New Aftermath info

[Asknoone]

In the May issue of PC Gamer they've gone and landed themselves a nice little Episode 1 exclusive, containing both new info and some awesome new screens.
Scans courtesy of Iced_Eagle, since I live in faraway Britian, who's PC gamer is too lackluster to get the exclusive

"At this phase of the story, Gman is losing control over you and you begin to work for yourself." - Robin Walker.
Interesting, to say the least - don't feel we've had that much of a chance to work for Gman to begin with, so we'll see how this pans out.

Theres a new enemy, The Zombine - a grenade wielding Zombified Combine soldier.

Theres an area in the game where you and Alyx are in multistory car park and have to defend against an antlion attack, she stays on the upper floor fighting them off whilst you use your (non super charged) grav gun to cover the holes from which they spew with cars.

Theres another sequence where your both trapped within an underground bunker area, and the only way outs the elevator. Sadly, theres no power. To top it off, its pitch black, so you have to use your flashlight to help Alyx aim.

Gunships return! \o/. Well, we knew they would. Two-thirds through the game you take shelter in a large wooden warehouse, and the dropship attempts to take you out via shooting through the panels. You grab a RPG and take it on. By the end, the PC gamer fellows were left with no second floor and no roof.

New screens show a ruined City 17 with a Strider trampling on through, with Alyx in the corner. To say the least, it looks spectacular.
Another with Alyx wielding a shotgun and firing at a fas zombie flying through the air. Theres a few zombie corpses around as well as hoppers, and a sentry gun at the far end. This area is indoor.

And another with Alyx and Dog. Apparantly, every HL2 character will return. Breeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!

-Samon

 

[oMeSSiaHo]

Thats cool! It looks like Valve is giving us more interesting ways to play a FPS.

 

[bigburpco]

Holy shit. Best ideas evar. I cannot breathe.

Dayummmm, I'm definately buying this... For Christmas . Sigh.

EDIT: Holy shit. How did you know of this info X|? I mean like, May?

 

[hynsey]

flashlight part and the antlion attack sound like they're gonna be real cool to play through!

 

[$kelet0r]

lol zombine
oh god i had reservations about episodic content seeing as i felt hl2 ended satisfactorily for me but i hope they dont cheapen the game

 

[Cormeh]

Sounds like it's shaping up to be a pretty fast paced chapter. The antlion part in the car park even sounds pretty exciting, even though I only have bad memories from trying to prevent a Combine onslaught in Nova Prospekt.

 

[nutcrackr]

Interesting news thanks, no wonder gman was getting angry :naughty:

 

[Remus]

"At this phase of the story, Gman is losing control over you and you begin to work for yourself." - Robin Walker.
Interesting, to say the least - don't feel we've had that much of a chance to work for Gman to begin with, so we'll see how this pans out.
-Samon

Well since the G-Man is loosing control I guess that's how they explain the fact that your back after the G-Man puts you in stasis at the end.
Oh goody ,I sure hope I get the chance to crack that guy's skull with the crowbar:E

 

[Rizzo]

I told you there where gonna be Zombified Combines!

Or i said stalkers but still... Tomato, tomato.

Shit shit shit! I cant wait! I will dream about the house.

 

[Loke]

The "Gman is losing control over you and you begin to work for yourself." bit was the most interesting imo.

Glad to see some news about Episode 1 too, although I hoped for more screens showing new areas in the magazine. But still, I would much rather see the game and explore new areas myself.

 

[esplin]

Those dang zombies just keep getting smarter. First they start chucking doodads at us, now gernades.
So much for my theory of Combine soldiers being immune to headcrabs. Oh well, just as long as it gives us more enemies. I demand MORE.

 

[Max35]

Breeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!

Heh, I knew Breen would be back. Too much of a complex character not to. The other ideas sound great too. Hope this turns out to be a great example of episodic content.

"By the end, the PC gamer fellows were left with no second floor and no roof"

Ahhhh, physics....

 

[knut]

Awesome stuff. Look forward to the carpark infestation and the undergroud bunker battle. Hell, what am I on about? I look forward to it all!

 

[xirow]

Sounds great!

