Laurentius
Member
Spoilers for Half-Life 2, Episode One, Episode Two, and Portal!
Edit for posterity: If you're jumping into this topic NOW, be sure to realize that this topic originally started in 2008. So don't get excited and think there was any recent HL announcements.
Lately, I haven't been able to get HL2 out of my head. I've recently replayed the entire saga to date, and I'm once again amazed at the world that Valve has created. I just find myself being drawn into the games, caring about the characters and their triumphs and defeats.
Half-Life has always relied on mystery. In HL2 you're dropped right into a dystopia, having no idea what has happened to the world. You don't know why you're in an Eastern European city governed by a police state, how long it's been since the Black Mesa incident, how things got to where they are. And throughout the game, people assume that you know, and you're never outright told what's happened. It's all deduced in such an enticing way: you discover things, but the mysteries remain. For instance, it took me a good portion of the game to realize that the striders and the gunships actually seemed organic, and not just alien technology. It was a revelation when I realized the connection between alien species outfitted with technology and forced to fight and the Overwatch soldiers.
So, Episode 3 opens up with about as much unknown as Half-Life 2. We've had a lot of questions answered, but the underlying mysteries of the game lay unanswered. Will Episode 3 answer everything? I don't think it will. Too often the resolution to a story is never as satisfying as the mystery. But never resolving anything can be equally frustrating: think of Lost. I'm guessing that Episode 3 will end with a lot of the questions from the series answered, but resulting in more being asked. And it won't resolve the series. It all just seems meticulously laid out, and I really feel that they're continually setting up for something more. It doesn't have that sloppy throw in feel that sequels often have. It all seems planned. Marc Laidlaw said this in an interview:
So, going into Episode 3 what do and don't we know?
Know
--The game will likely feature the Combine Advisors in both combat and story
--A portion of the game will take place at the Arctic Base where the Borealis was found
--Some sort of technology developed by Aperture Laboratories exists aboard the Borealis that Eli wished to destroy, and the GMan warned against "Unforeseen Consequences". When Dr. Kleiner and Eli argue about it, Eli asks if "Black Mesa has taught you anything?" and "that kind of power cannot be controlled!". This seems to imply that there is indeed some sort of portal technology aboard. What form this will take is up to speculation.
--It's possible that part of the game will take place on the Combine Overworld. This piece of concept art seems to imply that.
Don't Know
--The G-Man's ultimate goal and motivations
--The vortigaunt's role in all of this, and their motivations
--Who will lead the resistance after Eli's death
--The total extent of the Combine Advisor's powers, and their purpose
--What is really aboard the Borealis
--The relevance of the vortigaunt's statements in regards to Alyx: "If we lose her, we lose all".
--Gordon's ultimate place in all of this.
The G-Man
The G-Man is probably the largest mystery in the Half-Life universe. It's fair to assume that the answers hinge largely on him. He's a real enigma, both in his identity and his purposes. He is certainly not portrayed as being benevolent, and his actions often seem contradictory. His he working to free man and vortikind? I don't know.
Episode 2 revealed that he was the one that orchestrated the Resonance Cascade, by bringing in the crystal that triggered it. This was the beginning of the events that eventually led to the Combine's control of earth. So by that token, he is the one responsible for all of this.
He manipulated events during the 20 or so years that Gordon was in stasis, so that when he returned everything was ready for Gordon to act as a catalyst for the G-Man's larger plans. Gordon is just a pawn in all of this, and his near legendary status, and his ability to overcome most obstacles is, likely, due in large part to the G-Man's manipulations.
So, the destruction of the Citadel. What was the result of this? The Episode's showed the beginnings of the "super portal" that would bring a huge Combine force back to earth. The G-Man seems to be at war with the Combine. I'm guessing that he's been trying to lure the Combine to earth for some reason or another, and the destruction of the Citadel served that purpose. He wants the Combine to come to earth.
