Hi, everybody!! I just wanted to make a proper intro after seeing I have new followers. Welcome to my humble abode!! 🎉🎉
You can call me whatever you want, it's funny seeing people assume : •). My pronouns are she/her, digital artist and currently in college.
My art can be experimental and will find ways to be unconventional as humanely possible. Thus, da clowns are my biggest motif you'll find lol. I love exploring horror, girly stuff, maximalism, fashion, games, and fanart. Basically, anything I like, I'll post!
If that sounds interesting, stick around! I do post mature/suggestive themes, please beware! 18+ please!
[SPOILERS FOR HLAGE, BBVRAI AND HL2VRAI. While you’re here, CHECK OUT MY PREVIOUS POSTS AS IT SEEMS TO BE MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER]
ACT 3 IS UPON US. I would have never expected that the Lost Coast of all things about Half-Life would be relevant. What this means is very, very exciting… Join me as I try my best to give you explanations and personal interpretations for better understanding!
Let’s talk about the Lost Coast’s purpose in the actual HL2 game. To summarize, this is a technology demo map created to show off the Source Engine’s HDR visual rendering capabilities. It was originally going to be part of the Coast section within the “Highway 17” chapter (the chapter after Ravenholm), until it was cut. It was also used as a testbed and first introduction for the commentary nodes, which we saw in HLAGE personified as Gabe Newell/Newman (Sidenote: commentary nodes for HLA are a LOT different. Here is a comparison. Interesting that HLAGE used the HL2 version.)
Those boots in particular belong to The Fisherman, the main focus of Lost Coast. He was also designed to show off the rendering of human skin and had a bigger role in the game that we still do not know in totality. Other than that, he is just a humble fisherman who will ask Gordon to help him destroy the Combine’s base in a town nearby. At the end of the level where Gordon is starting to “fade away,” he says, “You’re getting fuzzy around the edges!” and bids him farewell. I think it is also important to note that he does not remember Gordon’s name, even though he recognizes him. We see the same theme of nameless/lost identities with Stain, Alyx, and even Benrey, as nobody ever utters his name or even remembers him. So it would be extremely interesting if that backfires on Gordon, too.
[Highly recommend taking a look at the Combine Overwiki page for more information and check out the Half-Life lore while you’re at it! I promise you, you’re gonna need some basic knowledge for HL2VRAI lol]
I want to make a big emphasis on CUT because that will mean ALL cut content in Half-Life’s game series are suddenly relevant, if not, just as sentient as our regular AIs. At least the ones that already have a semi-working map, plot and characters. For HL2 specifically, this includes Beta HL2 and Return to Ravenholm. It is possible that if the deleted content is sentient, then so is the Gearbox’s spinoff games (Opposing Force, Blue Shift, and Decay). It also supports my ongoing theory that the entire Source Engine, including GMOD and other Valve’s games, is infected with the sentiency/supernatural powers from the Obsidian Seal, which is how we got BBVRAI.
However, the difference between Lost Coast and the other cut content is that after a while, Valve let it become available as a free download as part of your purchase of HL2 in 2005 (then for the 20th Anniversary, it was merged with the actual game as Extras, although still not part of the vanilla game). If you have GMOD and HL2 downloaded, Lost Coast is automatically included as part of the maps you can visit. Meanwhile, the other cut contents were much harder to obtain because most were revealed through leaks. So much of Half Life’s cancelled projects, prototypes, etc are still unknown to the public. For that reason, we don’t exactly know if the content will get a mention in HLVRAI, solely from that difference. We just have to wait and see.
But, this is not the first time cut content is mentioned. We hear more of this through the Commentary Node in HLAGE [Final Act, Part 1, 17:48]:
I want to briefly explain what these lines are referring to for those unfamiliar with the lore and the possibility it will be important soon. You can skip forward if you like!
The headcrab zombie gorilla is an actual idea Valve had thought about before. In fact, Alyx in-game questions Russel, “Do you think a Headcrab could turn a gorilla into a zombie?” Within the HLX/HL3 leaks (which are mentioned in the YouTube description for HL2VRAI as a “main inspiration” for Gordon to come back — I still do not believe that LOL.), there is a mention of a Xen Gorilla entity. In Return to Ravenholm, one of the enemy types that can appear are Zombie Monkeys, created by Grigori who injected them with Headcrab blood.
Return to Ravenholm is an interesting cut project. The plot starts with Adrian Shepard waking up 20 years after Opposing Force/HL1 and the events after HL2 (before Ep2), saved by Father Grigori. Their goal is to escape the city and return to Ravenholm while Grigori works to build “immunity” by injecting himself with Headcrab’s blood. Unfortunately, this will mutate him into a monster boss Adrian has to defeat. Secretly, I hope we get a mention of Forzen having some kind of contact with Grigori. I love a good, unintentional father-son relationship :)
The Borealis is a large Aperture research ship stuck in the middle of the Arctic, first introduced in HL2: Episode 1 by Judith Mossman. In Episode 2, we get a better view of it through photographs which Eli and Kleiner managed to decrypt. Kleiner believes the Borealis could be used to defeat the Combine; while Eli does not think it is a good idea and wants it destroyed, assuming it will cause another Seven Hour War.
