Half-Life 2 storyline

This article describes the Half-Life 2 storyline, chapter by chapter.

The original Half-Life takes place at the Black Mesa Research Facility in 200-. During an experiment, researchers at Black Mesa accidentally cause a Resonance Cascade which rips open a portal to Xen, the only known borderworld. Creatures from Xen flood into Black Mesa via the portal and start killing everyone in sight. The player takes on the role of Dr. Gordon Freeman, one of the research scientists who has been involved in the accident, and who now must escape the facility.

At the end of the game, a mysterious figure referred to as the G-Man extracts Gordon from Xen, where he defeated the Nihilanth, and "offers" a job to Gordon. Forced to agree, Gordon is subsequently put into stasis for approximately 20 years.

Chapter 1: Point Insertion


Nearly twenty years after the Black Mesa Incident the G-Man wakes Gordon Freeman and inserts him (seemingly, without any goals) into a train arriving in City 17, a city under control of the Combine Empire located somewhere in Eastern Europe.

After leaving the train, Gordon and other passengers are welcomed by a broadcast of Dr. Wallace Breen, former administrator of Black Mesa, who is now Earth's administrator. Continuing his way, Gorgon meets armed Civil Protection officers policing the Trainstation and its surroundings, who then order him away from the rest of the citizens, into a small interrogation room, in which he meets former Black Mesa security guard Barney Calhoun, who is undercover as a Civil Protection officer.

Barney contacts Dr. Isaac Kleiner, Gordon's mentor from his MIT days and former Black Mesa employee. After a bit of discussion they decide to send Gordon over to Kleiner's Lab. Along the way, Gordon finds himself in the middle of a Civil Protection raid on a tenement house; after being captured, Gordon is rescued by a young woman named Alyx Vance.

Chapter 2: "A Red Letter Day"


Alyx, daughter of Eli Vance, a former Black Mesa employee now leading the Resistance against the Combine, takes Gordon to Dr. Kleiner's lab, where he is given an H.E.V. Suit and instructed to be teleported to Black Mesa East with Alyx where he will be able to work along other scientists.

After teleporting Alyx, Gordon is next, but the interruption from Kleiner's pet headcrab, Lamarr, causes a malfunction in the teleporter leading Gordon to Dr. Breen's office, who recognizes him as a threat and puts the Combine forces on alert.

Following the failed teleport sequence, Gordon's only option is to go on foot through the old Canals, with Civil Protection officers in hot pursuit. But before starting his journey, Gordon is armed with a Crowbar.

Chapter 3: Route Kanal


This is the third chapter of Half-Life 2. It details the first half of Dr. Gordon Freeman's journey to Black Mesa East through the City 17 canal network. In this lengthy chapter, Gordon acquires his first firearm, experiences a lot of combat with Civil Protection forces and encounters alien enemies such as Barnacles, Zombies during the end and Headcrabs for the first time since the Black Mesa Incident.

Trivia

 * The name of the chapter is a reference to the term root canal, the space within the root of a tooth, and the name of a dental procedure involving removal of the contents of the root.

Chapter 4: Water Hazard


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

Trivia

 * During the first few moments aboard the airboat, the player can see the G-Man on the ledge of a barn. When the player approaches, the G-Man retreats into the barn. Closer inspection reveals only a few headcrab zombies. It is possible to see him a couple of times more afterwards, after the airboat is equipped with a Hunter Chopper's gun.
 * The name of the chapter is a reference to the golf term Water hazard.

Chapter 5: Black Mesa East


This is the fifth chapter of Half-Life 2. This chapter sees Freeman reaching his destination, Black Mesa East, after a series of chases through the canals. Gordon meets Dr. Judith Mossman for the first time, and is reunited with a former Black Mesa Scientist and Resistance leader, Eli Vance and Alyx. Gordon is also introduced to the Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator, also known as the 'Gravity Gun', a physics manipulator that quickly becomes indispensable, and after that, Gordon meets Dog, Alyx's robotic "pet." Like A Red Letter Day, this chapter is full of insight and dialogue about the current state of the world, the people in it, and the aftermath of the Black Mesa Incident. While Gordon is playing with Dog in the scrapyard, Alyx spots Combine Scanners sweeping the area, shortly before an all out aerial raid on Black Mesa East. While attempting to rejoin the others, Gordon and Dog are separated from Alyx by a collapsed ceiling, and Gordon is forced to escape down a tunnel to Ravenholm, a place that Alyx didn't want to talk about earlier, showing obvious discomfort at the thought.

Trivia

 * The faceplate belonging to the original H.E.V. charger from Half-Life and its expansions can be found on a ledge in the scrapyard.

