Valve doesn't seem to be in any rush to release official Half-Life content, but the universe it has created holds enormous potential. From that theoretical physicist who arrives late to work, all the way to the future Earth occupied by the Combine, some animation enthusiasts have decided to add small stories of conflict between a desperate humanity and a relentless interdimensional empire…
In the final days of May we explored the main non-VR projects to play Half-Life: Alyx without a virtual headset, and unless you decide to invest some dollars in additional hardware, these mods are valid shortcuts to enjoy the latest of the Half-Life universe. But is it really the latest? From a canonical-official point of view, we can say yes, but fans haven't stayed idle. One of those fans is TheParryGod, who, although he has a handful of videos on his YouTube channel, his latest series focused on Half-Life is a marvel.
(Editor's note: Very violent content, so NSFW warning)
Enjoy the best shorts based on Half-Life, Half-Life 2 and Alyx
TheParryGod usually presents stories from the point of view of the Combine and its forces (especially Civil Protection, Grunts, Suppressors, Chargers and Ordinals), faced both with rebel elements within City 17 and different 'infections', among which headcrabs and necrotics (zombies 'with' headcrabs) stand out. However, there are quality exceptions in his playlist such as A Tape from City 17, and the remake of Kleiner's speech, a famous scene in HL2.
Now, if you prefer something more focused on the first game, you'll find it on the Animux Studios channel, a one-man operation, 'James N.'. His work takes us back to Black Mesa, with Gordon Freeman entering the lab and traveling all the way to the disastrous Resonance Cascade. Animux published the second part at the beginning of March: Unforeseen Consequences continues exactly after the explosion and shows Gordon forced to navigate the corridors of Black Mesa, full of chaos and death. The animation seems a bit rougher at times, but the atmosphere is impeccable.
This is more than enough to start exploring the fabulous world of fan-made Half-Life shorts, and if you want to recommend other similar works, leave a comment!
