Dr. Breen is alive, but not well.

[Laff]

It seems quite obvious that the reason for this argument is that Laff doesn't want to believe Breen is no longer in human body form. He has an emotional attachment, therefore suspending all logic.

More like because I'm bored. Oh, and Samon, I'd delete this post if I were you because this is obvious flamebait. And I'm QUITE close to taking it.

 

[VortigauntLover]

Raising the bar explains it as a species not unlike humans, who began to depend on the technology it created to live, and it devoured them. The Advisor is the only example of that - it's now a slug, everything you see on it helps it survive.

Indeed. Gordon could probably kill it by taking off that mask.
Anyway, if Breen has become a Combine slug, I hope he makes some sort of speech in Episode Two or something.

"Dr. Freeman, we meet again. I think you realise now what you have done. You have led humanity into destruction! I had hopes that you could learn to accept changes, and welcome the future, so that you could lead the citizens of this planet into a brighter tomorrow. The Universal Union has now deemed that the human race is not worth saving, thanks to you, Dr. Freeman. You have caused tens of thousands of people to die, who could have become something greater, something beyond what we can currently comphrehend. Instead, they are now just fossils in the soil. You have personally killed hundreds of people, and destroyed my human body, forcing me to put my mind into this new body. Now, Dr. Freeman, the Universal Union has ordered you destroyed. I'd prefer not to be around when this area is incinerated."

Yeah, something like that would be cool.

 

[Laff]

Indeed. Gordon could probably kill it by taking off that mask.
Anyway, if Breen has become a Combine slug, I hope he makes some sort of speech in Episode Two or something.

"Dr. Freeman, we meet again. I think you realise now what you have done. You have led humanity into destruction! I had hopes that you could learn to accept changes, and welcome the future, so that you could lead the citizens of this planet into a brighter tomorrow. The Universal Union has now deemed that the human race is not worth saving, thanks to you, Dr. Freeman. You have caused tens of thousands of people to die, who could have become something greater, something beyond what we can currently comphrehend. Instead, they are now just fossils in soil. You have personally killed hundreds of people, and destroyed my human body, forcing me to put my mind into this new body. Now, Dr. Freeman, the Universal Union has ordered you destroyed. I'd prefer not to be around when this area is incinerated."

Yeah, something like that would be cool.

I'd imagine Breen would be incredibly pissed off and take every chance he has to accuse Gordon of dooming the human race.

 

[xirow]

I still don’t understand why Breen needs a host body. Freeman destroyed the teleporter. So Breen isn’t going to be teleporter to the dangerous environment in which he needed a host body in the first place. He couldn’t escape earth, he is trapped here. So why does he still need a host body?

Or am I missing something?

 

[Black Op]

Actually with Breen's delusion, I would think he'd be secretely glad that he has now personally become one with the Universial Union despite having the form of an Advisor. Hopefully his voice and habit of making speeches remains, even if it's odd hearing it from an Advisor. I wonder how VALVe will handle this dilemma?

PS: I wonder how the Combine Advisor unfortunate enough to be Breen's new host handles it?

 

[Asknoone]

I still don’t understand why Breen needs a host body. Freeman destroyed the teleporter. So Breen isn’t going to be teleporter to the dangerous environment in which he needed a host body in the first place. He couldn’t escape earth, he is trapped here. So why does he still need a host body?

Or am I missing something?

Did you see what that explosion did to the tip of the Citadel? It blew it right off, and Breen would have went with it. He took his only remaining option and transported into the host body. Otherwise he'd be blown to smithereens.

 

[Sufferin-rebel]

I'd imagine Breen would be incredibly pissed off and take every chance he has to accuse Gordon of dooming the human race.

Forget that he will use his new found powers to personally kill Freeman.

The BM Incident.. and the Wreckage of the Citadel, His Body and everything he has salvaged over the years. would make Breen hate Gordon Greatly

 

[Asknoone]

Breen spent 20 years managing the Combines assimilation program for humanity. In a matter of days Gordon tore his work down. Breen has a new hate. A Freeman hate.

 

[xirow]

Did you see what that explosion did to the tip of the Citadel? It blew it right off, and Breen would have went with it. He took his only remaining option and transported into the host body. Otherwise he'd be blown to smithereens.

