A fan-made version of the game that never was, Half Life 2: Episode 3, has come a long way in its development. Called Project Borealis, it was first teased over a year ago.
A recent update video gives a glance into the ongoing project.
Project Borealis is a project to bring Half Life 2: Episode 3 to life. It got its first teaser trailer in 2018, and fans across the internet went crazy, though some were still sceptical.
Over the last year, however, the amount of effort going into the project has quietened those who doubted the project. A full OST is out on YouTube, and gameplay demos so far have been promising.
It’s been 7 months since the last big gameplay update, Update 4. In this video, the developers behind the project claimed they want to design a game that works “just as you expect it to.” Their focus on fan interaction and the fact the devs sound like huge fans themselves, there is hope that Project Borealis is more than just a cash-grab.
Update 5 is all about the levels of the game, and the process which goes into the level design. Detailing the concept art and the amount of detail which goes into each level, it’s another promising look into the dedication of these devs.
There’s also a solid 2-3 minute glimpse of gameplay, where Gordon infiltrates a Combine snow-base. The music, movement and physics engine all resemble the old-school Half Life games in a way which can only please the fans.
Next up is a detailed look at a new chaotic physics engine that dates Half Life 2. There are hundreds of objects interacting at once, destructible environments, and wind and air physics that interact with the gravity gun.
Lastly, the trailer goes into detail about some of the graphical improvements to the world of Half Life, and a conceptual design process that looks to introduce new assets that still feel like they belong to the original world. It seems like the development team, so far, have captured the nostalgia of the old game while also brought something new to the experience.
If you want more information on Project Borealis, you can visit their website or subscribe to their YouTube channel for future updates on the game.