But in Episode One he's stopped by the vortigaunts, and Alyx and Gordon are freed. Throughout the two Episodes the collapse of the Citadel still occurs, but they manage to seal the super portal. Which...the G-Man wanted. Despite having to abide by "restrictions" he tells Gordon to get Alyx to White Forest safely. Which results in being able to stop the super portal. That seems to fly in the face of his plans from the rest of the series. It's possible that his plans have changed after the vortigaunts placed "restrictions" on him, and he's seeking a new route.
Who is he, though? His speech and powers seem to imply that he's not human. He has an odd control over time and space, but he's certainly not omnipotent. He has "employers" as well.
A lot of people seem to like the theory that he's either Gordon's father, or Gordon himself from the future. I'm not sure about that. What actual purpose would this serve from a storytelling perspective?
I'm fairly certain that Episode 3 will finally show us the man behind the G-Man.
Vortigaunts
I find the vortigaunts fascinating. Originally slaves to the Nihilanth (and possibly the Combine) in Half-Life 1, they've allied themselves with humanity in Half-Life 2. A real mysterious and almost religious species. They seem to share a collective consciousness of sorts, but still retain individuality. Both Episode One and Two showed that they have certain powers that could rival even the GMan's.
They wish to destroy the Combine as well, and it's likely that their world had been destroyed by them. Will they remain humanity's ally, though? Watch the G-Man cutscene in Episode Two again. He refers to them as Gordon's "friends" followed by a small chuckle. Almost as an aside he states that "once they cared nothing for Miss Vance, and their only experience with humanity was a crowbar coming at them down a steel corridor". This was one of the GMan's most chilling statements for me. This reminds us of how many of their kind we killed in Half-Life 1, and that an alliance may not always be the case. And after fighting with them in Episode Two, I wouldn't want the vortigaunts as an enemy.
Combine Advisors
Likely the original Combine species. They've taken control of numerous planets and sucked out their resources and enslaved their species. Only glimpsed briefly in HL2, they were given a slightly larger role in Episode One, and were shown in full force by Episode Two. At first I just assumed that the species had become useless blobs that relied fully on other species technology just for survival. But Episode Two showed us that the creatures are fierce and terrible. The introduction to them in Episode Two was unbelievably powerful.
Alyx Vance
Alyx, really the best part of the series. You can't help but like her. She's the best video game heroine ever, as far as I'm concerned. I wonder how much of a role she will play in Episode Three. After Eli's death in Episode Two, will she be able to accompany Gordon to the Borealis? Something tells me that her father's dying wish to have it destroyed will be a driving force for both of you. This may result in dissent between her and Dr. Kleiner. I don't know. I really don't know how they're going to start Episode Three after Eli's death, and how Alyx will be able to go on.
Something I found interesting was the vortigaunt's statement that "if we lose her, we lose all!" and the GMan's that "she was worth far more than the initial appraisal". Is this because of her intelligence, fighting ability, and her importance to the resistance, or is there something more at play? It's odd, because those statements (especially the first) almost seemed metaphysical. Dr. Breen stated that Gordon had almost been given Messianic status, which was really clear. The resistance members all knew him, and I remember hearing things through radio transmissions like "Gordon Freeman has returned". They were waiting for him, and felt like his arrival would signal the end of the oppression. This is likely due to legends forming up after his actions in the original Half-Life and manipulations by the G-Man.
But what does that mean in terms of Alyx? Well, the games have shown that she's also one of those catalysts essential to the resistance. I don't think it's any more than that, but it serves as an interesting storytelling technique.
The Borealis
The Borealis likely contains some sort of portal technology that could jeopardize the resistance if the Combine finds it. Whether or not this is the portal gun from Portal is unknown. Personally, I think that the portal gun may exist on the Borealis, but I don't know if that's the main issue. Whatever it is, it's likely to tie Episode Three into Portal quite a bit.
