Half-life 2's Ending.
<div class="IPBDescription">Discuss. This thread is one big SPOIL.</div> <span style='color:red'><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'><span style='font-family:Times'>THIS THREAD IS ONE BIG SPOILER.</span></span></span>
I feel like Half-Life 2 was the best god damned game I've ever played. It kept my on the edge of my seat at ALL TIMES. I think it was just the right length, and while confusing, the end was good. I personally liked how I could move (Though in like..bullet time) when G-man is talking to you, right as the core exploded. I got to look at alyx's **** while he talked. w00t w00t.
Add 1 to the end of your post if Alyx has a fine, fine ****.
I feel like Half-Life 2 was the best god damned game I've ever played. It kept my on the edge of my seat at ALL TIMES. I think it was just the right length, and while confusing, the end was good. I personally liked how I could move (Though in like..bullet time) when G-man is talking to you, right as the core exploded. I got to look at alyx's **** while he talked. w00t w00t.
Add 1 to the end of your post if Alyx has a fine, fine ****.
Comments
Anyway, i didn't like the ending that much. It didn't explain anything, i just seemed to show the G-Man is a stealth ninja time traveling monkey
And people didn't go all "OMG NOE IT DIDNT EXPLAIN ANYTHING SO IT R TEH SUK" about that!
Yep, i absolutely love it that you need to work out the story for yourselves, from the small amount of speech and clippings scattered around the game world. For example, the vortagaunts can tell you loads about what happened if you listen and the clippings in black mesa east explain about the war, slightly.
Anyway, here is my take on it:
After the accident at black mesa, a portal to xen was opened and part of xen fused with earth. Xen is sort of a mid-way planet between earth and the rest of the universe, so it also opened contact with the combine. The combine saw what was happening on earth and decided to invade, for a reason i have yet to think off. Maybe they are only interested in the earths resources, maybe there is another reason. Anyway, the combine teleport the citadels into every major city, destroying the city-centers and killing millions. The human forces try to fight back but the combine firepower is too great. This is the "7 hour war" that we read about in black mesa east. Dr Breen, who is in a very powerful position already, surrenders the earth to the combine. The combine make him an interim ruler of earth, as the rest of the population are more likely to obey him than they would a combine.
The G-man is a very powerful alien who has the ability to stop time for a short amount of time, or at least slow it down drastically. He has the ability to create portals at will and assumes a human shape for Gordon. The incidents at black mesa catch his eye and he watches Gordon as he moves around, assessing him. At the end of the game, he offers Gordon a job because he is impressed with his survival skills. He thinks Gordon may be of use to him later. The G-man stores him for around 10 years. Presumably he is known among a small amount of people. The rebels pay him (in what, i do not know) to give them a savior, Gordon Freeman. While in Klieners lab, we see the G-man waiting outside while the doctor insists that Gordon leaves. We also see him meeting with the rebels in the large red warehouse and on the other side of the shallow sea on the buggy-map.
Dr Breen, at first, knows who Gordon is but does not recognize how dangerous he is. This is why he was only going to be sent to Nova Prospeckt (which is the place where they turn a human into a combine soldier). Barney manages to save him just in time, and lead him to the lab. They were expecting him, but not so soon. Later on in the game, Dr Breen recognizes how dangerous Gordon is and tries to aprehend him at all costs.
When he finally does, he tells Gordon about the "contract". Eli and Alyx deny knowing anything about this, they are trying to hide the fact that he was hired from Gordon, knowing he is unlikely to continue his campaign against the combine if he finds out.
At the end of the game, as the reactor explodes and Breen dies, the G-man pulls Gordon out just seconds after he has completed his mission. This is referenced whenever you die, as your "mission has failed". He lets Gordon know a little more about his plans for him, explaining that he is getting alot of interest about Gordon, after his latest mission. I am going to guess that this "interest" is coming from other rebels from other combine controlled worlds. The G-man again stores Gordon in stasis, waiting for the highest bidder to come out and buy Gordons services.
