Half-Life 2: Ep 3 - A Detailed Plot Interpretation

[mimaz98]

Many of you might recall my attempts at writing up a logical interpretation of Episode Two's plotline. I have decided to do the same for Episode Three. Although I'm aware that the amount of information surrounding Episode Three is minimal at best, my desire to write up my thoughts on how the game will play out from start to finish has become a bit overwhelming. What you're about to read is vague, and has no basis on conclusive fact whatsoever. They are all theories. My current, and hopefully objective, interpretation. Feel free to judge them, discuss them, and criticise them. I will consistently update this original post with more detailed information and more accurate information as further news of Episode Three becomes available to the community. The following information will be presented as a detailed summary. In the near future, I will change this to represent a detailed list of events. So, enjoy.

Please note that the following information contains potential spoilers pertaining to the plot of Episode Three and its proceeding titles. If you do not wish to take the risks in spoiling the experience for yourself than I suggest you refrain from continuing.





Also note that the following information may contradict some of the information and footage we will see in any news or media that is to be released. I will change this interpretation accordingly. If by any chance there are any inconsistencies with the information provided than don’t hesitate to let me know. Comments and criticisms are welcome.





Half-Life 2 Episode Three

The Unofficial Episode Three Plot

The opening scene of Episode Three is a debatable and variable one, and one that is open to many interpretations. This is due mostly to the inconclusive manner in which Episode Two ended. When we the players fell to the ground as the Advisors retreated from the scene, leaving Alyx cowering over her father’s lifeless body, our vision was quickly obscured by darkness just as the credits began to roll. The million dollar question, and the question that will dictate just how Episode Three will open, is whether Gordon fainted from the fall/shock of what had transpired or if he remained conscious and all that simply happened was that the game ‘ended’. I personally feel that the latter occurred. Gordon has been known to fall from great heights before – certainly much greater than the one he suffered from at the end of Episode Two - so I don’t see how he could have fainted from that relatively minor impact. Furthermore, after everything Gordon has been through, I don’t expect he’d be incredibly affected by Eli’s death to the point of fainting. Not that he wouldn’t care; I’m sure he would. I just think that after staring at death in the face literally dozens of times Gordon wouldn’t find it so frightening anymore; he didn’t faint at all when he witnessed the sights that took place back at Black Mesa, certainly at a time when he would have been more affected by such sights. I expect he would have been shocked; which helps enforce the idea that he was ‘rooted to the spot’. Simply put, I think the game just ended with you lying on the ground in a state of disbelief.

Going by this, I expect Episode Three will begin immediately following the close of Episode Two. I think we’ll be once again lying on the ground in the chopper hanger with Alyx crying over her father’s corpse and with DOG looking on helplessly. I think it is crucial to the narrative that the game starts this way because it’s important to see the immediate reactions of Kleiner and Magnusson following Eli’s death.

Another curious thing to consider in the opening moments of Episode Three is Alyx Vance, and how exactly her personality and her actions will change following her father’s vicious and terrible death. This is equally uncertain. Alyx has always been portrayed as a woman of great integrity in a time of increasing sorrow, and anguish. She is a person of uncanny resourcefulness and she is a woman who, quite unlike other females, rarely shows her emotions or allows her emotions to take hold of her. All that she has ever really known is the post Black Mesa world and the only person, the only real figure in her life who has helped maintain her humanity and kept her safe in that post apocalyptic world, is her father. He was her pillar. What will happen to Alyx now that her pillar has broken? What will she do now after she has fallen and has nothing to hold her up and keep her steady? This is an intriguing question. Will Alyx succumb to her emotions? Will she be represented as a weak and sad person? Or, will she be the opposite? Who knows for sure! Despite this, there is almost no doubt in my mind, and there certainly shouldn’t be any doubt in anyone’s mind, that Alyx’s personality will see a significant change in Episode Three.

