Half-Life 2 Theories and Observations *Spoilers*

Well the Overwatch where gas masks, of which the headcrabs cant penetrate
 
About these Combines, somebody mentioned they we're a mix of man, ape or something (sprayed on a wall somewhere).

I thought they represented the stages of evolution, Ape coming first, followed by Man (so far so good) and then the modified version, the supposedly stronger, ''perfect'' race that Breen wants to create - the Combine.

Anybody know which one is correct?

(btw how many times does that spray appear? I've seen it three times)


*EDIT*

Another thing I'm wondering about the Combines: Some insist on believing they are humans, simply dressed up in those uniforms and given weapons.

Isn't the case such as they are aliens, or at least ''modified'' human beings, since they have these weird holes in their neck/throat (?), gas masks (for what seems to be no reason at all) and they are kept in metallic chambers @ the Citadel a la Matrix?
 
Maybe the combine modified the humans so they no longer have lungs and are constantly sucking in air so the soldiers dont need to take breathers. The masks are there to filter the air coming in.
But what has the combine really lost. They used humans against humans and the resources used were pulled from earth. They may have lost the citadels since they popped out of nowhere which shows that they teleported here.
 
Well, it appears that the Combine troops ARE modified so the respirator is grafted directly onto their faces. Metrocops (the early ones) are still purely human with removable gas masks (Barney is one example. Citizens speak about joining the Metrocops too.) So, it appears the higher in the hierachy you go, the more 'modified' you become... wouldn't surprise me if Combine Elites literally wear their suits like a second skin... because it is.
 
I think this is a great thread! Some great theories! :)

I have a thought on the reason why the G-Man uses Gordon. Idology...

The resistance need a crusader, a figurehead but also a leader. Someone to lead them into battle. Would they be so taken with someone "placed" in the role or a person who rose within the resistance to that level..? Not as much as the "legendary" Gordon Freeman from Black Mesa.

While Gordon may be almost a "gun for hire" to the G-Man, I feel the G-Man understands the human connection that Gordon has. He's not alien, he's not robot or another race. He is a human and as such has a connection embedded within that, that all human resistance can identify with.

The "one free man". The man part is important. He is a man and completely human.
 
Well, Gordon is still legendary, and I strongly doubt the Resistance wouldn't have been motivated if he was an alien/robot/anything else. C'mon, he saved the world in a day and here he comes to help you: Does it really matter how he look? Of course, being human is a bonus but still...
 
Cons Himself said:
But it is never hinted at in HL2 that Breen knows the Gman, or that anyone else does for that matter
Click to expand...

At the end it is hinted that Breen knows of the G-Man. He states that he doesnt need Vance anymore to control the Resistance because he can use Gordon, basically because he has contacted G man about using Gordon for his own ends.
He states 'Gordon is a fine pawn for those who control him' and how his contract 'is open to the highest bidder'.

G-Man says the same thing when he talks you - he states he has had 'some interesting offers for your services' meaning Breen.

In Highway 17 you also see G Man talking to Colonel Odessa, so he also has contacts with the Resistance
 
I believe he sells that RPG to the Resistance, thus they had to know Gordon was coming? aamof, EVERYBODY except Gordon himself knows he's coming..Guessing G-man spilled the beans quite good.
 
ranmafan said:
Well, it appears that the Combine troops ARE modified so the respirator is grafted directly onto their faces. Metrocops (the early ones) are still purely human with removable gas masks (Barney is one example. Citizens speak about joining the Metrocops too.) So, it appears the higher in the hierachy you go, the more 'modified' you become... wouldn't surprise me if Combine Elites literally wear their suits like a second skin... because it is.
Click to expand...

This is what I've gathered from playing through twice. I'm pretty sure this is correct.
 
Why hasnt anyone mentioned that after you part with the resistance, after you park your car, you can see a COMBINE DROPSHIP flying away with the car? I find this weird.
 
Because as soon as you move on past the light house to 'Sand Traps' you hear gunfire and a Combine soldier takes potshots at you from the cliffs above. Assume that the friendly outpost you just defended and left was over-run by Combine reinforcements, the resistance personnel were killed, and your dune buggy was confiscated.
 
