With the original Half-Life 2 game being released in 2004, with subsequent episodes released afterwards, some may be forgiven for thinking that the game has aged and that the fan base has moved on, especially with the third installment basically being dead in the water. However, even at 17 years old, Valve's classic sequel is considered one of the best FPS games with a lengthy story. The studio itself may have given up on continuing the lore, but it is still seemingly keen to keep the game up to date, as a new patch is about to be unveiled.
According to a report and YouTube video, Valve is about to unleash an update to the Half-Life 2 beta branch, which will implement a number of tweaks, the main one being some bug fixes. On top of the that, the update will also increase the FOV, or field of few, to 110, and adjust the user interface so that it's compatible with wider displays. The update itself has not been publically announced by the dev team yet, but was actually spotted by YouTuber, Tyler McVicker. The report goes on to say that the patch is not quite ready yet, as there's still some "micro stuttering issues" with the build, but users can initiate the download manually through the beta tab in their Steam library.
McVickers believes this update has been long overdue, saying that the update is likely down to Valve's upcoming Steam Deck, its handheld gaming PC which is causing quite a stir in the industry at the moment. This is evidenced by the game now supporting Vulkan rendering API, which will take advantage of more Linux-based systems, such as the Deck.
There seems to be a little bit of buzz around the game at the moment, with this newest update being the latest development. It was revealed not that long ago that the a remaster of Half-Life 2 had been mentioned in the recent Nvidia leaks. The community has already been blessed with the highly-praised fan remake of the original Half-Life, called Black Mesa, so it would be interesting to see how Valve would handle an official remaster or remake of the sequel. As a series, it's considered one of the best, especially in the PC gaming realm, and no doubt many fans would love to see it come back as a modern title.
With one of the best opening cutscenes in gaming history, Half-Life 2 is a beloved follow-up to 1998's classic FPS, with some arguing that it surpasses its predecessor. This new update will keep the game ticking over, as well as prep it for the Steam Deck and remind fans that the company has not forgotten about this 17-year-old gem.
Half-Life 2 is available now on PC. A remaster is rumored to be in development.
Source: PC Gamer