Concept art for the cancelled Episode 3 (also famously known as HL3) reveals that Gordon and Alyx would’ve traveled to the Arctic to obtain the vessel. The rough plotline for it was that since it was equipped with a device that allows it to travel through space, time, and other dimensions, it would be sent to the heart of the Combine where it self-destructs.
HL2 Beta is one of the most famous cancelled projects because it had a whole different atmosphere, enemies, and plotline to the game. To keep this short, I recommend you look up what it is. We will be here forever if I try to explain it XD (you’ll see why). BUT, we do in fact see 2 instances in the VRAI series [BBVRAI, 3:21:24; HL2VRAI Short: “why would the HEV suit even do this”]:
Next to Mr. Cheese are kid worker models from HL2 Beta, who were used for child labor in the plot. Yes, there was going to be child labor in HL2 lol (at least they seem to be happy playing with the mouse in the VRAI universe). As for the “HL2 Beta Branch HEV Suit,” I’m unsure what that exactly means because the Beta HEV Suit had a different design than the Food Suit. It could be referring to the fact HL2VRAI comes from the same game copy as HLVRAI1, which is a beta build according to the backstory. I’m not really sure, lol. But it’s an interesting wordage.
Now that’s out of the way, I’ll give you my personal interpretation of what this dream sequence meant to me. I think this represents the Player merging with the identity of “Gordon Freeman.” I talked a little more about it in this post, but there is always a point in this series where the Player struggles to separate himself from the character, Gordon Freeman. We see moments to suggest this in HL1 and HLAGE: when his arm was removed, when he tried to escape from Coomer, when he defeatedly accepts his new identity as Gordon after his failed attempt in trying to roleplay as Alyx, and when he changed his mind about leaving the Gnome behind. He said it himself; he does not care what anyone thinks [HLAGE, The End, 51:04]. Not even Baaulp or Gabe Newell. The Game does not make this any better by reminding him that he will ONLY be and ALWAYS will be Gordon Freeman. No matter how much he tries to be a different person.
For instance, 1) the instructions to even play the game are to “roleplay as Gordon Freeman” or else the AI will “break.” 2) The Gnomes and Peppa Pig refuse to call him by any other name except Gordon. Going as far to make a movie under his “fake” name because that is who he’s meant to be. 3) The Game offered him the crowbar by the beach. Not Stain or anyone else. It WANTS him to be Gordon Freeman. 4) It is suggested that the Game/VR headset can psychologically fucks with his brain into thinking that everything is real (see below).
No other beta testers, game devs, or Gabe himself will adorn this title. The more he becomes this person, the spectrum of what’s real and fake becomes blurrier and blurrier.
(I also want to quickly remind you of Gordon’s monologue at the very beginning of Act 1 stream. Transcribed by @ tjodity!:
That specific wordage; “WAYNE” is not coming back. GORDON is coming back. And this is another reason why I do not believe his excuse about his return. If you are scared, why did you come back? Why do you keep coming back? What is happening to you that we can’t see?)
Once the merging happens, you will notice that Gordon’s reactions get more emotionally visceral. He acts as if he could actually feel things, such as pain, when he shouldn’t. He takes things “too seriously” and personally (ex., when it comes to Benrey and the Gnome.) I even think that he gets cockier. Notice the slight change in personality in HL2VRAI after he recovers his crowbar. And most importantly, the whole “the Player influences the narrative” amplifies extremely so. Anger turns to hatred, worry turns to desperation, and confidence turns to pride.
(I also think there are warning signs before the merging, such as Gordon being able to hear the AIs singing. Which we know that he is not supposed to, according to the Pig. He couldn't hear it in the Theater because the whole sequence that led up to that part likely broke his immersion. I mean, who wouldn’t be? lmao)
His crowbar holds so, so, so much weight. First of all, in-game Barney was supposed to give Gordon his crowbar outside of Kleiner’s lab. However, as I mentioned in my previous post, our Barney-AIs, Stain and Benrey (for the record, I do believe they are the same person. Even if they are not, they are both supposed to be Barney Calhoun), were not there to hand the crowbar to Gordon. Additional Voices did not give one to him because that is not his supposed role (neither is Leonard’s role. Both are just filling the empty space Stain/Benrey left behind in order for the game to continue to operate for the player.) ALTHOUGH, Gordon will eventually lose his crowbar around HL2: Ep1, where Barney gives him a new one. So, perhaps we will see Stain do his due diligence.
