Comments on: Poll Question 130 – Would you like to go back to Xen in Ep3?

By: Grey Acumen

Grey Acumen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:19:12 +0000

I didn’t really mind Xen at all myself. We’ll have to see how Black Mesa handles that section. They might be able to improve it so that other people are satisfied as well.

By: GeorgeC

GeorgeC — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:45:15 +0000

YES YES YESSS!!! but it would have to be uniquer than hl1.

By: SMB

SMB — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:29:43 +0000

If they could pull off making Xen relevant to the story, as well as giving us some new and interesting sorts of places on Xen to visit, I would have no problem with a few Xen levels in a future HL game. The thing is that I don’t think they could make a Xen level fit into the story at this point, but I may be wrong about that.

I will admit, though, I’ve always wondered what an antlion colony on Xen would look like. It would be pretty cool to see them in their natural habitat, as opposed to just wandering around abandoned mine shafts.

By: Jike

Jike — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:31:22 +0000

No. It doesn’t fit into the story. Xen was – as far as I know – conquered by the combine shortly after the events of HL1. The Black Mesa Mod can present Xen in a new shiny way. But then not again…

By: Hoyy

Hoyy — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:57:38 +0000

Well said. Ravenholm. That’s far more useful, fun and interesting than “Xen”.

By: Hoyy

Hoyy — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:54:56 +0000

No way. Even with all the exploration provided, Xen could be more useful if there really was something special added to it. Again, why not? It isn’t frustration but rather an “appetite” already covered with Xen curiosities. SURE!!! There is more to see, but not for me babe.

By: imadestroyer

imadestroyer — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:32:14 +0000

I liked Xen in Half-Life, but I think the newer games should go in an opposite direction. I think I’ll get my Xen fix from Black Mesa.

By: m82sniper

m82sniper — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:09:31 +0000

I voted yes, because I would love to see how Xen would look on Source. I know it has been done already, but Ep3 is being made by Valve, not a single mapper.

By: Berrie

Berrie — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:16:40 +0000

It would depend on how it’s handled, but I said yes.

The fun thing is that Xen is a totally alien environment, giving way to new unusual gameplay possibilities.

By: Rolando

Rolando — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:22:45 +0000

I would visit Xen only if it involves teletransportion or if humans have built devices, like in Blue Shift(For me, that was the best Xen).

By: David

David — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:08:26 +0000

If Valve made Xen again, they’d do it a lot better, so yeh, i’d like to see it again. Save some Vorts from the clutches of GMan.

By: MASTER74

MASTER74 — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:13:20 +0000

Dunno… Xen was kinda annoying at times in the original Half-Life. Anyway, it would be cool to see how this alien world looks like in a revamped Source engine.

PS: I love the new look of PP

By: 23-down

23-down — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:07:40 +0000

Yep I would love it to go back to XEN. The original Half-Life1 XEN levels weren’t my favourites.

But I really liked the XEN levels made by Gearbox. Blue Shift, Decay, Opposing Force.

I would also love it to see a comeback of Sheppard. Well most unlikely still I would love it.

By: firba1

firba1 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:59:27 +0000

I’d like to see what the “Next-Gen” version of Xen is, so yes.

By: reaper47

reaper47 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:20:53 +0000

Why not?

Xen has never been the highlight of HL1, but it was a good finale. By the time you reached it you felt so far away from the humble beginnings of the game… what a trip!

As some of the other posters said, I rather interpret the question as “Would you like to visit an alien landscape again?” Especially if it would be something totally new, unlike Xen, even, the answer is definitely yes! But yea, I’d rather see a short trip than one whole episode spent on floaty, alien platforms.

From what we’ve seen so far, that’s not very likely. Episode 3 will probably explore more of an arctic setting, a ship, and generally some of the places cut from HL2 (Borealis, Kraken Base, maybe even the Air Exchange bits -> http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Borealis ).

By: Aniline

Aniline — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:54:50 +0000

Oh yes please. I miss the eeriness, the uncertainty, the organic landscapes. But it should be a short visit, just for old times’ sake and to tie up the whole Half-Life arc.

By: Gypsy Jim

Gypsy Jim — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:46:45 +0000

I guess it could be a more advanced Xen, seeing as how we’re still not 100% sure about the Combine’s origins, nor what they’ve been up to in the rest of the universe while trying to hold onto the Earth……

I voted “Yes” even though, like the previous commenters I’m not that bothered about the long jumps and so on, but another world altogether would be even better. Perhaps the Combine Over-Planet or something.

I do wish they’d hurry it up a bit though!

By: civanT

civanT — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:45:39 +0000

I’d love visit Xen again. As long as we see something new and cool, I want to see it. Xen was cool and fun.

By: Jasper

Jasper — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:28:41 +0000

Oh please, no, no, no.
Xen has no place in HL2 or 3 or 4 or whatever
(Hey, what happened to the font?)
Xen had it’s place in it’s time (for some) but no place now in a more sophisticated gaming community.
Jumping as part of an escape or to achieve a target is fine (as in chapter 1 Random Quest) at least the platforms keep still.
Jumping just for the sake of jumping is mightily tedious
More but evolved Combine, Combine Hardware and the denizens of Ravenholme. Or something new, let’s not go backwards.

By: Mel

Mel — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:16:52 +0000

No not really, although I did not mind Xen and have played a few mods since with Xen themes I don’t see much point in returning. If EP3 ventures into new worlds then I hope they are new worlds, would sooner see new environments then re-erected ones. The story has moved on from the HL1 beginning and I don’t see how Xen now has much significant the fight is far more earth bound now. There is scope to reintroduce an alien world, one that is ready to pounce on the chaos and disorganized world of Rebels and Combine, but which side if either will the new aliens support, and what form will they be?