Will the portal gun be available in Episode Three? I don't know. Something tells me that giving a player the portal gun in a game like Half-Life would be a disaster. Portal was meticulously crafted to cater only to that play, and it would be a nightmare to make a wide open game where restrictions did not exist. My guess is that the portal gun may make a cameo, or a brief appearance in the game. You may be able to use it in a certain area, but I don't know if it will be a staple weapon.
Then again, I've played HL2 with the portal gun. Which was crazy fun, despite not being made for it. Perhaps they could do it.
I've also heard it theorized that a portion of GlaDOS may be aboard. She's Still Alive, after all, and the...nodules at the end might mean that she could exist elsewhere also. I think it'd be interesting if she made an appearance in the game.
Episode Three
So how will Episode Three play out? I don't know, but I have some ideas. I think it will sort of be a three part game. At the beginning there are at least two Combine Advisors (one injured) still at large around White Forest. I'm sure that these aren't just going to be left to do what they want. The more I think about it the more sure I am that the game will start as a hunt for the Advisors. This will work as both retaliation for Eli's death, and as a tutorial for Advisor killing, which is likely to take place in the game. I'm fairly sure that the vortigaunts have knowledge on how to kill them, which you will learn from them at the beginning of the game. (On a side note, this would be a great time for Barney to show up. I really, really hope he makes at least a brief appearance in Ep. 3, and having you, him, and a vortigaunt hunting Advisors would be really neat.)
The second part will likely take place on the Borealis. I'm not sure how they plan to do the trip there, as everything is in real time in the game. Maybe have Gordon be sleeping, or knocked out or something. Or maybe they'll find a quicker way there. I don't know.
And I think that the final part will take place at the Combine overworld. But we'll see.
Yes, I know, tl;dr. I just felt like writing down my thoughts on the series and Episode Three, because I can't wait for it. And posting it on a forum sounded like a good idea, since I'd be able to share my views and maybe get some other people's, as long as this isn't completely ignored.
And I know that this long post is kind of stupid, because it basically boils down to fan fiction. Ugh. But, hey, there are a lot of worse choices in games for story speculation.
Edit for posterity: If you're jumping into this topic NOW, be sure to realize that this topic originally started in 2008. So don't get excited and think there was any recent HL announcements.
Lately, I haven't been able to get HL2 out of my head. I've recently replayed the entire saga to date, and I'm once again amazed at the world that Valve has created. I just find myself being drawn into the games, caring about the characters and their triumphs and defeats.
Half-Life has always relied on mystery. In HL2 you're dropped right into a dystopia, having no idea what has happened to the world. You don't know why you're in an Eastern European city governed by a police state, how long it's been since the Black Mesa incident, how things got to where they are. And throughout the game, people assume that you know, and you're never outright told what's happened. It's all deduced in such an enticing way: you discover things, but the mysteries remain. For instance, it took me a good portion of the game to realize that the striders and the gunships actually seemed organic, and not just alien technology. It was a revelation when I realized the connection between alien species outfitted with technology and forced to fight and the Overwatch soldiers.
So, Episode 3 opens up with about as much unknown as Half-Life 2. We've had a lot of questions answered, but the underlying mysteries of the game lay unanswered. Will Episode 3 answer everything? I don't think it will. Too often the resolution to a story is never as satisfying as the mystery. But never resolving anything can be equally frustrating: think of Lost. I'm guessing that Episode 3 will end with a lot of the questions from the series answered, but resulting in more being asked. And it won't resolve the series. It all just seems meticulously laid out, and I really feel that they're continually setting up for something more. It doesn't have that sloppy throw in feel that sequels often have. It all seems planned. Marc Laidlaw said this in an interview:
So, going into Episode 3 what do and don't we know?
Know
--The game will likely feature the Combine Advisors in both combat and story
--A portion of the game will take place at the Arctic Base where the Borealis was found
--Some sort of technology developed by Aperture Laboratories exists aboard the Borealis that Eli wished to destroy, and the GMan warned against "Unforeseen Consequences". When Dr. Kleiner and Eli argue about it, Eli asks if "Black Mesa has taught you anything?" and "that kind of power cannot be controlled!". This seems to imply that there is indeed some sort of portal technology aboard. What form this will take is up to speculation.
