Half-Life 2: Episode Two

Half-Life 2: Episode Two will be the second installment in a series of episodes for the 2004 first-person shooter computer game Half-Life 2, from Valve Corporation.

Continuing with Valve's method of orienting each episode around a particular theme or set of technologies, Episode Two will focus on expansive environments, travel and nonlinear play, and, following the closing events of Episode One, it will see Gordon Freeman and the series' other major players moving away from City 17 to the surrounding wilderness.

The first two episodes of Half-Life 2 have been developed concurrently by separate teams. This episode will be released in two different packages: the "Black Box" – which will ship for the PC only, and will contain Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2 – and the "Orange Box" – which will ship for the PC, the PS3 and the Xbox 360, and will contain all the Black Box games in addition to Half-Life 2 and Episode One. The packages will be available at retail stores and through Valve's content delivery system for direct download. Episode Two will reportedly not be available separately from the packages.

The release date for Episode Two is subject to change and is currently set as the third quarter of 2007.

News
On May 24 2006, after Episode One had gone gold, Valve announced that Episode Two would be released in time for the holiday season of 2006 (fourth quarter). Doug Lombardi, Valve's Director of Marketing, confirmed this schedule with PC Gamer in July 2006. The next month, however, Lombardi announced in an interview with Eurogamer that Episode Two would not be released before the end of the year, stating: "[It's] just sort of classic Valve being overly aggressive on our dates... we're aiming for Q1 [of 2007] right now..." In November 2006, the date was pushed further back to an uncertain "summer 2007" release.

All release delays until this point had been announced informally. The only officially-released information on when Episode Two would ship came in February 2007, when a late press item from the game's distributor, Electronic Arts, stated that the Black Box and Orange Box product configurations (which had become public knowledge the previous month) were targeted for a "fall 2007" release, implying yet another delay for Episode Two. Subsequent announcements have adhered to this.

Due to the vagueness of the summer-fall timeframe, the current release date for Episode Two is referred to as the "third quarter" of 2007, for less ambiguity.

Videos
Since Episode One, Valve has released a number of videos revealing details about Episode Two and showcasing its new features. The first of these videos was a teaser trailer that was bundled with Episode One and unlocked upon completion of the game, serving as an epilogue. Over the months, this was followed by two more trailers along with five non-playable demos, all of which highlight certain aspects of Episode Two plot or gameplay. All videos, with the exception of Trailer 1 (the non-extended version), are freely downloadable via Steam or viewable at the Steam website.

As the videos are a direct source of information on Episode Two, their details have been of interest to those awaiting the game's release.

Trailers


First made available on June 1, 2006, begins directly after the final events of Episode One. Alyx hangs from the wreckage of the train she and Gordon escaped from City 17 on, over a deep gorge created by the collapse of a bridge. She calls for Gordon, to no avail. She is later shown being laid to rest by a Vortigaunt, limp and unconscious; it is unclear if she is still alive. Interspersed throughout the trailer are images of the distant, smoking remains of City 17 as viewed from the hinterland, and scenes of enemies – both Xen-based wildlife and Combine forces – advancing or attacking aggressively; most notable here is the appearance of a pack of "Hunters" charging through a forest. Careful observation of one scene reveals what appear to be luminescent antlion larvae growing on cave walls.

Eli Vance sets a theme for the forthcoming story arc in a voice-over:

"We're done running. This is our chance to take back our world... we're not going to lose it a second time."



The extended version of Trailer 1, released on July 21, 2006, begins with a longer opening featuring a truss bridge deforming and collapsing in slow motion, as a result of a shockwave created by what is presumed to be the Citadel self-destructing in the distance; this was the first demonstration of Valve's "Cinematic Physics". Inserted into this trailer is a combat sequence at a woodland rebel camp showing off the Source engine's new rendering abilities – larger draw-distances, richer environment detail and misty lighting – as well as the Hunter's updated look and built-in pulse weapon. Another new scene shows a Vortigaunt defending itself from a horde of antlions by using a new combat technique: a powerful shockwave that disbalances enemies. The look of the Vortigaunts is also changed, with redder eyes and smoother, more lustrous skin as opposed to the scaly roughness exhibited previously.



