Half-Life Episode 3 confirmed

Valve has confirmed that Half-Life 2: Episode One will go on sale on June 1st via the Steam download service, priced at $19.99.

Once again you play as Dr Gordon Freeman, but this time you get to explore the world outside City 17 together with the lovely Alyx Vance and her robot, Dog. It's said to offer between four and six hours of gameplay, and the good news is you don't need the original game to play. There's a teaser trailer now showing on Eurogamer TV.

Episode One will also offer a sneak peek at Episode Two, which is due to be released by the end of the year. And Valve has confirmed that a third instalment is in development - apparently "Episode One is the first in a trilogy of episodes that will conclude by Christmas 2007," don't you know.