Has anyone listened to Breen talking to the adviser at the end of the game? He's complaining about how he couldn't survive where they want to send him and says something about "another host body" I'm wondering if maybe Breen himself isn't human. It happens after you get out of the elevator and start heading towards the dark energy control room.

Personally when they took the buggy I was hoping that you would get it back later so you could drive around more but sadly this didn't happen.

Also this may seem like a weird tip but After I got done the first time I went back though and turned the voice only captions on so that you can read everything they say so you don't miss hear something.
 
Couple of things involving g-man which haven't been mentioned too often:

1) There's a tv set on top on some rubble in the chapter (i think it's 'follow freeman') inside a building block showing g-man raising his hand to his heart on some sort of podium. Then it goes off. Strangely the tv has no power lead.. Still, another g-man sighting. Maybe this shows he's part of the occupying powers, since they control the tv stations..

2) At the end of half-life 1, G-man says that xen is under their control now. Possibly he refers to his human allies, a view backed up by the tanks and hardware you see. But maybe he refers to the combine? The combine control of earth and the appearance of the vorti..things there suggests that xen must be under combine control by the time of HL2.

I'm not going to claim g-man works for the combine though..That seems contradictory.
 
not sure if anyone has mentioned this but:

1STLY: end of hl1 when ure warping around wid da gman, he takes you to xen and says "the border world xen is in our control, for now" maybe meaning he alreadly knows that xen will be captured???

2ndly: when u arrive in hl2 and u see breen he says "it looked like..gordon freeman" and later he mentions that u didnt know you contract was open to the highest bidder, this means that a)the combine and breen know that u survive black mesa, and that ure are still around, b)is breen attempting to offer u a contract to work for the combine, as alyx and eli seem pretty keen to shut breen up, maybe something has happened that everyone apart from you knows about,maybe the whole world, resistance, citizens and combine know about what you did in black mesa and xen.

maybe......
 
here's a wild idea:
the gman sends you to disrupt the combine effort on earth and plans to rescue to you after you blow up the citidel. but what he doesnt count on happening is alyx falling for you??? so when he comes at the end and sees alyx and walks over to her, i suspect he is thinking whether he can ure alyx to his advantage to continue making you work for him???

any comments on this theory???
 
Anyone remember seeing the combine face mask under an "xray" type machine in black mesa east lab? Also the Breen comment about another host is interesting. Parasite type control seems to be an ongoing theme. Maybe those "big" combine entities really aren't that big but are small worm type parasites.
 
Wow, it took me 2 hours to read all of that!

It's all very interesting and most of it is starting to make a little bit of sence.

Now, just in response to this message...

Snorri said:
Then in Half-Life 2, G-man says "Wake up, Gordon, smell the ashes" (hinting to what had happened on Earth while you had been "sleeping") and you wake up on a train, where one of the passengers says "Gordon? Where did you get on?".
Click to expand...

Correction. That passenger did not say "Gordon". He just said to him "I didn't see you get on". So, no one knew it was Gordon right from the start, with exception of the G-man of course.
 
Great reading guys. ;)
Here's my question:

At the beginning of HL2, you are supposed to be teleported to Eli's lab. During the process, Lamarr interferes and messes up the teleporter somehow. OK...that's good and all, but why the hell did you end up teleporting to Breen's office?

During this sequence we hear Mossman say something like, "there's something pulling him away". We also hear Kliener say, "I'm encountering unexpected interference". I doubt all of this was caused by Lamarr.

This was one of the things that puzzled me from the start of HL2. Why were you teleported to Breen's office? Out of all the places in the universe it seems weird you would end up in front of Breen. Maybe the Gman interfered somehow. He wanted Breen to know that Freeman was back? Hmmmm.....I really have no theories on this one and hoping someone can shed some light on the subject.
 
Huge plot hole by Valve. You mean that the world's army couldn't overtake the citadels with tanks and war machines, but a simple resistance group can, only armed with guns and 'nades ?

Lame...
 
There wasn't any real human army cause it's defeated in the 7 hour war. The rebellion didn't really defeat the combine. The fighting was still going on as u entered the citadel. We don't know if the combine WAS defeated at the end. We only prevented Breen's escape and probably killed him.
 