Trailer 2 consists of entirely new footage and was first shown at the 2006 Leipzig Games Convention on August 23, before being released via Steam on August 30 and in the Xbox Live Marketplace on September 20, 2006. The trailer begins with a shot of Alyx lying unconscious in a black void, similar to where Gordon was kept in stasis, with footsteps approaching ominously; this turns out to be the G-Man who kneels over her, saying, "You're not supposed to be here. Forget about all this." (It is interesting to note that this dialogue comes from an unused voice clip found in the leaked version of Half-Life 2). The fluidity and definition of the lighting/shadowing system come into play, at this point.

The scene then shifts to a dilapidated Combine facility where a Combine Advisor is seen exiting from a pod. There are several other scenes revealing a number of details: Combine forces are expanding into the countryside in spite of their recent losses, the fate of Dr. Mossman is precarious after her team was ambushed by the Combine at an Arctic base (as seen in Episode One), and Dr. Kleiner is working on a rocket-type aircraft in what looks like an abandoned missile silo. Also, antlions appear to have infested a system of caverns for breeding purposes.

Combat-wise, Trailer 2 demonstrates new or enhanced features at greater length than previous trailers. There is more gore and detail in antlion gibs, the Cinematic Physics system creates new effects for explosions (detailed deformation, flares, heat-haze and smoke), and a stickybomb-like weapon has been introduced allowing the player to destroy a Strider in one stroke. Also shown are two of the Hunter's mêlée attacks: the Hunter can either deliver a kick, or leap and stomp on an enemy.

Gameplay demos
All five non-playable demos were shown at the 2006 Leipzig Games Convention alongside Trailer 2. They were then released between September 6-8 over Steam, in high definition.




 * Demo 1 is set in some of the aforementioned caverns. Accompanied by a Vortigaunt, the player encounters fiercely defensive antlions whose appearance is triggered by the player killing an antlion larva moments earlier (an act the Vortigaunt cautions against repeating). In the ensuing combat, the player receives toxic damage from a new, glowing form of antlion, and the Vortigaunt kills an antlion at close range with a throw-based attack. Following on from previous trailers, Vortigaunt skins have changed further, being slicker and darker, and the larvae cast off brighter, dynamic light of their own, in contrast to their duller appearance in Trailer 1. The player's use of the HEV suit flashlight results in dynamic shadows off parts of the environment as well as NPCs.




 * Demo 2 is set in a different area of the same caverns, with nests and antlion larvae present in greater numbers alongside glowing honeycomb structures previously not seen. Also present is an antlion guard which the player comes across after some brief initial exploration and spends the rest of the demo trying to escape from, to a fatal end. This demo provides little new information other than expanding upon the caverns locale, with the possible exception of demonstrating tweaked navigation AI allowing the antlion guard to map intelligent routes through the interconnected tunnels.


 * Demo 3 is set in the open and begins with the player pinned down in a barn, fending off a squad of Combine soldiers. A Hunter-chopper appears and forces the player to flee the scene using a new two-seater vehicle, leading to a high-speed chase along country railway lines. This demo showcases the country terrain first-hand and in greater detail than the fast-cut trailers, revealing possible spaces for open-ended gameplay. Also of interest are some new enemy combat actions: a soldier returns a grenade thrown by the player, and, during the chase, a fast zombie jumps off a freight container and latches onto the front of the passing vehicle, attacking the player inside.


 * Demo 4 carries on from Demo 3: the player arrives at a depot with the chopper in pursuit and attempts to bring it down with the help of some rebels. This intense combat sequence demonstrates the effect of heat-haze more clearly than previous videos; it can be seen at several points in the trailer immediately following explosions that create ancillary fires. Squad-based combat is shown to be more open-ended and varied, with rebels adopting their own strategies and not being compelled to follow the player.