For the sake of this thread, I’m going to say that Alyx’s personality will take a much darker turn. I expect she will be become vengeful, desiring revenge upon the Advisors who killed her father and on the Combine as a whole. I expect this will be her motivation to continue, rather than falter and succumb to her sadness. Despite this, I think it’s almost equally possible that different directions can be taken with the story. I think it’s plausible, though I’m sort of two minds about it, that Alyx will stay behind at White Forest while the player ventures off on their own. Really not too sure how I feel about that, considering I think there’s only one mode of transport to the Borealis, and that’s via helicopter, and that helicopter in the hanger at the end of Episode Two appears to be the last one they got. To be honest, I’m really more inclined to believe that Alyx will go us at the very start.

To further expand upon the start of the game, there has been much talk about the possibility of conducting a funeral for Eli before the player leaves White Forest. Now, I did say I would be as objective about this interpretation of mine as possible, but I’m just going to say right here and now that a funeral is NOT going to take place! There I said it. Flame me for thinking I know definitely what’s coming. Don’t care Haha. To even remotely consider the possibility that a funeral will take place for Eli is nothing short of ridiculous, in my God’s honest opinion. That’s not to say the characters won’t want to hold one eventually, of course they would. But this is certainly not the time! The future of the planet and its people are at stake. Within hours, the world could end. The Combine are in hot pursuit of the Borealis. They know where it is now. They know what it can do, and what if offers them; a way off Earth, a way to communicate with the Combine Overworld, and a way to destroy Earth forever. The characters know this, and though they’d desperately want to put Eli at peace, they know far greater circumstances prohibit doing something so insignificant at the current time. So...no funeral folks!

Moving on, I expect that when Gordon and Alyx leave for the Borealis they will encounter trouble whilst in the air. I don’t see how Gordon and Alyx could be allowed to reach the Borealis immediately via helicopter. I think that defeats steady Gameplay and narrative progression, and it sort of defeats the entire purpose of introducing a new environment if you don’t allow players to fight within it and travel through for any period of time. That and I expect the satisfaction of reaching the Borealis would be greatly reduced if you were to just arrive there at the start. So, the question is: what will stop Alyx and Gordon from arriving there straight away? That’s really vague, but if I were to hazard a guess I’d say that the Advisors will be the one to stop them. Either that, or there could be certain geographical and/or paranormal difficulties that could prohibit them from getting there directly. I think this is equally as possible, as it would explain why Mossman would have to have landed and continue on foot. Either way, the chopper is going to land or crash some distance away from the Borealis, forcing Gordon and Alyx to continue on foot.

Let’s move away from the story. I’d like to get into the gameplay of Episode Three for a bit. A new environment! An arctic style environment. Lots of snow, icy mountains, and frozen lakes, mostly desolate I expect. What will be interesting to see is how Valve utilise this environment for gameplay purposes. In Episode One, the gameplay focus was on AI companionship. For Episode Two, the gameplay focus was on travel, while further expanding upon AI companionship. What will be Episode Three’s gameplay focus? I really have no idea, to be honest. Valve has mentioned that they are working on a number of incredibly innovative gameplay and level designs. I have no idea at all what those designs could be. What I can vaguely get into however, is Episode Three’s list of foes. In an environment that is practically the complete opposite of Half-Life 2 and its two proceeding episodes, the foes present in Episode Three will likely change significantly. I think we can all definitely rule out the Antlions as potential foes. Not only is it clear, I think, that our battle with the Antlions came to a climax in Episode Two, I honestly don’t believe they’d be fit for such a cold and desolate environment. I expect we’ll continue to see Headcrabs and Zombies, though perhaps too a much lesser degree. I think it’s likely we’ll get to fight another Zombie variant, possibly due to the presence of a new Headcrab variant, exclusive to the environment. The number of Combine Transhuman forces will continue to diminish, I think, as their roles are becoming less important, and they’re slowly being overshadowed by greater, and admittedly more fun, types of enemies. They won’t be entirely absent though, that’s for sure. So, the big question is what will fill in this relatively big gap? I’d say immediately that Episode Three will be about introducing a number of entirely new Combine synthetic creatures, which I believe to be far more interesting than human enemies anyway. Then I’d say there’s also going to be enemies on the Borealis, which will be Aperture based. Can’t really say too much of what exactly we can expect to see on the Borealis in regards to enemies. Far too in the dark.