NB: The "civil protection unit" is formed out of volunteers. People volunteer as it gets them free food, as we see at the start of the game. When anyone enters the city, they are assessed and the stronger ones are sent to Nova Prospeckt, to be turned into either soldiers or those weird half human things that we see being used as cheap labor in the citadel. The striders, air ships and other combine vehicles are created in the citadel, as well as sent in from the combine home world through portals.
Of course, that is pretty much just guesswork.
^^
yeah, i reckon he goes from planet to planet looking for people like Gordon and Sheperd, who he then puts in stasis and rents out to the highest bidder.
And people didn't go all "OMG NOE IT DIDNT EXPLAIN ANYTHING SO IT R TEH SUK" about that! <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think this has more to do with the fact that people thought 'I can't wait for hl2, it will explain alot of the events of hl1!' . So i think people feel pretty shortchanged by the story, as they were expecting some answers, not more questions. I hope to god hl3 (if there is one) explains everything, but i doubt it. I get the unpleasant impression that valve don't actually know how to end the story. Kind of like the matrix trilogy; the second film just raised more questions, and then the third answered none of them and instead opted for a halfbaked pseudo logical ending.
And people didn't go all "OMG NOE IT DIDNT EXPLAIN ANYTHING SO IT R TEH SUK" about that! <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think this has more to do with the fact that people thought 'I can't wait for hl2, it will explain alot of the events of hl1!' . So i think people feel pretty shortchanged by the story, as they were expecting some answers, not more questions. I hope to god hl3 (if there is one) explains everything, but i doubt it. I get the unpleasant impression that valve don't actually know how to end the story. Kind of like the matrix trilogy; the second film just raised more questions, and then the third answered none of them and instead opted for a halfbaked pseudo logical ending. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
There is a great article on gamespot called "The Final Hours of HL2". It explains that the team had to alter the story a fair bit during the course of development. I also like how they caught the hacker <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Also, the Gman was in Black Mesa <i>prior</i> to the incident, you see him during the train ride. So perhaps the incident was planned, but for now, his full intentions are unknown.
Also, the Gman was in Black Mesa <i>prior</i> to the incident, you see him during the train ride. So perhaps the incident was planned, but for now, his full intentions are unknown. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Or if you consider his ability to stand outside time then perhaps he just went back in time a bit?
I felt that the story in HL2 was about 10x more detailed than in HL. HL was just about survival and had the twist of you being pulled aside by the Gman. HL2 began to tell you a bit of what caused the black mesa incident.
After the accident at black mesa, a portal to xen was opened and part of xen fused with earth. Xen is sort of a mid-way planet between earth and the rest of the universe, so it also opened contact with the combine. The combine saw what was happening on earth and decided to invade, for a reason i have yet to think off. Maybe they are only interested in the earths resources, maybe there is another reason. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Or perhaps the combine come from Xen itself; we have no reason to believe that the aliens from HL1 are the ONLY race to exist in Xen.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->The G-man is a very powerful alien who has the ability to stop time for a short amount of time, or at least slow it down drastically. He has the ability to create portals at will and assumes a human shape for Gordon. The incidents at black mesa catch his eye and he watches Gordon as he moves around, assessing him. At the end of the game, he offers Gordon a job because he is impressed with his survival skills. He thinks Gordon may be of use to him later. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Agreed.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->When he finally does, he tells Gordon about the "contract". Eli and Alyx deny knowing anything about this, they are trying to hide the fact that he was hired from Gordon, knowing he is unlikely to continue his campaign against the combine if he finds out.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Wow.... that actually makes a lot of sense. Well spotted.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->NB: The "civil protection unit" is formed out of volunteers. People volunteer as it gets them free food, as we see at the start of the game. When anyone enters the city, they are assessed and the stronger ones are sent to Nova Prospeckt, to be turned into either soldiers or those weird half human things that we see being used as cheap labor in the citadel. The striders, air ships and other combine vehicles are created in the citadel, as well as sent in from the combine home world through portals.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You're on the right lines I think; we certainly see some kind of humanoid "thing" both over a security camera in Nova Prospect and in the citadel. I always assumed they were the combine aliens themselves, but you could be right.