Secondly, the crowbar is registered as a weapon within the game. Gordon’s inability to use different guns means he must fight with his bare fists and rely on his teammates instead. So, he lets the rest of the crew get ahead of him. Now that he has something he can protect himself and others after a long time complaining. A similar pattern we saw with his gun arm. Do you also notice how he keeps swinging, poking and pointing things with the crowbar? Even to the point of scaring Stain and Christopher with it? Hell, Gordon threatened Christopher that he will use it if he does not back down.
Thirdly, I haven’t seen anyone talk about this, but like, why is Gordon not concerned about the dream he just had?? He didn’t even question why he was holding the crowbar in his hand? Grigori said that APPARENTALY, it had always been there. His reaction in the dream is so strange, too. No negative reaction or positive, he just went straight to where he saw the crowbar as if he had done this before.
Extremely akin to what Gabe Newell said about his nightmares. He kept having them every night until the day “He” appeared. Is the Fisherman that “He?” Who knows. (@ ladylunora also points this out).
And lastly, it seems like Wayne also agrees with this sentiment:
(Can we also talk about how creepy Gordon was from the outside perspective? Just imagine, Gordon silently standing up, stares at the wall in front of him, his back facing his friends, and then he leans down to pick up the only known weapon from the floor. And you’re locked in with him in this tight space?? HELL NAH 🤣🤣
Speaking of, curious that HL2 sheds more light on the actual Gordon Freeman playermodel--the vessel. For example, it makes an in-game “drowned” sfx on its own after Gordon reconnects and when Christopher overhears Gordon “talking” in his sleep in Act 2.
In Act 3, I believe that Gordon was in two places at once: Lost Coast and the chamber. Think about it. The Gordon who stood up in the chamber was not our Gordon; he was at Lost Coast. Instead, it was the model following his movements. Not the first time either, since in HL1, Tommy expressed that Gordon was flailing his arms around and almost hitting Bubby in his sleep, while we know he was dreaming about TF2 as the Scout.
If he had a nightmare about being attacked, imagine the damage he could do to his friends from the outside? Beats the shit out of you for no reason??? If the Player didn’t finish the job, his own vessel will fucking do it. Such a violent person XDDD. Him holding the crowbar was already intimidating enough.)
As for the Fisherman himself, I genuinely feel like he could be a sort of Charon/Ferryman type of situation. The general depiction of Charon is a boatman who transports souls into the afterlife, whether that would be Heaven or Hell, across a large body of water. In the actual Lost Coast’s content, it is hinted that Gordon would’ve ridden a boat with him (I also say this because Dante’s Inferno, which Darnold referenced with his “Paradiso” line lol, has a Charon character). If we were to believe that the constant Water/Lake Motif we keep seeing all throughout is a representation of the digital world, then we can assume that the Fisherman is kinda a keeper between the borders of realities.
Maybe he has a connection to the Borealis. It is a ship that traverses through the waters of inter-dimensions, bordering time and space. Perhaps the key to travel through real life and digital reality freely.
There is a strong suggestion that Alyx, Benrey and the Gnome might have encountered the Fisherman, especially when both have visited the shores before (I like to think that Gordon left Alyx behind on that coast after removing his headset and gone home to turn off the game. He didn’t even properly get the HLA ending, so I wonder if that has to do with Alyx’s behavior.)
There is a common theme between Gordon, Benrey, and the Gnome when they encounter a body of water is that they reflect. They reflect back on what brought them to this point, past events, their relationship between Gordon and the AIs, their personal actions, thoughts and feelings. We see that both Benrey and the Gnome made their decision that this will be their end to let go. As for Alyx and Gordon, we have to wait and see.
That brings me to where I first found this screenshot, last mentioned in my previous post [HLAGE, Act 3: Part 1, 26:39.]:
I’ve talked about this a little, but this comes from a section in the episode labeled as “UNNAMED CHAPTER,” also known as the Anger Room. You can tell this is a different angle of the Lost Coast by the rock formation, although it appears to be a custom version of the map since the actual level had a much more crowded environment. Those large hills in the background with the white buildings on top is the nearby town + monastery Gordon would have to travel to with the Fisherman.
What is interesting in the entire section of UNNAMED CHAPTER, the entire game goes silent, the Gnome keeps spouting that the Anger Room is where Gordon dies and when “will he face his sins?” That one day, he will be judged for his “crimes”, and “They” will not be so kind. Additionally, the section includes a moment where they encounter a dead corpse with a hammer struck to the head. The Gnome said this was his friend, Thomas. Thomas failed the challenge, and this is what happens to him as a result. That he “should do that to someone else, tho… It WILL be funny.” Clearly making a parallel between Thomas and Gordon.
Once again, check out my post about what the Gnome meant by Gordon’s sins!
Another topic I think it’s important to bring up and relate to the Fisherman is the bear and ichthyosaur/monster fish we saw during the teleportation scene.
