Except from Alyx, the Half-Life series has essentially been abandoned, at least formally, but someone is preserving the memory by making a mod that revives the abandoned Arkane Studios project. Valve's Half-Life series, widely regarded as one of the best first-person shooter games ever created, has had a significant influence on both the genre and gaming in general. Fans have been clamouring for more in the Black Mesa universe ever since 2007's Episode Two ended on a dramatic cliffhanger.

The main storyline

Adrian Shephard, a marine from the opposing force who awakens in Ravenholm after being saved by Father Grigori, would have been the game's main character. Both of them must battle for their lives while Grigori searches for a cure after he unintentionally transformed all the human survivors of Ravenholm into cannibalistic zombie beasts.

It is more than a sci-fi game

The venerable franchise is so adored that even the first Half-Life is still being modified today. On the surface, it appears to be a sci-fi action game, but upon its initial release in 1998, Valve became an overnight success while also showing players and game developers what was possible in terms of video game storytelling. It's hardly surprising, given the legacy the two main entries have left behind that so many people want to see the series return. Even while that's unlikely to happen in any official form, at least the fan base is keeping the series alive.

A fresh modification using the Garry's Mod editing program

With the intention of revitalizing the abandoned Half-Life project, Steam user CrunchySoap has developed a fresh modification using the Garry's Mod editing programme. The modder claims that they were so inspired to play the abandoned "Ravenholm" game from the Dishonored and Deathloop studio that they decided to create their own after watching a documentary about it. A number of NPCs, including male and female zombies, a standard and mutant Father Grigori, rebel survivors, and more are included by the mod along with some lore.

It is unfortunate that Valve doesn't frequently release games anymore. There are a few exceptions, of course, but it's clear that Gabe Newell and his crew are quite busy with the incredibly successful Steam platform. Fans can only hope that a new official Half-Life game will be released at some point or take independent action in the meanwhile.