How Valve Should Make Half-Life 3

5. Bring Back Adrian Shepherd And Barney Calhoun

The main characters of Half Life has always made an impact with excellent characterisation and brilliant facial animation that really got across their humanity. Then we have the side characters, who represent more dangling threads for Half Life 3 to pick up and run with.

First up is Barney Calhoun. This unsophisticated yet likeable security officer helped out the resistance all the way through Half Life 2 and Episode One. He ferried the last of the civilians out of City 17 at the end of the latter, boarding a train to an unknown fate. With a crew of volunteers to bolster the Lambda resistance at his back, Barney is primed for a comeback.

As for Adrian Shepherd, well we haven't seen him in over twenty years; ever since the G-Man pulled him out of Black Mesa and stuck him in stasis. His evaluation remains pending to this day, surely now would be the perfect time for this silent marine to make a return?

Just what kind of role does he have to play? 2018's Hunt Down The Freeman from Royal Rudius Entertainment briefly touched on the character, but it turned out to be an abysmal piece of fan fiction that went horribly wrong.

Perhaps the returning Shepherd could do one of two things; support Gordon in his attack on the Borealis, or if you really want to push the boat out, assassinate the good doctor on behalf of the G-Man. Both characters certainly need to make a comeback in some form.