Valve Announces Half-Life 2: Episode 2 Release Date

[Andy Chalk]

Valve Announces Half-Life 2: Episode 2 Release Date

Half-Life 2: Episode 2 [http://www.valvesoftware.com/] title will be released for all platforms on October 9.

The retail package, known as the "Orange Box," will include Half-Life 2: Episode 2, the long-awaited Team Fortress 2 and the puzzle game Portal, as well as full versions of Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode 1. The same package will be available over the canceled [http://www.steampowered.com/]in May.

The news follows persistent rumors in May that the PlayStation 3 version of the game would be delayed until sometime in 2008. Half-Life 2: Episode 2 is scheduled to ship for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms.


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[Junaid Alam]

Ugh 3 months from now..."Episodic" my arse. The whole reason they are forcing you to buy HL2 and EP1 in the boxed version is undoubtedly because there was such a time gap between EP1 and EP2 that it's hard to even remember what the storyline was without a replay.

 

[Ian Dorsch]

Yeah, even the big guns at Valve have stopped using the "episodic" terminology in interviews. Clearly their original concept of episodic releases has gone the way of the dodo.

 

[Russ Pitts]

So, in lieu of actual episodic offerings, they've instead elected to issue a confusing array of new/restrung titles in various packages, some of which have been canceled. This is what is known as 'diluting the brand' and I sincerely hope they figure their shit out before the lightning evaporates from the bottle.

Half-Life was and remains one of the best, most influential games I've ever played. It was the game I'd wished every other game I'd played to that date had been, and more. Half-Life 2 was fun, but didn't come anywhere near that level of relevance. I do not like seeing pioneering companies fritter away their relevance on lackluster cash-in follow-up releases, but I'm having a hard time not seeing Valve's recent strategy as just that.

 

[Bongo Bill]

October 9? Yeah, I bet.

Look, is Portal finished yet? Can I just buy that by itself?

 

[Joe]

October 9? Yeah, I bet.

Look, is Portal finished yet? Can I just buy that by itself?

Tell you what: I'll keep an eye out for portal if you let me know as soon as Team Fortress 2 hits shelves. I just want to shoot people with a cartoony sniper rifle. Is that too much to ask?

 

[Junaid Alam]

Aside from the failure to deliver on an episodic timeline, my feelings about the overall direction are decidedly mixed. Half-Life 2 was certainly not as entertaining or groundbreaking as the original, though that is hardly surprising, given the nature of sequels. What was really strange about it is that, quite unlike the original, the enemy AI was not reactive or adaptive at all. The combine exhibit no squad tactics and little inclination toward self-preservation.

Having said that, EP1 was refreshingly good. I recently played through it again in director commentary's mode, and it was very enjoyable. The new graphical touches, especially HDR, make the game look truly beautiful when maxxed out.

I suspect Valve's dilemma is that they genuinely thought a staggered release plan was going to satisfy users, but because HL is their only real product, they can't afford to make any mistakes and kill their profitability. So they opt to tweak and polish and revise until they are absolutely satisfied with the quality, and in turn lose the desired timeframe.

But that's just my speculation.

 

[Andy Chalk]

I have to go against the grain here. I thought HL2 was super-duper-awesome, almost as good as the original (almost), but Ep1 didn't really do much for me. It felt gimmicky - the ant-lion bit where you're forced to use the gravity gun, the zombie fight in the dark - and while it may have looked better, I honestly didn't notice. HL2 was frikkin' gorgeous, and I don't think Ep1 upped the ante sufficiently for me to say, wow, this is so much gorgeouser that it was TOTALLY worth waiting this long for three hours of gameplay.

I may have (probably did) ***** about this already in the Black Box cancellation thread, but as much as it hurts to say it, I'm out. Regardless of my feelings about Valve's episodic train wreck, I cannot effectively use Steam, and I will not pay to re-buy HL2 and Ep1 when they're sitting on shelves ten feet to my left. I want Ep2, I want it bad, but like my daddy taught me, sooner or later you gotta draw that line in the sand.

 

[Russ Pitts]

I may have (probably did) ***** about this already in the Black Box cancellation thread, but as much as it hurts to say it, I'm out.

Well, here's the thing: it's just one game. I understand that to Valve, it's THE game, but to me, it's just one of many I barely have time to play. So all of this weaselly saying this, but doing that BS does not induce me to move it higher up in my purchase que.