--It's possible that part of the game will take place on the Combine Overworld. This piece of concept art seems to imply that.
Don't Know
--The G-Man's ultimate goal and motivations
--The vortigaunt's role in all of this, and their motivations
--Who will lead the resistance after Eli's death
--The total extent of the Combine Advisor's powers, and their purpose
--What is really aboard the Borealis
--The relevance of the vortigaunt's statements in regards to Alyx: "If we lose her, we lose all".
--Gordon's ultimate place in all of this.
The G-Man
The G-Man is probably the largest mystery in the Half-Life universe. It's fair to assume that the answers hinge largely on him. He's a real enigma, both in his identity and his purposes. He is certainly not portrayed as being benevolent, and his actions often seem contradictory. His he working to free man and vortikind? I don't know.
Episode 2 revealed that he was the one that orchestrated the Resonance Cascade, by bringing in the crystal that triggered it. This was the beginning of the events that eventually led to the Combine's control of earth. So by that token, he is the one responsible for all of this.
He manipulated events during the 20 or so years that Gordon was in stasis, so that when he returned everything was ready for Gordon to act as a catalyst for the G-Man's larger plans. Gordon is just a pawn in all of this, and his near legendary status, and his ability to overcome most obstacles is, likely, due in large part to the G-Man's manipulations.
So, the destruction of the Citadel. What was the result of this? The Episode's showed the beginnings of the "super portal" that would bring a huge Combine force back to earth. The G-Man seems to be at war with the Combine. I'm guessing that he's been trying to lure the Combine to earth for some reason or another, and the destruction of the Citadel served that purpose. He wants the Combine to come to earth.
But in Episode One he's stopped by the vortigaunts, and Alyx and Gordon are freed. Throughout the two Episodes the collapse of the Citadel still occurs, but they manage to seal the super portal. Which...the G-Man wanted. Despite having to abide by "restrictions" he tells Gordon to get Alyx to White Forest safely. Which results in being able to stop the super portal. That seems to fly in the face of his plans from the rest of the series. It's possible that his plans have changed after the vortigaunts placed "restrictions" on him, and he's seeking a new route.
Who is he, though? His speech and powers seem to imply that he's not human. He has an odd control over time and space, but he's certainly not omnipotent. He has "employers" as well.
A lot of people seem to like the theory that he's either Gordon's father, or Gordon himself from the future. I'm not sure about that. What actual purpose would this serve from a storytelling perspective?
I'm fairly certain that Episode 3 will finally show us the man behind the G-Man.
Vortigaunts
I find the vortigaunts fascinating. Originally slaves to the Nihilanth (and possibly the Combine) in Half-Life 1, they've allied themselves with humanity in Half-Life 2. A real mysterious and almost religious species. They seem to share a collective consciousness of sorts, but still retain individuality. Both Episode One and Two showed that they have certain powers that could rival even the GMan's.
They wish to destroy the Combine as well, and it's likely that their world had been destroyed by them. Will they remain humanity's ally, though? Watch the G-Man cutscene in Episode Two again. He refers to them as Gordon's "friends" followed by a small chuckle. Almost as an aside he states that "once they cared nothing for Miss Vance, and their only experience with humanity was a crowbar coming at them down a steel corridor". This was one of the GMan's most chilling statements for me. This reminds us of how many of their kind we killed in Half-Life 1, and that an alliance may not always be the case. And after fighting with them in Episode Two, I wouldn't want the vortigaunts as an enemy.
Combine Advisors
Likely the original Combine species. They've taken control of numerous planets and sucked out their resources and enslaved their species. Only glimpsed briefly in HL2, they were given a slightly larger role in Episode One, and were shown in full force by Episode Two. At first I just assumed that the species had become useless blobs that relied fully on other species technology just for survival. But Episode Two showed us that the creatures are fierce and terrible. The introduction to them in Episode Two was unbelievably powerful.
