Half-Life 2 storyline

This article describes the Half-Life 2 storyline, chapter by chapter. Warning: this page contains MANY spoilers.

Point Insertion


This is the first chapter of Half-Life 2. It serves as both an introduction to City 17 and the game itself. Here, the player learns (roughly) the events that took place during the 20 years between Half-Life and Half-Life 2, and what the Earth has become in the intervening time period. The player is also given glimpses of levels and events to come as the G-Man is talking in the introduction cut-scene, in effect almost vaguely telling the whole story.

Gordon Freeman appears on a train to City 17. Arriving there, Gordon comes across Civil Protection and Breencasts, welcoming the new citizens to City 17. Gordon is commanded into a room in which he meets Barney Calhoun, who is undercover as Civil Protection.

"A Red Letter Day"
This is the second chapter of Half-Life 2. It mostly consists of character interaction and introduction and plot exposition, and sets Gordon Freeman's goal for the next two chapters.

Gordon Freeman finds his way to Isaac Kleiner's lab with Alyx Vance's help and is briefed on what has happened during his stasis. After receiving the Mark V HEV Suit, Alyx is teleported to Black Mesa East. When trying to teleport Gordon however, the teleporter malfunctions, teleporting him to various places, and finally, ending up outside the lab. Barney meets Gordon outside giving him the infamous crowbar.

Trivia

 * If the player were to cheat and start the game with HEV suit and all weapons, this chapter will not work. Dr Kleiner, Alyx and Barney just stand around waiting for you to put on the hazard suit. If the player kills Lamarr before she jumps up onto the platform, Dr Kleiner will still carry on talking to Lamarr as if she was still there.
 * It is possible to move during the teleport, albeit very slowly,
 * It is not possible to explore Dr. Breen's office using noclip. Any attempt to enter will land the player back outside the lab.

Route Kanal
This is the third chapter of Half-Life 2. It details the first leg of Gordon Freeman's journey to Black Mesa East through the City 17 canal network. In this lengthy chapter, the player acquires their first firearm, experience a lot of combat with Civil Protection forces and encounters alien enemies such as Barnacles and Headcrabs for the first time.

Water Hazard
This is the fourth chapter of Half-Life 2. It details the second leg of Gordon Freeman's escape from City 17 through its canal system to Black Mesa East. Aboard an airboat, he fights off the attention of Civil Protection units and a few Hunter Choppers.

Black Mesa East


This is the fifth chapter of Half-Life 2. This chapter sees Gordon Freeman reaching his destination, Black Mesa East, after a series of chases through the canals. Gordon meets Judith Mossman for the first time and is reunited with Black Mesa scientist and Resistance leader Eli Vance. Gordon is also introduced to the Gravity Gun, a physics manipulator that becomes indispensable later in the game. Like "A Red Letter Day", this chapter is full of insight and dialog about the current state of the world, the people in it, and the aftermath of the real Black Mesa.

"We Don't Go To Ravenholm..."
This is the sixth chapter of Half-Life 2. It details Gordon Freeman's journey through the deadly zombie-infested town of Ravenholm after escaping the Combine raid on Black Mesa East whilst also introducing two new headcrab variants - the poison headcrab and the fast headcrab - and their zombie counterparts. The title is a reference to a comment made by Alyx Vance in the preceding chapter while showing Freeman around the base.

Highway 17
This is the seventh chapter of Half-Life 2. It details Gordon Freeman's journey along Highway 17 to reach Nova Prospekt. The player encounters Combine Soldiers for the first time as well as the deadly Antlions.

Sandtraps
This is the eighth chapter of Half-Life 2. It details the second half of Gordon Freeman's journey to Nova Prospekt. This level is noteworthy due to the fact that Antlions become allies to the player.

Nova Prospekt
This is the ninth chapter of Half-Life 2. In this chapter, Gordon Freeman attacks Nova Prospekt, a Combine stronghold and prison to the unluckiest of citizens, and breach it's defenses with the help of an army of Antlions, with the goal of finding and rescuing the captured Resistance leader, Eli Vance. This is also the last chapter where Antlions are encountered, because the player soon leaves Antlion Territory.

Entanglement
This is the "ninth a" chapter (designated "9a" in the game) of Half-Life 2. In it, Gordon Freeman meets up with Alyx Vance in the Nova Prospekt train depot. Together, they search the complex for Eli Vance and Judith Mossman, all the while fighting off security forces.

Anticitizen One
This is the tenth chapter of Half-Life 2. In it, Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance, having been stuck in a teleport 'loop' for a week's time, return to City 17 to find that the destruction of Nova Prospekt has triggered the uprising against the Combine by the Resistance. The player is able to form small squads of citizens to help as they fight their way through the city towards Barney's location.

"Follow Freeman!"
This is the eleventh chapter of Half-Life 2. In it, Gordon Freeman links up with Barney Calhoun, and together they lead a battle on the Overwatch Nexus, and then fight to the foot of the Citadel.

Our Benefactors
This is the twelfth chapter of Half-Life 2. It details Gordon Freeman's infiltration of the Combine Citadel. Again, like "Black Mesa East" and "A Red Letter Day", this chapter has little fighting but is mainly an expansive and in depth player controlled cut-scene.

Dark Energy
This is the thirteenth and final chapter of Half-Life 2. It details the climactic confrontation between Wallace Breen, Gordon Freeman and the leaders of the Resistance. In the end, Gordon is taken back into stasis by the G-Man, just as the Dark Energy reactor atop the Citadel is about to explode. The fate of Breen and Alyx is unknown at the ending of this game.