Hopefully the Zombine is a new name for the Prowler or at least looks like the Prowler. But I don’t think this will happen, because the Prowler doesn’t really look like a zombified Combine.
But I’d love to see a Prowler climbing on walls and hanging on ceilings in one of the episodes, or perhaps Half-Life 3. (If there’s going to be a Half-Life 3 of course).

All this info sounds great. But I hope this was the last Episode 1 information Valve has given us. I don’t want the same thing to happen that happened with Half-Life 2. Knowing every enemies, every character, every weapon and every area before playing the game.

 

[Asknoone]

reat. But I hope this was the last Episode 1 information Valve has given us. I don’t want the same thing to happen that happened with Half-Life 2. Knowing every enemies, every character, every weapon and every area before playing the game.

I agree, they certainly need to keep it to a minimum.

ALSO worth noting:

If you grab a Rollermine with your grav gun, Alyx will reprogram it to attack the enemy.

 

[Shippi]

.

 

[Asknoone]

In truth, I'm pretty certain were going to be seeing some old favourites. I mean really, the Bullsquids the most awesome enemy in existence.

 

[Remus]

Besides the bullsquid and the ichtiosaur, which I'm sure will be included,
what other old favorites? I know we already talked about this on other threads but is there any chance we will see a garg?

 

[Rizzo]

Samon didnt you just said you didnt want to know everything? Just before posting more info

I want more xen wildlife to, and Breens cool.

 

[Loke]

No word on the old Xen aliens then? aww

If they'll include Xen aliens, I'm certain, or at least hope, Valve would let the players discover themselves.

If say, for an example, a Gargantua would be in the game would you rather know that it'll make an appearance somewhere in the game or just get pleasantly surprised when you see it? Even though I like when developers show much of their games and talk much about the features they'll include, I’m leaning more and more towards the area where developers hold their breath and release only tiny bits of information of their games.
That wasn't the case with Half-Life 2 for me though.

 

[Remus]

If they'll include Xen aliens, I'm certain, or at least hope, Valve would let the players discover themselves.

Well I sure hope your right, and yeah I would like it to be surprised with an old favorite making a spectacular entrance.

 

[Rizzo]

Gargantua FTW!!!

 

[Max35]

A Garg would be cool, but I personally want to see a Tentacle, in a confined Blast Pit-like environment. Crouching to avoid alerting the Tentacle, and using grenades to distract it, made for a very interesting boss.

Edit: Also, another thought occured to me. I wonder if the reason the Gman is losing control over Gordon has to do with an external source, or Gordon himself. This small detail I think could have vast differences in the story.

 

[Black Mesa corp]

Thanks Samon for the awesome info! Intriguing new ideas and great creative scenarios to play through. Exciting as PC gamer says the game will be, I guess there only playing with us, because they know a hell of a lot more stuff which they don't want to spoil for us.

Otherwise

Originally posted by Samon:

"At this phase of the story, Gman is losing control over you and you begin to work for yourself." - Robin Walker.

So what does this mean story wise? If hes 'losing control' what things could be making him loose control? Higher bids which he is refusing or is he having some sort of problem with his original plans? Even so losing control is a complete new phrase to hear for HL. If he is does this mean Gordon will be more 'free' aswell?

 

[xirow]

A Garg would be cool, but I personally want to see a Tentacle, in a confined Blast Pit-like environment. Crouching to avoid alerting the Tentacle, and using grenades to distract it, made for a very interesting boss.

A tentacle would be great. By far the best 'boss' Half-Life had. I can't wait to play Blast Pit in Black Mesa (Source).

 

[kupocake]

Apparantly, every HL2 character will return.

Gregori?!! Cubbage?!!

"At this phase of the story, Gman is losing control over you and you begin to work for yourself." - Robin Walker.
Interesting, to say the least - don't feel we've had that much of a chance to work for Gman to begin with, so we'll see how this pans out.

Hmm... I wanted them to have a bit more time spent with the G-Man. I hope by the time of HL3 he's regained you under his control.

This raises an interesting plot point mind you. After the credits roll in HL2, that scene with Kliener losing Lamarr: is it an actual entry point for the episodic plot or not? Instead of a humourous aside, were we in fact seeing Kleiner breaking you out of Captivity, hence the G-Man loses control of you?

