Valve: Next Half-Life Game Needs to be Terrifying

By Marcus Yam
published

Those headcrabs used to be pretty scary, but they probably wouldn't cut it any longer.

Still waiting for the next installment of Half-Life. So are we. While Valve isn't saying anything about the Half-Life 3 or Episode 3, we now have reason to believe that it'll be a scary affair.

Speaking to Edge magazine, according to CVG, Valve boss Gabe Newell said, "I feel like we've gotten away from genuinely scaring the player more than I'd like, and it's something we need to think about, in addition to broadening the emotional palette we can draw on."

While Newell didn't mention a specific upcoming Half-Life specifically, it was clear that the developer was thinking carefully about how to scare the series' core fans: "The death of their children. The fading of their own abilities."

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
Topics
Software
Valve
67 Comments Comment from the forums
  • HansVonOhain
    It will be released when done. When it will be released, I hope it will live up to its hype.
    Reply
  • enzo matrix
    Will Half Life 3 go the way of Duke Nukem Forever? Stay tuned to find out!
    Reply
  • _Cubase_
    It's been almost 3 years since the last "Episode"... now that's what I call Terrifying!
    Reply
  • trandoanhung1991
    I never thought the Half Life series scary to be honest. Sure, when I was 12, maybe I was scared then, but now, it's just thrilling! Can't wait for their release, maybe bundled with Portal 2!!!
    Reply
  • ColMirage
    No matter what happens, I want to slaughter an Advisor. With my Crowbar.
    Reply
  • mattfoo2324
    For a game we know absolutely nothing about, I know it will be awesome. Need proof? Evidence: L4D, L4D2, HL, HL 2, HL E1, HL E2, TF 2, CS, CSS, Portal, to be released Portal 2, etc. Valve is virtually unblemished in the developer field. How could it not be good?
    Reply
  • Hothr
    Valve does a lot of things right. Their Episodic release schedule, however...

    Episodic = additional content, same engine. Time = months. Time != years.
    Reply
  • one-shot
    The most 'terrifying' thing on HL2 would have been on Return to Ravenholm when those fast things (not sure of know name) would come of of nowhere and shoot you. More surprising than anything, I guess. Still, HL2 is the best PC game I've ever played. Tons of replay value in it.
    Reply
  • 1raflo
    Valve is one of my favorite game devs out there, with games ranging from excellent to epic ...the only bad thing about them is that they make us to wait years between game relases :/
    Reply
  • 1raflo
    And IMO i think the delays with the next game of HL series is (rumors say) more related to the fact that valve is working on creating a new game engine... source engine is quite outdeted now, if they want to stay on the cutting edge on visuals (and they usually are).
    Reply