Video Games
Fanmade ‘Half-Life 2: Episode Two’ Sequel ‘Project Borealis’ Posts New Update
While we may never see a conclusion to the cliffhanger that was Half-Life 2: Episode Two, leave it to fans to pick up the slack with their own mods. One such group consisting of a mix of professional and amateur talents is behind Project Borealis, which is based on former Valve scriptwriter Marc Laidlaw’s vision of Episode 3 (known as “Epistle 3”).
The Unreal Engine 4 project had been quiet for a number of months until recently, when the devs behind it posted a new update and a gameplay video. The update features information on the team’s level design process, including a first look at maps from the game, which definitely gives off vibes from The Thing with its artic/winter setting.
“This update is the result of a significant evolution in the team over the last year,” says project manager Florian Häsler. “We refined our development workflows and adopted a new approach to structuring the work ahead of us. This has brought about great work, some of which we’re showcasing in this update; the team is developing some exciting tech, using modern technology to explore our gameplay options. We can’t wait to hear what the community thinks about our progress and direction.”
While not quite Snakes on a Plane or Red Eye, co-developers Liquid Static Studio and Snapping Turtle have something darker in mind with their upcoming job-sim horror game, Night Plane. Coming to Steam later this year, the game has you doing the expected work as a flight attendant, but with the added bonus of trying to find demons hiding amongst the passengers.
It’s 1999, and it’s your first day on the job. You must do the usual things as a flight attendant: welcoming passengers aboard, check tickets, and attend to their needs. However, shape-shifting entities may attempt to come aboard disguised as humans. So, your additional job in Night Plane is to question passengers, and find a way to remove any unauthorized non-human visitors from the plane.
That also leads to assisting passengers in unorthodox ways inside the plane, outside the plane, and in places not listed in your training manual. To make things even more complicated, you’ll need to make tough decisions with irreversible consequences. Naturally, the company will not be held accountable for any mistakes you make. You live with them.
Oh, and seeing as this is a plane, you may encounter some turbulence while in flight, along with power failures, lightning strikes and more. All of which, including your decisions, will lead to one of the multiple endings in Night Plane.
If you wish to get in on the fun prior to the game’s release, you can sign up for the playtest via the Steam page.