Project Borealis is finally coming to Steam, to give you a taste of what Half-Life 3 or Half-Life 2: Episode 3 could have been. A good time to do so, since we're coming up on the 20th anniversary of Half-Life 2.
Created by a bunch of passionate fans they aim to give you a proper conclusion to Valve's popular FPS series. Built with Unreal Engine 5 they aim to create a faithful recreation of iconic Half-Life 2, although with plenty of upgrades. This is only a Prologue though, which is basically a demo.
I missed it but they did release a teaser trailer back in September:
Direct Link
More about it:
The Legacy Continues
Inspired by the epic cliffhanger from Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Project Borealis represents a fan-made effort to realize a cohesive story conclusion to the episodic series. This prologue chapter invites players back into the HEV suit of Gordon Freeman, offering a glimpse into the next chapter of his journey.
A Familiar Yet Different World
Step into a Ravenholm transformed by time and the elements. The once-familiar town now lies buried under a blanket of snow, hiding the past and new present dangers beneath its pristine surface. As you navigate through this hauntingly beautiful landscape, you'll encounter some classic enemies reimagined and completely new secrets hidden within.
The developers say it will be a "condensed, standalone game experience showcasing an early look and feel of the upcoming full Project Borealis game" with an original score to accompany it.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
ElectricPrism about 13 hours ago
Quoting: MohandevirQuoting: PyrateQuoteUnreal Engine 5
Instantly turned off. I mean I know this is a fangame, but anyhthing Half-Life not on Source feels so wrong.
Yep! Built with the engine from the company that vowed (and failed) to destroy Steam perceived "monopoly".
Thank you, but no thank you.
I Can't Believe It's Not ~~Butter~~ Source Engine.
Yeah No. Unreal Engine is a deal breaker because Source Games have details that are mathematically authentically Valve suchas the lighting flicker interval and variations, mathematical interval variations of electrical shocks, sounds, and other content.
Without this DNA deep down this might as well just be a Fan Fiction novel or Fan Art.
I wish them well but I think they have a long way to go to right the ship.
Edit: To clarify, as I understand it these mathematical flickers are patented by Valve, therefore it's not legal for anyone to implement them outside of Source engine. So therefore by design it will never feel authentic.
Engine's really matter. If they suddenly changed the physics of the Warthog in Halo, or the mechanics of Super Mario Bros 1 it would completely annihilate player expectations on a subconscious level. This isn't just some kind of AAA cash grab either where your favorite franchises are ruined and the point was for the publisher to extract money from your wallet -- I just can't see anything that has the Mechanics wrong from the get-go having a chance. I get that they probably just like Unreal, and it has value in the work force -- but without the patented attention to details I think the whole thing will feel unauthentic and unsettling.
Last edited by ElectricPrism on 5 November 2024 at 3:43 am UTC
They're only switching to UE5 now, just so that they can stay ahead on engine updates and stability.
Game development takes a long time. I know people here have issues with Unreal Engine, but at least don't immediately shut them down the moment you hear about it
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