Chapstick said:
Great reading guys. ;)
Here's my question:

At the beginning of HL2, you are supposed to be teleported to Eli's lab. During the process, Lamarr interferes and messes up the teleporter somehow. OK...that's good and all, but why the hell did you end up teleporting to Breen's office?

During this sequence we hear Mossman say something like, "there's something pulling him away". We also hear Kliener say, "I'm encountering unexpected interference". I doubt all of this was caused by Lamarr.

This was one of the things that puzzled me from the start of HL2. Why were you teleported to Breen's office? Out of all the places in the universe it seems weird you would end up in front of Breen. Maybe the Gman interfered somehow. He wanted Breen to know that Freeman was back? Hmmmm.....I really have no theories on this one and hoping someone can shed some light on the subject.
Click to expand...

it was by pure chance! can't u see that he teleported to random places in the area??
 
Adrien C said:
Huge plot hole by Valve. You mean that the world's army couldn't overtake the citadels with tanks and war machines, but a simple resistance group can, only armed with guns and 'nades ?

Lame...
Click to expand...

If you have a look at real resistance .. 'nam .. Iraq .. you'll find that formidable enemies have huge amounts of trouble getting rid of insurgents from within. Fish through water. Even with the advanced weapons the Combine is sure to have, they can't nuke their own bases.

Besides, it was Breen, not the Army generals, who negotiated Earth's surrender.

- jondy
 
SLickz said:
it was by pure chance! can't u see that he teleported to random places in the area??
Click to expand...

I highly doubt that by pure chance, you teleported into Breen's office directly in front of Breen. Something or someone (Gman maybe) had to of directed you there. Again, the quotes by Mossman and Kliener also indicate that there was some other force pulling you away or interfering with the teleportation.
 
The Combine's full forces were probably used in the 7 hour war when they took over Earth. Once the citadels are were place and the Combine were in control, slowly converting the remaining humans, do you think they really needed their massive army in place? They've probably moved elsewhere in the universe taking over another planet. On top of that, the rebels weren't even necessarily winning, but they were putting up a fight - enough of a fight for you to sneak in. The combine were still sending out their forces when you are travelling through the inside of the citadel, we can see the troops, ships, and walkers getting ready.

And on top of that... you're Gordon frikkin Freeman! Once they hear you're back and what you've done already, the rebellion begins again. You help unite them and give them hope, so of course the resistance will do well. It's a dramatic effect, not a realistic one.
 
A couple little things that bother me...

Why was Gordon being rushed to Eli's so quickly at Kleiner's lab? How was he going to "jeapordise everything they've worked for"? Also, during the same scene, Kleiner's reading the new features list for the HEV, and then he says "oh dear" and that snippet of music kicked in, with Barney saying 'we don't have time for this". Why not? Did I miss something? What's with the rush?

When in Nova Prospekt, Breen says over the tannoy that they could have easily captured Eli during the last 5 years. Well then, why didn't they?
 
In another thread, someone states that G-man appears more often in part 1 than in part 2. What I also noticed is that in HL1 he seems to observe you (Gordon), as if you're in a test situation, whereas in HL2 he doesn't pay attention to you but talks to others or is seen on a (tv) screen.
Btw, I don't support the idea of him being some god-like being - gods don't carry briefcases; he's more like someone's secretary...

I also doubt that the Combine's goal is to enslave mankind. They're systematically destroying stalkers (previously known as human beings) in the Citadel (which Gordon can see for himself by stepping into the wrong carriage).
 
KagePrototype said:
A couple little things that bother me...

Why was Gordon being rushed to Eli's so quickly at Kleiner's lab? How was he going to "jeapordise everything they've worked for"? Also, during the same scene, Kleiner's reading the new features list for the HEV, and then he says "oh dear" and that snippet of music kicked in, with Barney saying 'we don't have time for this". Why not? Did I miss something? What's with the rush?
Click to expand...
there are sounds that indicate the combine are looking for gordon
the combine being around when a huge powersurge powers the teleporter would tip them off and 'jeopardize everything they've worked for'

When in Nova Prospekt, Breen says over the tannoy that they could have easily captured Eli during the last 5 years. Well then, why didn't they?
Click to expand...
they couldn't have, it's big talk
 
Interesting theories.