Following the formula of Episodes One and Two, I think Episode Three will be split into two distinct halves. Episode One had us in the Citadel for half of the game, and escaping City 17 in the other half. Episode Two has us in the Antlion Nests for half of the game, and in and around White Forest in the other half. I expect Episode Three will have us travelling to the Borealis in the first half, and us on the Borealis in the second half. I think the first half of the game may culminate in us reaching the base Mossman was at, which we see in her short transmission. I honestly and completely believe that the base is a re-conceptualised version of Kraken base from the old beta versions of Half-Life 2. It would make sense considering that in the original versions of Half-Life 2, Kraken Base was located around the Borealis section, was located in an arctic setting, featured the original version of Mossman, and also came under attack by Combine forces. Not only that, but Valve seem adept at restoring old concepts recently. I’d hazard a guess and say that Mossman is being held here, captive of the Combine. I expect the climax of the first half of the game will involve breaching the base, rescuing Mossman, and securing the area. We’d get a great deal of exposition with this scenario as well; answering quite a few questions about the Borealis, what’s been going on up there, and re-establishing contact with Kleiner and Magnusson at White Forest. We’d also get to see Mossman’s reactions to Eli’s death which I think could be very powerful. I have a strong feeling this is the part of the game where Barney will return, who I think may have been prepping an assault on the base just before Gordon and Alyx arrive.

Barney! I don’t think there’d be very much to tell about Barney. I expect he’s been resting for quite a while following his departure from City 17. He’d bloody deserve it anyway. I expect that if he were to return at this point in the game, he would have been in contact with White Forest recently. He would have been told of Eli’s death and exactly what was going on. I think he would have then decided to move in Gordon and Alyx’s general direction after speaking to Kleiner and Magnusson. That’d be it, really.

Following everything that occurs at Kraken base, I expect Alyx would stay with Mossman at the base. Don’t know why. I’ve just got that feeling. I can’t really back that up with any evidence. Though I’m sure some people would love that, no matter what the reason. At this point in time, I don’t think Alyx will be around until the climax of the episode. I expect the second half of the game will have us venturing forth on our own, perhaps aided at certain times by Barney, who I expect may have the spotlight in regards to AI Companionship in Episode Three.

This is where things become really vague and uncertain. I really have no idea what to except upon reaching the Borealis, except a large Combine force accompanied by dozens of Advisors who have literally colonised the ship and have already begun exploiting it. The final portion of the game, I expect, will have us boarding the ship and taking it by force. We’d then have to take control of the vessel, receive more exposition, and have a final battle await us. Not sure how this would work. Perhaps defend the ship from oncoming Combine forces? Possibly something along the lines of the battle that took place at Weather Control in early Half-Life 2 drafts? I don’t know. Pretty sure Alyx and Mossman would return at this point. I expect this will be where we finally have our much, MUCH needed confrontation with some Advisors; and hopefully the Advisor that killed Eli. Furthermore, I honestly believe Mossman will die at this point. Sacrificing herself, no doubt, for the greater good. I’ve also got a bit of a bad feeling about DOG. Not too sure how he’d return, but well...he’s got to hasn’t he? Notice how all my combat scenarios are ‘offensive’ strategies? I only just noticed that actually. But I think that may be the case anyway. Episode One was about fleeing. Episode Two seemed to be about defence. Naturally I would think Episode Three would be about offence. Anyway...

There are still a number of important things that I’ve left out of this outline, simply because I’ve found no place for them yet. How will the G-Man, for example, reappear and play his usual manipulative all-knowing self? Hard to say. We’ll definetly have one confrontation with him no doubt in the game’s final moments. A second confrontation with him may be possible, though that may hinder certain necessary narrative goals throughout the game. If we do have a second confrontation with him, it will either occur at the very beginning of Episode Three, or perhaps once we reach Kraken base. However, I’m more inclined to believe we’ll only confront him once. No doubt we’ll see him lurking about watching us as usual though.

Ummmm...the Advisors come next on my list of things I’ve neglected to get into. I can honestly say I have absolutely no idea how we’ll fight them. I expect the Vortigaunts will play a big role in that. They have an obvious history, made clear through the Vortigaunts peculiar name for the Advisors; Shu’ulathoi. That’s as far as I can speculate on the matter at this point. Furthermore, I think the Vortigaunts will have an ever consistent presence in the game, aiding us in the game’s biggest skirmishes.

