Half-Life writer Mark Laidlaw, a former employee at Valve, has posted what appears to be a plot synopsis of Half-Life 2: Episode 3 on his blog.
In the blog post Laidlaw refers to it as ‘Epistle 3’ while also replacing the names of key locations and characters.
Reading through it, this appears to be a rough outline of what Episode 3 could have been before drifting into development hell.
Epistle 3 https://t.co/8BEG25AV7A
— Marc Laidlaw (@marc_laidlaw) August 25, 2017
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Laidlaw’s website is getting hammered with traffic right now, so we’ve gone ahead and compiled a few plot points below.
A number of names and locations have been understandably altered, but hardcore fans should have no problem figuring out the plot for Half Life 3. Oh, and SPOILERS AHEAD!
Taking place immediately after the tragic death of Eli Vance at the end of Half Life 2: Episode 2, we finally get some closure on one of gaming’s greatest cliffhangers.
The team are left traumatised, but eventually regroup to seek out the long lost Borealis, an Aperture Science Research Vessel that could aid the resistance’s fight against the Combine.
Upon discovering the Borealis, Freeman and friends stumble upon a highly-advanced alien installation. They’ve been beaten to the punch, and their last hope of survival is dwindling fast.
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The Borealis would have played an important role in Half Life 2: Episode 3’s plot, acting as an in-game location and important narrative device. It may hold the key to humanity’s survival, or it could help the Combine if it falls into the wrong hands.
We won’t spoil the entire story, you can draw your own conclusions from the full plot synopsis on NeoGAF.
Having first been announced back in May 2006, Half Life 2: Episode 3 had a scheduled release of Christmas 2007. Obviously, this never came out.
If Valve is currently developing the sequel, we may see this narrative come to fruition someday. If not, at least we have some form of closure.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
