My interpretation of Half-Life in its entirety (SPOILERS)

[zapper]

***SPOILER WARNING***

This is my interpretation of the Half-Life story from the beginning until the end of Half-Life 2.

Begin Half-Life 1 (Black Mesa)
So you just got your degree in theoretical physics, and you're off to another day at your job in some huge complex. You really don't know what the experiments that you perform are used for, but you do it anyway. One day an experimentation that you perform creates a certain portal that allows aliens from the planet Xen access to Earth. You fight your way to the top, through aliens and marines. After which you are met with a strange suited man simply called the "G-Man." My guess is that the G-Man (and whatever organization he works for) was monitoring the situation at Black Mesa after learning that the administrator was up to no good. He views your progress throughout your endeavor, and realizes that you are the right man for what he does.
So what exactly does the G-Man do? Keep reading and I'll explain in detail.

Begin Half-Life 2 (City 17)
Now we're employed by the G-Man to stop yet another threatening situation. He has trust that you can handle it (you are Gordon Freeman after all). One interesting thing that the G-Man tells you is, "...and all the effort in the world would have gone to waste, if it wasn't for...well let's just say your time hasn't come yet." I'm guessing that the effort he's referring to is his organizations efforts at stopping Dr. Breen from succeeding in aiding an alien invasion of earth. This can be assumed from the ending of Half-Life 2 when you are traveling up the elevator with Alyx. You overhear Dr. Breen speaking with an alien (Combine? Xenian?) about "handing over Earth." I like to think that Dr. Breen was paid to allow a portal from Xen to Earth (in Half-Life 1) so that they could take control and possibly evolve humans into their kind (Nova Prospekt?)
OK, so you're working for the G-Man in trying to stop a possible alien evolution of the planet Earth...so why are the Vortigaunts hiding out with the other rebels? After talking to the alien who mounts the gun to your boat, I have come to some conclusions. He refers to Eli Vance as "the one who works for liberation of his people." I guess these Vortigaunts were slaves to the Xen population and want to be liberated (assumed from the Xen scene in Half-Life 1 when the aliens are seen working on unknown things in the alien factory). This alien also refers to "The Freeman" as the one who cut the cord of life from the Nihilanth essentially giving new life to the Vortigaunts.

In Summary
The G-Man works for an organization that is attempting to stop Dr. Breen's actions, as well as the Combine and Xen (are they related?) from changing the way Earth is (if it is Earth). He spots you in Half-Life 1 as a man who could potentially turn the tides after the alien invasion of Black Mesa. You are further employed by him to carry out his duties against the Combine in Half-Life 2. He supplies you no information or weapons, and fully assumes you are capable of finding a way to take down Dr. Breen and his administration. As for Dr. Breen, he is helping aliens in evolving and taking over the planet Earth. However, Dr. Freeman happens to have plans that differ from those of the administrator. You are after all, the right man in the wrong place, and you definitely made all the difference.

Again, this is just my interpretation, as I love filling in the blanks how I see fit. If anyone wants to add their thoughts, let's make a good discussion of this thread.

 

[Lanthanide]

Not really a comment on your post, but I'd like to add in a point I thought of while reading yours.

I don't think Xen and the aliens on Xen have much to do with the main story at all. We know that Xen is used as a staging ground for teleportation, although they've now developed a new version that simply sling-shots around Xen rather than requiring a visit (as happened in Blue Shift).

I suspect the Combine are really the big baddies and the Xeniens were just the distraction that allowed them to attack Earth - they detected Earth's existance because of all the portal storms and weirdness going on, and then decided to invade for some reason.

Some supporting ideas is that the combine use headcrabs/barnacles (and ant lions?) to control the population and keep them in their cities and away from the country-side. We see the headcrabs arrive out of the funny pod things several times, and they're undoubtedly created and used by the combine.

 

[KagePrototype]

My interpretation...

My guess is that the Gman is fighting the combine, only using other people to do his dirty work. I reckon he is from another world that was once under Combine control, but was liberated, and now he sp[ends his time helping others get rid of the combine (I doubt he really looks human, it's probably some sort of disguise). Xen is simply another world that the combine has over-run, eating up it's resources and enslaving it's population (the vortigaunts, or "alien slaves", who created the alien grunts in the factories you visited in Xen). By sabotaging the original experiment (Gman convincing the science personel to overload the capacitors, through whatever means), Xen aliens flood onto Earth. I'm guessing that the Gman wanted the two species to start some sort of inter-galatic war, and I'm also guessing that Gman thought the humans could win. Eventually, Freeman manages to kill Nihilanth (who also seems to be enslaved by Combine, or appointed like Breen), and pave the way for other forces to take over Xen (Gman says that Xen is "under our control" at the end of the game). Gman, now impressed by Freeman's actions, forces him into employment, storing him for whenever he is needed again.