Next would be the Borealis. What exactly can we expect to find on there? Definetly some incredibly advanced portal technology that can either make or break Humanity’s future. Other than that, I can’t be sure. I can’t see the portal technology being the only thing of value on there. I expect we’ll uncover the details of the fate of the ship and its crew. Furthermore, I’m convinced something else of importance exists on the ship. Another GlaDOS perhaps? Not too sure how I’d feel about that, considering we’ve already had a game devoted around a GlaDOS. We’re probably not going to get use of a Portal Gun. I’d personally hate that anyway. Then there’s Chell! God help me, I’d forgotten about her until just now. I’m pretty sure her role in the series isn’t over. Not too sure how she’ll come back; whether it’ll be through reference or if she’ll actually physically reappear. Who knows!

The ending! Let’s discuss the ending to Episode Three. There are two distinct outcomes that can occur at this point. Either the Borealis is destroyed, or the ship is used by the Resistance for some reason or other. For the purpose of this thread, I’m going to say it will be destroyed simply because Earth needs to be cut off from the Combine, and that the G-Man more than likely wants it destroyed, as evidenced through his manipulative speech in Episode Two. This is not to say that this question won’t be brought up in the game, as I’m sure it will be a fundamental conflict between a few of our characters. Alyx will want it destroyed because her father wanted it so. However, I think Kleiner and Mossman will want the opposite. Despite this, I think Episode Three will end in us achieving victory against the Combine on Earth. I expect that after the ship is destroyed, there will no longer be any avenue for any remaining Combine forces to re-establish communication with the Overworld. This then leaves us with the question of what must happen next? Shouldn’t the story seemingly end at this point, now that we have achieved victory? No, I don’t think that the story will end if the ship is destroyed. This is the point in time where the G-Man will definitely reappear to us, fill us in on certain things, continue to leave many things open, and then take us away no doubt. Probably not to stasis. I can’t see what good that’d do, or what purpose it could possibly achieve. There’d be nothing to it, I think, other than just doing it. I expect he will take Alyx with us. Possibly Barney (well I’d like that anyway). The Vortigaunts will undoubtedly follow as well. Finally, I think all of this basically moves towards the notion of the G-Man taking us off-world. Taking us into the heart of the Combine off-world. Marc Laidlaw has stated that he cannot possibly see the current story involving the Combine ending anytime soon. But we can’t properly continue that story on Earth anymore. It’s cut off from the Combine. There couldn’t have been another outcome; otherwise humanity would have been extinguished by the onslaught of the Combine forces off-world. In any case, Valve have been hinting since the very end of Half-Life 2 that this is the direction they’re ultimately taking. Through having us hear Breen talk, almost religiously, about what lies beyond our own universe, through having G-Man almost take us there personally at the end of Half-Life 2 (if the Vortigaunts had not intervened), and through all the talk about a Combine Overworld. I think this outcome is inevitable.

[mimaz98]

My reasons for having Alyx go along with the player into the next phase of the series isn’t just because I like her, but because I think it’s necessary and because I think it’s only true to the story and to everything that has happened so far that she has to come along with us. The G-Man sees some very great importance in her. He has made this clear throughout the games, especially Episode Two. She isn’t just a messenger. She holds the key to something greater to the G-Man. “I am not one to squander my investments” and “She was worth far more than the initial appraisal”. I really cannot be sure about Barney coming along with us as well. I would really like that, considering I love his character to death, but there may be no real reason to have him with us. The G-Man doesn’t seem particularly interested in him.

In conclusion, I have to say that a common theme of Episode Three will be about Redemption. It will be about Gordon redeeming himself for pushing the crystal into the analysis beam which started everything. It will be about Gordon redeeming Eli for accepting the experiment and allowing it to go forward despite his inner feelings about it at the time. G-Man knows full well that Eli would do anything in his power to make things right, a huge basis from which his speech to us was founded on. The G-Man knew that, once his message was relayed to Eli, Eli would have a very specific reaction; and that reaction is to have the ship destroyed; which is exactly what the G-Man wants!

