G-Man and HL2 - My Take

[YangMan]

After playing HL2, I, like many, was left wondering what the hell was going on. Then after reading through articles and webpages on the story, and numerous speculation threads, things made a lot of sense.

I think most people agree with most of the overall story as speculated in the HL2 Story Saga (or whatever it's called). Most people also agree on most of the characters' backgrounds too. Except the antlions' origins (which, let's face it, is not what the stroy revolves around), and most controversially, the G-Man.

So here's what I think:

Firstly, I'd like to say that Valve does change the story as they go along, adapting as they get better ideas or whatever deems necessary. Although I haven't played the 'beta' or watched the pre-release videos, I'm sure most of you are also aware of the amount of stuff that was cut out of the released version. Apparently, the story was also slightly different in the 'beta' with the G-Man explaining everything rather than being so vague...

Also, a lot of what happens or what is said is very ambiguous and vague, some can be interpreted as a joke, mistake, or hint to the plot. This ambiguity gives the freedom for Valve to adapt and manouevre their storyline, without creating a massive contradiction or crappy twist, should they change where they want the story to go (which is a good thing).

For example, when the Vortigaunts say. "Could you but see the eyes inside your own, the minds in your mind..." and "Far distant eyes look out through yours" could be referring to the G-Man and the Vortigaunt collective mind (which would be a hint to the story), or could merely be a joke about the player (ie, you).

Also, why was Gordon 1/2 hour late in HL1? Why doesn't he remember his education, what happened that morning, what his workplace looks like, what all that terminology means (despite Valve saying the player is Gordon, you know nothing more and nothing less)? Is therefore Barney's joke about Grodon't MIT education paying for itself a joke about Vale not being able to successfully make the player Gordon, or is it hinting that Gordon isn't who everyone else and himself think he is?

Final note on ambiguity: The picture of the baby in Gordon's locker in HL1 is supposedly an easter egg, as it is the newborn of a Valve producer... But why Gordon's locker? There were plenty of others, and at least one other was open. Easter egg or hint?

Now, back to the story, about the G-Man.

So, we've established that Valve does change their story. I think, in HL1, the G-Man was just that, a shady government man shrouded in conspiracy. He was likely the supervisor of several government projects, one of them being Black Mesa, which is how he can teleport, etc.

6 years down the track and when HL2 was made, I don't think Valve wanted the G-Man to be just a government man anymore. Afterall, the governments are all wiped out.

Now, let's look at HL1's end speech. The G-Man says that thanks to Gordon, "we have taken control of Xen". However, the G-Man obviously doesn't represent an earth government anymore, so this really gives us a big hint. He is either part of or representing another alien race in a host body, or is contracted (familiar?) by various alien races to help them win interstellar battles (he could once have represented or belonged to the earth government, but either moved on or was screwed over, and decided to make money for himself by going universal with his - talents).

So, assuming he is part of, representing, or being contracted by another alien race in some way (which seems the most likely now), "we have taken control of Xen" is a massive hint. When Gordon killed the Nihilanth, he was meant to have liberated Xen (and also helped earth close the portal). But instead, it created a power vacuum, and the alien race represented by the G-Man took control (better the devil you know than the devil you don't), and what's worse, instead of closing the portal, it created a portal storm world wide.

So when Gordon destroys the combine dark energy reactor, which should cripple the combine's might, the above suggests that this would create a power vacuum again, and allow the G-Man's 'employers' to take over.

It seems now that there are at least two alien super-powers trying to gain control over the universe. Probably more, as from the Vortigaunts' speech, they've slipped their yokes numerous times only to be captured again.

So, the Combine are a force that is heavily dependant on their technology, taking planets and dimensions by force, then combining the technology for a more powerful army. The other alien race(s), of which the G-Man is part of or contracted by, use the G-Man and their intelligence to defeat the Combine (brain vs brawn). The G-Man, uses people like Gordon, who have a strong will to survive and compassion for his fellow beings, puts them in situations where they must survive and defeat the opressors to liberate their own people. But really, once liberated, it only creates a power vacuum (think about Xen, he was trying to save his own people, and it was also meant to liberate the other Xenians from Nihilanth, but we know someone else took control of Xen and earth was enveloped by a portal storm).

