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.”



