New Half-Life Sequel Coming Next Month

Fans of the Half-Life series have been waiting for a very long time. Sure, there are other game franchises that have gone longer without a sequel, but few were left with such a cliffhanger ending, and so little communication about the next game in the series. Well, today in a surprising announcement, we've found out that we will be getting a Half-Life sequel in less than a month. But it probably isn't the one you've been hoping for.

Half-Life: Opposing Force was the first expansion for the original game, which was co-developed by Valve and Gearbox. Instead of following Gordon Freeman, you followed the events of the original Half-Life game from the perspective of a US Marine by the name of Adrian Shephard. The game ended much the same way we're used to seeing a Half-Life title: With the G-Man holding the protagonist, while something terrible happens in the background. In this case, it was Black Mesa exploding.

That was 1999, and we've yet to hear anything about Adrian Shephard in all of this time. However, he is back, in a fan-made sequel, dubbed Prospekt. While it is a fan-made game, it has been given the blessing from Valve, and can be considered a sequel to the original Opposing Force expansion. Here's the official description of the game:

Prospekt begins in the Nova Prospekt prison in the Half-Life universe. Gordon Freeman is slowly being overrun by soldiers in the prison, however unknown to him, his Vortigaunt allies manage to find some help from a forgotten hero.

The entire game was developed by one person, 25-year-old Richard Seabrook. There are 13 levels, complete with puzzles and plenty of action. The creator says that the length of the game is comparable to Half-Life 2: Episode One. Oh, and if you've been waiting to return to Xen, you'll be happy to know that this game will take you back to that crazy alien land.

You will be able to pick up the game starting February 11 for $9.99, but you can pre-order it and shave a buck off the price. This is a completely stand-alone game that uses Half-Life 2 models and textures, but will not require you to own or install that game.