Chapter 6: "We Don't Go To Ravenholm..."


This is the sixth chapter of Half-Life 2. It details Gordon Freeman's journey through the ghost town of Ravenholm. Originally a hidden village that lived free from the rule of the Combine, it was discovered by the Combine and attacked by hundreds of Headcrab Shells, thus transforming almost the entire population into deadly Zombies. This chapter also introduces two new headcrab variants - the Poison Headcrab and the Fast Headcrab - and their Zombie counterparts. Freeman kills Zombies and avoids bizarre deathtraps, meeting the man who set them, Father Grigori, who gives Gordon a shotgun. Freeman and Grigori make their way to an old mine which has a path that leads back to City 17, but Grigori stays behind to fight Zombies, and he continues to do so until the crypt behind him bursts open, leaving more zombies to come out from it. He continues to shoot the Zombies for a while until he runs through a blazing fire into the crypt.

Trivia

 * Amongst the ambient sounds that can be heard in Ravenholm include female screams and occasional sobbing.
 * The tunnel that leads from Black Mesa East to Ravenholm sports a number of warning signs. Some of these include "DANGER: CONTAMINATED AREA.", "STOP, DO NOT ENTER", "WARNING: KEEP OUT" and "WARNING; NO TRESPASSING".
 * If the player is to run to the entrance of the mine then turn around and go back, Grigori will still be fighting the hordes of zombies.
 * The title is a reference to a comment made by Alyx Vance in the preceding chapter while showing Freeman around the base: "That's the old passage to Ravenholm. We don't go there anymore."
 * If players pass through the town using the Gravity Gun and nothing else (i.e. not using the crowbar or any of their guns), they will earn the "Zombie Chopper" achievement/trophy.

Chapter 7: Highway 17


This is the seventh chapter of Half-Life 2. Freeman is informed that Eli Vance has been taken to Nova Prospekt and sets out on a journey along Highway 17 to rescue him. The player encounters Combine Soldiers for the first time as well as a new type of Xen alien, the Antlions. Colonel Odessa Cubbage is also met in this level, giving Gordon the RPG.

Trivia

 * If the player loses the buggy, either by punting it into the sea with the Gravity Gun or by getting hit by the Razor Train, the message: "Assignment: Terminated. Subject: Freeman. Reason: Failure to preserve mission-critical resources." will be displayed. A similar message occurs if the player punts the buggy into the water after defeating a gunship following him on the highway, or jumps off a cliff. The message says: "Assignment: Terminated. Subject: Freeman. Reason: Demonstration of exceedingly poor judgement".
 * In the picture shown in the chapter selection menu, the Scout Car appears to be held in place with wheel chocks, like in Half-Life 2 Beta.

Chapter 8: Sandtraps


This is the eighth chapter of Half-Life 2. It details the second half of Gordon Freeman's journey to Nova Prospekt. After exiting a Zombie-infested tunnel then crossing through the last part of the coast without the Scout Car, he encounters the first Antlion Guard of the game and is then trained in usage of the Antlion Guard's pheropods. He then continues to the final part of the coast, where he battles many Nova Prospekt guards on his way into the prison. In this level, Antlions become the player's allies because Gordon has the Bugbait.

Trivia

 * The circumstances under which an Antlion will be friendly to the player rather than hostile are determined by the map rather than possession of the pheropods. For instance, even if the player had pheropods during the initial journey across the beach before fighting the first Antlion Guard (through the use of cheats), the Antlions will still attack them regardless.
 * The Spanish name for this level is Bunkers.
 * The name of the chapter is a reference to the golf term Sand Trap, also known as bunkers.
 * The two large pipes coming down along the mountain late in the chapter resemble the pipes in the canyon featured in Surface Tension.
 * There is a glitch which can be used to explore the sandy area without being attacked or chased by Antlions. In order to do this, the player must first defend Sandy, and rush when he says "poor Lazlo", the Antlions will spawn, but the player can ignore them and run until being far away from them. The Antlions will chase Sandy, but Sandy and Lazlo will de-spawn, and the Antlions will simply stand there. As long as the player does not return to the point where Sandy is met, or does not kill Antlions, Antlions will not spawn and the player will be able to freely explore the area without worrying about the Antlions. However, this disables the achievement "Keep Off The Sand" as this will count as the player stepping on the sand.

Chapter 9: Nova Prospekt


This is the ninth chapter of Half-Life 2. In this chapter, Gordon Freeman attacks Nova Prospekt, a Combine base, and a former prison, and breaches its 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.

Trivia

 * If the player escapes the second Antlion Guard encounter without killing it, the Guard will begin searching around the room for them.

