GameSpot does EPI2 and TF2

[Planetary]

:O

Ohhhh yeah!
That confirms it now, doesn't it? I just hope it's not an imitation of the Aliens Queen.

 

[Crispy]

Doesn't look like the BM facility to me tbh. The scale's completely different. I share the conjecture that it's far more likely to be the Aperture Science place. But the ceiling flanges do look a bit 'Combiney' to me.

 

[Narvi]

Ohhhh yeah!
That confirms it now, doesn't it? I just hope it's not an imitation of the Aliens Queen.

Or it could just be an antlion guard they misnamed. Cyrus Vance? Ha!

 

[Mr. Ed]

Is the upper left corner of the muscle car shot really blotchy? I just got a new monitor and I'm figuring out if it's defective.

 

[2Fast4U]

Is the upper left corner of the muscle car shot really blotchy? I just got a new monitor and I'm figuring out if it's defective.

Yeah it is. These screenshots looks like high quality scans, or console version screenshots.

 

[Oppressor]

I have a sneaking suspicion that the the girl in Portal meets the G-Man at the end. Either that, your contract is explained to you and you learn some big things about that mysterious "man"! *Oh shit! Why didn't I think of this before?!? G-Man uses portals and the labratory uses portals all the time. The G-Man hired the girl because of her talents no doubt about it. **On another note I think I know what's in his suitcase. It's a prototype of the portal gun. He was trying to negotiate a contract for the scientists to use it. It's a top security device in a suitcase guarded by a sinister alien! Probably smugled it no doubt. Look at the Episode 1 plot and you will find he is a sinister villain too btw.

At this point, it's actually quite likely

 

[MetalliMyers]

I do think the shot with the G-Man looks like Black Mesa. The style of the door is the same. It doesn't HAVE to be Black Mesa though. Aperture Science could be another location for the company that owns Black Mesa.

 

[ríomhaire]

Black Mesa - White Forest

 

[Sheepo]

I wonder what antlion queen refers to? I think it's all too likely they meant guard, because I would've guessed you met an antlion queen/boss in the tunnels.

 

[ríomhaire]

Antlion guards have been refered to as antlion queens many times, even on Valves EP1 website IIRC.

 

[Dabs]

Doesn't look like the BM facility to me tbh. The scale's completely different. I share the conjecture that it's far more likely to be the Aperture Science place. But the ceiling flanges do look a bit 'Combiney' to me.

As I said, I don't think it is Black Mesa, but the design appears to be reminiscent of it, to a degree that would suggest it's more than just a coincidence. The overall layout, position of the large screen behind the desk, PC monitor to the G-Man's/Barney's left, corridor off to the right ... Also, I don't think it's from Portal, simply because the preview is of TF2 and Ep Two and explicitly states that the new screenshots come from these two games. There'd be no reason why they'd slot a new Portal shot in amongst there. Seriously, look again:

 

[Dodo]

in the ep 2 version of the screenshot you can also see the corridor to the right... it must be black mesa !
were going back to black mesa !! yeey

-dodo

 

[A True Canadian]

If you ask me, The G-Man image is nothing more than concept art similar to what was released not to long ago.

I don't think it has any bearing on any of the games other than to give the developers at Valve some inspiration.

Still looks cool none-the-less.

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

This quote struck me as a bit uninformed.
- Valve didn't make CS, they bought out the people who did.

So gooseman and cliffe working there means they just bought it out? Right....

 

[Quiss]

What's the G-Man holding in his other hand?

 

[Sheepo]

Antlion guards have been refered to as antlion queens many times, even on Valves EP1 website IIRC.

So that means we probably won't be fighting a.... a..... *weeps*

 

[Narvi]

So that means we probably won't be fighting a.... a..... *weeps*

I doubt they're going to put an awesome moment like that in previews. So, there's still hope.

 

[clarky003]

Definately made it vaguely similar on purpose, but Black Mesa was in the past, move on .

 

[ríomhaire]

OMFG a room with a desk and a door to the right, it MUST be Black Mesa!!111o1ne11!!11

 

[Trooper]

Looking better and better. Can't wait for release!

 

[undertone]

is that shot of the muscle car ingame? cause i dont remember cubemaps reflecting players/ vehicles.

maybe an update for the source engine on reflections?

 

[Shinobi]

is that shot of the muscle car ingame? cause i dont remember cubemaps reflecting players/ vehicles.

maybe an update for the source engine on reflections?

you can set refletions (in video settings) to reflect world/reflect all and it wont consider the cubemaps

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Water is the only thing that uses realtime reflections, everything else uses cubemaps.

 

[Mr. Ed]

The Pyro's flame really doesn't look anything like it looked in the first teaser video, I wonder how it looks in motion.

 

[Narvi]

Water is the only thing that uses realtime reflections, everything else uses cubemaps.

Is it possible for Source to have realtime reflections for everything within a reasonable performance budget? Just curious.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Within a reasonable budget? Doubtful. You're talking about rendering each scene at least twice. That's why cubemaps are such an elegant solution for surfaces that don't have high reflectivity.

 

[Narvi]

Within a reasonable budget? Doubtful. You're talking about rendering each scene at least twice. That's why cubemaps are such an elegant solution for surfaces that don't have high reflectivity.

Thanks. Do any of the next-gen engines (CryEngine2, Unreal3 etc) support such features?

 

[function9]

So I'm assuming that the versions of HL2 and EP1 that are shipping in the Orange Box will have the same Source updates that EP2 has?

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Thanks. Do any of the next-gen engines (CryEngine2, Unreal3 etc) support such features?

Not entirely sure, I know that CryEngine2 supports polygon occlusion as well as scalable distance LOD so that its not too heavy hitting to the system if you were attempting to perform such a feat, because the refletion detail would share the detail of that in the world that is being reflecting.

 

[leib10]

Nice to see the G-man in his supposed environment. Major revelations on his part are probably in the offing. Also very good-looking picture of Alyx and the new vehicle. Each new installment in the series shows improved graphics.

From the sound of it, we're going to be faced by entirely new challenges that are, um, more challenging than what we've gone through previously. I just hope it's harder than Episode One. That was a piece of cake.

 

[el Chi]

Nice to see the G-man in his supposed environment.

Bloody hell, I hope not. From that picture, the glorious piece of info we can gather is that the G-Man has a desk job. That's just fabulous.

 

[leib10]

Well, the G-man's supposed purpose is a freelance agent for Gordon Freeman, and it would make sense that he would spend some of his time at a "desk job". But that obviously doesn't mean he doesn't go out into the field to see Freeman in action in person.

Maybe there's some reason for the office environment. Who knows.

 

[Sheepo]

Was GMan showing a powerpoint of his own creepy faces.:angel:

 

[el Chi]

Well, the G-man's supposed purpose is a freelance agent for Gordon Freeman, and it would make sense that he would spend some of his time at a "desk job". But that obviously doesn't mean he doesn't go out into the field to see Freeman in action in person.

Maybe there's some reason for the office environment. Who knows.

I was pulling your leg a smidge there...

 

[leib10]

I see. Gotta get used to the heckling and joking around here.