If I was Gordon, I would have taken the time to remove the mask of one of the fallen combine soldiers, I mean, it would answer a hell of a lot of questions, i.e, are they human? We know Civil Protection (i.e, the ones with tazers and pistols at the start of the game) are human as Barney manages to pass for one, and a woman at the train station talks about joining C.P just to get some decent food, but the combine soldiers could be a whole different story.
The second thing that confuses me a little was a radio broadcast by Dr Breen. One line he says is something like:
"If the trans-humans forces are to prove to be a valuble ally to the overwatch..."
.... trans-human means part-human.... right? The overwatch AFAIK are the actual soldiers, as the guns they carry are called "Overwatch standard issue". So who are the "trans-humans"?
Thats pretty good guesswork <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I've got the whole love-hate thing going on with the story. I love how its mysterious, and very engaging, but I hate that vagueness of it at the same time!
It kinda sucked that Breen could not get away no matter how long you waited.
OT: How many chose the wrong transporter when the first one came? I thought that thing was an teleport.
"If the trans-humans forces are to prove to be a valuble ally to the overwatch..."
.... trans-human means part-human.... right? The overwatch AFAIK are the actual soldiers, as the guns they carry are called "Overwatch standard issue". So who are the "trans-humans"? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Possibly something along the lines of the "Cronicles Of Riddic" idea. AKA mind conditioned, possibly geneticly modified humans. From the look of the Combine, we'd be turned into a docile slave race, like the Vortigant sweeping the Train Station at the start of the game.
At the end of the game you kinda see a Combine, at least I think so. When Breen is talking to his "Master or whatnot, it looks like some kind of giant slug or insect on the monitor. Eww.
I also assumed that the combine came from another planet because they seemed to be the kind of race that moved from planet to planet, with their home planet being very industrious and full of cities. The small part of xen we saw in the first game did not feel like this.
Maybe the combine invaded xen like they did earth. Maybe Xens other, more humanoid and intelligent species were either killed or enslaved. That way, the final boss at the end of hl (name begins with N, for the life of me i cannot remember it) could be the xen version of Dr. Breen, the interim administrator of Xen.
Has anyone also caught the link between how you are sometimes refered to as the "one free man" (half way through the water hazard level, where you get the revolver, Dr Breen says this on a screen) and your name, "Freeman".
Edit: I dont think that those humanoid things were the combine. If they were, why were they being watched by armed guards in the citadel? Maybe they are yet another race from another planet that the combine have conquered.
OT: How many chose the wrong transporter when the first one came? I thought that thing was an teleport. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
He got away on me the first couple of times I played the ending. Its slow, but he will reach the top, and its bye bye Gordon if that happens.
As for the transports, I kinda looked at the paths. One went to a big beam thing that looked painful, the other went though a door. Hmmm, I wonder wich one I'll take? <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I remember seeing 2 different species of gigantic green bugs... maybe they are the combine?
It kinda sucked that Breen could not get away no matter how long you waited.
OT: How many chose the wrong transporter when the first one came? I thought that thing was an teleport. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I picked the one with the beam, just because i wanted to se what it was like.
I saved before, of course
I woul guess, something like someone else in another thread saying how the combine are some kind of fungus or something, that the Combine soldiers are humans fused with whatever the combine themselves are...and Breen doesn't want to fuse to become a soldier, he just wants to escape.
And, as far as I know; Breen really could have been offering immortality (probably by becoming a combine)...because I never saw anything to disprove it.
Watched, or guarded.
The fact that you see one tied to a chair in Nova Prospeckt certainly suggests they were originally human though.
TheMuffinMan- What clippings? I never saw any clippings. You mean I missed alot of potentially important plot information because I'm an unobservant idiot?
I think the resonance cascade was meant to happen. The scis in the beginning of HL1 say something about the Administrator (Dr. Breen) wanting a full analysis of the specimin. Another says that he imagines "they went some length to get it". This is revealed as true when you go to Xen, and there's HEV suited corpses everywhere.