Half-Life 2 verus 1984

GiaOmerta

GiaOmerta

Spy
Joined
Nov 12, 2004
Messages
647
Reaction score
0
I believe Half-Life 2 and the book 1984 are very similar.

Dr. Breen the so called Counsel is the 'Big Brother' figure.

The Combine are similiar to the Thought Police, except the Combine seems to act in full force, while the 'Thought Police' act like the KGB and strike in the night.

Gordon seems to play the role of Winston to some extend. A rogue in a strict society.

The scanners keep a strict eye over the citizens of the City 17

The massive TV screens are similar to the Tele-Screens in 1984.

What do you think?
 
Also all the citizens wear Blue Jumpsuits like in 1984 as well. I just started reading 1984 and I've drawn parallels between that and the world of Half-Life 2. Also there is propaganda all of the City 17 of Dr. Breen and the Combine and how they give you "peace of mind"
 
That's true.

Cant forget the Blue overalls.

In one of the blink movies, Gordon is wondering through an apartment.

It show's these people have no privacy. One of the apartments didnt have a friggen door, and the one across the Combine were storming in beating some guy up.
 
It definitely seems to be a huge influence. Although of course 1984 never had quite the same active resistance force. Or zombies.
 
Let's hope the endings aren't the same...that would be depressing.
 
Yes, and he is interrogated for a LONG time and then gets converted to the eeevil side
 
The last line of the book is Winston saying that he's learned to love Big Brother. Very depressing end.
 
They are similar, but in the end they are quite different situations.
 
2 + 2 = 5

Does this also mean Gordon and Alyx are going to get it on in some open field?
 
Trogdor! Trogdor the Burninator! Aaaaagh!!!

Um...sorry. LordQiller's avatar scared me there for a minute.
 
i think its just that the book captured the perfect defenition of paranioa and its hard to do anything like that without having some similarities.
 
1984 - and We

Many believe Orwell plagerized his ideas in 1984 from a Russian novelist. The novel was "We" by Eugene Zamiatin. It is set in an oppressed society that has control factors including desexualization, mind control, etc.
You can find much more with a brief web search. These comments about his ideas seem pertinent to HL2:

"Throughout time, people have wondered what happens when government gains complete control not only over people's actions, but over the thoughts that precede them. Is it even possible to gain such omnipotence over human nature that human beings will renounce all individuality?"

"The purpose of this tyranny is to eliminate the human emotions of envy or jealousy that naturally arise from human sexual relations."

"We is a stunning book, a statement for the ages about totalitarianism and its effect on the human soul -- stripped of names, stripped of love, and finally, stripped of imagination."

"D-503 (the story teller - people have no names just huge numbers) says: “surely it is clear that individual self-consciousness is only a disease.”

This novel was written in 1924, under the Stalin regime. Orwell published 1984 in 1948. You might be interested "We" and it's ideas as well as Orwell's take.
 
Mr.Wotsit said:
The comparison is entirely superficial.
Click to expand...
Agreed, the suppressing nature described in 1984 is far too detailed and intricate to be compared to the occupation force of the Combine. Heavy influenced yes, but no more.
 
The diffrens would seem to be that the resistans is far bigger in HL2, and that people are much more depressed in 1984.
 
The_Monkey said:
The diffrens would seem to be that the resistans is far bigger in HL2, and that people are much more depressed in 1984.
Click to expand...
You mean there IS a resistance in Half-life 2.
 
AJ Rimmer said:
You mean there IS a resistance in Half-life 2.
Click to expand...

The uy who helps Winston (he can turn off his TV). Even though he is a fraud, I still belive that there are other resistance members.
 
The_Monkey said:
The uy who helps Winston (he can turn off his TV). Even though he is a fraud, I still belive that there are other resistance members.
Click to expand...
Meh... alright, at any case, in HL2, at least there is a resistance that makes it existence KNOWN every once and a while.
 
I was watching my mate playing this game called Half-Life 2, i was never a fan of the first one but when i got a go, i really loved the graphics and phisyics engine. I was on the roof, I looked around to find this tall building dominating the sky... i thought stright away of 1984...my mate did not know what i was talking about cus he did not read or care bout the novel. but since then i have got really into the game but i and about half waythou..and there is a problem with his disk..now i cant finsh it..dammm
 
I'd say it compares to any gov. that removes the rights of its citizens. Fascistic, Communist, Totalitarian, Theocratic.
 
hmm ill have to read this 1984 of which you speak
 
The elements common to both 1984 and HL2 are also present in other works dealing with dystopia, specifically those concerning totalitarian systems of government and repressed societies. The Combine tamper with drinking-water to numb minds, and use suppression-fields to prevent procreation... which sounds similar to a number of the World State's actions in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World: banning human procreation and making it appear shameful, infusing drugs and alcohol into the surrogate-blood of in vitro babies (dictating the role they were assigned to play in the future, in society) and encouraging the use of a designer-drug (soma) as a solution to all problems.

If you've read/seen anything relating to this (especially 1984, which is easily the most famous and readily-identifiable dystopian work out there), you can easily pick up the impression that HL2's designers had this sort of thing in mind when developing the game. Nothing illogical about it. It becomes obvious almost as soon as you see the interaction between the authorities and common civilians, and even more obvious when you see Civil Protection raid the building you're in, and trying to escape from.