Thus, the G-Man contracts out people like Gordon, they do all the dirty work, and the G-Man makes a lot of money. The G-Man also says he likes people like Gordon and Shepard, who have an undying will to survive, much like himself. That would suggest that maybe the G-Man was once just like Gordon, contracted out and used as a pawn (also sound familiar), but then rose in ranks and started contracting other people so he wouldn't have to do the dirty work.

Well, there's my theory. Apart from the G-Man, I agree mostly with the general story speculations floating around. Except, i'm not sure whether the Lambda rocket you had to launch in HL1 was responsible for triggering the portal storm, or merely to allow the stuff to work at Lambda.

If the above is true, and creates an opportunity for another race to take over earth, well HL3 looks like it'll be very interesting. Feel free to post what you think about this theory, and whether I've left something out.

 

[lasagne]

sweet theory, i dont see any mistakes, but im not the biggest halflife info guy. anyone know what the lambada symbol means, is it just to look cool?

 

[msmith]

I have a couple of questions, not because you weren't concise but to help myself understand better:

Why do you consider the player's lack of immeadiate knowledge about Freeman's past significant? Outside of a detailed biography that you read beforehand, I don't know how the player would know the specifics about terminology, or his office surroundings. In the manual, you get some clues to his past - really all you need to know. When the resonance cascade occurs, Freeman's life as he knows it has ended. There is no way to get around with a player's unfamiliarity with a character storywise outside of the player popping out of a clone tube in his birthday suit and beginning life. I didn't read anything behind Barney's joke - Freeman might be special in some way, but he still started that realization as a physicist.

Have you considered the fact that the G-Man's true origins, or the Combine standard operative procedure in assimilating worlds, and likewise the relationship between Xen-Earth-Combine might be inconceivable until we reach HL3? I agree with you that Valve did not have the intracacies of the plot for HL2 determined when they worked on the first game. Large ideas probably were refined through the entire process. Could we have invisioned something like the Combine, or the G-Man's "employers", from HL1? No, because so much more was added to the storyline in HL2. I think it will be the same for HL3.

How specifically does your theory regarding the G-Man deviate from the "general theory speculations"? From what I understand, G-Man's representation of an authority of some kind in direct opposition (whether in principle or simply as an interest) to the Combine is a commonly held speculation. I know you fleshed it out more, but perhaps I missed where exactly you were taking the theory.

I agree with the majority of your theory; these explanations seem to me the most logical based on what we've seen to this point. I like your idea of G-Man's origins as someone like Gordon or Shephard, climbing the interstellar ladder to get to where he is now. My main point above about the plot speculation is because I think it's very possible many of these questions won't be answered. We may get closer, but I wouldn't be surprised if Valve follows the same formula of the first two games and presents a story that is defined by its vagueness. Although it bothers some people, it really promotes fan discussion and postulation - look at the way George Lucas approaches the Star Wars prequels. The ambiguity allows for all sorts of non-canon works, from video games to books.

I think we as fans have to consider that HL3 may simply not explain everything nicely or thoroughly. Subtlety seems to be the way they present things, and I can't deny it works for keeping me interested in the evolving storyline. Another problem with speculation on certain issues is that the evolving storyline itself presents so many new factors into understanding the story.

For example, HL1 introduces Xen and the Nihilanth. Obviously, these were major plot concerns for us speculators. Grand theories were crafted regarding them and a lot of debate was tossed around. Next, we learn of HL2. Fans hope to learn the backstory concerning Xen and the details of the Nihilanth (his apparent slavery, his purpose, etc.). Now, consider HL2 itself. We didn't really learn any of this. Various hints made some things more likely than others, but we've got no real answers to those first questions. Valve took advantage of HL1's story from several vantage points (Breen as BM administrator, the portal storms, Vortigaunts), but in a strictly-presentation sense both stories are not interelated at this point, based on our knowledge.

But HL2 didn't just fail (and I'm not using "fail" as a negative criticism of the game at all) to explain those questions we had, it introduced all new questions that for all intents and purposes have nothing to do with our original ones. Because of course things happen in HL2...no one actually wants an interactive pamphlet describing what happened in detail in the game before. So, the problem with Q&A sessions and speculation is the assumption that 1) the stories are directly and interdependent, 2) the questions will matter in the next game, 3) an answer can be applied to the question.