Anyway....this is getting too long. Please comment. Please discuss. Remember it's just theory. Hopefully you’ll be able to read all of this. If you do, thanks loads.

[Sasso]

Pretty interesting read mimaz. Although a little more vague then your Episode Two plot outline. But we can't really speculate any further...Valve we're looking at you.

[mimaz98]

Yeah. No specifics yet. Hell...nothing I've written is conclusive.

[Goggalor]

good read. Its interesting to see you finally put your thoughts down on paper. Mostly you respond to others ideas with "yes" or 'No" but you don't really say what is behind your answer. Now we see your big picture.

[mimaz98]

Yeah, I usually don't because it'd require me to write a lot. Sometimes I can't be bothered.

[Otto-Grainer]

Awesome! I've been waiting for this article of yours for a long time, Brad.

[mimaz98]

It was inevitable.

I sound like Smith from the Matrix...

[Gmr Leon]

I'll have to read this completely, but just glancing over it, Barney caught my eye. Whenever you take into consideration Eli's death, it seems likely that he will make an appearance sometime. If Dog doesn't come along, I suspect that we'll get in an extremely tight situation, and Barney will appear to help us out. Similar in a way to how Dog appeared at the Strider encounter near White Forest.

I highly doubt he'll be with us at the beginning of Episode Three, however, as that would be even more confusing. Raising questions such as, where was he during the final assault? What was he doing? Etc, etc.

Whereas, if we meet him at the Borealis or near it, it can be explained as Barney went along as part of Mossman's team.

Edit: And that's what I get for glancing, apparently we had the same line of thought on Barney, to some extent.

[mimaz98]

Yeah, that sounds pretty close to me.

[Buddy_88]

Interesting ideas. I must say that I agree with the beginning part, as I don't think Gordon could have been knocked out or fainted after the advisor dropped him. When the advisor that you encounter at the barn earlier is hurt, it drops you from a much higher place and Gordon and Alyx are unharmed.

The one thing that I can think of that could explain the screen going black that wasn't just an end of game thing is that maybe the force in which Gordon was held may of given him a bad headache/migrain, which the one thing most people do with severe headaches is close their eyes and put their hand on their head for a short moment when they get a pulse of pain. Remember, severe headaches are used by advisors to either stun their prey or to escape. This could be easy to resume with Hl2:Ep3 by having a black screen, sounds of Alyx weeping, and Gordon eyes opening and shutting with either groaning from the headache or the usual deep breaths that Gordon breathes when the GMan is messing with his mind, with most likly Uriah informing you about how and why Combine advisors cause headaches or what not a short time later, indicating that that is what is causing you to fade in and out since Gordon can't say the 4 words "I have a headache"..lol. - Unlikly, but just a thought.

[Tannker]

That was a very good and interesting read I think.

A lot of my ideas about how Episode 3 would turn out seem to agree a lot with what you have right now. I would go back and see with what I disagreed with, but I'm not really in the mood to go read it all over again. Perhaps tomorrow or something.

[Gmr Leon]

Still reading over it, but so far it all seems rather likely despite being vague. I think, from the dialogue we encounter in Portal, that if the Borealis features Aperture based enemies they'll be of the cybernetic variety. The very clean white of the ASHPD, Sentries, and just the general design of both seem to strongly suggest cybernetics to me. I'm not sure how it would be explained, honestly, but it just seems likely.

Not a great image, but these are what spring to mind when I think of the possible enemies: [Example.]

Edit: I highly, highly believe we'll end up crashing our way into the area around the Borealis. It's how we began Episode Two, after all.

[mimaz98]

Originally Posted by Gmr Leon

Still reading over it, but so far it all seems rather likely despite being vague. I think, from the dialogue we encounter in Portal, that if the Borealis features Aperture based enemies they'll be of the cybernetic variety. The very clean white of the ASHPD, Sentries, and just the general design of both seem to strongly suggest cybernetics to me. I'm not sure how it would be explained, honestly, but it just seems likely.

Not a great image, but these are what spring to mind when I think of the possible enemies: [Example.]

Cybernetics! Hadn't thought of that. That makes a lot of sense.

[Tannker]

Cybernetics + Arctic = http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Imag...Borg_Drone.jpg