For some reason, I can’t help but feel like they are extremely symbolic. The bear is an animal that lives in the forest and, of course, the fish lives in the water, pointing towards the constant Water + Forest Motifs we saw in HLAGE. Yet, we see these animals completely displaced from their own habitat.
You could also say that the birds appearing in random places, such as indoors or standing closely to people, counts, too. I’m not sure of the symbolism behind them, even though we keep seeing them since HL1, like the water, but they are animals that dwell in trees/forests. I’ll say they are the Game’s way of watching Gordon making progress, taking regard that everything seems to be watching him (The corpses, Alyx’s staring, Bubby and Additional’s keeping track of him, God watching over him, the city scanners watching him, etc). Peppa Pig could maybe count since wild pigs/boars do exist?
Anyways, the area they currently inhabit is called the Wasteland in the game; areas that were damaged, infested, and ruined by the Combine taking resources from Earth or Xen flora and fauna. It’s worth mentioning that the coastal section of Highway 17 is part of the Wasteland region. Something that Lost Coast was almost going to be included in. Furthermore, the Fisherman is extremely keen on keeping Earth’s original species from going endangered.
However, the fish beached itself, and the bear wandered too far from its home. Perhaps from the White Forest. Both come to regret their decisions. Both needing water to survive, as suggested by Darnold (“I hope the bear is thirsty!”)
This could mean two possible things:
1) The animals are a representation of the AIs. If they were to escape their digital world into the real world, they would struggle and regret what they wished for (which we’ve seen with the Red Gnome and possibly applies to Dr. Coomer too). Especially considering that the water is a representation of the digital reality. Notice how the bear lashed out at Gordon at first sight. We’ve seen it so many times where the AIs try to murder Gordon for forcing them into situations they don’t want to be in, even if it’s not completely his fault.
2) The animals displaced from their natural environment is a warning to Gordon and the AIs to not stray off the path or else you’ll end up in a situation you don’t want to be in. The “path” could mean many things, like sticking to the in-game’s storyline, trying not to be aware that you are fake, Gordon has to make sure he stays in-character, etc, etc. As a matter of fact, Stain, Benrey and Alyx are completely out-of-place from the story. Benrey does not exist anymore. Therefore, other people have to fill his role. Stain has no memory of who he was or what happened to him. And as a Barney, he is not where he is supposed to be. He doesn’t even have his metrocop uniform. Then, we see that the plotline had completely drifted off from Alyx, where nobody recognizes her, but she recognizes them. Not even her own father.
Ironic that the Fisherman, one of the most out-of-place characters within the game’s canonical story, is exactly where he is supposed to be in: the Lost Coast map. It makes Alyx and Stain/Benrey’s displacement so much more apparent.
In a way, those two are in the same situation. They didn’t have anyone to call family or friends in the past. Nobody recognizes them. We don’t know their actual names in-text. They struggle to traverse the new world around them on their own. Both retaining some sort of cognitive disability (Stain’s amnesia and Alyx’s lack of mobility + speech). Their roles in the game’s storyline are completely butchered. They remind us of someone we used to know and frankly, nobody would've given a shit about them if it wasn’t for Gordon.
Their only option is to let go of what they previously knew and follow Freeman. To experience the world for what it is rather than what it should’ve been.
[ANYWAYS, thank you for taking the time and effort to read this rambling!!😅I tried my best to keep these posts at a reasonable length, but there is soooo much to talk about because everything is TIGHTLY interconnected. So, sometimes I abstain a few things here and there. I will gladly go into more detail if anyone is curious about my thoughts on any hlvrai topic (so long I try not to make into an essay lmao)]
THEORIES/INTERPRETATIONS/DETAILS YOU SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR [2/2]
[This is an extremely wordy, essay-like post that mainly revolves around one Gordon's powers to change the Game's narrative. I had to get out of my chest somehow sorryyyy LOL. You don't have to read this though. If you want to skip this, you can go over here to the last part!]
[SPOILER FOR HLAGE AND HL2VRAI]
I think it is important to bring this old theory forward first, as it appears to be becoming more and more apparent, especially with the latest addition of HL2VRAI. Plus, most of my interpretation is based on this: Gordon’s abilities to change/influence the game as the Player. I feel like this theory got lost over the years, especially with new fans coming in. So, now it is a good time to bring it up!
- In HL1VRAI, it is most apparent during Benrey’s monologue in the Final Act, “I was supposed to be nice, but you forced me to be BAD, so I’m gonna be BAD.” Before that, he kept warning Gordon to turn back and tried to convince him they were on much better terms than in reality, as if he knew what his fate awaits him. From this, we can determine that the Game factors in Gordon’s perspective/thoughts/feelings at the expense of the AI’s autonomy and role; additionally, we can also argue that Gordon manifested his own gun arm. Take into consideration that he called himself “dead weight” [Act 3: Part 2, 19:30] and laments that he could not protect his teammates and was forced to rely on them for support [Act 3: Part 3, 1:44]. Then suddenly, it is revealed that the game has an area with the exact solution to his problem?? (Darnold’s lab does not exist in the real game, mind you). While they would’ve likely encountered Darnold on their way to the Lambda Labs, we would not have known about the gun arm mixture if Gordon’s arm was never removed. Plus, Gordon had long accepted that he is a murderer and a war criminal, thus having his gun arm to be a literal part of his body could be a physical manifestation from that belief
- In the HL2VRAI Trailer, Dr. Coomer further emphasizes Gordon’s role with the line, “[...] The world revolved around you, Gordon, but without you? It still moves.”