 * Demo 5 – the last and longest of the demos – is set in the midst of a relatively large-scale battle in the countryside, with the player covering distances using the vehicle and stopping at certain points to defend or explore. Hunters are shown in close combat for the first time as the player engages two of them in and around a two-story cabin. One uses a new mêlée attack on a rebel just as the player arrives on the scene: the Hunter lifts and slams its enemy, using peculiar appendages originating on its underside. The player focuses mostly on physics-based attacks to dispose of the Hunters, alluding to the fact that they are armoured and deal easily with standard weaponry.

A Strider eventually makes matchwood out of the cabin using its "singularity cannon", providing an in-game view of a similar scene in Trailer 2. Also shown in-game is the use of an anti-Strider device first seen in Trailer 2 (dubbed the "Strider buster"): it is launched at a Strider, to which it attaches itself, and is then fired upon, exploding its target.

Plot
Continuing the episodic branch of the Half-Life 2 storyline, Episode Two will develop newer plot elements featured in the previous instalment, notably:


 * The transmission packet which the Combine sacrificed the Citadel to send, and which Alyx and Gordon stole a copy of before making their escape. It is probable that Episode Two will provide some insight into the as-yet unknown contents of the packet, if it manages to reach Drs. Kleiner or Vance. The packet is likely to be more than simply an emergency signal to off-world Combine forces.


 * The scattering of Advisor pods throughout the region, and the retaliatory measures the Combine are taking after their loss of City 17 and the general weakening of their rule on Earth. As established in Dr. Kleiner's broadcast in Episode One, Earth-stationed Combine are suffering from a portal and communications blackout, leaving them isolated and disorganized. The volatile situation created by this allows other parties to intervene. Episode Two will reportedly show "more factions [and] more forces at work".


 * The remote Arctic base which Dr. Mossman is last seen at. In her transmission in Episode One, she speaks of a "project" which could "compromise" the science team's work if it were discovered by the Combine; moments later, the base is invaded. It is unclear what the nature of the project is or what implications these events have for resistance efforts. Episode Two will likely shed some light on this, and on the fate of Dr. Mossman.

The degree to which each of these elements will be expanded upon is unpredictable, and any full resolution will almost certainly be kept until Episode Three or later.



Another notable plot point is the rocket-type aircraft Dr. Kleiner is seen working on in Trailer 2. A possibility has been raised that it could be used to affect the "portal storms" by placing a satellite into orbit, similar to events in Half-Life and Half-Life: Decay. Also of interest is the scheming of the G-Man, who is conspicuously absent from Episode One on account of his control over Gordon being wrested away from him by the Vortigaunts. The G-Man's reappearance in Trailer 2 suggests some connection with Alyx.

In light of Trailer 1, and Valve director Gabe Newell's announcement that "primary characters" will die over the course of the episodes, it has been suggested that Alyx might die. The June 2006 issue of PC Gamer features an interview with Valve which is dismissive of the theory: "... she's seen less in Episode Two, [but] her role remains important, and her character continues to enjoy a deeper level of development than almost any other in the game." Nevertheless, Newell emphasises that "[p]eople need to feel that characters are genuinely at risk. Otherwise they lose investment and the significance of their actions is diminished." It is currently entirely a matter of speculation which characters will die.

Further complicating the plot of Episode Two are the links between it and Portal, which is set in the same fictional universe. Players will "learn more about what Aperture Science is by playing Episode Two than by playing Portal. However, [they] will find out more about who [they] are in the Half-Life universe while [they're] playing Portal." It has been confirmed that Portal's protagonist is an entirely new female character that will play a role in future Half-Life games (possibly the next episode in this arc). Besides this, Valve writer Marc Laidlaw has stated that Gordon will also be meeting "at least one further survivor of Black Mesa in Episode Two."

Gameplay
One of the focal points of Episode Two will be vehicles, as stated by Robin Walker in an interview with GameSpot, in open areas. No other details are available. Going forward, Episode Two and Three are going to take the player to new places, dealing with new enemies, some of which you've already seen...in Episode One, teasing you, showing you a little bit of what's to come. And we're also dealing with some new gameplay elements. There's a specific focus to each episode: the first episode's focus was on Alyx and Gordon, Episode Two is much different than that [and] you'll be seeing things like new vehicles and so on, definitely dealing with new characters, and you'll also see some of the old characters [too] Although as previously stated, there will be minimal driving time included in the episodes.

