Exclusive: Half Life 2 - Lost Coast Playtest, Screens and Tech Info

Bit-tech.net dropped by Valve’s offices in Seattle to play through The Lost Coast add-on level for Half Life 2 and have now posted up their article talking about the technology behind the level ("it’s not just HDR!") as well as screenshots from throughout the level, a brief summary of the narrative, and their thoughts on Valve’s work. There’s also a few exclusive snippets of news on Day of Defeat: Source and Aftermath:

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast is Valve’s reply to a series of What If questions: what if there were no limits? What if we didn’t have to make sure people with mid-range systems could enjoy our games? What if the system requirements knew no bounds?

Following the release of Half-Life 2 worldwide on 16th November 2004, a group of programmers and artists at Valve sat down to create the ultimate level, incorporating ultra high resolution textures, models and adding High Dynamic Range Rendering (HDR) to the Source engine. Their aim was to create a technology showcase: a no-holds barred level that would set new standards in image quality and realism; something to really push even the highest of today’s high-end systems."

" Many people are getting hot under the collar over the delayed release date because they possibly think Lost Coast is something that it is not. Aftermath is the expansion pack. Lost Coast, as has been stated by Valve since it was first unveiled, is a single level technology showcase.

Before we received playable code, we asked innocently how many hours of gameplay there would be. In terms of end-to-end gameplay, the answer is measured in minutes, not hours. Be warned: if you are expecting loads of new story, you will be disappointed, and unnecessarily so. Marvel at the graphics, listen to the Developer Commentary, but take it all at face value.

bit-tech.net