Questions about the end of 'Half Life 2' (spoilers for a 20 year old video game)

The Game Room
1

So I picked up ‘Half Life 2’ on sale for a buck over the holidays, and just finished it last night.

I was never much of a gamer until just a few years ago-- that is, I was an arcade rat in the 80s, but totally missed the home video revolution as a young adult in the 90s- early 2000s. So I was totally unfamiliar with, and was pleasantly surprised by, how advanced the graphics and gameplay of this 2004 game are-- not an open world game like, say, the later 3D Fallouts, but the graphics seem almost, if not every bit, as good. Interesting, tight storyline. Nice balance of puzzles and battles. I was excited to get to the final battle and win the game…

Then WTF? I (as scientist Gordon Freeman) am victorious, Alyx runs up to congratulate me and says we have to get out of here before-- then BOOM the place starts to asplode, then freezes. And the G-Man walks up right out of the frozen background and tells my character thanks, but he has plans for me and is going to put me back in stasis. The end (I never played the original Half Life, but I know a little of the lore, and that the G-Man is a mysterious character who put the Gordon Freeman character in stasis for 20 years after the events of the first game. I imagine he’s kind of like ‘Cigarette Smoking Man’ from the X-Files- helps us out at times but is not our friend).

So, if that ending was real then the G-Man can apparently control space and time itself. But if so, then why did he need ‘my’ (Gordon Freeman’s) help at all? And that would seemingly mean that not only do I continue to be a prisoner and slave to the G-Man, but Alyx and her father Dr. Eli are killed. the alternate explanation I thought of is that the whole thing was a simulation, like the Matrix. Interesting concept- kind of a video game within a video game. But still a WTF, unsatisfying ending, and my character is still a slave getting his chain yanked, with the entire storyline I just completed not even having any fictional significance.

So I guess my main question is…WTF? Ok, more specifically, what did those of you who played the game back in the day think of the ending-- was it a letdown? Was it real, or was it all a simulation, Matrix style? I do have the extra chapters, ‘Episode 1’ and ‘Episode 2’, and just started Ep 1, where Vortigauns show up to save the life of Alyx and her father, and spring me (temporarily?) from the G-Man to fight another day. It seemed like a pretty clunky ‘deux ex machina’ stretch to fix the ending and add more gameplay, not that I’m complaining- I didn’t really want the game to end yet.

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It’s been a very long time, so I don’t remember specifics, but there are two worthwhile follow up games in Episode 1 and 2.

3

Thanks! But, not that I blame you at all for not reading to the very end of one of my typically long-winded posts, but I did mention that I do have Episode 1 and 2, and just began Ep 1.

4

Half-life 2 was a revolution in physics, presentation, and overall quality. No one had played anything like that.It wasn’t a let down, but a big cliff hanger. The let down was Episode 1 and then again with Episode 3. The end of Half-life 2 was just time to play more CounterStrike, which Valve wisely bundled in order to drive more sales for Half-life.

5

If by Episode 3 being a let down you mean it was never made.

And neither it nor HL3 will likely ever be made. Marc Laidlaw, who was the main writer for the HL universe left Valve in 2016.

He would release a “fanfiction” of the possible plot of Episode 3 called “Epistle 3” the following year.

He would later regret doing that.

6

Huh. I still guess I figured Half-Life 3 would eventually happen, though they obviously missed their chance to release it in any kind of timely manner.

They did release Half-Life: Alyx, though.

7

I took the ending as exactly in line with the half life product.

I played the living crap out of the original half life. When it came out it was finally the game I’d been waiting for. It presented a cohesive story and level progression that made sense, highly interactive environment, decent scifi narrative, and top notch level design. It was filled with all sorts of magical elements and contrivances that helped the story fit to the gameplay. Being whisked away by the gman fit with all of it. The HL2 ending is completely in line.

Deus ex machina? Its a video game fantasy. Its deus ex machina all the way down, just crafted to a higher level than most others.

I would have really liked to see half life 3. Valve is a strange company the that always does things their own way. You never know with them.

