Contamination : Zero mod for Half-Life 2: Episode Two

Greetings! It has been awhile..

Sorry to keep you waiting, I've been hard at work creating this mod almost daily. I'm very happy with how this mod is shaping up and I sure hope you will be too!

New Mod Logo

For awhile I have felt that the icon for this mod has been too hard to recognise and not simplistic enough to fit alongside other Half-Life logos, especially the Entropy : Zero series and the other mods being developed for it.

The new logo is based on a Xen Crystal, it is much more simplistic and still thematically appropriate.

Locations

Contamination : Zero will feature a few key locations. These include; The Countryside, Xen and City-6.

The Countryside is a wild and dangerous location, infested with Xenian life since the Resonance Cascade. The Rebels have a large presence here, keeping out of the Combine's view for the most part. Any Rebels brave enough to reside in these lands are at risk to the infesting flora and fauna which has settled here.

Without a vehicle, the safest route for traversing the Countryside are the abundance of underground drainage canals. Xenian flora has almost entirely taken these canals as their own, but there are less chances of running into any bloodthirsty creatures.

Return to Xen in all of it's grotesque glory! The Borderworld is no place to call home for a human, however there are a plethora of species who do just that. The Vortigaunts working alongside the human Resistance have taken it upon themselves to recreate organic portal technology from their time under the Nihilanth's rule, Rebels have set up camps to study and collect Xenium specimens to research both on Xen and back on Earth. These crystals are of great value to the Resistance and Vortigaunts alike for a self sustaining power source, as well as streamlining the teleportation process between Earth and Xen.

The Combine have a small presence on Xen, consisting of Outposts few and far between. They are not aware of the Resistance's arrival on Xen, at least not yet.

Xombies

Xombies are the gruesome result of a Zombie corpse that has been overtaken by all kinds of Xenian flora. They've had plenty of names throughout development such as "Fungies" or "Trolls". No matter what you'd like to call them, you definitely wouldn't like to meet them.

These monstrosities are bulletproof, making them much more imposing than other alien threats. They can only be taken out through other means, a Flare Gun is enough to do the trick!

Look out for these feisty foes and their many variations in the Countryside.

Houndeyes

As stated in the first article, Houndeyes will be reappearing in Contamination : Zero. Their model has gone through a couple iterations but they now have a final look (albeit unfinished textures).

Finally these alien canines can blink with their singular eyelid, the model does appear flat but after the textures are complete and have received some normal mapping they will be good to go!

Other Media From 2022

Earlier this year I showcased the first look at Chapter 1, a small section of the drainage canals in the Countryside. This video is outdated and does not represent the current look and gameplay of this section, but there will be more to show next year.

Contamination : Zero | Chapter 1 Gameplay Teaser

I also released the ambient track featured in this gameplay showcase, "Mawmen".

Contamination : Zero OST │ Mawmen

Lastly I recorded a short clip showing off the Xen Pustule, the same pustle/boomer plant from Half-Life Alyx but with a new design that is more noticeable to the player.

Contamination : Zero - Xen Pustule

That's all for this year, once again I am sorry for keeping this page so quiet.

Until next time.. Farewell.