What will be HL3's Theme?

[Max35]

With HL1 it was a tantalizing mystery, HL2 is more epic, so this begs the question of what HL3's goals will be in terms of gameplay/story. I hope it returns to the mystery-telling story of the original (during the beginning), while being gradually revealing right up until the end. Also, I want an introduction that is going to throw me off a little, HL2's was expected in certain ways.

As far as gameplay, I wouldn't mind the slow-paced, non-linear interaction that was present in the first, again especially in the introduction. Don't get me wrong the beginning of HL2 was great, but it seemed a little constrained, and some of the environments didn't seem focused on some occasions. I think we'll all see the potential of the interactive narrative once AM is released, see the direction Valve is heading. And hopefully AM will re-establish the sense of strong mystery that was in the first. These are just my humble opinions.

 

[<RJMC>]

I will like to see more aliens

 

[iMMuNiTy]

I would like to see Mark VI HEV suit, which doesn't include roller-skates. I'd preffer a total change in sounds, as well. Whatever it will be, we all know we're going to like Half-Life 3.

 

[ríomhaire]

I think it will be about massive battles between armies with powerful guns.

 

[Llama]

I think it will be about massive battles between armies with powerful guns.

:| Shit, that sounds like Dawn of War :bounce:

 

[iMMuNiTy]

I think it will be about massive battles between armies with powerful guns.

I'm glad you're not at Valve.

 

[Polaris]

Mayby we will visit Combine homeworld and learn more about story...
Only Valve knows...

 

[Sulkdodds]

Blood explosion extroadinaire!

 

[Edcrab]

I'd like to see more of Valve's universe.

It must be a bloody big place...

 

[Sulkdodds]

Kind of like Magrathea, one would imagine.

 

[AzzMan]

I think it will be in an Alien setting, either on another world or on Earth, even farther in the future, changed so much it is unrecognizable.

 

[Absinthe]

Probably be on Earth again, but like the transition between HL1 and HL2, it will have gone through quite a few changes so that a lot of things are quite foreign and alien to you, sans some major characters and concepts that ground you to the previous games.

I suspect that with the large threat now exposed to us and with the scene set, it will end in another "borderworld" or something similar. What exactly that would entail is something I'll make no predictions about.

 

[Afterburn3r]

I'm hypothesizing there will be huge open battles like a poster before me had said, but like in the beginning of the game your in a huge ass battle with bodies flying and the combine swarming all over the place with dropships, there's a flash and the gman appears in the middle as time slows down, talking about how you could've avoided the destruction brought before you in the form of the epic battle, he takes you back in time 3 days, and the journey begins.... i'm just guessing of course

 

[Absinthe]

Time travel? No. I sincerely doubt it.

 

[Asknoone]

Nope, not time travel.

Time travel = :|

 

[15357]

Gordon wakes up from his coma while in a hospital.

Everything was a dream until the combine invades.

 

[Lucid]

Gordon recovers from a massive hangover and goes outside, only to find out that his car is missing.

Thus begins his epic journey to find his car.

 

[Asknoone]

Try not to de rail the thread with useless crap please.

 

[Sulkdodds]

BIOZEMANDADDESs!

 

[Asknoone]

.........bant

 

[Freelancer]

Probebly HL3 will bring togeather Barney, the soldier from HL1 expansion opposing force, a scientist, some aliens, gordon and g-man. All togeather to fight... fight for who will get the toy in the cornflakes packadge!

 

[<RJMC>]

Probebly HL3 will bring togeather Barney, the soldier from HL1 expansion opposing force, a scientist, some aliens, gordon and g-man. All togeather to fight... fight for who will get the toy in the cornflakes packadge!

barney: thats my, goverment zombie
gman:I am not a zombie I just hav a very pale skin
op4soldier:I am more badass I deserve it
scientis: oh oh!
aliens:glm chig rupar fugk
gordon:....*grab refrigetar whit the manipulator and trow it to the others*
soup nazi:no soup for you!

 

[safetyswami]

back to what's important

It's a shame that this devolved from a promising topic into a silly 'what should happen in HL3' bout of wishful thinking. It's about the THEME of HL3. To wit:

In HL1 the theme was survival. You're a normal (well, as normal as a brilliant theoretical physicist working at a top-secret government research facility can be, anyway) guy at work when something goes horribly wrong. You must survive and escape the facility. Granted, Gordon sorta got derailed from that a bit at the end, but he didn't have any other real choice. Everything you do in HL1 is primarily for survival.

In HL2 the theme was symbolism. All of Gordon's actions, and indeed his very presence, all of them were meant to inspire the rebels against the Combine, even if Gordon's character hadn't intended it. Everything you do in HL2 is symbolic, and inspires the rebels.