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Hmm…I just checked Steam for that: Released 2020, ‘Overwhelmingly positive’ reviews, nice looking video preview. At $60, I might keep an eye on it and see if it goes on sale sometime. Thanks for the tip!

I mean, I know, and I didn’t play the original Half Life, though as I mentioned I know it ends with the Freeman character being put into stasis for 20 years. And if HL2 had ended with the G-Man showing up at the end and putting Freeman back into stasis, I would have thought ‘bummer’ but not had a ‘WTF’ reaction. My issue was, not only did it end that way, but time and space itself froze mid-explosion, and the G-Man came walking out of the air. Again, as I asked in my OP, WTF is up with that? Either the G-Man has omnipotent power over time and space, in which case why does he even need Freeman, or Freeman was in a Matrix-style simulation and getting ‘reverse Ender’s Gamed’. Neither of those options sits right with me, story-wise. I understand it’s video game sci-fi fantasy, but I still want a cohesive, satisfying story. Which HL2 was, right up until the end (IMHO).

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Just FYI, but I think Alyx is just for VR headsets.

10

Ah crap, you’re right, it is VR only. Thanks!

11

I’m currently playing (and thoroughly enjoying) Halflife: Alyx

I don’t really think of Halflife as having a deep narrative. The story serves a function: it’s good enough to give a great setting and interesting (and unsettling) characters and enemies. But you do have to stretch credulity a bit to imagine that the only way for humans to regain their freedom is for one guy to walk around whacking giant scones with a crowbar (and that this somehow demonstrates his genius). So it’s probably best that they keep it pretty surface level.

I doubt that the games will ever give significant information about the G-man; he’s a mysterious figure who is clearly more than human despite his appearance, who is orchestrating events in a mysterious way. That’s about it AIUI.

12

May I ask a question or two about VR setups then?

I currently like my PC gaming setup with gaming mouse and keyboard. I’ve tried using an X-Box controller and don’t like it nearly as much. Would a VR headset connect with my PC setup, basically just being a replacement for my video screen, or does it require its own gaming controls or gaming system?

What does a good VR setup run $$-wise, ballpark?

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https://vr.space/news/equipment/vr-controllers/

A VR headset will generally come with matching hand controllers, and VR content will expect you to use them.

14

Good questions; there are a few things to be aware of:

  1. There are VR headsets, primarily the oculus quest (also known as meta quest) that are standalone; the GPU, storage etc are contained in the headset. You control most games via the hand controllers.

  2. VR games tend to be shorter / simpler than AAA PC games, and a game like half life alyx needs to be run from a PC with a headset connected. You can use an oculus quest for this, but there are many other hardware options available.

  3. You need a pretty good graphics card to run VR games smoothly; much more beefy than the system requirements for just running halflife 2 on a PC.

  4. Alyx is controlled with the hand controllers, which is much more comfortable for playing VR games. I’ve played at least one game where you could use keyboard and mouse + headset (senua’s sacrifice) and it was awful IME.

Since the release of the quest 3 and quest 3S you can get a quest 2 for under $200, which is perfectly fine for playing the standalone vr titles or functioning as a headset for alyx (the improvements to the quest 3 aren’t all that significant but if you prefer that it’s about double the price).

If your PC is a bit old then you’ll need to upgrade that to play alyx and that’s where most of the cost will be. A suitable graphics card right now will start at approx $300 and you’re talking more like $500 if you want it smooth as butter.

15

VR headsets come with their own controllers. It is by far the superior medium for a first person game such as an FPS or flight sim.

The controller in your hand is your weapon and you aim it just like a gun - by pointing it and looking down the sights. Being able to look around naturally is tremendous.

Its not for everyone, but I love it.

16

Thanks for the VR info! So what I’m getting is that I would need a VR headset and hand controllers, but I would still use my base PC to run it. And, my PC is a couple years old, but was a pretty well spec’ed out gaming PC when I bought it, so I think it would still be sufficient.

