Valve has released the lost footage from Half-Life 2’s first public demo in 2000, a missing piece between HL1 & HL2, which already teased Episode 3’s infamous Borealis.

Valve has released 17 minutes worth of early development footage of the game, which was thought to be lost for a long time. The demo shows Half-Life 2 in a state halfway between HL1's final release and HL2's early development. It is familiar, but also surrealistically, intriguingly, different.

The "Get Your Free TVs Demo", so named because a City 17 resident was seen grabbing a free boob tube early in the footage of the demo, was first shown in 2000 at the SIGGRAPH conference. This build was released two years after Half-Life 1 and two to three years before the infamous Half-Life 2 Beta that leaked in 2002. This is a unique point in the development of the game, with graphical features reminiscent of Half-Life 1 GoldSrc, as well as the final Source engine. It also has a more grimy, dark and industrial art style.

According to the Half-Life: Raising the Bar artwork book, the Combine's destruction in the game of Earth's biosphere had been intended to be more overt. The game would have featured a greenish-blue sky, and City 17 citizens in HAZMAT gear, instead of their stylish denim jumpsuits. Breen's architecture and the Combine were also more sinister.

The demo shows off early versions of major NPCs like Barney and Alyx, as well as an almost-unrecognizable Dr. Kleiner. One of the biggest surprises in the demo is the early version of the Borealis. This mysterious icebreaker that was supposed to be the center of Episode 3 is now a part of a snowfield. The ship is also present in the Half-Life 2 Beta, so Valve has been working on the concept for a very long time.

Valve has released a veritable feast of rare, never-before-seen, and behind-the-scenes content to celebrate Half-Life 2's twentieth birthday. A new two-hour documentary features Gabe Newell's views on Episode 3 and Half-Life 2's future as well as gameplay footage from the legendary canceled extension.