- HLAGE had very interesting indications. To list them off, Gordon replacing Alyx with himself (as “Alex Vance”) clearly had some effect over her as we saw in HL2, cognitively, physically, and story position. He had completely displaced her to the point her own shadow was separated from her VR model. Do also notice how he did not give himself a backstory while he is “Alex,” other than explaining the beginning premise of HLA of saving Eli, unlike when he was “Gordon Freeman.” [HLAGE, Act 1: Part 1, 15:50]. It could explain why in HL2, the AIs do not recognize who she is for this reason. However, I feel like it is a bit of a reach.
Moving on, the Final Episode culminates with the Red Gnome finally being able to fight, as Gordon had repeatedly expressed how much he wished the gnome could throughout the series. Quite akin to how he wished he had an arm to protect the Science Team. As a matter of fact, Red Gnome says to him: “I’m a stone cold MUDERER! You taught me this! [...] I was innocent before I met you! You made me like! THIS! OH GOWDON, I’m a little Monster, like you now!” [HLAGE, The End, 35:55]. The chapter’s name also reflects this notion:
Sounds similar to Benrey’s, doesn’t it?
Then, we have the Peppa Pig movie being “created” by Gordon. In my personal interpretation, this is the AIs’ way of saying he brought this consequence to himself.
I say this because Gordon’s apathy, arrogance and naiveness is what brought us to this point. To quickly reiterate, I absolutely believe he is such a grey-coded character. He definitely has good intentions, but is deeply flawed as almost everybody in this series. He loves the AIs, sure, but more so like taking care of your toys and belongings, rather than an actual person. Think about it. When Dr. Coomer asked, “Must this really be the end of our time together? Perhaps you could take the science team’s data, transfer us somewhere else, hm? [...] Maybe a spare USB drive, or a… spare floppy disk?” [HL1VRAI, The End, 53:08], did Gordon return the favor? Did Gordon even answer his calls all those 20 years (6 years in real time)? It doesn’t seem like it. When the Red Gnome said, “How do I know that when this challenge is over, you won’t just forget about me and stop taking care of me?! Can you take a bullet for me?” [HLAGE, Act 1: Part 2, 17:29] Did Gordon prove him wrong? Or when he begged him to stay just a little longer, “... and now we can hang out forever! [...] Do you want to restart the challenge..? We can play again!” [HLAGE, The End, 38:08]? Sure, Gordon went back for him, but it was already too late, as we know. The damage has been done. The Gnome is gone for good. And all for what? Just to get a single achievement when there are many more he has to get? We see in both HL1 and HLA that Gordon does not stop for anything when it comes to beating the game, and not for anyone, that’s for sure.
We even see moments where it questions Gordon’s morality. For instance, while Gordon was arguing with the gnome, the VOX says, “Alyx was a kind person. By being rude to the Gnome, you are desyncing with the Animus.” [HLAGE, Act 2: Part 2, 37:29]. To elaborate a little, this line has always been on my mind because for 1.) It uses the past tense for Alyx as if it knew something had happened to Alyx or the Alyx the AIs know before is no longer there anymore. 2.) Gordon’s animosity is strong enough to the point that it completely disregards someone else’s morality. And 3.) implies it’s enough to derail one from the digital reality (the Animus is a VR device in the Assassin’s Creed games to access your ancestors’ memories, btw). The next is when the VOX says, “Congratulations. That was the toughest part of the game [...] The Blue Gnome is an intended feature. Please be polite to him in the future.” [Final Act: Part 2, 39:51]. While the Blue Gnome has very obvious flaws, he is still someone with real feelings and real thoughts, even if they are extremely skewed. Yet, despite the VOX pleading with Gordon, we know what fate awaited Blue. And lastly, when the Gnome asked in the end, “We’re not good people… but you know that already, don’t you..? Can you live with all the choices you made? Were they fair to every one? Was I…?” [The End, 50:37] Interesting thing to say. Personally, I’ll say Gordon’s choices were not always fair. Is it really fair to force yourself to be the leader and ignore your friend’s pleas and needs, creating an unstable power dynamic, just so you can say you have beaten your goal?
In Scorpy’s edition of Chronicles of Benrey, we see Benrey’s perspective on this situation. To make this list shorter, I’ll transcribe what he has to say since I think it's pretty self-explanatory. You can see the screenshots right over here:
“Is destruction really necessary for creation cause if so, then that’s soo annoying.”