I don’t really know what to make of all this. This isn’t really my field and I am I no meaning a games expert. This game, and Bloodlines, is the first I’ve played in a very long time, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised, because it was in fact, both pleasant and surprising (i just had to ;)).

I did play the first part of this game, and it did feel like you had an objective. The second part feels like you just get thrown into it and never really know what the bigger picture is. You never get a chance to take one step back and see what all the connected dots looks like from a distance.
I don’t know if this is good or bad. It all depends on what the next, and concluding (I hope), chapter looks like. I hope the writers know what they are doing, because they could create something remarkable out of this, but sadly, the odds are they wont. I'd hate to see a third part with an open ending.


Cpl_Facehugger said:
First post. :)

Anyway, when I saw that particular scene, I just kind of assumed that Alyx and Eli don't want Gordon working for Breen because that would mean the end of the resistance. I mean, it would be a huge blow to morale if your saivor, if your 'one free man' went over to the enemy side. And since morale is pretty much the glue that holds most resistance groups together...

(Although, given the other 1984 references in the game, I wouldn't be surprised if Gordon does in fact do a few odd jobs for the Combine in HL3.)
Click to expand...


I don’t think that makes a whole lot of sense. I think the earlier poster hit it on the head. Breen probably knew something that Alyx and Eli didn’t want Freeman to know. I really don’t think that they would be so sceptic to Freeman’s loyalty. I mean, look at what he has done. He is after all, "the one free man".

I have studied Film Science, and I still do. And there is one thing I can tell you with certainty: If something is there, its there for a reason.

Take the crowbar for example, there’s a reason Barney gives it to you. He says you left it in Black Mesa, and maybe it is the one, maybe not. But more importantly, it has great symbolic value. It is very clearly a symbol of the struggle, and it then seem probable that he was "hired" by the resistance (or maybe not hired, maybe the resistance is just a tool of the Gman...). Barney impersonates the resistance, and by handing over the crowbar to Freeman, it tells us that the "resistance" is giving Freeman a mission.

On another matter, I must ask: Am I the only one that thinks that the Gman is human?
And, being the hopeless romantic I am: I sure as hell hope Alyx survived (DOG too!).

But, if we continue along this road it may lead to a somewhat disappointing end. If the promotion pictures is something to go on, it shows Freeman struggling alone (crowbar and HEV suit) and hints that this is the story about one man and his struggle. But at the same time, several of the characters in Half-Life, in fact most of them, reappeared in Half-Life 2. Of course, this may all be absolutely coincidental, because the promotion art may not have anything to do with things, just a bit overanalysation. :p

Finally, what’s up with this in games? Why can’t the main characters speak? I find it odd and a little disturbing to be honest.
 
jimmyjam said:
they couldn't have, it's big talk
Click to expand...


they could have. mossman was working for breen and the combine. for very long time she was like a double agent.

and they didnt apprehend eli yet because:

as was said when u find out mossman working for breen when u and alyx watch her on screen to breen, she says she was going to deliver gordon and so the combine set this up to catch gordon.

but also with the things mossman boasts about in black mesa east after u arrive she says that the work eli and dr.kliener are doing with entanglement which is a better form of teleporting which the combine dont know yet. and if the combine knew the entanglement teleportation then they would be too powerful.

if she was really working for the combine as an agaent then this is a reason why the combine did not apprehend eli, to let him atually research things that the combine dont know.
as she says again in breens citadel before end "what we neeed to do is let eli continue with his work"

but then she sees sense knows were her real loyalties are and gives breen the kick in the ass.
 
breen didn't trust mossman: if he couldn't even wait for gordon to be properly in the trap, why would he wait for gordon to come on the scene at all?
if mossman's been a double agent for 5 years, and gordon's only been in city 17 for 3 days (+ a week), it doesn't add up at all
 
jimmyjam said:
breen didn't trust mossman: if he couldn't even wait for gordon to be properly in the trap, why would he wait for gordon to come on the scene at all?
if mossman's been a double agent for 5 years, and gordon's only been in city 17 for 3 days (+ a week), it doesn't add up at all
Click to expand...


breen did not wait to trap freeman i know that, he could not wait or to take a chance so the combine acted before he was trapped by mossman. but that is only a point i brought up to affront the other issue.

one of the reeasons why the combine through mossman has know about and let eli and black mesa east to continue working.

but the most important reason is as i also said- to let eli resaerch the teleporting that the combine havent got and then steal it when its ready.
 
two questions from my side :1. the headcrab, Lamar, was it - was harmless, how and why thus, could they be controlled....?


