Split-Screen :: The Game-Geek’s Daily Read

Blasting through zombie shooter Left4Dead is…well, a blast. More than anything though, now that Valve Software has pushed its multi player opus out the door to positive reviews, could an announcement on Half-Life 2: Episode 3 be far behind? On October 13th, in an interview with Kikizo, Valve developer Doug Lombardi was reportedly asked when they’d make an announcement on Episode 3 – to which he replied, “We may at the very end of the year.” With about a month to go, is that still a possibility?

And what of the setting for Episode 3? Most indications point to the Borealis – an icebreaker ship which “contained a threat big enough to cause another Black Mesa” according to Eli Vance on hearing of its reappearance in the Arctic in Episode 2. Half-Life 2 reportedly contained a chapter with the Borealis, which was removed before release. Valve showcased footage of the ship itself at this year’s E3 and concept art for Episode 3, showcasing several Advisors floating towards the Borealis, surfaced shortly after. Given the ship was created by Aperture Science Labs, rumours are rife that GLaDOS or the Portal Gun will feature in some form or the another.

As of now, anything seems possible. But you can’t deny that gamers are still longing for a conclusion to the HL2’s episodic trilogy. This was further reasserted with the positive response to Episode 2 when featured with The Orange Box late last year. Hopefully, Valve will provide details of the project soon.