Valve has released a new Steam update recently announcing that the long-awaited and much delayed Half-Life: Episode 2 is nearing completion.
No, really.
Valve has stated that each episode of the continuing series will have a new focus. For the first episode this focus was on NPC interaction, with the player being constantly accompanied by Gordon’s sexy sidekick, Alyx Vance. Episode 2 will focus more on large, open environments - something the Source engine has not previously been known for. Half-Life: Episode 2 will be shipping with two other Valve titles. The massively addictive team game, Team Fortress 2, which has been rendered in a special cartoony style will make up one part of the package. Portal, a stunningly imaginative puzzle adventure set within the Half-Life universe, will make up the second part.
Team Fortress 2 is the massively delayed sequel to Team Fortress that lets players battle it out in a light-hearted class-based team game. With special classes like Medic, Spy and Engineer available, the original was a classic LAN party favourite that is finally getting a revamp. Portal will expand the Half-Life story from a different perspective, just as the Opposing Force and Blue Shift expansion packs did for the first game. Rumours that Adrian Shephard, the militant protaganist of Opposing Force, would be reappearing in Portal have been proven false however and it was recently revealed that the game would have female player character.
Source: Bit-tech.net