Project Borealis: Prologue: How fans created their own Half-Life Threequel

In 2007, after the release of Half-Life 2: Episode Two, millions of players were left alone with a painful cliffhanger. The last episode ended tragically: a key character dies, and the player is given only fragmentary hints that the events will continue somewhere in the Arctic on the mysterious ship «Borealis». Over the next years, fans waited, hoped, theorized, but Valve remained silent.

The culmination of patience was the publication of the series screenwriter Marc Laidlaw in 2017. Under the guise of an abstract story Epistle 3 (not a typo!), he presented his vision of the events that could conclude the story of Gordon Freeman. This text inspired the fan community, and as a result, Project Borealis: Prologue appeared — a project that not only pays tribute to the original series, but also says a new word in its history.

Project Borealis: Prologue is built on the Unreal Engine 5, which immediately distinguishes it from other fan projects. The focus is on everything that fans love about Half-Life: dynamic shootouts, physics-based puzzles, and deep integration of the story into the gameplay.

The player once again finds himself in the role of Gordon Freeman, who must make his way through the devastated and snowy Ravenholm. The series' signature gravity gun returns and demonstrates updated interactions with the environment. For example, the player can use icy planks to build bridges across destroyed streets, as well as freeze enemies using the environment.

The movement mechanics retain the familiar smoothness and acrobatics. Running, jumping, interacting with platforms — it all works as if you never left the Half-Life universe. However, the developers have added a number of small details that highlight the harshness of the arctic terrain: for example, limited visibility due to a snowstorm or the need to warm up near heat sources to avoid freezing to death.

Ravenholm, familiar from Half-Life 2, has changed beyond recognition. Its gloomy streets are covered in a thick layer of snow, and crumbling buildings threaten to collapse at any second. Enemies have become even more dangerous. Headcrabs here are not just jumping creatures. They have learned to hide under the snow, suddenly attacking the player, which adds an element of surprise. In turn, zombies now look even more frightening: their bodies are covered in frost, and their movements have become sharper.

In addition to classic enemies, you have to face new types of opponents. For example, ice guards, reminiscent of a combination of synthetics and natural monsters, pursue the player through streets and narrow corridors.

The traps are also worth noting. Falling ice blocks, collapsing roofs of buildings, arctic cliffs — all this requires attention and precise calculation. In one of the key scenes, you have to use a gravity gun to block the path of an avalanche with debris that threatens to cover the player.

The plot of Prologue fits neatly into the framework of Epistle 3. Gordon Freeman is assigned to go to the Arctic to continue the fight against the Alliance. The developers used the atmosphere of loneliness and uncertainty, characteristic of the series, to increase the tension.

Ravenholm here acts as a staging post on the way to Borealis. The player learns that this city was used by the Combine as an experimental laboratory for studying the nature of snow zones, which explains the presence of new types of enemies. As the player progresses, he encounters records of survivors who talk about the terrible experiments that took place.

The main advantage of Project Borealis: Prologue is its visual performance. Unreal Engine 5 allows you to create an atmosphere of desolation that is felt in every detail: from the falling snow to the detailed, oppressively chthonic buildings.

The physics of objects have been reworked. The gravity gun feels much more accurate than in the original, and allows you to interact with more complex structures. For example, the player can clear rubble or activate mechanisms using objects in the environment. Lighting plays a key role. In one of the levels, you have to navigate in complete darkness, lighting the way with a flashlight, which makes encounters with enemies even more frightening.

Prologue has caused a storm of emotions in the community. Fans praise the project for returning them to their favorite universe. On the game's Steam page, the project has received mostly positive reviews. People note the attention to detail, as well as how the developers were able to integrate the Arctic theme into familiar game mechanics.

However, there was some criticism. Many complain about technical flaws, such as FPS drops and minor physics bugs. Some players believe that the demo length (about 3 hours) is not enough.

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Project Borealis: Prologue proves that a fan community can create something outstanding even without the involvement of a major studio. This is not just a game, but a true symbol of love for the Half-Life universe. Even if Valve ever decides to end the story of Gordon Freeman, this project has already taken its place in history as an example of the dedication of the gaming community.