Avid Valve fan and collector David McGreavy simply shared a big trove of unseen idea artwork for Half-Life 2: Episode Three and different unreleased Valve tasks as a part of his effort to protect this historical past for the longer term.
Over a decade in the past, Valve started releasing smaller episodic sequels to 2004’s iconic Half-Life 2. These shorter, standalone video games continued the story of Gordon Freeman and the human resistance in opposition to interdimensional invaders, the thought being that Valve may develop and launch them at a sooner tempo. 15 years after the discharge of Episode Two, it looks like that plan didn’t work out, and the long-awaited third episode might be by no means going to see the sunshine of day. However at the least we now have these never-before-seen items of idea artwork to stare at whereas we surprise about what may have been.
David McGreavy is a senior producer at 2K, however in his spare time, he collects Valve merchandise, art work, and different ins and outs. He’s amassed one of many largest Valve collections I do know of, and has sources amongst present and former Valve workers, permitting him to get entry to stuff that isn’t usually obtainable to most people. A few months back he teased that he acquired a ton of Valve idea artwork and was engaged on scanning it so it could possibly be shared on-line.
Now, he’s finally releasing some of the first scans, and whereas he’s not fairly pleased with the standard, he’s nonetheless agreed to share the art work with Kotaku and helped clarify what’s what. Based on McGreavy, the artwork comes courtesy of a former Valve worker who was seeking to “downsize” their assortment of swag and different Valve-related artifacts.
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Essentially the most attention-grabbing piece of art work for Half-Life followers is probably going the idea artwork of Half-Life 2 villain Dr. Breen as an alien worm. This plot level—that the once-human Breen could be became an alien worm after his loss of life in Half-Life 2—was first confirmed in former Valve author Marc Laidlaw’s “Epistle 3.” That was a tough plot define that Laidlaw launched in 2017 that confirmed what Episode Three’s story may have been earlier than he left the corporate. And now we now have our first good have a look at “BreenGrub.”
Different art work McGreavy launched contains extra idea artwork for Half-Life 2: Episode Three, exhibiting a devastated shoreline lined in rusty boats and particles.
Curiously, McGreavy advised me that two items of artwork exhibiting Canine and Alyx will not be from Episode Three, however had been a part of a short-lived try at constructing a sport round these two that may have seemingly been separate from Episode Three or Half-Life 3.
Additionally of be aware is a few idea artwork for the never-released house sport Valve was engaged on again within the day referred to as Stars of Blood. Whereas we’ve realized a bit extra about that venture over time, it nonetheless stays a thriller as to what it might have been, and the way far alongside Valve had gotten on it. Only one extra unfinished venture to toss on the pile.
Whereas we’ve seen some idea artwork of Episode Three prior to now, it’s nonetheless good to see extra of what may have been. We all know Valve tried to make loads of Half-Life video games after releasing the primary two episodes and earlier than releasing 2020’s VR-focused Half-Life: Alyx. Primarily based on data that emerged in 2020, Valve had at the least 4 or 5 completely different Half-Life tasks of varied sizes in growth between 2010 and 2017.
So it is smart that there have to be much more idea artwork for all these numerous, canceled video games on the market, probably buried in outdated arduous drives or packing containers in Valve’s basement. And hopefully, followers and collectors like McGreavy can assist carry extra of these things out of the shadows, preserving it for the longer term. Followers could not have to attend too lengthy for extra, as McGreavy tells me he has extra Half-Life idea artwork to share. In reality, he claims that to this point he’s solely launched about half of what he has in hand.
“I’m a lover of bodily items,” stated McGreavy. “However I’m actually seeking to digitally protect, catalog, and stock all of the Valve objects obtainable commercially, in addition to worker/inner, to no matter extent I can.”
