- "Out in the field? I'm not going out in the field! I'm a radio operator!"
- ―Resistance radio operator[src]
The AR3 (Assault Rifle 3) is a non-existent weapon referred to in a conversation between some Resistance members at White Forest. It is also presumably intended to be the successor to the AR2, due to the similarities in their names.
Overview[]
The scene in Episode Two.
The radio operator arguing.
When Gordon, Alyx, and Dog get into White Forest, they are greeted by MIRT, and must then meet with Eli Vance and Isaac Kleiner. Before the meeting, they come across some Rebels and a refugee (the radio operator), who were sitting around another standing Rebel, who was explaining how the Combine AR2 works and how it can be useful against Hunters.
Early into the lecture, the radio operator, clearly inexperienced in combat but not willing to show it (and probably wanting to impress the girl next to him, since he keeps looking at her while talking) interrupts the explanation to claim that:
- While he has never used an AR2, he did use an AR3 back in City 17, which was "lousy" with them.
- He (and other "city folks") defeated Hunters with their bare hands. He claimed he was killing 10 to 20 a day back then.
The other Rebel dismisses his stories as made up, and gets upset when the radio operator says he won't go out to the field because of his position. The Rebel refuses to resume the AR2 explanations unless the radio operator leaves, which he does not. Their fates are unknown, but it can be assumed that both the Rebel and the radio operator survived the attack, with the latter's survival due to the fact that he didn't go out in the field.
Transcript[]
- Rebel: So have you ever used an AR2 before?
- Refugee: AR2? Nooo... Now, an AR3, sure. plenty of times.
- Rebel: There is no such thing as an AR3.
- Refugee: Well, see, in the city...the place was lousy with AR3s.
- Rebel: No it wasn't.
- Refugee: Yes it was.
- Rebel: No it wa- So, do you know what the alternative fire method does on the AR2? It kills Hunters. How did you city folk kill Hunters?
- Refugee: We sure as hell didn't use guns. We would just wrestle Hunters to the ground with our bare hands. I used to kill ten-twenty a day, just using my fists.
- Rebel: So, when you're out in the field, you're going to be punching Hunters?
- Refugee: Out in the field? I'm not going out in the field! I'm a radio operator!
- Rebel: (groan) That's it. Leave. You don't have to be here and I'm not going to continue the lesson until you leave.
- Refugee: I'm staying right here.
- Rebel: I am serious, leave.
- Rebel: I'm not going to continue until you leave.
Behind the scenes[]
Apart from its humor, this scene is also intended to indicate to players who had not yet discovered that the AR2's secondary fire is effective against Hunters. The lines at the end also hint to the player that nothing else will be said and that they, too, should leave and go to the next room to continue the story.
Trivia[]
- Adam Baldwin voices the Rebel attempting to prove the AR3 does not exist.
List of appearances[]
- Half-Life 2: Episode Two (First appearance) (Mentioned only)
