>>718860975
Valve is too busy with tech demos nowadays imo. I'll need a good HL3 to see if they've retained their way. Classic Valve games were tech demos partially as well but they weren't as limited as Alyx and Desk Job, even if HLA is quite polished gameplay-wise. Their graphics are great quality wise but the artstyle is fucking awful, HLA looks like a cartoon. It's too perfect and the grime doesn't feel anywhere as realistic as HL2. But overall the writing took the biggest loss

>>718861103
I think there was an intent to develop Pauling and Scout's characters with their relationship, particularly if the Adult Swim show had sailed though it was being followed through in the comics regardless. Pauling learnt to stop being as dependent on the Admin and Scout became much more of a man rather than staying a manchild. Note that Pinkerton did not help write Expiration Date or any of the classic comics, his first contributions were the post-MvM comics with all the retarded lore like confirming Soldier was right about his history or making ghost Merasmus and ghost Tom Jones (who hasn't even been born yet) live in a brick.