Check Wikipedia's article on "dystopia". Half-Life 2 is listed under subsection 5.3 ("Other examples of dystopia: in games"). Listing from the article the "common traits of dystopian fiction" (the ones most relevant to the game):

- a rigid social hierarchy, with rules demanding conformity
(Xen; human; trans-human; Combine)
- state propaganda that coerces citizens into obeying and sacrificing their ideals, believing the state to be doing what is just
(Breen's regular broadcasts; directives issued by Overwatch; the 'evolution' posters)
- a fictional state figurehead acting as icon and representative of the system
(Breen himself, though not exactly fictional, masking the Combine's rulership by giving them a human face)
- fear of the world outside the state
(dangerous no-man's-land outside of the barricaded cities, where only the rebels choose to set up their camps)
- a law system that lacks due-process and employs psychological/physical torture
(torture chambers; a prison for "political" prisoners: Nova Prospket; Civil Protection units who aren't too careful with their stunsticks or other weaponry)
- poor standards of living for lower-to-middle class citizens
(people have practically stopped owning anything; civilians are herded into public hostels; uniform clothing)
- the state's usage and development of new technologies specifically for enforcing control
(the Combine launch canisters loaded with headcrabs into rebel quarters; they restrict civilian movement using barricades and gates requiring passcards; cities are monitored using Overwatch)

It's not really surprising that they decided to take this approach. Also present is the ironic use of titles suggesting security and familiarity, masking the real purpose of the organisations in possession of those titles ("Civil Protection", "Overwatch", "Our Benefactors...").

SPOILER
One of the reasons why the protagonists in books like 1984 and BNW failed to succeed is because they were a part of something that had built up over a long time, and had silenced the voices of the people so effectively that they had become too incompetent and incapable to demand something better.

In HL2, though, the new order of things has been imposed suddenly and messily. People have been asking questions, and the authorities haven't been entirely successful in answering or silencing them. Besides, you've got a protagonist who isn't exactly a slave to the system... who he does happen to be working for, though, is something that makes for some interesting speculation :|
 
Dont forget the oranges and lemons graffiti in Ravenholm. A direct reference to the "Orange and lemons say the bells of St Clemens" line in 1984.
Also, Grigori's Annabelle is a 1984 model I think.
 
MaxiKana said:
Yes, and he is interrogated for a LONG time and then gets converted to the eeevil side
Click to expand...

the goverment of Oceania is NOT evil, the damn rebel scum are the ones that are evil.

you know, i was touched by winston's coming to the 'good' side. as well as breens speechs.

I mean, forever ignorant and doomed despite their eternal vigilance...

those things were really touching..
 
In 1984 though, the citizens are total slaves to the system. In HL2, the citizens hate the new regime. In 1984, the Party is fighting an eternal war against another enemy. In HL2, the Combine supposedly control the world. Plus, 1984 never had a governement ruled by Giant slugs. :)
 
floG_it47 said:
Many believe Orwell plagerized his ideas in 1984 from a Russian novelist. The novel was "We" by Eugene Zamiatin. It is set in an oppressed society that has control factors including desexualization, mind control, etc.
You can find much more with a brief web search. These comments about his ideas seem pertinent to HL2:

"Throughout time, people have wondered what happens when government gains complete control not only over people's actions, but over the thoughts that precede them. Is it even possible to gain such omnipotence over human nature that human beings will renounce all individuality?"

"The purpose of this tyranny is to eliminate the human emotions of envy or jealousy that naturally arise from human sexual relations."

"We is a stunning book, a statement for the ages about totalitarianism and its effect on the human soul -- stripped of names, stripped of love, and finally, stripped of imagination."

"D-503 (the story teller - people have no names just huge numbers) says: “surely it is clear that individual self-consciousness is only a disease.”

This novel was written in 1924, under the Stalin regime. Orwell published 1984 in 1948. You might be interested "We" and it's ideas as well as Orwell's take.
Click to expand...


Thought I'd throw in my two cents on some interesting trivia here.

Funnily enough the "Big Brother", "Dr. Breen" dictator character in We was called "The Benefactor".

And after the battle in the rebel base where you pick up the buggy, one rebel runs up to a fallen comrade and exclaims "Winstons been hit!"
 
Hey guys! Today is the 56th anniversary of the first publication of 1984!
 
r2000 : I'd say it compares to any gov. that removes the rights of its citizens. Fascistic, Communist, Totalitarian, Theocratic.

can you explain just how a Theocratic government removes the rights of citizens??? please???
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Lizardizzle
2019: The year of Half-Life SFX videos
Replies
4
Views
2K
Ennui
Ennui
Chris D
Half-Life: Alyx announced
Replies
32
Views
25K
Tollbooth Willie
Tollbooth Willie
B
From Warren Spector to Arkane Studios: Half-Life 2's cancelled Ravenholm episode
Replies
2
Views
10K
Clan Wolf 2
Clan Wolf 2
B
Marc Laidlaw releases Half-Life 2: Episode Three's plot
Replies
32
Views
39K
BabyHeadCrab
BabyHeadCrab
D.r Gordon Freeman
No Half-Life 3 ? No More Half-Life ?
Replies
13
Views
7K
D.r Gordon Freeman
D.r Gordon Freeman
Back
Top