Like the question of "Who are the Black Ops?". We can assume things like, "Well, they are a grey or black outfit of the US Government involved in sensitive special operations etc etc." Yet in HL2, there is no US Government, there existence or purpose is irrelevant, and in all probability we will never know who directly ordered them in or anything else.

Similarly, the question of "Why was the G-Man involved in Black Mesa? What does he do, and who does he work for? Did he organize the resonance cascade? Was it a ploy to force Freeman to become an unwitting pawn in the invasion of Xen?" is also outdated. However, this is a special case, since the G-Man transcends the storyline of HL1 and HL2 - presumably HL3 too. We now know he isn't involved in any circa-2000 Earth government and we know Breen was administrator of Black Mesa and probably had his hand in the calamities there. Based on this new information, nearly every speculation is irrelevant and faulty based on this new information.

So, I think it is likely that anything we come up with will have considerable faults, if we get an explanation at all. You can't explain if you never slow down - the Combine changes everything for our pre-HL2 guesses. It's altogether possible that HL3 will do the same. Whatever happens, I'm looking forward to the next game. If the first two are any indication of the series' quality, it can't come soon enough.

I just hope we won't get promised answers and revelations and be handed something like The Matrix: Revolutions that will "clear up everything". Either way, here's to HL3!

PS: (G)ordon Free(man) lol get it? its clever u no but sublime, cuz g-man is gordon freeman in the futurebut alyx is his kid so its like incest lol

 

[YangMan]

Yes, it is true that until HL3 is released, we can only speculate, and possibly, HL3 will create more questions that are unsolved.

When Valve created HL1, I don't think they expected it to be such a phenomenon. And I don't think they deliberately made hints to let us guess what HL2 would be like (there was no way to predict the Combine just playing HL2). However, after HL1 became such a success and generated so much discussion, I think Valve realised that to continue its popularity, they have to have more of an idea of where the story wants to go, create hints to generate more discussion, as well as make sure there is no contradiction. As soon as someone spots a contradiction, then people start thinking that Valve didn't think it through, and suddenly, discussion grinds to a halt.

That's also part of the reason for this ambiguity. My points about Gordon's past and Barney's joke were to point out that things could be interpreted many ways. Of course, no one can include 4 years worth of MIT physics education into a game, and no one would play that. And similarly, no one would play it if you had to be a phD to understand what was happening, or complete a certain mission/level.

However, Valve has stated that they want to make it so that the player is Gordon Freeman, you know nothing more, and nothing less. And since Gordon has been in a stasis for the 10 or so years and therefore know nothing about those years, neither do you until you piece it together. I don't believe Valve was getting at anything in HL1 about Gordon not being who he was, but they might, I repeat, might, have made it that way now, to make the "player is Gordon" thing more realistic. Or maybe not. Or maybe they haven't decided.

All I was getting at is this ambiguity leaves them with a lot of open options, all we can do is speculate. Maybe it's right, maybe it is totally wrong, there's no way to know until the answers come. Which they may never come, as you have said. There are lots of unanswered questions in life, and maybe Gordon will have to live the rest of his life with lots of unanswered questions too. Or maybe Valve will drop enough hints, who knows? [EDIT: In other words, I was agreeing with what you said before you said it. Because Valve changes the story, what seems important in HL2 might not really fit in with HL3. However, read below as I discuss why I think Valve would want there to be a connection. - End Edit]

I agree that what happens in HL1 although does not directly contradict HL2, it might not exactly fit in. However, I believe that Valve (especially Marc Laidlaw) tried their best to make everything or as much as possible fit in with the overall story. Afterall, when people see possible connections, they think that Valve had 'planned it all along', which promotes discussion and boosts HL popularity.

And that boosts sales and good reviews. So I think that although Valve did not know what was going to happen in HL2 when they made HL1, when they made HL2, they tried to make everything in HL1 fit, which was made easier by the ambiguity. And I think they learned from their mistake.

I think they have a better idea of what HL3 is going to be like than they did with HL2, so they don't have to spend so much time to make things fit AFTER HL2 is released, but BEFORE. Everything is still ambiguous in case they change their minds, and to reduce the possibility of a contradiction.

