Half-Life fans waiting for Half-Life 3 can rejoice, as there’s a new game out that you can try to pass the time.

Half-Life 3, thought to just be a meme, is closer than ever to being a reality as it’s said the game is in full-development and will be out in the next few years.

On top of that Half-Life has a firm grasp on the VR market, and you’ll soon be able to replay the second game, remade with gorgeous 4K visuals thanks to a Nvidia.

What I’m getting at is it’s a very good time to be a Half-Life fan, and it’s about to get even better.

Black Mesa: Military is a newly released fan game that puts players behind the masks of a Black Mesa military squad, which fans will know well as they’re important players in the story of the Half-Life games.

The mod has players embark on a mission to capture the Black Mesa Research Facility, and retains the familiar gameplay of the series fans know and love.

Think of it as Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, another game that saw players change teams and become Umbrella operatives, in a story that takes place at the same time as Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3.

Like any fan project Black Mesa: Military is free to download and play, and would be an excellent side quest as you await further news on Half-Life 3.

Many expected a teaser trailer of sorts during last years’ Game Awards, and were even hyped up for one during the show in an announcement that was actually for the Okami sequel.

It’s a brand-new year though, so perhaps Valve will finally deliver the goods and confirm Half-Life 3 is real and when we’ll be getting our hands on it.