Valve has revealed that work on Half-Life 2: Episode 2 is already under way and has also confirmed some plot and other details on the current expansion for H-L 2, the game formerly known as Aftermath.
Speaking to Computer and Video Games Valve's Robin Walker, designer/engineer on Episode 1, has stated that the second expansion for Half-Life 2 has been in development for some time. No further information on Episode 2 was provided although it makes sense that Valve would want to focus on promoting Episode 1, as it is expected to launch through Steam on April 24th, with a boxed version by EA also expected at around the same time. The news on Episode 2 suggests that Valve is on track to meet its planned release date for the first expansion and that we may see a second one much sooner than had originally been hoped.
The bulk of the information provided by the developer concerns the long-awaited Episode 1 and we were treated to some plot revelations which suggest that the first expansion will not reach some overall conclusion but will instead address some very specific, post H-L 2 issues. According to Walker those questions include What happened to the Citadel at the end of Half-Life 2?, What happened to Breen, is he dead? and How does the G-Man factor into all of this?
The sad fact about Episode 1 is that for the USD 19.99, Valve only plans to offer about 4-6 gameplay hours to gamers, so a quick second episode may help ease the distress for fans.