You said 6 hours have passed between the end of HL2 and the beginning of Episode One. That’s plenty of time for Breen to escape.

 

[Asknoone]

Not the tip of the Citadel. That explosion took out the entire top portion of the Citadel when the reactor went up. That's no time for Breen to escape...I mean, look at it:

http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2006/149/reviews/914642_20060530_screen018.jpg

 

[xirow]

Not the tip of the Citadel. That explosion took out the entire top portion of the Citadel when the reactor went up. That's no time for Breen to escape...I mean, look at it:

http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2006/149/reviews/914642_20060530_screen018.jpg

You are right, he had no time to escape the top of the Citadel. What does having a host body change about that?

Transporting his body into a host body doesn’t help him escape the tip of the Citadel in time. So maybe he died in the explosion and the remains of his body where transported into a host body.

Ór he did manage to escape the top of the Citadel somehow and transported his intact body into a host body for same strange reason.

Ór he managed to escape the entire Citadel in time.

Ór he’s dead.

But this would mean Valve didn’t keep their promise about answering the question about Breens fate.

 

[Black Op]

If Breen could have teleported successfully into the Combine world, they would have obviously implanted him into a host body while he was still in that bubble (or else he'd die on site). Apparently the City 17 Citadel provides the same service as well. It's better than staying in that bubble and dying when the meltdown occurs.

 

[CrazyJeepDriver]

I dont think we will be seeing Breen again in his original form... I think his body was destroyed within the Citadel.
We shall see.

 

[kupocake]

I think you're all wrong.

Doctor Breen's fate was to be left in limbo until a time if and when Robert Culp would come back to voice him. That was what I got from the reused footage more than anything else: Culp wasn't available, so neither was Breen!

Seriously though, I do buy the whole "Breen is Advisor Slug" idea, especially as Valve had an Alien transformation in mind in early drafts of the story.

 

[Captain M4d]

More like because I'm bored. Oh, and Samon, I'd delete this post if I were you because this is obvious flamebait. And I'm QUITE close to taking it.

Not flamebait, rather an attempt at psychoanalysis.

 

[Greatgat]

So I do think it was Breen in that Advisor. Here's some of my thoughts.

1. Why would the other Advisors give Breen what they have? Why wouldn't they? He was their main conduit to the humans, their tool, the ADMINISTRATOR to this brand new, still ripe planet with tons of resources to gain. He follows the Combine's mission and apparently he believes in what they are doing. Maybe the Combine realized this, and believed the only thing really holding him back was lack of resources that the Combine held. Hell, there was even a pic in Raising the Bar with a half human, half (dare I say it) Mecha Breen. Maybe this is the legacy that he enters into.

2. If it is true that Breen is now in an Advisor body, then he now has all the powers and abilities of an advisor, like the psychic abilities and what-not. He is able to influence events with enough power to make sure, within an Advisor's means, to make them happen.

3. The transmission. What was in it? I find myself doubting that the Combine seriously need to destroy the entire Citadel just to tell the rest of their race that "Hey, things are a little iffy over here. Little help?"

Who says that information is the only thing going through the portal? Such a massive power surge wouldn't be limited to only a radio (or whatever) signal to the Combine universe. Things, machines, and even Advisors could've been transmitted while the portal was open, couldn't it?

Sure, the gist of the message could've been "SEND SYNTHS!" but why waste an entire Citadel, the vast portion of the Combine's power, just for that?

I can see Breen, with a wealth of new-found power at his hands realizing he can get out and into the seat of ALL Combine power, if he just makes the thing go. He wouldn't care at this point, he's already accepted the consequences of a host-body, and he knows once he gains the powers of an Advisor, he'd be set. He'd be a god from where he is sitting.

So he has the body, he has the power, he has the WILL. Blow up the Citadel to get enough power to send himself over and screw the rest. He has everything he wanted, not for humanity, because surely he doesn't want it for the good of the species. It's always been about what he can get for him. He can get revenge on Freeman at his own pace from now on.





Unless if Freeman gets ahold of a rocket launcher, of course.

 

[TheCheckt]

So I do think it was Breen in that Advisor. Here's some of my thoughts.