So for HL3, I think they need a different theme. My personal hope is that they go for leadership. In HL2 Freeman was a powerful symbol for the rebels, but they helped him a lot more than he helped them (Nova Prospekt and the very end notwithstanding). In HL3, perhaps Freeman could become an actual leader in the battle against the Combine. Or maybe they'll go a different route completely. Hell, I don't know. Fun to speculate though.

 

[ríomhaire]

I think Valve is building up to an all out war.

 

[Sulkdodds]

I thought the whole theme in HL2 was free choice (or the lackthereof). This is a recurring thing particularly since both games are very linear and trains are a repeated motif.

Part of HL, I think, was the idea of being trapped.

And thus I have a funny feeling that HL3's theme might be freedom - we've seen Earth oppressed and controlled by aliens, and we've seen the rebels rise up towards the end and make their grab for freedom. We've seen Gordon Freeman controlled by the G-Man BUT! If Mecha's theory (that at the end of HL2, you're being handed over to a new employer) is correct, Aftermath might be the start of true freedom for the Beard.

In which case HL3 might end up being A. going rogue from the G-man and doing your own thing for once and B. non-linear.

 

[Max_Payne]

sulkdodds i cant agree with enough on how i believe that too. Such a damn good idea...

PEACE

Mike:smoking:

 

[A True Canadian]

What's interesting about the Half-Life series is that there tends to be more than one theme in each of the games. The multiple themes that are inherent in the games are something that I hope translates into Half-Life 3. If Valve goes for the epic feel with only one theme to it, I have a feeling we will be disappointed.

That being said, I hope they tread new ground and throw us something new in terms of themes. With the introduction of Alyx we do get the feeling that there will be a love or hate type thing Valve is setting up. And with the possibility of Gordon working for a new employer, there's the chance that Gordon's old buddies (Kleiner, Barney, Eli) may think differently of him now. Gordon may now stand for something that they don't believe in, and that conflict could be very interesting.

 

[MTG_Maro]

Gordon, Shepard, the resistance vs. Xen vs. Combine

 

[Asknoone]

Gordon, Shepard, the resistance vs. Xen vs. Combine

How awful that would be.

 

[Eejit]

I really don't know. But I suspect the storyline will be 'finished' in a (possibly very big) HL3 expansion rather than the game itself.

 

[Boogymanx]

<bump>
I think what would be totally awesome if Valve just bought the best server ever and made it an MMOFPS set in the history, with constant storyline upgrading and random G-Man sightings. Either that or the same as above, but just that you can buy it, pick whether or not you'd want to be rebel or combine, and you could wage war in city 17 and outskirts.

 

[BaconIsGood4You]

Theme- Individualism (again). I doubt Laidlaws going to radically shift his theme.
Setting- Part of world jumping anti-Combine revolutionaries?

 

[Skorpio]

What I really want to see is like Half Life 1.5 where you get to play as an ordinary soldier in the military or citizen in the 7 hour war when the Combine invades. Like you play as a soldier who fights a losing war against the combine and in the very end...it all fails...and gets rounded up by the Combine to go to Nova Prospect and be forced to be come the Overwatch. The game would be mostly story based instead of run and gun. Actually I think that story might make a good movie. If

I think Half Life 3 is the G-Man "awakes" you sends you out to do another job, while possibly on Earth or in another dimension. Possibly in Half Life 3 the mystery of the GMan is unraveled. Maybe the G-Man is really an agent for a new world order. I think in HL3 you learn more about who the G-Man is and who he works for. Maybe in Half Life 3 Gordon Freeman rebels against the G-Man..I dont know...Im sepculating at this point. GMan tells you to abandon earth saying it is beyond all hope after a totall rebellion and massive crush by the Combine which kills all humans after the Citadel is blown up? Im assuming in HL3 you work for the XEN and that GMan is an agent of the XEN? once you realize Gman is Xen and Xen is just another conquering force you rebel against the Gman.

Although I only played some parts of Half Life1 and Opposing force. so bear with me if it sounds like that. I played HL2 and I thought it had a really great storyline.

 

[Boogymanx]

You all know you'd hit my idea.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

]If Mecha's theory (that at the end of HL2, you're being handed over to a new employer) is correct, Aftermath might be the start of true freedom for the Beard.

Although Aftermath has you working for a new client, G-man and friends still control the terms of that arrangement and Gordon as well.

It's more like Gordon is being rented out by a third party, rather than being bought.

 

[Flyingdebris]

I'd like to see hl3 shift back into survival.

In the first one it was about surviving the incident and you were almost universally hated by everyone exept the scientists and security.

In the second it is you getting a huge ego rush as you are seen as an almost messianic figure by the downtodden unwashed masses.

I think the third one should have Gordon stripped of his messianic figure. Like maybe humniaty thinks he sold them out. And it shifts back to survival, perhaps caught in some massive war between the combine and some other large alien threat.