Valvetime claims to have dug up "Episode 4" screenshots. - Polidicks

[quote]After hitting a seemingly impenetrable barrier, we recently unearthed a number of never-before-seen screenshots showing strangely-detailed levels from Half-Life 2: Episode Four, aka “Return to Ravenholm”, a now long-dead project previously in development by Arkane Studios in collaboration with Valve. [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyeFHLfzGUs[/media]  As explained in the Spotlight video above, these new screenshots come to us via the personal portfolio of Robert Wilinski, a Senior Environment Artist at Arkane Studios between 2007 and 2008, who was likely an important component within the “Return to Ravenholm” and “The Crossing” projects. A deeper discussion of these screenshots can be found in the Spotlight Exclusive episode listed above, but feel free to take a closer look at all 11 new screenshots below! The final two screenshots we've included also highlight The Crossing, so check them out too! If you don’t know what The Crossing is or why you should care, be sure to check out our previous episode covering the topic![/quote] [url]http://www.valvetime.net/threads/new-half-life-2-episode-four-screenshots-revealed-valvetime-spotlight-exclusive.246580/[/url] Screenshots in the link because I can't be bothered rehosting them. I didn't think the return to Ravenholm thing even got past initial planning...

Dear god

They're pretty but bizarrely unfitting for half-life imo Frankly, besides this, Dishonored and that failed Crossing thing, I have no idea what arkane has done, I'd honestly like to play whatever bits of this were made or at least have a look at the levels, just to see how another dev would approach half-life.

Still, that's more material than we've ever had for 3...

Wow, it doesn't look half bad. Lighting and composition is pretty solid, and the new assets look cool, too.

damn this looks really nice [IMG]http://www.valvetime.net/attachments/crossing-1-png.25389/[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Dougley;49248692]Wow, it doesn't look half bad. Lighting and composition is pretty solid, and the new assets look cool, too.[/QUOTE] I'm getting a Portal 2 level of fidelity vibe from this. A little past L4D but behind CSGO graphically. Kinda curious when these screens were taken then.

It looks good, but is a little out of place with the rest of city 17. It's more french in design than russian.

Wait, Episode 4? Did I miss something?

[QUOTE=Jericho_Rus;49248713]damn this looks really nice [IMG]http://www.valvetime.net/attachments/crossing-1-png.25389/[/IMG][/QUOTE] Kind of reminds me of some CoD multiplayer map.

Man, Arkane has a hell of an art team. I fucking hate that it took so many cancelled titles for them to get one out the door.

[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;49248740]Wait, Episode 4? Did I miss something?[/QUOTE] Oh yeah, you were in a coma and missed the release of Episode 3 five years back.

[QUOTE=Megadave;49248738]It looks good, but is a little out of place with the rest of city 17. It's more french in design than russian.[/QUOTE] According to some internet research The Crossing was supposed to take place in France, two of these images are from it I believe.

2006-2008 yet this looks way closer to the 2011 engine lighting. Interesting.

[QUOTE=Jericho_Rus;49248713]damn this looks really nice [IMG]http://www.valvetime.net/attachments/crossing-1-png.25389/[/IMG][/QUOTE] That's from that studio's other game, [I]"The Crossing" -[/I] that multiplayer title they were also working on. The first 11 screenshots were from their standalone Half life title which was outsourced to them from Valve, and the last 2 was their own game. [editline]4th December 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Megadave;49248738]It looks good, but is a little out of place with the rest of city 17. It's more french in design than russian.[/QUOTE] That's because the Paris map you see there is from [I]The Crossing[/I] not their Half life title.

[editline] a[/editline]ninja'd

[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;49248740]Wait, Episode 4? Did I miss something?[/QUOTE] Arkane was supposed to make a half life standalone like Opposing Force and Blue Shift, the working title was half life episode 4 as a joke.

