Although there’s been no official word on Half Life 3, the legendary Valve FPS that spawned additional hugely popular games such as Counter-Strike and Team Fortress, there’s no stopping rumours and so-called leaks from making their way into the public domain.
According to a ‘reliable source’ that spilled some juicy beans to French website, Journaldugamer, Half Life 3 is, indeed, being worked on, and it’ll incorporate an open world gameplay structure. The same source also claimed that the game is due for release ‘beyond 2013’.
The source also stated that the lengthy development is due to the fact that HL3 was initially a straightforward FPS, and has slowly morphed into a more exploration-driven experience over time, causing hiccups and delays.
As the source chose to remain anonymous the information cannot be taken as gospel. However, there’s no denying that an open world Half Life would certainly be interesting, even if the license is rooted firmly in the more traditional FPS mould.
Valve certainly has the talent and the engine that could pull off and open world title, and as Half Life 3 is one of the biggest and most anticipated releases in gaming history, the team will definitely want to make an impression, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the game will incorporate new tricks. Still, if this is true, open world doesn’t necessarily mean Skyrim-style play. Often, the term is used by developers to describe large, open levels, rather than a seamless world, so if true, it could simply be that Half Life 3 will be more akin to Deus Ex than a balls to the wall shooter.
As Valve has chosen for abstain from E3 for a couple of years now, and has remained tight-lipped about the third game, and even Half Life 2: Episode 3, we imagine it’ll be some time before we’ll find out the actual truth. After all, there’s been no shortage of hoax leaks so far, and this is no more credible at this point, even if it is an interesting idea.
Here’s hoping that the ‘beyond 2013’ release window indicates within the year, and not 2025. It’s been far too long since Gordon Freeman wielded a crowbar and smashed some head crabs.
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