"You'll have to manage your cover carefully and pay attention to where all the enemies are," explains Valve's director of marketing, Doug Lombardi. "They'll tend to circle around and expose you from multiple sides, so you find yourself moving around a lot more and rushing forward a lot less. You also have a lot more choice from moment to moment. We're working on scenarios in which we present the player with a set of high-level battle goals and a large nonlinear space in which to fight. These scenarios play out very differently for different players as they make choices about how to fight the battle: 'Should I make my ambush here, or 100 yards up the road behind these rocks?' It's fun watching players formulate a strategy, execute it at a tactical level, and then revise their strategy based on the outcome."

An interview in the August 2006 issue of PC Gamer magazine told readers to expect more physics puzzles, as Episode Two will have even more puzzles than Episode One, including the "biggest physical puzzle" yet in the series. "Puzzles reset a player's emotional state and get them ready for combat," Erik Johnson explains. "Some people get a sort of battle fatigue; they get tired of all the combat and stop playing. We look for that when we playtest, and that's when we know it's time to allow the player to mellow out and solve a puzzle before we ramp up again. It's all about pacing, and we've found a mix that works for us."

An interview at the 2006 Gaming Convention in Germany revealed that Episode Two will be slightly longer than Episode One. It was later confirmed by Doug Lombardi that Episode Two will be about two hours longer than Episode One.

Locales
The settings for Episode Two (and possibly Episode Three) were discussed by Gabe Newell in an interview with Eurogamer:

''"The world's started to change. There was the world of Half-Life 1 which was the familiar turned strange. You were a scientist and you turned into a hero. With Half-Life 2 we spent a lot of time thinking about this post-Combine world, what happens to it, and looking at the Eastern European art direction; the sensibility of it was really adding to that.

With this [episodic] trilogy we're trying to show it as more dangerous than it was before. [The situation is] falling apart; there are more factions, more forces at work and we're going to get the player out of City 17. That's a great setting for what we're trying to do with Half-Life 2, especially with Episode Two where we're getting you further and further away from that into more of the possibilities of the future, and away from the Eastern European, City 17 sensibilities."''



The first step on this journey was revealed in the game's first trailer: a forest base in the countryside surrounding the outskirts of City 17. The setting allegedly provides more "freeform" gameplay, and if true will mark a significant departure for the traditionally strictly linear Half-Life series. A range of mountains seen in the backdrop of the Episode Two trailer (and indeed the finale of Episode One, if one uses development tools to get a closer look) suggests another possible locale.

Another identifiable gameplay area is shown in the trailer's Myrmidont scene. Underground Antlion tunnel networks were originally conceived for, but dropped in favour of an increased dose of vehicular gameplay. The presence of Antlion larvae on the walls of the trailer's tunnel strongly suggests the return of the environment, and opens the possibility of the implementation of the 'Antlion King' creature, cut from along with the tunnels.

A monitor scene in Episode One shows an 'Arctic base' (as described by a commentary node) area, possibly previewing an area for a future episode.

It is noteworthy that although Valve have stated several times that City 17 is set in an area like Eastern Europe, they have been careful to never explicitly state that it is located in Eastern Europe. The ramifications of this distinction are not yet clear. An interview with PC Gamer magazine revealed that a great portion of the outdoor forestry will be modeled from referencing places like Estonia. Possible locations include riverbeds, old mines, a Vortigaunt camp (mentioned in Episode One) and an abandoned missile silo, which, as has also been revealed in the PC Gamer article, may act as a makeshift basecamp for Eli Vance, Dr. Isaac Kleiner, and the rebels.

Erik Johnson, engineer and project lead for Valve says, "There are lots of cool, crusty old places that are fun for the player to explore--and they already look like Half-Life." When asked how much distance in terms of geographical space Gordon will travel, Valve's director of marketing, Doug Lombardi, replied with, "Almost as much as you did in Half-Life 2," giving the assumption that the player will be making his way through numerous locales.

