Ah crap.  First the bad news.  Half-Life 2: Episode 2 has been delayed until February 2007.  Episode 2 was originally supposed to be release sometime at the end of the year.  This puts the release of Episode 1 and Episode 2 at eight months apart.  Valve started the episodic (is that a word?) game deployment to avoid long gaps in between sequals.  It kind of makes me wonder if game episodes are going to work or not.  But still, the gap between Half-Life and Half-Life 2 was like five years.  So eight months doesn't sound too bad.

Anyways, when I first heard Episode 2 was being delayed I wasn't too upset.  That is, until, I saw the new game play video.  Oh cruel fate!  Why must you tempt me?  Why do you try my patience?  The new Episode 2 game play footage absolutely rocks!  You still play as Gordon Freeman and are now outside of City 17.  You're now in a much more rural and open/outdoors area which is a nice change from the cramp tunnels and such from Episode 1.  From this video it also looks like to get to fight along side Vortigaunts and crawl down inside some Antlion tunnels.  We also get to see a new vehicle and the new enemy, the Stalker.  Ooo it looks fierce.  The game actually looks hard as hell, which is a good thing.  I like games that are challenging.  Please Valve, don't delay this game any longer!

Click here to watch the video >> HL2: Episode 2 game play video.