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[DragoonKain]

Half Life 2 is one of my favorite games of all-time, just like many of you I'm sure. If you poll a thousand people on a game they desperately want, a large majority of them will have Half Life 3 among their lists. If it was ever announced as in production, it would be one of the most anticipated titles ever.

However, since Half Life 2, the genre has made many advancements. It's no longer as unique of a game as it once was. It's still amazing, and I'll always love it, but now many games in the genre have done a lot of things Half Life 2 has done, and many really great advancements in shooters have come along over the years.

If Half Life 3 were to ever be released, it would have to make up for 12+ years in genre advancements and not just that, but go way beyond that. There's no doubt in my mind the game would be good. It's Valve. They make good games, it's what they do. But with Half Life 3 people would be expecting a generational and transcendent title, not just a "good game." Half Life 2 was the poster child for amazing once in a generation shooters, and many people would expect the same of the next one. That is incredibly hard to live up to with so many great shooters in the genre now.

I know, I know... 99% chance it never gets made, but I was thinking about games I wished existed today, and when I thought about Half Life 3, I was like damn.... the level of greatness they would have to achieve for people to say it lived up to expectations is just insane. I guess if anyone could do it though, it's Valve.

 

[purseowner]

No, and that's why Valve don't feel like prioritising it.

 

[WhoaIsThatMars]

No

 

[Heartfyre]

I just want the cliffhanger resolved.

That's all I want.

 

[SpaceWolf]

No.

But that's okay.

 

[JimiNutz]

I'm hoping it's the first game to truly be a VR masterpiece. The first game that makes VR essential.

 

[sammyCYBORG]

Half-Life 2 smashed expectations after 6 years. Not quite the same I know, but Valve are capable of doing it.

Well, they were. Not sure what the team is like now. But it's not impossible to make a worthy Half-life 3 still.

 

[tioslash]

No, I don´t think it could ever live up to expectations. I still want it though.

 

[narutomaki04]

At this point in time, most likely not.

 

[Hierophant]

half life 3 will ship with nervegear and mmo component

 

[TAYREL713]

I really truly just want more story. If the game play was just brought up to modern standards and the story gave me some needed resolutions I would be fine.

 

[finsternIRL]

Aren't the current expectations: "everyone expects it to be terrible"?

The people who still care about half life had or got to witness the Duke Nukem Forever experience so I imagine everyone at this stage is just expecting the worst.

 

[vaxick]

No, see Duke Nukem Forever for reference.

 

[A-V-B]

I just want a conclusion to H2:ep2's cliffhanger ending written by Marc Laidlaw, with returning characters, consistent Half-Life-style gameplay, and better graphics. I don't want my mind blown. I just want a goddamn ending. I want Gordon and Alyx's revenge and then I'll be happy forever.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

I don't know what expectations people even have at this point. I don't doubt they could still make a well designed FPS campaign which had technically impressive graphics. What else are people expecting? The story in HL2 was ok, but kind of brief. None of the things that made HL2 mind blowing are mind blowing today, or even in 2007 when Episode 2 came out.

 

[Rexatality]

Not really. Even if (and that's a big if) turns out to be good, it'll never exceed expectations

 

[Dalibor68]

It absolutely could, but it would have to be something ground-breaking like with the physics and mod-support in HL2.

 

[nilbog21]

Yeah of course, that's why we are waiting this long.. They want a product on par with HL and HL2. Obviously episode 3 was shit and project was canned. Then VR came around, and all valve projects put on standby. May need a few more years however

 

[sammyCYBORG]

None of the things that made HL2 mind blowing are mind blowing today, or even in 2007 when Episode 2 came out.

What?

HL2/Episodes still have better game design than most games released today. Even without a big leap forward, it would still hold its own in today's gaming landscape.

 

[Castef]

Actually I'd say "yes" if they simply put out a good game with a nice closure of the plot.

No need to be revolutionary here.

 

[Zombine]

Honestly the biggest turn off to me is people bringing up things that are going to make valve release 3 (VR, peripherals, etc.) and that's the furthest thing from what I want to the point where if they're thinking of VR I just want the series to die. I never thought that the series was innovative in regards to anything other than its ability to create human characters and likable aliens/enemies. Just release a rock solid shooter with a new gimmick and wildly fluid animations and I'll be happy.

 

[Pantaghana]

It's been so long Half-Life 3 has become a meme, there aren't any expectations any more other than the game never releasing.

No matter how amazing the HL3 may be, simply releasing will betray our expectations.

 

[Marvel]

Hell no.

 

[The Cowboy]

At this point if be happy with an official digital comic to close the story, i don't ever expect HL3 to come out - but they could at least finish the story.

 

[Dante_727]

No. Its impossible to live up to the hype.

But i wish that they would do it anyway, for the storys sake.

 

[Bluth54]

Half-Life 2 smashed expectations after 6 years. Not quite the same I know, but Valve are capable of doing it.