Therefore, although I agree we cannot possibly know the answers until HL3 comes out (or even after that), I think that Valve would have made a genuine effort to make a connection between HL1, 2 and 3. Afterall, it is good marketing strategy. Therefore, it is possible (emphasise possible) to perhaps gather some hints and predict what is going to happen. Although, you never know...

 

[msmith]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Valve didn't and wouldn't predict the success of the first game and made a self-sufficient game without any neccesary sequel - yet left that possibility open with the obvious cliffhanger. The storyline they had created, whether this was intended or not, was open enough for their writers to draw conclusions and subplots after the fact. They were able to tie HL2 into the events of HL1 (the degree of which we won't know for sure until the series is over of course) and I agree that they will do so in HL3. They have created a universe now, of which I could see a lot of expanded material on: it would be awesome to see Valve-sponsored fiction written by third-party authors, comics, and that kind of thing.

And unlike the plot devices of Xen and the Nihilanth (that part of the story is concluded, though there are many details to be worked out still) which were covered in HL1 and the expansion packs, they've created a continuing, evolving story with the Combine, the G-Man, and Earth's situation itself. In HL1 and the expansions, things were wrapped up: the Nihilanth destroyed, Black Mesa nuked, Freeman out of commission. But at the end of HL2, we know the Combine is a much larger entity, and the damage inflicted in City 17 is just the tip of the iceberg.

So let's speculate. How do you think Half-Life will continue? Will Freeman be recruited for off-world battles against the Combine? Will he continue the fight on Earth? A combination? It would be hard to predict any of the circumstances of the game, but I think Earth at least in some form should appear - you lose the human factor once you go anywhere else in my opinion.

 

[YangMan]

Yes, absolutely agree. Glad everyone's on the same page now.

That's brings us to your next question, how will it continue (although Valve might suddenly change the story, we'll never know until it is released, but we can still speculate)?

Assuming what I've said in my first post is true (about the G-Man representing an alien race that is trying to dominate rather than keeping peace) or at least not far from it, I think we can draw a few things.

Firstly, in order for Gordon to continue to work effectively for the G-Man, he must continue to believe that his actions are helping himself and his friends to stay alive and be liberated from oppressors, etc. Of course, the earth's survival and liberation aren't the G-Man's main priority. However, as it is one of Gordon's priority, the G-Man must continually present the situation as one of which Gordon has no choice in the matter (do or die), or in which Gordon thinks he is helping earth (or both combined), even though that may not be the case.

I don't think the G-Man would put Gordon in a position like "either help me defeat this alien race even though it does not benefit earth at all, or you will die", as although Gordon would attempt to stay alive, he would not fight with as much passion and heart as if he thought it would help earth and his friends. He would also likely try to foil the G-Man's plans, and it really doesn't look like the G-Man needs an enemy like Gordon.

Therefore, he would still want to make it seem as if Gordon was helping earth and his friends. He would also need to be kept in the dark. If Gordon found out that earth was invaded by another alien race because he defeated the Combine, and the bad things that happened as a result of him 'helping' earth defeat the Nihilanth, he would start piecing things together and suspect the G-Man. This is likely why he is put into stasis after he defeated Nihilanth and the Combine, to prevent him from seeing what the results of his actions are (which are not beneficial to earth).

That is also why I think Valve will not kill of all of Gordon's friends. If they all died, Gordon would not have as much to live for, and start suspecting that whenever he appears to help them, bad things happen. Not something the G-Man wants Gordon to think. That and the fact that Valve wouldn't kill off all the main characters they spent so long developing. That would be like J.K. Rowling killing everyone but Harry Potter, that would be flushing money down the toilet.

So, where does that leave us? There still needs to be a strong link to earth in HL3, or Gordon won't fight with real heart. He must also be unaware that whatever the bad things that happens to earth are directly related to what he thought was helping earth.

This leaves a few possible paths that I can think of.

1) The G-Man sends Gordon off to another planet or dimension in the false pretext that if he defeats the race, he will help liberate earth, save his friends and stay alive. Given the reason that is the home or stronghold of the oppressors (strike them where it hurts), or it would be a good place for earthlings to evacuate to if they fail to regain control of earth (but the current race there are too hostile so Gordon must subdue them first).