2. if the whole world was annexed - where did the volunteers come from to fight for combined...?
 
About DetN8R's post

Just after you play catch with Dog, and chase after alex through the hallway (when the rubble seperates you) if you watch through the gap for a few seconds, you can see the (forgot their name) electricity shooting creatures from HL1 that appear docile now to be attack someone (or something) with the old green lightning attack
 
Chapstick said:
I highly doubt that by pure chance, you teleported into Breen's office directly in front of Breen. Something or someone (Gman maybe) had to of directed you there. Again, the quotes by Mossman and Kliener also indicate that there was some other force pulling you away or interfering with the teleportation.
Click to expand...

that and it happened twice
 
kreizi said:
two questions from my side :1. the headcrab, Lamar, was it - was harmless, how and why thus, could they be controlled....?


2. if the whole world was annexed - where did the volunteers come from to fight for combined...?
Click to expand...


1. i thought he said something about i being de-clawed. You know later when he's trying to get it to jump on his head and warns gordon that it may jump on gordons head. Control? I think the game demonstrates he doesn't have control at all over it... it's just "harmless".
 
Earth is only a small part of the bigger picture, there is an intergalatic war being fought between two alien races one that we know of but the other obviously chooses to represent its self in human form as in G-Man and has aquired Gordons services (how could you not be impressed by his exploits in the first game and after seeing the rebels struggle he offers gordans services to them since they have a common goal) to prevent his enemies from forming an alliance with Earth and strengthing their forces. I am almost sure that in the end G-man will show his true form when this is all done and dusted.
 
This is my friend, Gunman's thoughts (copied straight from our clan's forums):

The Combine
-------------------
The Combine is built of:

1. The mastermind
2. The Combine advisors
3. The controllers
4. The Combine army
5. The slaves (I'm not sure where to put them... Lets just say they're also a part of the Combine...)

The mastermind
-----------------------
The guy who planned the whole thing.
Nothing is known about him yet.

The Combine advisors
--------------------------------
Looks like they're very wise, and they give advises to all other members of the Combine.
They aren't bio-mechanical but they really depend on the technology.
At the end of HL2 you can see Dr. Breen talking to one of them.

The controllers
---------------------
They traded their own kind and joined the Combine, and as a reward they got the rights and power to control the Combine army, and the planets conquered by the Combine.
Dr. Breen, and the Nihilanth were the controllers of Earth and Xen.
As far as I know, they aren't bio-mechanical creatures.

The Combine army
---------------------------
These creatures serve the Combine.
They aren't a race, they are bio-mechanical edition of a race. (Improved and trained for their missions)
Some of them are trained for fighting, others are just cops.
The human-like soldiers in HL2 are a part of the Combine army, they are bio-mechanical edition of humans.
The Xen soldiers with armour and a wierd gun on their hands are also a part of the Combine, and they are bio-mechanical edition of god-knows-what. (Maybe vorts?)
(I think they are eddition of something, because Xen belongs to the vorts and they were the only intelligent creatures on that planet. The headcrabs, houndeyes and others are just pets and animals, but the Xen soldiers weren't vorts and they were intelligent creatures.)

The slaves
---------------
The slaves are the civilians of the conquered planets.
The Combine turn them into slaves and take some of them to prisons and then turns them into the Combine army.

The goals of the Combine
-------------------------------------
1. Conquer the universe.
2. Accelerate "evolution".

City 17
----------
After the Combine conquered Earth, they divided it into parts starting from City 1 to City ?, so they could control it more easily.

The 7 hour was
----------------------
When the Combine invaded Earth, the humans were fighting with them until Breen didn't make the surrender.
The war ended after 7 hours.