1. Why would the other Advisors give Breen what they have? Why wouldn't they? He was their main conduit to the humans, their tool, the ADMINISTRATOR to this brand new, still ripe planet with tons of resources to gain. He follows the Combine's mission and apparently he believes in what they are doing. Maybe the Combine realized this, and believed the only thing really holding him back was lack of resources that the Combine held. Hell, there was even a pic in Raising the Bar with a half human, half (dare I say it) Mecha Breen. Maybe this is the legacy that he enters into.

2. If it is true that Breen is now in an Advisor body, then he now has all the powers and abilities of an advisor, like the psychic abilities and what-not. He is able to influence events with enough power to make sure, within an Advisor's means, to make them happen.

3. The transmission. What was in it? I find myself doubting that the Combine seriously need to destroy the entire Citadel just to tell the rest of their race that "Hey, things are a little iffy over here. Little help?"

Who says that information is the only thing going through the portal? Such a massive power surge wouldn't be limited to only a radio (or whatever) signal to the Combine universe. Things, machines, and even Advisors could've been transmitted while the portal was open, couldn't it?

Sure, the gist of the message could've been "SEND SYNTHS!" but why waste an entire Citadel, the vast portion of the Combine's power, just for that?

I can see Breen, with a wealth of new-found power at his hands realizing he can get out and into the seat of ALL Combine power, if he just makes the thing go. He wouldn't care at this point, he's already accepted the consequences of a host-body, and he knows once he gains the powers of an Advisor, he'd be set. He'd be a god from where he is sitting.

So he has the body, he has the power, he has the WILL. Blow up the Citadel to get enough power to send himself over and screw the rest. He has everything he wanted, not for humanity, because surely he doesn't want it for the good of the species. It's always been about what he can get for him. He can get revenge on Freeman at his own pace from now on.





Unless if Freeman gets ahold of a rocket launcher, of course.

Well if you're wondering why the Citadel exploded like that at the end it's probably because it needed huge amounts of power just to send that transmission to their homeworld. Alyx even said that the explosion was just a side-effect. The state that the Citadel was in of course they would want to send that signal.

I'm also assuming that the Advisor in the Half Life 2 and Episode 1 are completely different Advisors. Why? Because if you look in the model viewer you'll notice that the one in HL2 has white artificial eyes and the one in Episode 1 has green artificial eyes.

I'm not quite sure if this has anything to do with anything, but while the signal was being sent the vortex opened up even further. Bad news? Who knows?

 

[Black Op]

1. Why would the other Advisors give Breen what they have? Why wouldn't they? He was their main conduit to the humans, their tool, the ADMINISTRATOR to this brand new, still ripe planet with tons of resources to gain. He follows the Combine's mission and apparently he believes in what they are doing. Maybe the Combine realized this, and believed the only thing really holding him back was lack of resources that the Combine held. Hell, there was even a pic in Raising the Bar with a half human, half (dare I say it) Mecha Breen. Maybe this is the legacy that he enters into.

Breen may have failed to pacify Earth in the name of the Universial Union, but this was due to special intervention. The Advisors probably realize this, so they gave him another chance as he already has previous experience with Earth Administration. However the fact Breen looses his human body is symbolic of the fact that the Universial Union has no need for a human face for their occupation anymore. My belief is that the powers-that-be decided to not bother with submitting Earth anymore.

3. The transmission. What was in it? I find myself doubting that the Combine seriously need to destroy the entire Citadel just to tell the rest of their race that "Hey, things are a little iffy over here. Little help?"

The first Dark Fusion explosion knocked out all normal communication between the Earth Citadels and the Home Dimension of the Combine. Obviously, things are going VERY wrong if resistance fighters somehow are able to knock out a highly-defended Citadel. In the event of the worst case scenario which happened in City 17, the Combine were smart enough to impliment a way to send a distress signal back to the Home Dimension. Therefore I believe that transmission essentially orders the total annihilation of Earth, and what Alyx intercepted were the 'blueprints' to this retaliation that would obviously be sent to the Home Dimension. Such an intelligence coup would mean the Resistance will know what to expect, and thus the massive efforts by the Overwatch to stop Freeman and Vance at the cost of letting many others escape City 17. According to theoritical Combine doctrine, they'd die sooner or later anyway.

