Half-Life 2: Episode 3 gameplay showcases its Artic setting and brand-new Ice Gun

As part of its big Half-Life 2 20th anniversary documentary, Valve showcases gameplay footage from the canceled Half-Life 2: Episode 3.

Kosta Andreadis

Senior Editor

Published Nov 17, 2024 8:32 AM CST

2-minute read time

TL;DR: Half-Life 2: Episode 3 was the unreleased final chapter of the Half-Life 2 series, which ended on a cliffhanger with Episode 2. Valve recently released a documentary revealing insights into the game's development, including gameplay set in an arctic environment featuring a new Ice Gun and Alyx as a key companion character.

Voice: Kosta AndreadisSpeed

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Half-Life 2: Episode 3 is one of those videogame what-ifs, the unreleased and unfinished closing chapter for one of the greatest single-player first-person shooters ever made. One of the reasons why many gamers continue to hold out hope for Valve to develop and release Half-Life 3 is that Half-Life 2: Episode 2 ended on a cliffhanger.

With Valve celebrating Half-Life 2's 20th anniversary - the game just got a massive update with visual improvements - the company has released a full-length documentary offering insight into the game's development and legacy.

Valve opens up about Half-Life 2: Episode 3, showcasing never-before-seen gameplay from the unreleased game. The gameplay features an arctic setting and introduces a brand-new Ice Gun.

The documentary teaches us quite a bit about Half-Life 2: Episode 3, including how Alyx would have played an essential role as a companion character to combat enemies that could split into multiple parts. The Ice Gun, too, would have played a role in exploration and traversal, with the ability to create ice bridges and platforms like the Silver Surfer.

We also learn that Valve created a "collection of playable levels" from the game; however, the game was canceled because it didn't push anything forward or evolve the FPS genre. Valve founder Gabe Newel felt it wasn't compelling or different enough, adding, "We could have shipped it. It wouldn't have been that hard." Half-Life 2: Episode 3 was in development for around six months before the team moved on, shifting its focus toward Left 4 Dead.