G-Man
----------
G-Man is not a man, nor works for the government. (The Nihilanth tells you that.)
G-Man is from a very intelligent race wich knows the secrets of time and space.
He works for somekind of intergalactical anti-combine organization, and is trying to stop the Combine.

G-Man's role in the HL story
----------------------------------------
The G-Man was sent to Earth by his employers.
He took over the body of a very important US government man to get control of the army.
G-Man knew about the resonance cascade and its consequences, and tried to stop it.
First he went to Black Mesa and tried to tell the scientists to cancel the experiment.

(You can see him arguing with scientists several times.)

It seems the scientists belived him, and even predicted the resonance cascade, but Dr. Breen, the administrator, didn't listen.

(Sometimes you can hear the scientists say "I tried to warn them, but the administator just would not listen...")

After the resonance cascade, G-Man sends in the army, in order to kill the scientists and anybody who knows too much, to kill all resistance (aliens), and take over Xen.

(At the end of HL, when the G-Man teleports you, you can see destroyed tanks and dead human soldiers on Xen.)

Most of the army was supposed to do the dirty job (fight with the Xen army) while corporal Adrian Shepard was supposed to kill the Nihilanth, who was controling Xen aliens,
but Gordon Freeman was ruining G-Man's plan, was killing the army, and was getting closer and closer to the teleporter and Xen.
The G-Man was controlling the army so he sent highly trained assassins to get rid of Freeman.
He freaked off and decided to blow up the whole facility using a nuke, and to destroy the teleporter gates.

Shepard's role in the HL story
-------------------------------------------
I think Shepard was supposed to kill the Nihilanth, and not Freeman. In Opposing Force, when all the other soldiers run away, G-Man leaves him in the facility.
He also got Shepard's name on the training list to get Shepard trained.
When playing Opposing Force, you can see Freeman enters the teleporter seconds before you do.
After that, G-Man's employers decide Shepard is useless now, and want to kill you. G-Man have mercy on him, and puts him in jail. ("A place where you won't be able to hurt anybody, and nobody will be able to hurt you...")

Dr. Breen's important role in HL and HL2
----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Breen was the administrator of Black Mesa.
I'm not sure about that, but I think he was working with the Combine from the very beginning and helped them with they're very carefully planned invasion.
I think he planned the resonance cascade 'cause the Combine prommised him power.
By the resonance cascade, he helped them to get to Earth with the teleporters he created from the invaded Xen to Earth.
Thats why he didn't care when the scientists told him about the risk.
Or maybe the death of one of their controllers, the Nihilanth, caught the Combine's attension and they decided to 'pay Gordon a visit',
And Breen became a traitor only after the Combine invaded Earth, and caused the humans to surrender in the 7 hours war.
In HL2 he really got the promised powers.
 
-------------------------------------------
I think Shepard was supposed to kill the Nihilanth, and not Freeman. In Opposing Force, when all the other soldiers run away, G-Man leaves him in the facility.
He also got Shepard's name on the training list to get Shepard trained.
When playing Opposing Force, you can see Freeman enters the teleporter seconds before you do.
After that, G-Man's employers decide Shepard is useless now, and want to kill you. G-Man have mercy on him, and puts him in jail. ("A place where you won't be able to hurt anybody, and nobody will be able to hurt you...")
Click to expand...

I disagree with most of that, because as valve has stated they just let gearbox go ahead and make shepard, he doesnt fit significantly into the story really.

But otherwise great theory :D

City 17
----------
After the Combine conquered Earth, they divided it into parts starting from City 1 to City ?, so they could control it more easily.
Click to expand...

They did it because it already laid out for them, during the xen invasion (not combine) people flocked to major cities for survival...the combine just trapped them in...plsu the rest of the world is a wasteland
 
just finished the game, either there will be a hl3 or an expansion, otherwise its the dumbest ending ever.

Also - in first post there was stated, that G-man is a Major player. But the ending made me doupt that it is so. why? because he says : in the end '.... Im not in liberty to say' . If he would say that its not yet good time to reveal or something int those line then I would agree him beeing a major player. But since he take orders from others, then he is not that much of a power player, just maybe with power abilities... someone else is still pulling the strings.
 
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