Who says that information is the only thing going through the portal? Such a massive power surge wouldn't be limited to only a radio (or whatever) signal to the Combine universe. Things, machines, and even Advisors could've been transmitted while the portal was open, couldn't it?

The Combine clearly view their occupation resources as expendable, and thus are willing to sacrifice a Citadel when the worst-case scenario occurs. All that's needed is one fail-safe Final Transmission (which is likely a feature of all Citadels) and the Home Dimension would be able to re-establish the link to Earth and send all they got to utterly destroy Earth. At this stage, they'd be no need for a massive Overwatch so they can go the way of the dodo.

Sure, the gist of the message could've been "SEND SYNTHS!" but why waste an entire Citadel, the vast portion of the Combine's power, just for that?

All other communication had been knocked out with the Dark Fusion reactor's destruction. The Citadel's self-destruction was their contingency plan. Plus there's at least 16 other Citadels on Earth if there's one for each remaining urban center.

I can see Breen, with a wealth of new-found power at his hands realizing he can get out and into the seat of ALL Combine power, if he just makes the thing go. He wouldn't care at this point, he's already accepted the consequences of a host-body, and he knows once he gains the powers of an Advisor, he'd be set. He'd be a god from where he is sitting.

So he has the body, he has the power, he has the WILL. Blow up the Citadel to get enough power to send himself over and screw the rest. He has everything he wanted, not for humanity, because surely he doesn't want it for the good of the species. It's always been about what he can get for him. He can get revenge on Freeman at his own pace from now on.

Unless if Freeman gets ahold of a rocket launcher, of course.

Knowing Breen, I feel that he'll feel remorse that humanity is set to be utterly destroyed. I hope he doesn't go the route of "You fools, you refused to obey me! Prepare to die!" like other cliche villians. Let Breen hunt Freeman to the ends of the Universe, but it should be made clear that Breen is motiviated by how Freeman doomed the entire human race. It fits rather well with the HL1 theme of you having responsibility in dooming Black Mesa, which didn't sit well with the Human Grunts.

 

[enthused]

good ****. This all seems very plausible.

 

[B_MAN]

mmm yes it would appear so wouldnt it

 

[Flyingdebris]

i like black op's take on the matter, because it would mean one thing and one thing only. A second 7 hour war type war

Only they won't accept a surrender this time. Which means we get to play out complete and utter epic awesomeness

 

[Glenn the Great]

Breen's human body was probably engulfed in the explosion, and the Advisors had no choice but to psychicallly pull his soul out of his body and put it into a slug in the split second before his death.

 

[Victor2]

Holy damn!!!!!!! It makes sense!!!!!! Holy shit, this totally changes the game.

 

[VortigauntLover]

Breen's human body was probably engulfed in the explosion, and the Advisors had no choice but to psychicallly pull his soul out of his body and put it into a slug in the split second before his death.

Yeah, I think that was Samon was talking about. Not a very pleasant experience it would seem. Being engulfed by flames, then falling unconcious and realising you have been put in the body of a large slug. Even with the added psychic powers I don't think Breen will be very happy about being a slug.

 

[Glenn the Great]

Even with the added psychic powers I don't think Breen will be very happy about being a slug.

Yeah, I can believe that! Those must have been some serious hate vibes he was sending you when he sensed you in the room with him.

 

[UltimaApocalypse]

I am very sure there are multiple advisors.

At the very end, when the citadel is about to explode, many pods pass you by. And every time a pod passed me by, I got the same red torture sequence from the Advisor-Citadel sequence.

 

[bigburpco]

I am very sure there are multiple advisors.

At the very end, when the citadel is about to explode, many pods pass you by. And every time a pod passed me by, I got the same red torture sequence from the Advisor-Citadel sequence.

Was waiting for somebody to point that out. :smoking:

 

[Black Op]

Funny how I never got the red torture sequence at the end then in my EP1 version..... <_<

 

[operative lm]

Really? Your Episode One is defective then.

 

[Asknoone]

3. The transmission. What was in it? I find myself doubting that the Combine seriously need to destroy the entire Citadel just to tell the rest of their race that "Hey, things are a little iffy over here. Little help?"