Theres an area in the game where you and Alyx are in multistory car park and have to defend against an antlion attack, she stays on the upper floor fighting them off whilst you use your (non super charged) grav gun to cover the holes from which they spew with cars.

I like this idea so much that I regret reading it! I can imagine that it would have been something surprisingly inventive to come up against yourself in the course of the game.

Theres a new enemy, The Zombine - a grenade wielding Zombified Combine soldier.

On the other hand, i'm not so sure about this one, especially "grenade wielding". We shall see.

Any word on whether its on target for April 24th?

 

[Asknoone]

It says set for release May/June, but I doubt it because you know, mags are always getting muddled. I'm pretty sure its still on target.

 

[Rizzo]

I will cry if its not in april.

 

[Black Mesa corp]

May I ask Samon how you got the information from May PC Gamer when it's due out April 13th?

EDIT: If I read that right you got the info from a scan from the american PC Gamer then?

 

[Max35]

As for all the characters returning in AM, I wonder what role Judith will play? And Gregori for that matter. Me thinks seeing Cubbage leading a company of rebel soldiers through a battered C17 would be quite amusing.

 

[Tamer17]

Bullsquids would be great , even more so if they still eat headcrabs and you can control them like the Antlions . Could be very useful.

Speaking of old NPC's. It would be cool to see Mr. Friendly , they can be on the "borderline" like the Alien Slaves.

 

[ríomhaire]

On the other hand, i'm not so sure about this one, especially "grenade wielding". We shall see.

Agreed, WTF? A zombie with a weapon!
DOES NOT COMPUTE!

 

[$kelet0r]

Agreed, WTF? A zombie with a weapon!
DOES NOT COMPUTE!

thats what i thought
edit btw how long did it take to do that? :E

 

[ríomhaire]

thats what i thought
edit btw how long did it take to do that? :E

About 2 minutes (more like 8 actualy but I went in and out of the tab several times)

 

[Hypnosos]

give me give me give me
thanks for the info. Anyone got those screens and can upload them? Can't wait to play in the multi-story car park.

 

[Asknoone]

EDIT: If I read that right you got the info from a scan from the american PC Gamer then?

Yes.

Max, I don't think it means every character - simply the core cast.

 

[ríomhaire]

Yes.

Max, I don't think it means every character - simply the core cast.

No Lazlow! D:
I just realised, every time someone who doesn't have his own character model gets named they die.
Smithers(Blast Pit), Lazlow(Sandtraps), Johnny(start of Route Canal, I'm pretty sure that when the cop hits him the girl shouts "Johnny!")

 

[Solver]

Interesting, G-Man losing control, that explains the "plothole" of Gordon returning right to the citadel.

The real question is, why is he losing control? Theory: since Breen managed to open a portal of sorts to the Combine Universe, the actual Combine got the ability to interact with this Universe, and they are somehow able to neutralize, maybe temporarily, the G-Man's powers.

What I really want to see is a scene with the G-Man. I actually hoped for that in HL2. I mean, an actual scene, where you and the G-Man meet during the course of the game, not just seeing him at the start or the end. And not a "spot the G-Man" sighting, an actual scene.

I'm whopping excited about Breen making a return, though!

 

[ríomhaire]

Interesting, G-Man losing control, that explains the "plothole" of Gordon returning right to the citadel.

The real question is, why is he losing control? Theory: since Breen managed to open a portal of sorts to the Combine Universe, the actual Combine got the ability to interact with this Universe, and they are somehow able to neutralize, maybe temporarily, the G-Man's powers.

What I really want to see is a scene with the G-Man. I actually hoped for that in HL2. I mean, an actual scene, where you and the G-Man meet during the course of the game, not just seeing him at the start or the end. And not a "spot the G-Man" sighting, an actual scene.

I'm whopping excited about Breen making a return, though!

You mean like in OP4?

 

[kupocake]

You mean like in OP4?

They're still very much "spot the g-man" scenes in Op4. I think Solver probably wants dialogue, not silence and tie adjusting.