Mods for Half-Life 2: Episode 2

Overview

In this guide I will try to give the most complete list of high-quality mods on Episode Two that have already been released. Those that are in development still worth the mention.

Antlions Everywhere

• Description: “You are Carter Grok. Get out of mine. Find the squad and reach the City-S.”
• Date of release: 2015
• Link: [link]

Boreal Alyph

• Description: “Based on the Marc Laidlaw short story–Epistle 3–Boreal Alyph aims to capture Valve’s lost vision, and bring a fun, and satisfying end to the celebrated Half-Life series. Epistle 3 is a synopsis of Half-Life 2: Episode 3, written by ex-Valve writer, Marc Laidlaw. Since its publication in the the 25th of August, 2017, Half-Life fans at Keep Away From Fire have been working hard to bring Epistle 3 to life in the source engine.”
• Date of release: TBDCancelled
• Link: [link]
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Boat-Less

• Description: “Boat-Less is an alternative take on Half-Life 2’s story. The mod features a modified version of the original storyline, and includes brand new maps. The core of the experience is still, and will always be, going through the canals – without the airboat.
  What to expect?
  • Steam AppID – once out, you will be able to download Boat-Less directly from Steam!
  • Brand new maps, as well as an alternative story.
  • Extended and improved Water Hazard maps, remade to fit the on-foot experience.
  • New NPCs waiting for you on your path to Black Mesa East!
  • New voice acting making the alternative story as immersive as the original one.
  • New music that fits the atmosphere and complements our additions to the game.
  • Improved assets that make the mod look better than the original Half-Life 2.
  … and much, much more!”
• Date of release: TBD
• Link: [link]

Build2001

• Description: “Source modification that recreates the “Half-Life: 2 Beta” with inspiration from many of its concept arts, while having some twist to keep things fresh, and tries to achieve the level of detail Psilocibinum’s Cremation mod had done. This is more of a map pack than an entire storyline recreation.”
• Date of release: Coming Q1 2022
• Link: [link]

DangerousWorld

• Description: “You play as one of the human rebels – Frank Harrison, who’s currently in his hideout outside City 17.
  He’s woken up by the Citadel explosion, caused by Dr. Freeman and Alyx Vance at the end of Half-Life 2. The evacuation of the City 17 is in progress and he has to leave his house to fight his way back to City 17 to join the evacuation train while there’s still some time.
  Gather your supplies and an old HEV suit and explore the territories of the City 17. Play your role in the events, that took place during the original Half-Life 2: Episodes 1 and 2.”
• Date of release: 2009
• Link: [link]

Depot

• Description: “Depot is a mod inspired by VALVe’s book “Raising the Bar” and concept-arts. This is redesigned part of Half-Life 2 levels – coastline and prison, but now it’s a bit closer to old atmosphere of a dead, dried by Combine, world. Player find himself in a wasteland, on a floor of a dried sea,and tried to find a way to island, where was a prison, and now – Combine Depot.”
• Date of release: 2012
• Link: [link]

Entropy : Zero 2

• Description: “Bad Cop is back! And he’s pissed. He’s always pissed!
  ​Step into some new boots (and a new body), and re-enter the Half-Life universe once more, as the pessimistic, wisecracking, door-kicking zealot known as ‘Bad Cop’.
  ​Command a small army of Combine synths and soldiers on a Northern campaign, to capture Dr. Judith Mossman. Tread in the wake of Freeman at Nova Prospekt. Explore the mysterious ‘Arbeit Communications’ facility and experience the cruelty of duality in the frozen wastes beyond.
  ​We’re pushing the envelope with Entropy : Zero 2. You’re going to love what we’re working on. There’s something for everyone here. More action, more story, more Bad Cop – but most importantly – more Half-Life!”
• Release Date: Coming 2020
• Link: [link]

Entropy : Zero – Uprising

• Description: “Step in the boots of a Civil Protection Unit trapped right in the middle of the Uprising in this modification for Entropy : Zero. Note: Will require Entropy : Zero to be playable.”
• Date of release: TBD
• Link: [link]

Half Life 2 – BETA (Project City 17)

• Description: “This project is about city 17 and it attempt it restore most of the city 17 lost content.”
• Date of release: TBD
• Link: [link]

Half-Life 2 : MMod

• Description: “The goal of Half-Life 2 : MMod is to enhance and expand gunplay, combat mechanics and the immersion factor by giving the Player more options and combat opportunities as well as refine how the Player handles his arsenal. Half-Life 2 : MMod also offers minor AI enhancements, extended abilities for combine soldiers (dynamic jumping, firing smg1 underbarrel grenades, shotgunner double blast, etc.), multiple bug fixes, enhanced visuals, VFX re-design, sound redesign and much much more, while keeping nearly every new feature in the mod totally optional.”
• Release Date: Released Dec 2018
• Link: [link]

