Half-Life 2 in Asia

Back in 2015 there were few video games with authentic Asian environments, so I made a few experimental maps in Half-Life 2.

It was also common wisdom that games had to be complete and flawless on launch. Probabilistic monetisation such as loot boxes were a no-no. Triple-A games justified their price tags by being known quantities.

Now, in 2026 there are a deluge of high-quality games from Asia, featuring characters, motifs, and visuals from Asia, which are also turning the common wisdom on its head by being serialised, free-to-play, and with a strong 'gacha' component.