Lead writer Marc Laidlaw left Valve in 2016, and the very next year he released Epistle 3, a short, legally distinct “fanfic” about Gertie Fremont. This episode was used as a collection of ideas for how he resolved the Half-Life 2: Episode Two cliffhanger. Laidlaw has expressed regret for posting the story, mainly because of the problems it caused for his former colleagues, but that hasn't stopped fans from trying to get his vague outlines into a full-fledged game.
Project Borealis is one ambitious effort to recreate the feel of Half-Life 2's source code within Unreal Engine, creating an entire sequel from scratch. But other projects like Boreal-Alyph and Interlude never made it to the finish line. Alyx threw a bit of a spanner in the works, re-contextualizing the ending of Episode 2 and setting up its own sequel. This is reportedly nearing the finish line (as evidenced by all the 'HLX' leaks discovered in the Source 2 backend). But that still didn't deter modders. And now a much more modest solo project is scheduled for release later this year.
Jim Partridge announced All Good Things in a blog post earlier this year. He explained that he was watching an overly ambitious team tweak Laidlaw's writing to no avail. He argued that these teams are either taking too long or failing outright. There are too many volunteers. This is a surprising position considering most teams, such as Skyblivion, argue the opposite. Still, Partridge suggests that not relying on others is key, and he's demonstrated this through several large Half-Life and Left 4 Dead 2 campaigns.
“You can get all the concept artists, model makers, composers and script writers you want, but ultimately at the core of the project you need a fun level to play,” he said. “I think that's ultimately why I decided to throw my hat in the Epistle 3 ring. I know we can create a set of 12+ levels that are fun to play and feel like Episode 2. I think that's what people want.”
All good things happen 1.5 minutes left until the map is complete
Six hours ago, Partridge posted a new update reaffirming that All Good Things is scheduled for release in late 2026, while also sharing some screenshots of the Aperture facility. “Work has progressed steadily towards the first draft of the campaign, and we are now just one map and a half away from play-testing a fully playable, end-to-end experience,” he said.
Of course, unlike Project Borealis and other mods in its range, or Black Mesa, the fan-made Half-Life remake that took over a decade to develop, All Good Things doesn't aim to recreate the experience of an entirely new Valve game. One modder alone can't accomplish this, but Epistle 3 does it. necessary To have that range? The original post was not a fully formed script attempting to match the quality of Half-Life 2: Episodes 1 and 2, but rather a rough outline written by a frustrated writer reflecting his own real-life experiences. Mods like Partridge feel more authentic to the spirit of Epistle 3, which Laidlaw himself claimed was closer to fanfiction than anything else.
All Good Things is closer to an early map pack that attempted to bring the Half-Life 2 beta to life rather than the volunteer indie development team spearheading a full game that we see today, and there's a certain charm to that low-stakes approach. It will be exciting to see Epistle 3 brought to life in the Source Engine, as if no time has passed since 2007. And if nothing else, that lone developer's stubbornness is the closest anyone has ever come to reaching the finish line.
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October 10, 2007
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