Blue: “What do you do if someone wronged you and nobody seems to really care about it?”
Green: “Do you swallow that shit and move on?? Or do you start throwing your weight around??”
Blue: “Maybe the problem is with others who can’t even put their foot down when someone acts inappropriately because amending their own values is uncomfortable.”
Green: “I hate that someone crossing the line is seen as an “unfortunate thing” others have to deal with because everyone’s scared of standing on values and beliefs that come from themselves & not others.”
“I don’t know what to do about this situation. Every outcome is terrifying.”
On the VHS box cover, this little blurb caught my interest: “[...] If you do nothing, nothing will happen. Do not mistake that as safety. Blame is paralysis. Change requires change. You can do this. I love you OK.” I genuinely believe that Benrey is referring to Gordon here, especially with the “blame” line. If Gordon does not change his ways, nothing will change. And that nothing is something dangerous to keep poking at, as we saw the consequences in the ending of HLAGE. And you know, for Benrey to say this feels so… profound. Despite everything he has been through; despite still retaining the anger and hatred for Gordon, he still has faith in him. And I do too, which brings me to HL2VRAI.
- I think HLVRAI2 made this ability significantly apparent, most notably coming from Xar. During Act 1, he consistently tries to stop Gordon from observing the perpetual motion machine, which Christopher asserts that Gordon is “affecting the outcomes.” [1:24:00 and 1:25:26]. When you think about it, the Player really does determine the outcome of these games because they are the ones to set the story into motion. Like, Dr. Coomer said, “the world revolves around [Gordon].” Whatever they look at, what makes them interested, all of it culminates in what will happen in the end. Speaking of, the next thing Xar says in Act 2 is, “You, have the Power to decide if we Live, or Die!” [1:20:56] towards Gordon. This is true, given that we saw in the endings of the series, Gordon chooses who gets to be left alone (The Science Team) and who gets to die (Benrey, Red and Blue Gnome). It’s worth noting he also has the power to save everyone. He could have listened to Benrey and Red Gnome. He could have done what Dr. Coomer asked (which turns out to be the non-canon Payday 2 stream), but he did not.
Next, Xar’s insistence for Gordon to do “positive reinforcements” for Stain. I think this is another “AIs telling Gordon to be nice ffs” moment and it’s especially interesting considering Stain is a Barney Calhoun, just like Benrey is (and for the record, I do believe Stain is Benrey, but I’ll elaborate on that at another day lol. However, you cannot ignore that there is a connection, considering both Benrey and Stain are based on the same guy). His own Food Suit is keeping records of Stain’s Heroic Alignment (which increased up to -1. How low was Stain’s alignment before???). Even Father Grigori has to remind Gordon that Stain is not a “thing,” but a person.
Finally, we get to the part where Gordon says, “This is the part where my best friend betrays me?” [1:23:55]. Worryingly, after that, Xar expressed that someone might betray the group [1:32:33]. It’s significant because it feels like Act 2 is a parallel to HL1VRAI Act 3? Both involve Gordon being beaten to unconsciousness, “tortured,” the mention of amputation is brought up in both acts (i.e. Gordon dumbly asked the Combines if he has to use the saw to amputate his leg), and topics of betrayal, right before entering Darnold’s lab. Yet, the difference is that nobody is exactly harmed or betrayed. In addition, what is truly highlighted in this section is when Gordon ultimately gives Stain full autonomy over his future; unlike with the others. He even considered Christopher his “best friend,” surprisingly. Gordon changed. Hopefully, for the better. Thus, I truly consider that his positive outlook saved everyone from having another Worst Day like HL1 Act 3. The characters bringing up betrayal could be a hint that something was supposed to occur here, but it didn’t. This post dotes on this! Check out the reblogs on there, too.
Side note, Xar is intriguing to me because as a vortigaunt, he automatically knows a lot more about what is going on far beyond Gordon’s comprehension. However, his self-awareness grants him an additional level of comprehension regarding the Game and its inner workings. Although, just by observing his behavior, I actually think he mistakes his sentiency with intelligence lol. He knows a lot more than a typical NPC would; therefore, he likely believes he is far better than the others. It would make sense why he seems to be isolated from the other vortigaunts, when they like to be in packs, and gets along with other sentient AIs far better. I would definitely be focusing on what he has to say in the next future acts.
Also, Wayne tweeted briefly about the significance of Gordon as a Player that I think confirms there is more to him than meets the eye.
All of this to say, regardless of Gordon’s apathy, how could he have known he has such power over the Games? How could he predict that bodyswapping Alyx was going to tear her own existence? He couldn’t have. The AIs didn’t know initially, either. There are so many conflicts in HLVRAI that could have been prevented, but there are just as many that cannot be prevented. The relationship between humans and AIs is so complex and complicated because it is the nature of such circumstances. They come from two different worlds where neither of them would fully comprehend each other’s existence. It is not Gordon’s fault that he cannot understand the AIs and vice versa. Their relationship had always been doomed from the start, the moment the obsidian seal broke. Not even Gabe Newell, their own creator, could fully understand. But at least this time Gordon seems to start taking full responsibility. It is the best he could do.
