, ▁it ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁through ▁the ▁Ste am ▁content ▁delivery ▁service ▁as ▁a ▁free ▁download ▁to ▁own ers ▁of ▁the ▁Microsoft ▁Windows ▁version ▁of ▁Half - Life ▁ 2 . ▁Lost ▁Coast ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁technology ▁demonstr ation , ▁specifically ▁show c asing ▁the ▁high - dynamic - range ▁rendering ▁implemented ▁in ▁the ▁Source ▁engine . ▁The ▁level ▁was ▁designed ▁with ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁appropriate ▁environments ▁to ▁emphas ize ▁these ▁effects . ▁Lost ▁Coast ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁video ▁game ▁developed ▁by ▁Val ve ▁to ▁allow ▁developers ▁to ▁explain ▁various ▁elements ▁of ▁design ▁as ▁the ▁player ▁progress es ▁through ▁the ▁level . ▁ ▁Lost ▁Coast ▁follows ▁Half - Life ▁protagon ist ▁Gordon ▁Fre eman ▁as ▁he ▁travel s ▁up ▁a ▁coast al ▁cl iff ▁to ▁destroy ▁a ▁Com bine ▁head c rab ▁art illery ▁launch er ▁in ▁a ▁monaster y , ▁which ▁is ▁firing ▁on ▁a ▁nearby ▁town , ▁Saint ▁Ol ga . ▁The ▁Lost ▁Coast ▁level ▁was ▁initially ▁created ▁for ▁Half - Life ▁ 2 , ▁but ▁was ▁ultimately ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁game . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁it ▁has ▁several ▁minor ▁story ▁details ▁that ▁were ▁not ▁included ▁in ▁Half - Life ▁ 2 . ▁The ▁level ▁received ▁a ▁generally ▁positive ▁reception , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁cons ensus ▁among ▁review ers ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁features ▁included ▁in ▁Lost ▁Coast ▁should ▁be ▁integrated ▁into ▁future ▁games ▁released ▁by ▁Val ve . ▁ ▁Game play ▁ ▁Lost ▁Coast ▁uses ▁the ▁same ▁first -