2) Most likely however, due to the final G-Man speech in HL2, where the G-Man says that he has received some interesting offers for Gordon's services, which he would ordinarily not consider, but these are extra-ordinary times, suggests that he is going to contract his own services, and therefore all the people (one of which is Gordon) that are in his control, to a different alien race, one that he was not representing in HL2. This other alien race could be the Combine (who want to regain control of Xen and Earth from the alien race that contracted the G-Man, who used Gordon's services to take Xen and Earth from them, ie the reason they lost their power is now their hopes to reseize power), or another opportunistic alien race that we've not seen before, or mistaken for a Xenian or Combine.

This would therefore start off with Gordon finding out that earth is under the rule of an alien species, and like in HL2, he has to save earth. And when he defeats this alien race, of course, the power vacuum and weakened earth gives another alien race a perfect opportunity to seize earth. The G-Man does this repeatedly (perhaps with his other pawns like Shepard), contracting himself to different alien races, all who want earth, then contracting himself to a different race, meanwhile collecting money from everyone and not having to do any dirty work at all.

How this loop would end, I don't know... Well, that's what I think is going on and what's likely to happen. Although, we can never know for sure until HL3 is released. Anyone have different ideas?

 

[ríomhaire]

This thread has won the world record for average post length.
Moving on, here are my thoughts.
The G-man's people and the Combine are 2 opposing empires. The Combine useing brute force and then asimilate other races. Nihilath was already the ruler of Xen and was oppressing the vortigaunts by controling thier group mind. The Combine then enslave Nihilath to control the vortigaunts and to help them with thier portals (which are crap). Many other races have been asimilated like the synths and race X.

G-man's people are much more creative. They took over America's (and maybe all the world's) government. The G-man uses a host body like the one Breen was talking about at the end. This is why he is so government official-ish. G-man means government ajent and that is exactly what he is posing as. Which explains the gun and papers in his briefcase and the BM logo on it in the HL1. He keeps up this apearance in HL2 for the sake of Gordon and posibly his other operatives (Cubbage maybe?). G-man speaks so strangly because the host body is not perfict and also he must choose his words carefully. As said by Yang he must make Gordon think he is working for humanity.

I don't know if the Combine advisor is what the true Combine look like. I think they would be insectine so maybe the advisor is like some kind of king. I say king as insect queens produce offspring and the advisor dose not look like the kind that would produce any offspring.

G-man does not control time. If he did he wouldn't nead any help. He also dons't have a mastery of teleporting people think he has. If he did he could teleport a bomb into Breen's office.

 

[YangMan]

Yes, except that his end speech refers to him considering contracting Gordon out, which suggests that Gordon might now work for a different race to the ones he worked for in HL2. Which makes me think that the G-Man goes around contracting people like Gordon to whoever gives more money.

 

[Antlion Hunter]

The Lambda symbol is a Greek letter for Wavelength.In physics it also represents the decay constant of an element which is = to In2h where h is the half life of a radioactive element.This because of physics explanation is where the Black Mesa RF got part of its name.

 

[MarcoPollo]

NO MORE FUKING GMAN THEORIES GODDAMNIT OMFG JOO SUXOORS TEH BIG 11!!!1!!!one!!!1!111!!!one!!!!111!!!!eleven!!!!!!!111!!!!

 

[Gordon's Brother]

Valve probably goes through every half life forum known to mankind and does the exact oppisite of what we think,like the gman will really be a monkey who wants to take over the world.

 

[Pesmerga]

But now that you've mentioned it, it won't happen! So let's just list every possibility and force Valve to admit that the G-Man never existed.

 

[Jintor]

MarcoPollo - these seem to be reasonable threads.

As pointed out before : Why does gman need money? He has kooky time powers, why ask for cash?

 

[MarcoPollo]

i didnt read the thread i just did sry it IS valid

 

[Laivasse]

As pointed out before : Why does gman need money? He has kooky time powers, why ask for cash?

G-Man talks about contracts and bids for Gordon's services, but he never mentions cash. As people have said in other threads, I think GMan transacts in power, concessions, territory, and other things far more significant than petty cash. Besides, if he got paid in cash he'd have to get it converted at the Galactic Bureau de Change, and those bastards charge hella commission...