Something to think about, maybe around late February when I’m getting cabin fever :slightly_smiling_face:

17

Great and feel free to start a thread if you come close to that decision – I have many gaming and other experiences recommendations for someone starting out in VR.

BTW You’ll definitely find Alyx quite an intense experience if it’s amongst the first games you play. I’ve played plenty of scary games, and alyx still pinged me at times. Not so much for jump scares (though it does have a few) but for the creeping sense of “I don’t want to go in that room / turn that corner”.

18

Half Life is famous for jump scares. Those have got to be much more impactful when your sensorium is completely immersed.

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I currently have the Quest 3 which is the all-rounder of choice right now. The headset is very affordable compared to most other options but there are a number of accessories that are required for an optimal experience.

The standard head strap is awful, so an after market battery headstrap greatly improves comfort and extends cordless play time. To connect it to the computer you need a link cable or a fast dedicated router. There are free options but a lot of people use the virtual desktop app ($25) because it just works so well.

Most people absolutely love HL Alyx, and there is a fairly recent VR mod for HL2 that people are absolutely raving about. Im currently playing Subnautica in VR (using a mod) and is really f***ing cool.

20

Some of this is conjecture based on the established universe:

My guess is the G-Man is not omnipotent, but he does have limited ability to control pockets of time and space. At the end of HL2, he is creating essentially a stasis field around him and Gordon as the citadel explodes. The G-Man has no real concern for human beings, so people dying are no problem. However, Gordon dying would be bad since Gordon has shown to be the most effective and resilient pawn against the enemy the G-Man was hired to stop. (I.e. the Combine.) And it’s in both the G-Man’s best interests and Gordon’s for humanity to succeed at stopping the combine.

As to why the G-Man can’t do it by himself, it’s not made clear. Little is known other than his “employers” are likely the remnants of one or more species that were devastated by the Combine. He also seems to be immune to mental control which makes him a useful mercenary for assisting with taking down the Combine. (Humanity also seems to be immune to mental control which is why Gordon is so useful. The Vortigaunts are overall more powerful than humanity, but they are a very telepathic species which is how Nihilanth was able to enslave them before the first game started. Because Gordon freed them, the Vortigaunts have vowed to assist humanity in any way they can. But while humanity seems to be immune to mind-control, they are easily bargained with and many willingly enter into the Combine’s service.)

Anyway, back to the G-Man. It seems that as a pan-dimensional being, his power to actually accomplish physical acts on those dimensions is practically non-existent. He can warp space time around him, but he can’t shoot a gun or wield a crowbar. He’s very powerful, but that power is of limited scope. He’s got his voice, he’s got his immediate vicinity space-time warp, but that seems to be about it. The Combine has multiple variations of technology from the species they’ve assimilated. The G-Man wouldn’t stand a chance because he can’t improvise and the Combine likely know how to neutralize him.

He wasn’t hired to take down the Combine. He was hired to find people who could. When the humans (accidentally) created the resonance cascade in the first game, he decided to pay a visit to Earth, where he found the perfect tool in Gordan Freeman. Humanity and the G-Man both need to defeat the Combine, so Gordon doesn’t have much choice other than to work with the G-Man.

However, the Vortigaunts are very loyal to Gordon. They are no fans of the G-Man’s manipulations of Gordon. When he’s about to put Gordon in stasis again and allow Alyx to die, they intervene to save both. It takes a bunch of them, though. They aren’t that strong individually, but in larger numbers they boost each other. They also have limited teleport ability, so they get Gordon and Alyx out of the explosion safely.

It’s possible that the Vortigaunts had dealings with the G-Man in the past. The Vortigaunts, like Nihilanth, had to flee the Combine. They fled to Xen where the Nihilanth ended up enslaving them. It’s possible the G-Man was there as well and just observed, when he might have had the power to help free the Vortigaunts. But the G-man had a different job. He only has one goal–to destroy the Combine. The Vortiguants weren’t going to be able to do it. After all, they ran and then got enslaved.