Along with its predecessor, Half-Life 2 has gone down as a masterclass in the FPS genre, and since the release of Episode Two in 2007, fans have wanted more. Aside from Half-Life: Alyx, the series has unfortunately been stopped dead in its tracks. The closest players have come is the cancelled Arkane Studios spin-off Ravenholm, which would have been a more in-depth look at one of the sequel's most infamous settings. While no continuation is on the horizon, the modding community can at least breathe some new life into the series.
As a recent example, an independent developer called Broken Light Studios is currently working on a mod for Half-Life 2 which will alter the way the game looks in a rather interesting fashion. Called "Dark-Life 2," the project, which currently has a demo available for download, takes the entirety of the game and flips the time of day for each level. To that end, areas of the game that are set in the day will turn to night, and vice-versa for nighttime maps. This seems to change up the experience, and for areas such as Ravenholm, it actually gives it a much creepier vibe. The surrounding fog and daylight coming through the clouds actually makes it look more like Silent Hill.
While it's not traditionally a horror series, the Half-Life games do have their scary moments. Some of the enemies that Gordon Freeman encounters, such as the poison headcrab or the first game's Nihilanth final boss, do have an unsettling vibe about them. Perhaps one of the most terrifying aspects of the whole franchise is the second installment's Ravenholm segment. As an abandoned mining town set at night, it turns the game into something much creepier. It would be easy to think that making it a daytime experience would ease up the horror, but evidently not, given what Broken Light Studios shows off in its latest video.
At 18 years old, Half-Life 2 has a huge legacy, continuing the success that was Valve's original 1998 release. Much of it comes down to the fact that it's a fantastically crafted shooter, set in a believable world, all wrapped up in an interesting story. The games still influence other projects to this day.
In fact, Half-Life 2 has gone down as one of the best FPS titles of all time, sitting up there with the likes of Quake, Halo, GoldenEye 007, and BioShock. It is a shame that a proper "threequel" is unlikely to ever see the light of day, but at least there are plenty of mods out there, and more being made all the time, that keep things interesting for this beloved franchise.
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