Now, I'm guessing that the combine took back control over Xen, and then targetted Earth as an act of revenge. The 7-hour war happens, and Breen (the admin of Black mesa) manages to form a pact, and thus is appointed the administrator of Earth. Now, because of Freemans almost messianic status amongst the citizens, the Gman thought it would be a good idea to drop Freeman into the middle of this mess, hoping that his presence might start a second retaliation to the combine. Well, suffice to say, he did just that, and as soon as the citadel exploded at the end, the Gman figured the job was done and pulled Gordon out right at the last second. He says that he has received some "interesting offers" for Freeman's handywork, which leads me to beleive that he might sell your "contract" to other people in need (Breen mentions something about Gordon's contract "being open to the highest bidder" when you talk with him at the end).

So, to tie up a few other loose ends...why are the vortigaunts helping the rebels? Well, because they were freed when killing Nihilanth, they seemed to be also dedicated to the cause of fighing against the combine. I'm guessing that Freeman's messianic status came from them, because of what you did for them. The citizens seemed to have just latched onto the idea over time. The rest of the Xen aliens (headcrabs, barnacles) are used to keep people in the cities (as well as the Ant Lions, who I think are either from yet another world the combine invaded, or just more Xen wild life we didn't see before). Because these animals are just wild life, they don't care much for their liberation. So headcrab shells are used on places like Ravenholm, to keep the resistance to a minimum. Barnacles and Ant Lions are placed in certain places, to keep people from trying to escape the cities.

Nova Prospekt acts as a prison of sorts, where people are tortured and turned into "stalkers", who are the skinny things that walk around the citadel. I can't be the only one that made the comparions between these stalkers, and the alien slaves working in a factory from HL1? The metrocops are the "civil protection units", who seem to be volunteers. The actual combine soldiers might also be volunteers, I'm not sure. I'm guessing that volunteers are shipped to Nova Prospekt and given the appropiate brain-washing procedure.

I think that's it...

 

[Karis]

I think that G-man's method of transporting you around might just have something to do with the "slow teleport" that took you a week to get back to home. This would show why you don't remember anything that happened between mesa and now. It could be possible that a "permnant slow teleport" could be used to keep you around till needed, either that or you are put into an unconsious state the moment you arrive at... "the g-man HQ". This could also be used to pull you out at the last second, and might even have some componet or another stored in your hev suit to make it work.

As for Dr.Breen, he was probably appointed admin because he believed the only way to survive was to submit. He was most definately buddies with the combine, and probably came to know of freeman's "For hire" status because of his relation with them. Either humans don't have a clue about it, or they do a preatty good job at keeping you from finding out. Perhaps word could have slipped from the Vords, but I have a feeling they don't know either.

And as for G-man himself... I don't know. Clearly he has an organization selling services of high-priced... unwitting... dirty-deed doers. However, I doubt there would be too much more need of brain-mashing for the human side of the picture, and the combine... probably are not going to hire him any time soon, and unless you're brain-washed, you won't have anything to do with it either. My guess is that the combine and humans are just the tip of the iceberg. Many of hundreds of diffrent alien species and organizations out there in need of someone to bash heads.

Now... who the hell hired you? Clearly the combine didn't, unless they really don't like keeping their soldires alive. They probably could have removed Breen in another, less overt, manner anyways. My best guess is either another combine-like organization out there in the universe who'd like earth themselves / thought it nessesary to remove the combine from earth without revealing themselves, or another single human who somehow got really rich in alien currency, but was competing for Breen's position. I find the second unlikely as Breen is apparently the only one human who has any positive communication with the combine at all. I suppose it is possible they were just showing freeman off to get publicity... but again, I'm going to say most likely no.

I hate Gabe for this, second, cliffhanger ending.

"edit" Just to erase confusion, "You" and "freeman" are used interchangeably in this post.

 

[bonohirata]

i seriously wonder whatta heck is in g-man's briefcase

 

[Crumpler]

i seriously wonder whatta heck is in g-man's briefcase

Same thing as what's in the Pulp Fiction briefcase


I think that the G-Man works for some higher power, one that nobody really knows about. I think that Breen knew what would happen in Half-Life from the start, and intentionally called for the experiment that led to the resonance cascade. The G-man was sent to monitor things, make sure things don't get TOO out of hand.

I'm guessing that whoever/whatever the G-man works for is a higher power, that keeps an eye on things, and runs things, but isn't seen. They don't want people to know they're there (which is in stark contrast of the combine, can you say 1984?). This would explain why they use agents such as Freeman, so they can directly controll whats happening without making their presence known.

 

[BlessedBullet]

Just to add on to the comments about the combine using alien life wild life to control the population. If you fall under the bridge on Highway 17, the fall dosn't kill you when you hit the water but you do hear a lot of biting noises (everything goes black when you hit the water so you dont see it). It just goes to show how completely saturated Earth was with hostile wildlife and how humans were forced to life in The Cities. Even if the uprising was successful, the humans would have to deal with a completely messed up ecosystem.

I also dont think Breen seemed like a bad guy. I think he thought he we doing the right thing for humanity. The world has gone to hell and then, like Freeman's choice from HL1, he (and the rest of humanity) could have either complied or die. Also in Nova, you hear Breen talking much about the "alternative" of "total anhiliation" if they didn't please their benefactors.

A long shot but I always though G-Man was related to Gordon just because they both have brilliantly green eyes. Could also explain why G-Man seems so protective of Freeman. But yeah, a long shot.

