Half-Life 3 prologue gets surprise release you can download free now

Half-Life fans are (im)patiently waiting for Half-Life 3.

We can empathise with their emotions – it’s frustrating waiting for a new instalment from a franchise you adore.

Arguably, rumoured Half-Life 3 gameplay leaks have exacerbated the issue. As much as we want it to be true, we have to remain sceptical and wait for official information to be shared.

There is light at the end of this tunnel, thankfully.

Check out the trailer for Project Borealis: Prologue.

Project Borealis: Prologue is a fan-made creation that attempts to bridge the gap between Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 3.

Continuing Valve’s episodic formula, the developers have created a free way of playing as Gordon Freeman once more.

“Inspired by the epic cliffhanger from Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Project Borealis represents a fan-made effort to realise a cohesive story conclusion to the episodic series. This prologue chapter invites players back into the HEV suit of Gordon Freeman, offering a glimpse into the next chapter of his journey,” the Steam description explains.

Although this Icebreaker Industries creation is designed to continue the story, it does so in an unofficial capacity and thus is a standalone Half-Life experience.

In other words, you don’t need to play it to understand the events of Half-Life 3.

Still, while it isn’t a necessary playthrough, fans can’t stop themselves from exploring this extension of the Half-Life universe.

Most of the feedback for this prologue is positive. The biggest problems fans have encountered are performance issues and the length of the game.

“Other than the horrendous performance (thank you Unreal Engine 5), it's a pretty solid short demo and does feel like Half-Life 2 mechanically,” said Señor Zambie.

We’ve yet to play Project Borealis: Prologue, so we can’t personally comment on how it runs.

Nonetheless, while this fan-made project isn’t faultless, it’s got the Half-Life fandom seriously hyped up.

In the words of many fans, “We’re so back.”