Who says that information is the only thing going through the portal? Such a massive power surge wouldn't be limited to only a radio (or whatever) signal to the Combine universe. Things, machines, and even Advisors could've been transmitted while the portal was open, couldn't it?

Sure, the gist of the message could've been "SEND SYNTHS!" but why waste an entire Citadel, the vast portion of the Combine's power, just for that?

It's just one Citadel though. It's about what, one out of thirty left on the planet? It's already in a critical state due to the prior explosion. You've got a city in ruins. No working portals on Earth and no communications to and from the planet. They needed to get that transmission out (which will be something to do with Gordon). Destroying one Citadel, that is already damaged, and will take out some of the resistanve, is not going to be a problem for them.

Breen's human body was probably engulfed in the explosion, and the Advisors had no choice but to psychicallly pull his soul out of his body and put it into a slug in the split second before his death.

Would they bother though? Breen's failed, it's unlikely they'd care. I'm pretty sure it was Breen's doing the whole host body thing.

 

[Ipwnthenoobs]

It's just one Citadel though. It's about what, one out of thirty left on the planet? It's already in a critical state due to the prior explosion. You've got a city in ruins. No working portals on Earth and no communications to and from the planet. They needed to get that transmission out (which will be something to do with Gordon). Destroying one Citadel, that is already damaged, and will take out some of the resistanve, is not going to be a problem for them.

1 out of 42. Thats probably only in around the area they are in tho. Id imagine every major city across the world would have a citadel so 100 + easily.

 

[bigburpco]

It's just one Citadel though. It's about what, one out of thirty left on the planet? It's already in a critical state due to the prior explosion. You've got a city in ruins. No working portals on Earth and no communications to and from the planet. They needed to get that transmission out (which will be something to do with Gordon). Destroying one Citadel, that is already damaged, and will take out some of the resistanve, is not going to be a problem for them.

Didn't it say somewhere that City 17 has the largest Citadel; like a base Citadel?

 

[mbuchkre]

For me, it was clear that the advisor with the "telepathic attack" was Breen : the scene clearly indicates that. And more, I believe that waht Alyx stole from the citadel is nothing more than Breen's mind. It would explain why the combine want absolutely to recover it : just remember when one of the advisor attack when you flee city 17. Breen : "See what I've become, I'll have my revenge..."

 

[UltimaApocalypse]

I have no idea what the hell you're talking about.

 

[Black Mesa corp]

Didn't it say somewhere that City 17 has the largest Citadel; like a base Citadel?

The citedal in City17 is the base of operations. It's certainly the main one, don't know about largest one.

 

[kupocake]

The citedal in City17 is the base of operations. It's certainly the main one, don't know about largest one.

It's Breen's base of Operations. If the Citadels do contain Advisors and other unseen Combine assets, it would make sense to have them based elsewhere because Breen's Citadel was always the one going to be targeted by the Resistence. Also, we know nothing about the situation in other parts of the world. Breen may just be a Figurehead, one of many. Other cities may have other human faces pulling the strings.

 

[Kouler]

Breen is Earths representative

 

[Glenn the Great]

Would they bother though? Breen's failed, it's unlikely they'd care. I'm pretty sure it was Breen's doing the whole host body thing.

Breen had pretty much failed completely before the Advisors suggested a host body for him. They still had enough interest in him at that point to keep him alive.

 

[Asknoone]

For me, it was clear that the advisor with the "telepathic attack" was Breen : the scene clearly indicates that. And more, I believe that waht Alyx stole from the citadel is nothing more than Breen's mind. It would explain why the combine want absolutely to recover it : just remember when one of the advisor attack when you flee city 17. Breen : "See what I've become, I'll have my revenge..."

Don't be silly.

And yeah, I doubt there's any other human figureheads. Breen is the Administrator and human face of Earth - every Combine city.

 

[TheDan]

Perhaps the bubble Breen was in protected him from the explosion of the teleporter. It was protecting him from whatever hazards Gordon was exposed to, it's possible it managed to save him from the blast. Maybe he took a little bit of damage but at least there'd be something left of him to do something with.