 

[Liam]

OK, so you're working for the G-Man in trying to stop a possible alien evolution of the planet Earth...so why are the Vortigaunts hiding out with the other rebels?

Read this thread to understand that part a bit better: http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=52873

 

[MoJo|Night]

A long shot but I always though G-Man was related to Gordon just because they both have brilliantly green eyes. Could also explain why G-Man seems so protective of Freeman. But yeah, a long shot.

I know it's a tenuous link but...

They both have green eyes and a similar build.
G-Man can control time in some way.
Gordon begins with a G.
Put a beard and glasses on the G-man and you have an old Gordon Freeman.

I'm not saying i'm right but crazy speculation is fun.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

So what are the combine doing on Earth?

The strategy guide says this

"Attracted to Earth by the dimensional right caused by the Black Mesa Incident, a galactic infection of catastrophic proportions launched an invasive force that overpowered Earth..."

So i agree somehow the g-man concocted this plot to draw humanity into a war with the Combine, for what purpose? Maybe he thought humans were capable of fighting back, maybe he just wanted another ally? What exactly are the combine doing on earth? They appear to be using humans as their soldiers and workers in the citadel, the horribly deformed "stalkers" we see walking around operating consoles and such. But it still doesn't explain why the citadel is there why is it expanding?

I just hope we don't over-analyse this and then Half-Life 3 ends up with Gordon dying and the G-man sitting on a park bench with the sun-setting chatting to Eli Vance..or something....

 

[Zento]

I get the feeling the G-Man will be killed in the next installment...

 

[Cunbelin]

The Gman will never die and he will never be outright explained. Now ponder this, if you have the powers of the Gman, what exactly would be a winning bid to buy his services ? Something tells me money is not what he's after.

What if his employment thing is actually a metaphor, offers are actually possibility, the highest bidder is not the one who pays the most, but the one who/that is most likely to succeed ?

 

[Gordon's Beard]

MY THEORY:

Perhaps Gordon's mission was to acquire whatever information on the teleportation technology. Of course G-Man's t-port tech maybe more advanced, but that technlogy maybe lacking something.

Perhaps Gordon is implanted with something in his mind for the G-Man's spy unit or maybe the Bosses, which allows whatever important information Gordon sees to be downloaded & observed. Maybe the t-port tech that the G-Man went thru is advanced because of the information Gordon unwittingly gathered WHILE fighting Combine.

The Combine were probably a mere distraction, or maybe a competition to the G-Man's rival to be snuffed.

Just a theory.

 

[Revenge]

What's not to say that in 50 years time Gordon Freeman discovers how to completely control time, and then uses it to go back in time and manipulate his younger self into doing great good?

 

[puppy]

G-man is God.

During the year X his prophet, Gordon Freeman - although the said prophet did not know he was a prophet, was working in a highly secure high-tech secret research plant in an unknow country (It could be safe to assume it's the USA becasue everyone speaks american english ).

Since God knows everything, he knew that "something" was to happen that particular day and he knew it was the Freeman that would wear the HEV suit that day.

Mission one is a success for the prophet and the G-man let the people talk about the new Messiah.

Y years later, the timing is right.

The G-man wakes up his prophet and unleashes him on the forces of evil.

A little like Moses, the Freeman will lead it's people across the red sea into the promised land. And god will put him on hold again until the prophet is needed.

 

[Revenge]

Ah but if Black Mesa was in the USA, then how the hell did we get from an Eastern European city to Black Mesa East via Airboat?

And why bring religion into it? That's one thing that annoyed me about the matrix, was all the religous symbols all over the place...

 

[Dead-Inside]

I get the feeling the G-Man will be killed in the next installment...

Pesonally I was expecting the G-man to walk though the white exit (At the end of HL2) and you see his shadow in the white.. Then suddenly you hear him, subtly and with respect, say No, it can't be (Or similiar) and then you'd hear 3-4 HIGH QUALITY SOUND shots with blood squerting back into the .. space you're in.
The door would then close just as it did.

That would have been a better ending unless the G-man plays a *big* role in the next installment.

 

[gov_property]

They can't kill Gman. They can't kill Alyx. They can't. They gonna milk it. I can feel it. It won't be the killer ending we're all hoping for. They gonna milk it. Poor Gordon... poor, poor Gordon.

 

[el Chi]

I also dont think Breen seemed like a bad guy. I think he thought he we doing the right thing for humanity. The world has gone to hell and then, like Freeman's choice from HL1, he (and the rest of humanity) could have either complied or die. Also in Nova, you hear Breen talking much about the "alternative" of "total anhiliation" if they didn't please their benefactors.

You may well have a point there to be honest. He wasn't entirely consumed by greed, but at the same time he was blind-sighted by a sense that the evil he ws commiting was both necessary and practical.

A long shot but I always though G-Man was related to Gordon just because they both have brilliantly green eyes. Could also explain why G-Man seems so protective of Freeman. But yeah, a long shot.

I honestly beg to differ on this on so many levels. On theis particular level - Barney also has very green eyes, does this mean he is also related in some way? Perhaps he will turn out to be the G-Man? I doubt it very much.