Well, they were. Not sure what the team is like now. But it's not impossible to make a worthy Half-life 3 still.

Also most people thought TF2 was vaporware and that turned out pretty well. If anything Valve has a history of delivering quality games after working on them for more then half a decade.

 

[TheBowen]

For me, it can because all i want is basically half life 2 with updated graphics and id be happy. But for most people the game would be hyped beyond oblivion, even by people who have never played half life and simply know it from the meme

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Yeah. I don't hold high expectations of others. It helps not being disappointed.

Spoiler

I think the whole franchise is overrated anyway.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Of course not. Half Life 2 was over a decade ago and shooters have changed drastically since. There is literally nothing they could make that could make everyone happy.

 

[Branduil]

The first great VR shooter is probably the only way it could live up to the hype now.

 

[Fermbiz]

HL3 can use the original source engine for all I care. I just want it for the story.

 

[Creaking]

We've reached a point where I no longer have any expectations for the game. I don't think it's ever going to happen and I don't think much of Valve these days.

So yeah, it could.

 

[Josemsar]

The only way HL3 can keep up with expectations is never being released so we can dream with it

 

[xVodevil]

Since I wouldn't expect nothing revolutionary, like say HL3 would flip the genre upside down... yeah I'd be more than totally alright with some more of the same stuff!

 

[A-V-B]

Actually I'd say "yes" if they simply put out a good game with a nice closure of the plot.

No need to be revolutionary here.

Exactly. But we seem to be past the point of Valve being a company that makes auteur single-player games. Marc Laidlaw is straight up gone, so I'm pretty sure Half-Life is dead.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

What?

HL2/Episodes still have better game design than most games released today. Even without a big leap forward, it would still hold its own in today's gaming landscape.

Half Life 2 had some very specific technological advances that blew people's minds back in the day. The gravity gun, the facial animations and the source engine in general. Half Life 2 is a well designed game, but so were a ton of other games throughout history. HL2 is so legendary because of the synthesis of being a well designed game, and also being on the cutting edge of technology both graphically and in terms of physics and world interactivity, then also nailing a lot of aspects of the cinematic, linear shooter that would come to dominate the landscape for years to come. The right game at just the right time in history.

Fast forward to today, releasing a game up to the standards of HL2 is only going to impress in one area, game design. It will be appreciated and considered a good game, but it's never going to be an earth shattering title that echoes through time and space like people remember HL2 for being. Valve has been left in the dust technologically, instead choosing to focus on games that perform well and are saleable across a wide variety of machines. It has been exceeded many times over in creating linear cinematic experiences. The artwork valve produces is still very beautiful, although not singularly unique in the industry.

 

[Mexen]

I doubt it, unless it revolutionized the genre in some way.

 

[nilbog21]

A good VR fps is all it takes

 

[64bitbros]

I just want a conclusion to H2:ep2's cliffhanger ending written by Marc Laidlaw, with returning characters, consistent Half-Life-style gameplay, and better graphics. I don't want my mind blown. I just want a goddamn ending. I want Gordon and Alyx's revenge and then I'll be happy forever.

Well said. It doesn't have to leapfrog todays shooting market, that will never happen again.. Just give me a good story in the HL universe with nice graphics and the gameplay of HL2.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

If they ever release it I'd kind of like to see it fail.

Fuck Valve for fucking over the fan base. They'd rather make money on hats and gun skins than resolve a bullshit cliffhanger for a beloved franchise?

Fuck 'em.

 

[Fat4all]

YES

AND THEN WE'LL ALL DIE

 

[120v]

I think the question is is there anything left be done in story driven campaign shooters to be "mind blowing"

 

[sammyCYBORG]

It has been exceeded many times over in creating linear cinematic experiences.

I disagree. Few games, very few games, have managed to craft an experience that comes close to HL2/Episodes.

There's been bigger and flashier experiences, but I wouldn't call them better.

 

[Nocturno999]

Why not? The first 2 were great, but they didn't set the world on fire either.

 

[Psyrgery ES]

Nope

 

[A-V-B]

Why not? The first 2 were great, but they didn't set the world on fire either.

Half-Life 1 sure as hell did. Doesn't anyone remember how many awards that game won? How many publications called it the best PC game of all time? It sounds funny now, but HL1 left one hell of a mark.

 

[Fudo Myo]

No. Valve should sell the licence to CD Projekt Red and then maybe.

 

[Eumi]

Sure, why couldn't it? There's no guarantee it will but there's no solid reason it won't.

 

[mere_immortal]

Why not? The first 2 were great, but they didn't set the world on fire either.

They kind of did though.

 

[hemo memo]

I don't know what expectations people even have at this point. I don't doubt they could still make a well designed FPS campaign which had technically impressive graphics. What else are people expecting? The story in HL2 was ok, but kind of brief. None of the things that made HL2 mind blowing are mind blowing today, or even in 2007 when Episode 2 came out.

No I don't think so to be honest.