Creatures


The new Hunter synth (pictured) was revealed in the initial teaser trailer, and briefly in a recorded message in Episode One. They have a powerful gait similar to a gorilla's, are very swift, and are clearly well-suited to the forest environment seen in the trailer.

An interview in the August 2006 issue of PC Gamer magazine reveals that the Hunter stands 8 feet tall (2.45 m), and Erik Johnson, the game's project lead, states that the Hunters are "big and impressive, but they can go anywhere the player can go." Hunters will work alongside the larger, less-mobile Striders, in order to rout out the hide-and-fire tactics necessary to take them down. Ted Backman, senior artist for Valve, talks about how the Hunter will have an expressive face, being sort of a non-human character with more of a performance. "We want the Hunter to be able to express nervousness or aggression, [to show you] whether it's aggressive, hurt, or mad." Similarly, it will be evident when the Hunter is looking for the player, as a single antenna will rise on their head. Backman also explains how the Hunter is now vulnerable to getting hit by heavy objects, but only before stating that this may be changed by the final build of the game.

Hunters will also be able to communicate with their Strider counterparts, sending out distress calls and warnings to fellow combatants via distinctive howls.

Two new breeds of Antlion have been seen in newer trailers. The first is a glow-in-the-dark antlion grub, which seems to be unable to attack the player but whose death can trigger attacks by antlions. There is also a form of glowing antlion whose blood (or tissues) are highly acidic; the player will take considerable damage if the player is in mêlée range when these antlions die. It is assumed that these antlions are thematically similar to the poison headcrabs of the original Half-Life 2; a creature that the player will be compelled to seek out and destroy as a primary target. It is unknown, story-wise, why these breeds of Antlions were not seen (or mentioned) during the events of Half-Life 2.

Weapons
The same interview in the PC Gamer magazine revealed that one new weapon will be added to Gordon Freeman's arsenal, effectively called the 'Strider Buster.' The Strider Buster, which is about the size and shape of a small pumpkin (indicated by its placeholder model), can be picked up and fired using the gravity gun. Level designer Dario Casali describes it as a "sticky bomb that you fire at a Strider's underbelly that will draw power from the Strider's internal power source"; recent footage indicates that, once attached to the Strider via the Gravity Gun, the player can then shoot the bomb with a normal weapon, ideally destroying the enemy outright. According to issue 168 of the British magazine Edge, the longer the Strider Buster is left attached to its target, the more damage it deals upon detonation.

Reportedly, the Gravity Gun will not become super charged again, like it does near the Citadel's core, as it makes for unbalanced gameplay that, as Erik Johnson puts it, "[is] fun for a while, but [is] a hard design challenge." However, the PC Gamer article also reports that there will be a new ammunition for the Gravity Gun, possibly referring to the Strider Buster and other new physics objects.

More controversially, Valve's developers also stated that new weapons were not a priority, stating that the gravity gun was the direction of innovation they were most interested in, and that objects like sawblades and flares were ultimately more interesting additions to the game. The lack of new weapons was one of the most criticized aspects (besides the amount of gameplay time) of Episode One.

Vehicles
Also in the interview, more details were shed of the new vehicle to be introduced into Episode Two. Dubbed the "Hybrid," it will be a clunky, rebel-made, two-seater vehicle, with one seat for the driver and another for a passenger who can also act as gunner. The specific armaments of the vehicle are currently unknown, though the concept art shows it sporting a ram at the front. It's also stated in the interview that the vehicle is reportedly built by two escapee citizens in the woods. PC Gamer also stated that "when you take Alyx for a spin, she can act as gunner while you drive." PC Gamer also states the player will be able to take any NPC for a ride in the vehicle. Recent trailers have shown that some enemies have the ability to jump onto your vehicle and attack the driver, such as fast zombies.

This new vehicle will be controlled similarly to Half-Life 2's dune buggy, and will be available for about half of the game, implying that the player will use it as a mode of stop-and-explore transport in the larger forested areas that would be too large to easily cover on foot.

A Steam update on 16 February 2007 revealed a concept for a possible second new vehicle which resembles a gutted-and-rebuilt 1969 Dodge Charger.