Half Life 2: Raising the Bar Redux

• Description: “A cut-content restoration mod, Raising the Bar: Redux places heavy emphasis on the lesser known concepts from the entirety of Half-Life’s development cycle, as well as original ideas. RTB:R will meld together the cut content from all periods of Half-Life into one unique whole.”
• Date of release: TBD
• Link: [link]

Halfquake Rebirth

• Description: “Welcome to Halfquake Rebirth. You are here to die, once again.
  Halfquake Rebirth is a recreation of the classic Halfquake mod on the source engine. Utilizing Source’s superiority, Halfquake Rebirth will bring on a fresh look upon the masterpiece that is Halfquake and will, infact feature:
  • New Traps
  • New locations within the Institute
  • Classic voicelines rerecorded in high quality
  • New Music
  • New Weapon Models
  • Brand new Sounds
  • Sadism >)
  A lot of deaths.”
• Date of release: TBD
• Link: [link]

Human Error

• Description: “Human Error – Episode One tells the storry of a Civil Protection Officer called Anders fighting Vortigaunts, Allien Grunts, and Allien Controllers using Combine`s forces as his allies.
• Date of release: 2010
• Link: [link]

Inhuman

• Description: “A year after the Borealis Incident, the remaining rebel fighters struggle to find a hero to replace Gordon Freeman. Running low on options, they resort to creating one of their own. An original story set in the Half-Life 2 universe. Re worked weapons, enemies, and even suit functions make for a totally new way to experience the world of the Half-Life 2.”
• Release Date: TBD
• Link: [link]

Mission Improbable

• Description: “Mission Improbable is a singleplayer mod for Half-Life 2: Episode 2. In it, Gordon Freeman is tasked with re-activating a Resistance listening post. From there, things quickly escalate.”
• Date of release: 2012
• Link: [link]

Overflow

• Description: “This is my entry for the interlopers.net mapping competition “the forgotten journey”. The goal of the contest was to create a map set in a new location while staying true to Half-life 2. playtime is around 20-30 min.”
• Date of release: 2014
• Link: [link]

Resort

• Description: “Our goal is not to create a new sequel to the game. Our goal is to recreate a detailed Arctic on the game engine.
  The main character is not the usual Gordon Freeman. Therefore, decisions were made to change the mechanics of the game. If the implementation of the plan does not work out, than in any case we will benefit — high-quality passing maps will always be available to you. Arctic has become the Alliance most important strategic resource. Since the end of the Seven Hour War, research centres have been organised hare to modernize the soldiers of the human race (and not only) and create a new generation of syntheds. Cold temperatures and harsh environments are ideal conditions for testing. In such conditions, it is difficult for an ordinary person to survive without the appropriate equipment and infrastructure, which allowed the Allience not to worry about the safety of its place of diployment.
  The mechanics that are included in this project are likely to be used in further developments. We are not aiming to make excuses like “oh, come on, we have already done this, we use it in like it, no one will notice that this is not ours”. We do everything ourselfs. Textures, sounds, music, models will be 80% of authorship. “
• Date of release: TBD
• Link: [link]

Research and Development

• Description: “Research and Development is a puzzle-centric mod for Half-Life 2: Episode Two featuring an unarmed player but plenty of violent mayhem.”
• Date of release: 2009
• Link: [link]

Rift 17

• Description: “When the Citadel appeared in the old European city it quickly began to consume its streets, literally tearing the city apart. Part of City-17 is now a valley of rifts. And your objective is to explore one of those.”
• Date of release: TBD
• Link: [link]

Southernmost Combine

• Description: “Southernmost Combine is an alternate epilogue to Half Life 2 Episode 2, in which Gordon Freeman is sent back in time to the 80´s to stop an early Combine invasion happening in the southernmost land of the world. There are a few deviations in gameplay mechanics. But it´s still Freeman against the Combine. Can you endure the challenge?”
• Date of release: Released March 5, 2021
• Link: [link]

Thunder’s Leaves

• Description: “The action of the mod takes place long after the events of Episode Two. Humans have regained control of earth, the ruined cities are being restored after the havoc of the liberation war. but the fighing against the combine occupation forces continues, rebels learn to use combine technologies to recover the lost resources and resist the onslaught of the combine.”
• Date of release: Released May 21, 2021
• Link: [link]