prisoners…having only a few people reigning a world that are ruled by their promiscuous interests…

          If ya dont have enough money…u is just a “free-to-go” everywhere modern slave!

          • durka durka

            it is better than slavery actually, it costed more a few centuries ago to buy slave feed em and house them and took years to pay off their buying price than hiring hard working highly educated graduates with experience and their own college debt to pay. Which can be easily gotten rid off for new ones that are just waiting to be hired because they cant live in minimum wage let alone the very high unemployment.

            The fact that no matter if you live in bulgaria with 150 a month or germany with 1900 is around the same in expenses proves that no matter how rich your country is, you will just barely manage to pay your rent with minimum wage despite how massively richer you are compared to other countries. So why exactly does the same food and same products cost so much?

            it is a system protecting the rich, it is socialism for the rich. But we dont actually live in capitalism as much as it is corporatism.

            i really would like to see how exactly it is “economic liberty” when you got things like TPP and smaller countries cant develop since they cant compete with the big ones.

          • I don’t think that you’re really reading what I’ve written; we do not have economic Liberty now. FDR began our descent into the Socialist abyss, and the Democrats and RINOs have us barreling full-speed to oblivion.

          • durka durka

            “FDR began our descent into the Socialist abyss”

            Why you think that?

          • The New Deal, the confiscation of private property, flirting with “Uncle Joe,” Communists in his administration.

          • I didn’t define what we are, I defined what we’re supposed to be.

            Please, persuade all your statist friends of their error.

          • What you’re describing is not Capitalism.

            (Or are you blaming others for your own choices?)

        • durka durka

          Liberty compared to what? Because today there are a bazillion different regulations like TPP that have to be followed and lets not get into the fact that capitalism doesnt exist today because of corporatism.

          • You’re right. We are a post-capitalist, post Constitutional, post-Christian, post-American nation.

            Unless the American people wake up, get up, and prove me wrong.

            Please, prove me wrong!

          • durka durka

            It is corporatism, but let me tell you something, your founding fathers did warn that if you give full control of the money to the banks even your grandchildren will find themselves homeless in the streets. They did say that you shouldn’t start wars, which you do under the stupid pretense of “freedom” while aligning with fascist nations and usa was never funded in a religion but freedom.

            USA is not what the founding fathers created.

          • The Founders warned against public debt, giving power to politicians beyond what the Constitution allows, and against entangling alliances.

            If you’re referring to Iraq, then that was a well-intentioned-but-ill-judged attempt in-part to give freedom to people the majority of whom are fundamentally unable to appreciate it. It is impossible to “win hearts and minds” belonging to “kill the pagans wherever you find them” (Qur’an 9:5).

          • durka durka

            What about vietnam? fighting communism eh? Lets be honest they are ok with saudi arabia, israel and turkey, they dont need any “freedom” since they are trading with usa and do as they are told, the rest of the fascists however need to removed so they can “liberate” assets they want. The rest about “freedom” is just a PR talk, after all ww2 wasnt their problem until japan bombed pearl harbor.

          • Communism is pure evil. Those who fought against it fought for humanity.

          • durka durka

            why you think that?

          • Communism talks a good game — “Do it for the children,” “Don’t you want to help the poor”? etc. — but in actual practice, all of it is just another scam by which an “elite” bestrides the people of their nation.

            Communism is slavery.

          • durka durka

            it is the same as fascism really. The elite get the privileges all the rest are slaves. But i dont think the idea of it was evil i think they had the right idea in mind they ended up becoming the villian because it is not feasible to have a system like that unless you live in a futuristic utopia.

          • At the point you’re murdering those who disagree with you — as did Uncle Joe Stalin — then it’s time to reevaluate the rectitude of your intentions.

          • durka durka

            yet usa is allied with multiple nations that do that.

          • Our current government is nearly utterly corrupt.

          • durka durka

            so who you gonna vote?

          • I like Cruz; regardless, I’m voting not-Hillary.

            What about you?

          • durka durka

            bernie sanders, so he can go after the corperations, he wont maged to do more than half he promises but atleast harm the corperations.

        • smizzoker123

          would not have valve at all if not for capitalism,

      • durka durka

        Well ill put it this way, ubisoft expanded and hired more people to make more games faster.

        They on the other hand created their own wellfare system to give em money to take their desks and make a gameplay mechanic just because they feel like it and dont bother working further unless they feel like it.

    • deusEx2002

      STEAM > any game!

  • deusEx2002

    It wouldnt matter, just like HL blue and opposse…developed by third devs…and were a complete rubish!