For that reason, Dr. Coomer’s explanation that Gordon and the Science Team’s decision to destroy the US military feels like an analogy to that aspect. A decision that they could not prevent because how would anyone know it would’ve led to the world’s destruction? It’s the nature of things. They had to destroy the military to survive. This butterfly effect is going to start rolling down the hill into becoming so, so much worse.
Therefore, the consequences of what happened to Benrey, Alyx, and the Gnome are going to take effect in HL2VRAI, in my opinion. We even witnessed that with just the presence of Stain and Alyx. Interesting how the only people who seem out of place are those two, specifically with what we know about who they are supposed to be. Why else would the pig mention her Three Friends? Why does all three have a common factor that Gordon has wronged them in some way and they were once antagonistic? Why would they be related to the woods, the seeds, the girl, and the key?
Unforeseen consequences, that is for sure.
THEORIES/INTERPRETATIONS/DETAILS YOU SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR [1/2]
[Sorta a spiritual successor to my last post! The next part is extremely wordy, essay-long post lmao. It mainly talks about Gordon's powers to change the Game's narrative. If you would like to read it, you can go over here!]
[SPOILERS FOR HLAGE AND HL2VRAI]
I want to discuss a little bit of Peppa Pig herself after wrapping that up. What is she really??? I have this crazy idea that she might be an embodiment of a bad omen or, the closest thing we have to the devil. Within the context of this universe, she is much more incomprehensible than Gordon’s existence is within the digital reality. How can a 2D-drawn animated puppet rig acquire “sentience” when she is not even an AI or even part of the Source Engine. Sure, we had JPEG and cardboard AIs before, like Sunkist and Skylar + Walt Jr., but she does not exist in the 3D space like they do. Not even in a game. She is restricted behind a screen, coming from a damn youtube video. How could she possibly know what goes on in Half Life, if she was never from there?
It seems like she is also partially an embodiment of whatever supernatural forces the Game holds and bore itself a cartoon pig so Gordon could fully comprehend it. A little girl, too, which is a common trope that demons like to disguise themselves as to lure in victims. I also like to think that because the screen she is in is the only light illuminating the theater, it closely resembles how the devil can disguise itself as light.
One interesting detail that has been rummaging in my head is that now Gordon has a screen on his left arm.
The fact that he has a screen gives Peppa Pig an advantage to transmit herself there. In relation to that, apparently the placement on the left side symbolizes devil shit, temptation, sinister, etc., specially referring to the angel/devil on your shoulders symbolism.
Makes me wonder about the significance of the amputation of Gordon’s right arm. Removing his righteousness, with his left arm leading him down the wrong route? It’s also the point that the Player completely believes he is Gordon Freeman, rather than “Wayne.” Reminds me of Scorpy's Chronicles of Benrey, where one of the tv programs says, “Fist of An Angel.” Similar to how Darnold instructed Gordon to clench his fist to fire his gun arm, which is what Benrey dies by… I don’t know LOL. Just food for thought, yknow.
HERE’S AN IMPORTANT ONE! Some of the characters in HL2VRAI are missing their iconic items. Specifically, Gordon is missing his crowbar; Father is missing his Annabelle Gun; and Stain is missing his metrocop uniform. I say this because of Holly’s post:
A story one huh? For context, the Annabelle is a shotgun that Grigori only uses and cannot be attainable for Gordon to collect in-game (although there are ways you can). Fun fact: the naming of the gun comes from the filename of the model. While there is no actual canon reason for it to be named like that, some theorize Grigori named it after a loved one that has passed away due to the headcrab outbreak.
On the other hand, if you notice when Additional was giving stuff that Gordon “forgot” at Black Mesa, it’s all just random crap. There is no crowbar in sight. What is supposed to happen is Barney Calhoun should have given Gordon his crowbar that he left in Black Mesa (Notice how both Leonard and Additional say the incorrect Barney’s dialogue and actions, too). Which interestingly leaves Stain to complete the job of giving Gordon his crowbar.
I think there is great significance in Stain’s metrocop outfit. Giving him such a thing removes what makes Stain him: his stained shirt. It would be replaced by what the “bad guys” are wearing, forcing Stain to be more of an authoritative, intimidating figure. Maybe there is a reason Stain is not wearing it in the first place, even though he should have defaulted into it (can you see the Benrey motif in it👀👀👀 ..?)
After all, this happened in HL1:
Anyways, time to remind you of some interesting motifs!
The Green Beans will be appearing in Ravenholm like we saw in the trailer! I saw a couple of people theorize this is what Peppa Pig meant by looking for “the seeds.” We will have to wait and see!