Alyx Vance
Alyx, really the best part of the series. You can't help but like her. She's the best video game heroine ever, as far as I'm concerned. I wonder how much of a role she will play in Episode Three. After Eli's death in Episode Two, will she be able to accompany Gordon to the Borealis? Something tells me that her father's dying wish to have it destroyed will be a driving force for both of you. This may result in dissent between her and Dr. Kleiner. I don't know. I really don't know how they're going to start Episode Three after Eli's death, and how Alyx will be able to go on.
Something I found interesting was the vortigaunt's statement that "if we lose her, we lose all!" and the GMan's that "she was worth far more than the initial appraisal". Is this because of her intelligence, fighting ability, and her importance to the resistance, or is there something more at play? It's odd, because those statements (especially the first) almost seemed metaphysical. Dr. Breen stated that Gordon had almost been given Messianic status, which was really clear. The resistance members all knew him, and I remember hearing things through radio transmissions like "Gordon Freeman has returned". They were waiting for him, and felt like his arrival would signal the end of the oppression. This is likely due to legends forming up after his actions in the original Half-Life and manipulations by the G-Man.
But what does that mean in terms of Alyx? Well, the games have shown that she's also one of those catalysts essential to the resistance. I don't think it's any more than that, but it serves as an interesting storytelling technique.
The Borealis
The Borealis likely contains some sort of portal technology that could jeopardize the resistance if the Combine finds it. Whether or not this is the portal gun from Portal is unknown. Personally, I think that the portal gun may exist on the Borealis, but I don't know if that's the main issue. Whatever it is, it's likely to tie Episode Three into Portal quite a bit.
Will the portal gun be available in Episode Three? I don't know. Something tells me that giving a player the portal gun in a game like Half-Life would be a disaster. Portal was meticulously crafted to cater only to that play, and it would be a nightmare to make a wide open game where restrictions did not exist. My guess is that the portal gun may make a cameo, or a brief appearance in the game. You may be able to use it in a certain area, but I don't know if it will be a staple weapon.
Then again, I've played HL2 with the portal gun. Which was crazy fun, despite not being made for it. Perhaps they could do it.
I've also heard it theorized that a portion of GlaDOS may be aboard. She's Still Alive, after all, and the...nodules at the end might mean that she could exist elsewhere also. I think it'd be interesting if she made an appearance in the game.
Episode Three
So how will Episode Three play out? I don't know, but I have some ideas. I think it will sort of be a three part game. At the beginning there are at least two Combine Advisors (one injured) still at large around White Forest. I'm sure that these aren't just going to be left to do what they want. The more I think about it the more sure I am that the game will start as a hunt for the Advisors. This will work as both retaliation for Eli's death, and as a tutorial for Advisor killing, which is likely to take place in the game. I'm fairly sure that the vortigaunts have knowledge on how to kill them, which you will learn from them at the beginning of the game. (On a side note, this would be a great time for Barney to show up. I really, really hope he makes at least a brief appearance in Ep. 3, and having you, him, and a vortigaunt hunting Advisors would be really neat.)
The second part will likely take place on the Borealis. I'm not sure how they plan to do the trip there, as everything is in real time in the game. Maybe have Gordon be sleeping, or knocked out or something. Or maybe they'll find a quicker way there. I don't know.
And I think that the final part will take place at the Combine overworld. But we'll see.
Yes, I know, tl;dr. I just felt like writing down my thoughts on the series and Episode Three, because I can't wait for it. And posting it on a forum sounded like a good idea, since I'd be able to share my views and maybe get some other people's, as long as this isn't completely ignored.
And I know that this long post is kind of stupid, because it basically boils down to fan fiction. Ugh. But, hey, there are a lot of worse choices in games for story speculation.