Chapter 10: 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. They discover that Dr. Mossman was actually a Combine spy working on Breen's side. Together, they search the prison for Eli Vance and Judith Mossman, all the while fighting off security forces. They split up several times, but finally they reunite to track down Mossman. She teleports herself and Eli out of the facility, getting to the Citadel, forcing Alyx and Gordon to take the risk in using the same teleporter to get back to Kleiner's lab.

Trivia

 * From this chapter onward throughout the rest of the game, no Antlions will appear. Although this renders the primary function of the Bugbait useless, it can still be used for briefly stunning Combine troops.

Chapter 11: Anticitizen One


This is the tenth chapter of Half-Life 2. Upon arriving in Kleiner's Lab after teleporting away from the Depot, Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance discover they have been stuck in a teleport "loop" for a week's time. They find that the teleport caused the destruction of Nova Prospekt, and the blow they struck there was taken as a sign to begin The Uprising. The two factions have been locked in combat for a week and all of City 17 is a warzone. Freeman goes on to aid in the battle, while Alyx remains in Kleiner's Lab to help him escape the city. The player is able to form small squads of citizens to help fight their way through the city towards Barney's location. Near the end of the chapter, Alyx returns to help Gordon but is captured by Combine soldiers and taken to the Citadel.

Chapter 12: "Follow Freeman!"


This is the eleventh chapter of Half-Life 2. In it, Gordon Freeman teams up with Barney and together they lead a battle at the Overwatch Nexus, finally fighting at the foot of the Citadel. This section involves heavy urban combat, aided by resistance members, against Striders, Gunships, and Elite Combine Soldiers.

Trivia

 * The picture belonging to this chapter shown in the chapter selection menu is actually part of Anticitizen One.

Chapter 13: Our Benefactors


This is the twelfth chapter of Half-Life 2. It details Gordon Freeman's infiltration in the Combine Citadel. It is also a playground for the newly charged Gravity Gun, having many Combine Soldiers and Elites to kill.

Trivia

 * The view of City 17 as seen from the Citadel is actually a satellite image of nighttime Brooklyn, NY.
 * The long ride sequence through the Citadel calls back to the opening sequence of the original Half-Life: that of a long sequence through a large facility that is for the most part intact. This idea is completed with the first two chapters of Episode One: a facility seen once fully intact now falling apart due to a large explosion, just like the Resonance Cascade.

Chapter 14: 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. Mossman eventually regrets that she helped Breen, and releases Freeman, Alyx, and Eli. Breen attempts to go to the Dark Energy Reactor at the very top of the Citadel where a portal to the Combine Overworld is opened for him. In the end, Gordon causes the reactor to fail and begin to go critical. The reactor explodes, killing Breen and nearly taking Alyx and Gordon with it. As the reactor detonates, however, the G-Man freezes time and addresses Gordon. He is put back into stasis by the G-Man. The fate of Breen and Alyx is unknown at the ending of this game, but Alyx's fate is revealed in the sequel. In the sequel, Alyx states that she "saw Breen fall", implying his death. However, Breen's fate still remains unrevealed.

Trivia
If the player uses cheats and enters third person mode via console, whilst in the pod, after Mossman appears and while it is moving, it can actually be seen floating in the air. After it stops, it "attaches" to the rail like the rest of them.

Narrative
Like in its predecessors, Gordon never speaks and the player views the action through his eyes only throughout the entirety of Half-Life 2. There are no cutscenes, nor any discontinuities or jumps in time from the player's point of view. Some have criticized these design decisions as narrative holdovers from Half-Life, that effectively limit how much of the backstory is explained. Due to the lack of cutscenes, the player never directly sees what happens in Gordon's absence.

Ultimately, it is not clear to what extent Gordon exists as a separate character outside of the player's influence. Since the start of Half-Life, Valve has made sure that the player's and Gordon's experience are one and the same. An example of Valve's player strategy is shown during the scene in Eli's lab. Investigation of certain props (most notably the newspaper board) triggers Eli to give some explanation to their meaning and history, thus indicating that Gordon presents emotions (or dialogue) that the non-player characters can detect but the player cannot.

The ending of Half-Life 2 is also very similar to that of the original: after completing a difficult task against seemingly impossible odds, Gordon is extracted from reality by the G-Man. Gordon is congratulated and told that "further assignments" should follow. The fates of many of the major characters, such as Alyx, Eli, and Judith, are left unexplored. Very few of the questions raised by Half-Life are answered, and several new ones are presented. The identity and nature of the G-Man remains a mystery. A number of these issues are addressed, however, in the sequel games, Episode One and Episode Two.