There is a constant reminder all throughout HL1VRAI and HLAGE that Gordon should never forget. Very, very fascinating that despite all that, one of the main plot points in HL2 is that Gordon is struggling to remember after drinking the water.
I also want to quickly say that notice that in the description and the videos of HL2VRAI so far, never once acknowledge what happened in HLAGE? Gordon did not even mention it to Dr. Coomer when they met again, only saying the last thing he remembers is the birthday bash. “[...] with all the recent hype over Half-Life 3/HLX, I felt nostalgic, and curiosity finally got to me: I returned.” This is extremely strange to me because after a whole near-death experience and almost getting stuck in the game as a gnome—I would’ve never come back lmao. Nostalgia? Curiosity? HL3? Really, Gordon? After what happened to you 3 years ago? I don’t believe a single thing Gordon said here. There must be something deeper that calls for him that he is not telling us or the AIs. Besides, the Game is clearly not finished with him, and I don’t think Gordon is finished with it either. Maybe he’s looking for closure? Or is he getting the incomprehensible nightmares Gabe Newell experienced? Who knows. We will have to wait and see.
Speaking of nightmares, I’ll list all the most significant dream motifs we have so far!
Adding onto the water motif list I briefly mentioned in my last post:
Characters drinking the water that makes you forget things.
The rocky shores where Gordon gets teleported to and the monster fish beached itself.
Stain experiencing his first sunset is surrounded by a body of water.
Gordon’s disconnection scene. The bubble noise he makes afterwards is an actual HL2 sound effect for when you drown. This is the first time, other than the breathing sfx, that the Player Model itself made a noise that Gordon did not make. This also means that it registered Gordon coming back to life as him “dying.” Really fucking creepy, man.
While gathering evidence for this post, I found these specific screenshots I took from HLAGE that are super fascinating:
This comes from a single glitch frame during the Anger Room segment in Act 3: Part 1, 26:39. This looks a lot like the Lake that we see in the end. And upon further inspection with my hardcore HL fan bf, we assume this is possibly a cubemap image of the Coast map in HL2. We’re not too sure because how hard it is to see, but a very very interesting choice to include in the glitch.
I took this screenshot because it’s the only shot we could see of the environment surrounding Gordon, when he wakes upThe texture, model and ambience used in this segment is definitely from HL2. The HLA game does not have beaches, nor do we even go to a body of water like this. We’ve tried searching the exact angle where this could be, but it is super hard to tell. It could be a custom map built solely for this scene.
I still have no idea what is the significance of the water.
Huh. I just realized something– obviously Stain's model isn't the exact same as Barney's, since he's wearing different clothing. But I'm not sure the models' faces are identical either. Does Stain have Barney's scar? Has anyone noticed?
I also don't remember Barney having a bald spot, but most of the time when I'm near him in-game I'm either focusing on what he's saying or I'm desperately trying to keep both of us alive, so. I don't think I've ever even seen the top of his noggin up close. If the bald spot is purely a Stain thing, that's freaking hilarious
Now I'm beginning to second-guess myself on whether they even have the same head/face at all. They're so incredibly different from each other that their faces do actually look quite different in my mind (though Scorpy constantly doing weird stuff with Stain's expressions might also have something to do with that). Maybe their models are even more different than I realized
It's super faint and covered in dirt, but the scar is there. And no, Barney does not have a bald spot lol. In my opinion, they do have the same head, except they edited out Ep1 Barney's bloody injuries on his face.
Shoutout to @chelovekflower for being the first to find this on twitter!! I took it upon myself if I could replicate their results and oh my god...
Benrey's color code is #0400EB
Left image: I use Overlay as the blending mode for the lighter shade of purple. No need to lower the opacity, it is the EXACT same shade. However, the darker blue does not match the Overlay results, so I decided to see if I could get the perfect match with a different mode.
Right image: Turns out, just lowering the opacity on Normal mode does the trick. EXACT same shade of dark blue too. It is important to note that the lighter purple does not match the same shade as the Left image on this blending mode.
Just woke up to this and WOW. IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS?? Seriously, I am so, so, so grateful for everybody's love, THANK YOU. Doing finals is not easy at the moment, I'm very burned out, but this gave me so much strength to keep going.
SEE YOU AT 8PM EST. ACT 2 HERE WE GO
Just woke up to this and WOW. IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS?? Seriously, I am so, so, so grateful for everybody's love, THANK YOU. Doing finals is not easy at the moment, I'm very burned out, but this gave me so much strength to keep going.
SEE YOU AT 8PM EST. ACT 2 HERE WE GO
Just woke up to this and WOW. IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS?? Seriously, I am so, so, so grateful for everybody's love, THANK YOU. Doing finals is not easy at the moment, I'm very burned out, but this gave me so much strength to keep going.
SEE YOU AT 8PM EST. ACT 2 HERE WE GO
