Fri, Mar 26, 2010 | 21:14 GMT
Valve intent on giving players a good scare with next Half-Life
Valve’s Gabe Newell has revealed that the studio intends to get back to scaring Half-Life players with the next installment.
Speaking in the latest issue of Edge (via CVG), Newell also said that the team plans to broaden the game’s “emotional palette”.
“That isn’t something we think about except as part of each project needing to respect the fact that simply repeating the past isn’t going to have the same impact now as it did then,” said Newell.
“I feel like we’ve gotten away from genuinely scaring the player more than I’d like, and it’s something we need to think about, in addition to broadening the emotional palette we can draw on.”
So what exactly would be scary for Half-Life fans?
“The death of their children. The fading of their own abilities,” said Newell.
Good. We need that in the next episode. Now give us the damn thing.
It’s a shame we’re not getting it this year.
20 comments
#1
Stephany Nunneley
26/03/10, 9:14 pm
It’s been ages since ANY game has scared me.
#2
Aimless
26/03/10, 9:18 pm
You should try Demon’s Souls, Steph. Easily the scariest game I’ve played recently, even if that isn’t its primary objective.
#3
AHA-Lambda
26/03/10, 9:21 pm
I’ll be scared if it come out
#4
dirigiblebill
26/03/10, 9:21 pm
The scariest thing for me would be them announcing a fucking release date and sticking to it.
#5
Phoenixblight
26/03/10, 9:22 pm
Dead space was the last game to actually scare with the sound effects and the necromorphs.
#6
Erthazus
26/03/10, 9:24 pm
@1 Play Dead Space.
#7
The Hindle
26/03/10, 9:27 pm
Id imagine another Orange box style port would scare most gamers
#8
Erthazus
26/03/10, 9:28 pm
@7 Noooooooo, PS3 port of episode 3 will scare xbots and PS3 fanboys will go ape shit
#9
spiderLAW
26/03/10, 9:28 pm
Dead Space scared me through out the whole friggin game!
Half-Life has been my favorite PC Franchise since the first one in 1998. They are taking too f*ing long with episode 3. And i know its because of Left 4 Dead. If i had to choose between the 2 franchises, i would have chosen Half-Life anyday….give me my Episode 3 already!!!!
#10
The Hindle
26/03/10, 9:35 pm
Lol the next Half life game wont even come to the Ps3.
#11
triggerhappy686
26/03/10, 9:35 pm
@ everyone – Play the original Silent Hill. Now that my friends is the epitome of scary games. I thought i was getting a bit long in the tooth to be properly scared by a game until i fired this up on a recent week off i had
#12
Stephany Nunneley
26/03/10, 9:36 pm
@2 Demons Souls never scared me once. The only thing that scared me was the thought that I may have a stroke and die it pissed me off so much. But I LOVED it.
The first BioShock creeped me out – what with the Splicer giggling and all. MAYBE some trepidation when I heard big Daddy in the distance. That is all though.
I think the last game that TRULY made me jump loads was the RE1 revamp on GameCube. I hated that hall with all the windows. All the halls with windows, rather, and the grave yard.
I tried Fatal Frame on GameCube too – not once was I frightened. I’m jaded apparently.
#13
Erthazus
26/03/10, 9:37 pm
@10 We actually don’t know that. Maybe it will come, maybe not. Who knows.
#14
reask
26/03/10, 9:50 pm
I actually don’t see any reason for it not to TH.
I never thought it looked that bad on PS3 actually.
More of a storm in a tea cup if you ask me.
Also with install base valve would be stupid not to go multi with it.
#15
The_Deleted
26/03/10, 10:10 pm
But wasn’t it EA who sorted the port for TOB on the PS3? Valve had little say about it, I believe.
#16
Phoenixblight
26/03/10, 10:13 pm
EA UK to be exact…
#17
Anders
26/03/10, 10:25 pm
Penumbra gave me a few scares. As did some of the early RE games.
#18
subversus
27/03/10, 7:39 am
you should all try STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl. The X-17 (or 18? dont’t remember) laboratories will leave scars on your mind
All other STALKER games aren’t scary as the first one.
#19
Happy Hardon Harry
27/03/10, 1:48 pm
Valve should keep Episode 3 a PC exclusive as it would increase the number of Steam users.
Then after a couple of years from it’s release on PC, release the game on next gen console systems, where the hardware then maybe actually do such a game justice.
I don’t have a 360/PS3 as i’d only buy them for their exclusive titles and presently there isn’t enough of them on each console to justify splashing out £200/£250.
I’ll simply wait until the 360/PS3 are at the near end of their life span, then i’ll be able to pick each of them up for under £99.99.
Currently, i’m happy with my PC rig, Wii and DS.
#20
sickpuppysoftware
31/03/10, 12:26 pm
Shame as the scary bits of half life are usually the poorest.