Long-awaited Half-Life 3 fan game closer than ever, as demo gets a Steam page

We’re mere days away from Half-Life 2’s 20th anniversary, and the fabled sequel is still nowhere in sight. Two decades ago the G-Man left us with one of the biggest cliffhangers of all time, and we’ve been waiting for what comes next ever since. Sure, Half-Life Alyx played with our expectations, but the third game is still seemingly a twinkle in the corner of Valve’s eye. Since Gordon Freeman’s last adventure, the Steam maker has given us Counter-Strike 2, Deadlock, and even some huge Team Fortress 2 updates. Half-Life 3, by comparison, couldn’t be more distant. That’s until Project Borealis. This fan-made interpretation of what the Valve sequel could be recently showed new signs of life, and now it’s closer than ever before.

Both Half-Life 2 and Alyx end on some pretty huge cliffhangers. The HEV-donning Gordon Freeman is left in a pretty tough spot either way, but both FPS games leave us with a lot of questions. I won’t spoil anything here, but there’s been a lot riding on the 17 years since the end of Episode 2. As of right now, there’s no official word from Valve on Half-Life 3. This is where Project Borealis comes in.

A fan-made interpretation of the mythical Half-Life 2: Episode 3, Project Borealis spent the last few years in the dark. Then we got a new trailer for the game a couple of months ago, alongside talk of a demo. Coming in the fall of 2024, Project Borealis: Prologue finally has a Steam page, which means it’s closer than ever.

Project Borealis will also take us back to one of Half-Life’s most iconic locales: Ravenholm. This time, the headcrab-infested suburb is a little different, though. A blanket of snow covers the town, and you’ll “encounter some classic enemies reimagined and completely new secrets hidden within.” I’m sure it won’t be any worse than last time. Mostly.

Developer Icebreaker Industries says Project Borealis: Prologue is powered by Unreal Engine 5, and will act as a standalone experience. The team adds that it has made “a faithful recreation of the iconic Half-Life 2 movement and gameplay mechanics,” with updated visuals and a completely original score.

With more hints towards some sort of Half-Life 2 anniversary celebration from Valve and potential proof of Half-Life 3’s existence, now’s the time for hope. Half-Life Alyx came out of nowhere, so I wouldn’t rule out the third game just yet. In the meantime, Project Borealis is the next best thing.

You can find the Project Borealis: Prologue Steam page right here. Be sure to wishlist the demo so you’ll be updated when it finally arrives.

If you want a refresher we’ve got the full story on whatever happened to Half-Life 3 back in the day. Otherwise, these are some of the best old games to keep you busy until HL3 maybe, potentially, becomes a reality.

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