Yeah, I'd hit that...

I'm just gonna leave this here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJOZN3YhLtY

It's a video for "Half-Life: Overlord", a fan-made video of a concept
for a (maybe) open-world sequel to Half Life: Episode 2. It's...
well, look, I loved the Half-Life games, but it's been twenty years
since the last one came out and generally I'm sort of over them. Were
"Half Life 3" to be announced by Valve tomorrow, I wouldn't quite yawn
but it wouldn't really cause any great excitement either. "Oh, they're
finally continuing the series? That's nice. I'll get it when its on
sale."

But this video... it almost makes me excited about the franchise
again.

Not really because of the gameplay (what little it shows). Honestly,
the run-n-gun sections look a bit tired. But wow, those visuals. Wow,
that world design. It suggests a lot more than just gormless Gordon
silently offing aliens again. There's more suggested depth and
world-building in the 3 minutes of video than all of Half Life 2.

Plus... watch that video. I know the concept is for a first-person
shooter... but can you imagine all those units in a real-time strategy
game? Or even a top-down action/shooter-with-a-bit-of-strategy?

I don't know. Maybe the video isn't that great. Maybe the concept
isn't that great. Maybe it's just that it reminds me of how much
unrealized potential there is in "Half Life" (and indeed, in most IPs)
that gets left unused. Like, this is what a fan has done in his spare
time. What the fuck is Valve (and other AAA-studios) doing with all
their time and money? What? They're making /ANOTHER/ microtransaction-
laden 'live service' hero-shooter that is less about making a good
game and more about filling the corporate coffers? Fuck them.

...

...

(cooling down)

...

...

Anyway, it's a neat video. Enjoy.