A Half-Life isometric shooter with a roguelike game mode is in the works and has been approved for a release on Steam by Dota 2, Portal, and Left 4 Dead developer Valve, certainly something to keep us busy as we continually ponder whatever happened to Half-Life 3.
Codename: Loop (originally named Half-Life: Loop, though that name had to be changed for Steam certification) is being created as a “side project” by developer and modder PinkyDev. Set within the confines of Black Mesa, it uses a traditional, isometric view for its fast-paced, twin-stick shooter gameplay, and takes place in a kind of alternate world where G-Man has placed Gordon Freeman in an infinite “loop” of challenges to test whether or not he is a worthy subject.
“The initial goal of the game was to make a roguelike game based on Half-Life,” says PinkyDev. “I’m going to be focusing more on linear campaigns with ‘dynamic/random’ stuff. The roguelike mode will be added after making an official campaign for Codename: Loop.”
Though a release date is yet to be confirmed, PinkyDev has recently posted an update saying the game has been approved by Half-Life’s original creator Valve and will eventually be available on Steam. “A few months ago I asked Valve for permission to publish my Half-Life fan game on Steam,” PinkyDev continues, “and guess what? Codename: Loop is coming to Steam, hopefully with a demo later this year.” You can follow the development of Codename: Loop via its page on Mod DB.
You might alway want to check out some of the other best FPS games, or maybe some of the best indie games that are heading for PC. And if the brutal hardship of a decent roguelike is exactly your kind of thing, you can also test your skills with some of the best survival games, not for the faint of heart.