City 17 Madness

The universe created by game developer Valve is a very detailed and interesting one. The story of Gordon Freeman in the Half-Life games is truly one of the most epic and emotional pieces of storytelling ever done in video games.

It’s not surprising many people have gone out to write fan fiction about Half-Life. Many great writers out there have come up with endless ideas for the Half-Life universe. If you’re into the Half-Life series I’d like to point you to the Half-Life section of FanFiction.net.

So why would I mention this on my media blog? Because Half-Life fanfiction has since spread to much more then just writing. Youtube has a number Half-Life related videos, but I’d like to focus on two in particular that really stand out.

Escape From City 17

This particular video was made by The Purchase Brothers and has become insanely popular with over two million views in less then two months. The short film, which is supposed to be the first of three, is set during the events in Half-Life 2: Episode 2. With the city in chaos and the Citadel about the go sky high, the film follows a group of rebels trying to get out of the city.

The editing and special effects in this film are great and the acting, while not of Hollywood standards of course, is not to shabby either. Escape From City 17 is a good example of the things you can do with a green screen and some powerful editing software.

What’s in the Box?

This short-film was made by a Dutch duo. The film is set in a Half-Life 2 like environment. While the direct connection to Half-Life 2 is not made, there are a few things that point in the direction such as a gunship and Combine looking soldiers.

An air of mystery surrounds this film, as it is accompanied by a website that can only be opened with a code of sorts. Many people on Youtube have been trying to break the code and if you want to have a run at it go to whatsinthebox.nl. According to hints on the website something is going to happen regarding the box in November. Whether this is a sequel of sorts is unknown at this point.

So what kind of fan fiction do you prefer? Do you like written or visual fan fiction?

Robin