 

[MarcoPollo]

yeh its in canada too so u hafta deal with those damn mounties.

 

[Calanen]

'Also, why was Gordon 1/2 hour late in HL1?'

same reason any1 is late - its hard to get up in the morning sometimes.

'Why doesn't he remember his education, what happened that morning, what his workplace looks like, what all that terminology means (despite Valve saying the player is Gordon, you know nothing more and nothing less)?'

Where does it say Gordon forgets his education, or what happened in the morning? Its just not in the story.

'Is therefore Barney's joke about Grodon't MIT education paying for itself a joke about Vale not being able to successfully make the player Gordon, or is it hinting that Gordon isn't who everyone else and himself think he is?'

Barney is a security guard, and makes light of Gordon's education because he feels threatened by it. Also, he makes light of it, because it is being applied to menial tasks, plugging in a socket, and flicking a switch for the teleporter.

Final note on ambiguity: The picture of the baby in Gordon's locker in HL1 is supposedly an easter egg, as it is the newborn of a Valve producer... But why Gordon's locker? There were plenty of others, and at least one other was open. Easter egg or hint?

Who knows?

Now, back to the story, about the G-Man.

So, we've established that Valve does change their story. I think, in HL1, the G-Man was just that, a shady government man shrouded in conspiracy. He was likely the supervisor of several government projects, one of them being Black Mesa, which is how he can teleport, etc.

Agreed.

6 years down the track and when HL2 was made, I don't think Valve wanted the G-Man to be just a government man anymore. Afterall, the governments are all wiped out.

Now, let's look at HL1's end speech. The G-Man says that thanks to Gordon, "we have taken control of Xen". However, the G-Man obviously doesn't represent an earth government anymore, so this really gives us a big hint. He is either part of or representing another alien race in a host body, or is contracted (familiar?) by various alien races to help them win interstellar battles (he could once have represented or belonged to the earth government, but either moved on or was screwed over, and decided to make money for himself by going universal with his - talents).

So, assuming he is part of, representing, or being contracted by another alien race in some way (which seems the most likely now), "we have taken control of Xen" is a massive hint. When Gordon killed the Nihilanth, he was meant to have liberated Xen (and also helped earth close the portal). But instead, it created a power vacuum, and the alien race represented by the G-Man took control (better the devil you know than the devil you don't), and what's worse, instead of closing the portal, it created a portal storm world wide.

So when Gordon destroys the combine dark energy reactor, which should cripple the combine's might, the above suggests that this would create a power vacuum again, and allow the G-Man's 'employers' to take over.

It seems now that there are at least two alien super-powers trying to gain control over the universe. Probably more, as from the Vortigaunts' speech, they've slipped their yokes numerous times only to be captured again.

So, the Combine are a force that is heavily dependant on their technology, taking planets and dimensions by force, then combining the technology for a more powerful army. The other alien race(s), of which the G-Man is part of or contracted by, use the G-Man and their intelligence to defeat the Combine (brain vs brawn). The G-Man, uses people like Gordon, who have a strong will to survive and compassion for his fellow beings, puts them in situations where they must survive and defeat the opressors to liberate their own people. But really, once liberated, it only creates a power vacuum (think about Xen, he was trying to save his own people, and it was also meant to liberate the other Xenians from Nihilanth, but we know someone else took control of Xen and earth was enveloped by a portal storm).

Thus, the G-Man contracts out people like Gordon, they do all the dirty work, and the G-Man makes a lot of money. The G-Man also says he likes people like Gordon and Shepard, who have an undying will to survive, much like himself. That would suggest that maybe the G-Man was once just like Gordon, contracted out and used as a pawn (also sound familiar), but then rose in ranks and started contracting other people so he wouldn't have to do the dirty work.

Well, there's my theory. Apart from the G-Man, I agree mostly with the general story speculations floating around. Except, i'm not sure whether the Lambda rocket you had to launch in HL1 was responsible for triggering the portal storm, or merely to allow the stuff to work at Lambda.

The above theory is as as good as any. It seems that the G-Man is working either as a freelance mercenary type, or for some particular group - who want to fubar Dr Breen and the combine, and send Gordon to do it. Why? We do not know.