The “Half-Life” series has been stagnant for years now, as Valve have been failing to deliver on the promised “Half-Life 3”. The company has also been keeping very quiet about the game, and they haven’t even officially confirmed its existence yet – although at one point, Gabe Newell did state that the company has plenty of other things on their plate right now, and “Half-Life 3” is not really a priority for their development teams.
And while Valve themselves might be relatively inactive with regards to the franchise, at least the game’s community hasn’t lost its flame yet. Valve’s fans have always been known as one of the most creative communities in gaming, and now we’re seeing yet another bright example of that – a short film titled “Half-Life 3: Unannounced”, released by a New Zealand production studio without any affiliation with Valve themselves.
The film shows the game’s protagonist, Gordon Freeman, older and now slightly overweight after his period of inactivity following the release of the last “Half-Life”. Freeman can be seen playing around with his Gravity Gun to keep himself entertained, while also wasting time in front of the TV. It’s pretty obvious that the character is not only bored, but also possibly depressed, as he has grown a full-on beer belly from his constant drinking. With no adventures in sight, Gordon Freeman has turned to a completely sedentary lifestyle.
Some have even joked that the character resembled Valve’s founder Gabe Newell, and all he’s missing in the film is a gray beard to match that of Newell. Whether the similarity is intentional or not is a bit hard to say, but it’s definitely there.
The film’s producers have done a fantastic job with their short work, and even though the film is just five minutes long, it’s still a great short viewing experience, and should satisfy the cravings of “Half-Life” fans who have been waiting for any actual news about the franchise for years now.
Valve don’t seem to have any official announcements about “Half-Life 3” on the horizon, but at this point, most fans seem to have gotten used to the idea that they won’t be getting their long-awaited sequel anytime soon. There has even been speculation that Valve may never release “Half-Life 3” at all, as they have set the bar too high for the series, and it’s now impossible for them to make a release that will please fans. On the other hand, if there’s a company in this industry that’s capable of taking a name with such a prolonged history, and making a successful release out of it, that’s definitely Valve – so if they are actually cooking up something behind their doors, it should be nothing short of amazing.