this is fuckin stupid

[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;49248740]Wait, Episode 4? Did I miss something?[/QUOTE] Back when Valve was still into episodic gameplay, they decided to contract, or allow I guess, Arkane to work on (technically) a fourth episode, which was to be called Return to Ravenholm. Not much is really known about it other than the fact that it was going to obviously have the player go back to Ravenholm. In all honestly, if it was released it probably wasn't going to be titled Episode 4 and may not even have Gordon as the main protagonist. [editline]4th December 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=AtomicSans;49248689]They're pretty but bizarrely unfitting for half-life imo Frankly, besides this, Dishonored and that failed Crossing thing, I have no idea what arkane has done, I'd honestly like to play whatever bits of this were made or at least have a look at the levels, just to see how another dev would approach half-life.[/QUOTE] Arkane really hasn't done much. The only other games they've actually made are Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, both games which were released in the early 2000s and received middling reviews. [editline]4th December 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=xalener;49248743]Man, Arkane has a hell of an art team. I fucking hate that it took so many cancelled titles for them to get one out the door.[/QUOTE] It's mainly because of financial troubles. It wasn't until Zenimax picked them up and gave them to Bethesda in 2010 that they were actually able to work on anything.

[QUOTE=God of Ashes;49248850]this is fuckin stupid[/QUOTE] Why?

[QUOTE=Cows Rule;49248718]I'm getting a Portal 2 level of fidelity vibe from this. A little past L4D but behind CSGO graphically. Kinda curious when these screens were taken then.[/QUOTE] Personally, I bet this was from an updated L4D2 engine. I feel like Portal 2 engine was made just for indoor environments, hence the crazy detail inside, and im getting an outside source feel from this, which L4D were best at. So yeah, pretty much right on the engines, past L4D but a bit before CS:GO(which seems to be the portal 2 engine updated) but probably something to do with L4D2s engine, especially since we learned L4D3 was kinda the early showcase for Source 2, seems like they wanted to expand that engine. And I mean why not? Its the source engine but with a much smarter horde AI system and better shaders, and handles great outdoor environments+ai.

[QUOTE=HoodedSniper;49249044]Personally, I bet this was from an updated L4D2 engine. I feel like Portal 2 engine was made just for indoor environments, hence the crazy detail inside, and im getting an outside source feel from this, which L4D were best at. So yeah, pretty much right on the engines, past L4D but a bit before CS:GO(which seems to be the portal 2 engine updated) but probably something to do with L4D2s engine, especially since we learned L4D3 was kinda the early showcase for Source 2, seems like they wanted to expand that engine. And I mean why not? Its the source engine but with a much smarter horde AI system and better shaders, and handles great outdoor environments+ai.[/QUOTE] It literally couldn't have been. Episode 4 was in development from 2006-2007. Unless for some reason the guy in the video who they got the screenshots from took the maps from the project and put them on the updated engine just to take some screenshots of them for his portfolio, then I don't think so.

Glad to see that will we probably never get Half Life 3, but instead we can just have screenshots from unfinished installments in the series instead. It's like having Christmas cancelled and seeing your toys thrown into the fire, only to later get a few melted bits out of the smoldering pit.

Now I wish rhere was an hl3 or anything of the sort... Expanding the lore would be great.

I mistakenly read the title and thought Valvetime had exclusive content related to HL3 and nearly shit my pants :v:

[QUOTE=TornadoAP;49249089]It literally couldn't have been. Episode 4 was in development from 2006-2007. Unless for some reason the guy in the video who they got the screenshots from took the maps from the project and put them on the updated engine just to take some screenshots of them for his portfolio, then I don't think so.[/QUOTE] If those last 2 are from the crossing, it was cancelled in 2012, so it could be left 4 dead 2 engine.

Looks an awful lot like dm_steamlab, if it weren't for some of the later screenshots it'd almost look like someone's remake of the map

[QUOTE=TornadoAP;49249089]It literally couldn't have been. Episode 4 was in development from 2006-2007. Unless for some reason the guy in the video who they got the screenshots from took the maps from the project and put them on the updated engine just to take some screenshots of them for his portfolio, then I don't think so.[/QUOTE] Just saw the picture I was using for my example was after L4D2(the outside shot is apparently part of The Crossing), but yeah, you are right about the indoor shots. So it really seems like its L4D+ but before Portal 2.

someone quickly re-enable ratings so marphy black can rate everyone late.

[QUOTE=kweh;49249097]Now I wish rhere was an hl3 or anything of the sort... Expanding the lore would be great.[/QUOTE] It's easy to want a sequel to an otherwordly good set of games, but it's not always easy having the material and originality for an entirely new game, because you can end up with a "eeeh, the last games were better" thing if you don't do it right.