'Half Life' writer Marc Laidlaw releases the story of Episode 3

Just a day after making the comment on how the AoE IV announcement is nearly as big as it gets when it comes to gaming announcements, there is one bigger than instantly pops into my head, Half Life 3, or at least some closure to the story in the form of Half Life 2: Episode 3. Now I wish this article was that announcement but alas it is not but it looks like it is as good as your going to get.

 

21 years since the company started and a few months after the last of the game's writers left, the world is still waiting for Valve to deliver the final episode in the trilogy nearly ten years after the debut of Half-Life 2: Episode Two. Marc Laidlaw, the lead writer in the series today has published on his own site "Epistle 3" a "gender swapping Fanfic" with a "Gertie Fremont" taking up the lead role. It only takes a small bit of editing to get the real names back into the story and millions of fans are taking this as the last tale of Gordon Freeman. It’s not hard to see that is no ordinary fanfic, when the former lead writer of such an important franchise as this writes a fanfic that provides closure to a story he never got to tell its pretty much cannon at that point. I am not the only one that is grateful to Marc for what he has done this day but it comes with great sadness knowing that this is it, this is the end. Its sad such a great game had to end this way.

I think this is the final nail in the coffin for lots of peoples opinions on Valve being a great game creator, they clearly have transitioned to something else. Even with the announcement of the upcoming "Artifact" game, it's clear that this isnt going to be a story driven single-player gaming masterpiece, and obvious that Valve's priorities have changed in how they create their games. Take one look at the Half Life subreddit and you can see how fans are feeling about this, here a few topic titles ;"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.", "Pack up your bags everyone its over!", "Has Valve died (for you) as well today?", "It's very sad we got a conclusion like this." , "Valve is the new Konami. So focused on trivial money-makers they kill they neglect their best artists and franchises." 

I won't spoil the story but I will quote this passage, now dont read this as "Gordan" or "Gertie" talking, but read this last quote as a disgruntled lead writer coming to the end of an 18 year spell having never gotten to finish his prized story. I think this is telling of the direction Valve have been traveling down.

"Old friends have been silenced, or fallen by the wayside. I no longer know or recognize most members of the research team, though I believe the spirit of rebellion still persists. I expect you know better than I the appropriate course of action, and I leave you to it. Expect no further correspondence from me regarding these matters; this is my final episode."

Although I believe this could be the final tale of Mister Freeman, I do think with such a creative fan base and with the tools out there at their disposal that maybe Gordon will make a return to our monitors some day, perhaps in the form of a fan made "Episode 3", maybe that was what Marc was alluring too with the line "I expect you know better than I the appropriate course of action, and I leave you to it." How Valve would respond to such an undertaking on the other hand is a question worth pondering.

For those of you looking to get the bit of closure on the Half Life story or those interested in reading and Marc's site is still down, here is a copy of the text with all the correct names subbed back in.  Half Life 2: Episode 3

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