    HL1, HL2-ep1-ep2 end of story!

    • Mr. Meeseeks

      Blue Shift and Opposing Force were fun expansion packs.

      • deusEx2002

        Sorry, edited it!

        “Didnt add nothing to HL1 story!

        • 7thGuest

          The history of the game isn’t even that great to begin with (and I a fanboy of the series). It’s all about the world/world building.

          • oxidized

            you’re no fanboy then

          • 7thGuest

            Made a deliberate hyperbolic use of the word for the sake of the argument. I’m not being serious, I admit the flaws, but I just happen to think that is one of the greatest things ever aswell. 🙂

          • deusEx2002

            if ya say so!

            I wonder if GTA V or F4 story are “great” for you!

          • 7thGuest

            LOL, is that your argument? No need to be all defensive about it, I love the game you silly bugger.

            It’s the way the history is told in HL/HL² that I love, the world is built in little details and the plot is developed through the gameplay. And no game does that to me to this day.

            But the plot itself is flat and simplistic, if it wasn’t for the subtlety on the world building and gameplay it would not be what it is.

          • deusEx2002

            Well, seems that you got way too involved with the, yep, astonishing and immersive world of HL2…

            THAT…u didnt noticed its interesting and deep story…so..go for it:

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11gEYYXMm6Y

      • durka durka

        Residual point is better.

        • 7thGuest

          It’s a mod though.

          • durka durka

            well, blue shift feels like a mod.

          • 7thGuest

            Yeah, blame the development troubles.
            It was supposed to be a standalone expansion for the Dreamcast (don’t remember if it was supposed to be exclusive or not), but then the deal went down and they released it on PC anyway.

          • durka durka

            I think that was a remake of half life with half life decay and then sony wanted it and they attacked dreamcast, they didnt want a powerfull cosnole with mouse and keyboard and custom software. Which is ironicly were ps4 is heading.

          • 7thGuest

            Ehhhh, I don’t think Sony has anything to do with this. Gearbox+Sierra (iIrc) handled both HL console versions and their respective expansions.
            Also, DC was dead at that point.

          • durka durka

            sony had a hand in this, i dont remember how but they wanted to destroy dreamcast so they payed for exlusivity on half life.

          • 7thGuest

            They didn’t have to do anything, at that time (mid 2001 if memory serves) SEGA had already stopped the production/support of the DC.
            Also, the DC version was practically finished (you can play a mod that contain the assets of that version).

    • 7thGuest

      You are wrong.

    • KDmP_Raze

      If you think Opposing Force was bad then you need to go replay it. That was one the the best expansions ever released.

      • durka durka

        if what you wanted is corridors with weird weapons, as a campaing its leves were sht.

    • HAL 9000

      Blasphemy!

  • 7thGuest

    Stop! The pain!
    MAKE IT STOP!

    ;_;

  • Eletrical Bomb

    Wat

  • Nines

    I haven’t seen these screenshots before, but they aren’t first, because the leak about Episode 4 was several years ago. It was called Return to Ravenholm.

    Valve should’ve work with Arkane, even if not on Episode 4. Such a talented studio is under a thumb of Zenithesda.

  • Oscar

    These pictures make me happy! Love the HL universe.

  • NeHoMaR

    HL3 confirmed? … not yet? 🙁

  • Veronika Smith

    A bit early for an Aprils Fools post DSOG?

    • HAL 9000

      really? -_-,
      Did you even bother to read title or article, tl;dr?

  • DrearierSpider

    Words cannot describe how sad this makes me. Valve were truly masters of this genre (story driven shooters), and after leaving us on such a nailbiting cliffhanger, they decide to devote all their time and resources to multiplayer games infested with the most toxic communities you’ll ever come across and console knockoffs.

  • HAL 9000

    Damn, I’m sad that EP4 was canceled, especially because of EP3 cliffhanger. HL2 Just feelt like incomplete game. I would rather have EP4 & complete story than new & “shiny” HL3

    Not to mention, “The Crossing” Spin-Off Game Concept was awesome, too bad that is sharing the same fate as EP4

    • Dudebro Zero

      Episode 3 was cancelled as well. You must be thinking of the episode 2 cliff hanger.

      • HAL 9000

        Yeah sorry my bad, fixed, 😀 EP2

  • 7thGuest

    Mate, I know this game back to back, I do a playthrough at least twice every year.

    I’m saying it’s the way the history is presented, not the history itself.

    • deusEx2002

      Ok.

      HL2 story > < W3

      haha!