Half-Life 2 Beta Videos

[AymericTheNightmare]

ep1_citadel_01

ep1_citadel_01 is at map of Half-Life 2: Episode One,
remade for Missing Information.
This is the map in which Alyx reprograms Rollermines to kill Stalkers.
The blue Gravity Gun is here replaced by the Beta Gravity Gun from 2002.
As well as Alyx and the Stalkers use old beta models.
Breen's latest recording, the one in which he speaks with the Advisors to obtain a host body, shows that he is in fact the Consul.
Let's imagine that this is what Half-Life 2 Aftermath could have been,
if Half-Life 2 Beta had been released as a real game...
 

[Shift]

You're just playing an Ep1 map inside another mod with model reskins installed, jesus. It's not "remade" for anything.

[Bruner]

The Episodic games wouldn't exist if Valve had gone with one of the beta story lines for retail Half-Life 2. There's a possibility that if they went with one of those story lines, they could've made expansions shortly after release. Just not under the Aftermath or Episodic name.

[AymericTheNightmare]

hazard01

"hazard01" is an unreleased hazard course, from Half-Life 2 Beta.
This map was last modified on December 11, 2002.
And, this is one of the most iconic and weird cut maps.

Indeed, Isaac Kleiner asks Gordon Freeman to shoot a box of "supplies and ammunition".
But there are "unforeseen consequences"... This destroys a kind of pipe or scaffolding.
Kleiner explicitly asks not to move, and to wait for his return. Surely to remedy the situation.
But our man with the crowbar does not hear it that way.
Gordon decides to go see what's going on. Things take a odd turn from there.
A ghostly hologram of the G-Man makes a brief appearance.
Surprising indeed, but what about the corpses of zombies and headcrabs that seem to be under study, or the furtive presence of an Alien Assassin?

Gordon eventually reaches a "steel corridor",
in which peculiar visual and auditory hallucinations occur.
Our scientist seems irresistibly drawn to the end of this corridor.
A door opens.
The G-Man stands there, surrounded by effects, each more bizarre than the last.
Looks like mathematical formulas and medical reports.

The man with the briefcase therefore declares:
"Cleverly done, Mr. Freeman, but you're not supposed to be here.
As a matter of fact, you're not.
Get back where you belong, and forget about all this, until we meet again..."

Gordon eventually returns to the first room, with Kleiner. The latter then asks to shoot the ammunition box again. Everything seems to be going well this time.

The scene with the G-Man, was it a hallucination or was it real?
All this makes the G-Man even more mysterious than ever...

[AymericTheNightmare]

nether_01

"nether_01" is a Half-Life 2 Beta map made by Marc Laidlaw, last edited on June 21, 2002.
It was fixed for the mod Missing Information.
This map is located in an underground complex of sewers.
A citizen seems trapped and asks Gordon Freeman to get away.
Indeed, it is then that the room fills with Manhacks,
ready to fight the player.
Gordon must fight his way to escape...

[AymericTheNightmare]

story_23 (c2a4)

"story_23" looks is the map "c2a4" from Half-Life 1, reskinned like a Half-Life 2 Beta level.
This is the first map of the chapter "Residue Processing", remade as an Air Exchange level.
The Headcrabs are replaced by Combine Soldiers.
Unfortunately, only the outer part of the map was recreated...

[AymericTheNightmare]

demo_arctic

"demo_arctic" is one of the oldest maps in Half-Life 2 Beta.
Indeed, its last modification dates back to September 6, 2001.
The map is located in a snowy, frozen setting.
Gordon must navigate his way through various abandoned barracks.
A little further is a cave, where there are abandoned equipment.
But perhaps the most important is the presence of the Borealis, the legendary ship stuck in the ice.
What secrets does it hold?
And above all, why the Combine is so interested in it...
"Well, I'm really not at liberty to say."

[AymericTheNightmare]

e3_end

"e3_end" is a Half-Life 2 Beta map, reworked for Missing Information.
This is (almost) the same map as in the Half-Life 2 "Psyche" trailer, in 2003.
Several strange images and inscriptions follow one another, all accompanied by strange sounds.
The camera stops on Odell (instead of the G-Man), who addresses the player.
And then, fade to black, and the Half-Life 2 logo appears, spinning, to the sound of Pulse Phase.

[AymericTheNightmare]

e3_techdemo_6

"e3_techdemo_6" is a Half-Life 2 Beta map that was showcased at E3 2003 as "Docks".
This time, the level is played in Missing Information.
The map begins with Gordon Freeman standing on a small wooden dock.
As he watches the sunset, nearby zombies wake up...
After admiring the landscape as magnificent as it is gloomy,
with these stranded boats and abandoned industrial machinery,
Gordon decides to progress inland and enters Ravenholm...

[AymericTheNightmare]

SurfaceT

"SurfaceT" is not strictly speaking a map removed from HL2 Beta.
This is a fan-made map, inspired by "Surface Tension" from HL1.
The "c2a5" map is here redesigned HL2 Beta way.
For example, HECU Soldiers are replaced by Beta Combine Soldiers.
Textures and lighting effects have been modified.
Many other differences are yet to be discovered!

[AymericTheNightmare]

epsilon_demo

"epsilon_demo" is a small map from Missing Information.
It contains an elevator, from which the player goes up to a corridor.
The level is tiny and doesn't even seem complete.

[AymericTheNightmare]

d1_c17_05

"d1_c17_05" is a fan-made fix of "c17_05",
a group of Half-Life 2 Beta maps from the 2001-2002 era.
The map starts at the entrance to the Manhack Arcade.
A few citizens seem busy "playing" in a large room filled with computers.
A large propaganda board adorns the hall, showing Lenin and the old City 17 logo.
A little further on, Barney is waiting for Gordon.
Barney asks to follow him, in a sort of hallway outside.
The rain is driving, while the Citadel stands magnificently at the end of the street.
The view is absolutely beautiful.
Barney leads Gordon to a small dilapidated building.
The latter is not spared by the rain, which leaks abundantly inside.
An access to the sewer seems present, where can this lead?...

[AymericTheNightmare]

dangerted

"dangerted" is a map from HL2 Beta, last modified June 7, 2002. This is a sandbox type map, located not far from the Depot.
Many objects are scattered everywhere, such as barrels, pallets, gas canisters or even cars.
A ragdoll from male Citizen 02, Ted, is in this mess.
All of these objects are there to be manipulated with the Physgun. A lighthouse overlooks the area, and a strange sound emanates from it...

[randomprecision]

Very nice =D
It's nice that some is covering some of the lesser known maps...

[AymericTheNightmare]

e3_c17_02

"e3_c17_02" is an iconic map from HL2 Beta, ported to Missing Information.
This is the map from the "Striders" video trailer, shown at E3 2003.
It features a Resistance battle against Striders in a ruined City 17. 
At the start of the demo, a tram passes by in the middle of the road.
Some citizens try to flee while others try to valiantly fight off the Striders.