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Is there religion in Half-life, and will you join the flock?[br]
[br]
NB :Since no-one knows for certain exactly what will happen in HL2 and I do not
want to confuse the issue with Blue shift or Opposing Force, I have decided to try
to restrict the content herein to the first and original game. I do not entirely
succeed. Cope.[br]
[br]
In the beginning…
A way of life? Perhaps. A religion? The fact (given the ridiculous title) that you’ve
even bothered to read this probably makes you a pretty large fan of all things Half-life.
You’ve played the original oh-so-many times, have downloaded every mod you could
get your hand on, tried your hand at moding, and now await the game to end all games:
Half-Life 2.[br]
[br]
Yet, whom among you though, have begun to cross the line between obsession and devotion?
Whom among you would dedicate not just a life’s work, but your very life to this
calling? A religion is surely the next logical step! Come brothers! Shrug off the
vitriolic cries of “ITS JUST A GAME”! Genuflex! Prostrate yourselves at the alter
of Half-life…[br]
[br]
Anomalous Materials….[br]
[br]
Half-life may truly have what it takes to be a fully fledged religion. Some of the
ingredients already exist, right here at Halflife2.net. Among the followers there
are devout, the occasional and casual, the activists and the reticent, the blindly
faithful, the born again, the doubters, the heretics and the lost. Among the clergy
there are the shepards, the ministers, those that make the sacred law, the news
preachers and those that interpret the very word of Valve. Now browse the posts.
You will find the gospels, revelations, letters and proverbs of the same; all appendices
to what no true religion couldn’t be without: it’s sacred text. You’ve heard of
the Half-Life Bible right?[br]
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
Does the game itself carry any real spiritual or religious subtext though? Perhaps.
It’s important that we know what the beliefs and morals will prop up our system’s
foundations. Will it be the classic good verses evil battle that it first appears?
Homer got it right after all, as did Shakespeare and Tolkien, and Lucas. Hell, even
the Wachoski’s got it right…eventually.[br]
At first it seems that Gordon must be the bringer of light, and G-man the dark and
evil Nemesis. The scientists of Black Mesa seem to echo the same mantra throughout
the game: “I know you”, “we knew you where coming”. G-man as the anti-christ or
even the devil (since we’re going to need someone we can blame Dungeons and Dragons
on), can be seen in the offer he makes Gordon at the end of Half-life: join me or
fight an un-fightable battle, come work for me, sell your soul. [br]
[br]
Unforeseen Circumstances[br]
[br]
Don’t go selling your soul (or worldly possessions) just yet though. The United
Church of Freemansons is a thinking man’s religion and we must not rush in blindly
assuming that “Gordon is good, G-man is bad”. That creed, much like a Planet Half-Life
animation, lacks preparation, substance and merit. [br]
At the end of the game Freeman joins the G-man. As our beliefs currently stand,
this would be the equivalent of joining the “evil” side, a deal that a fundamentally
good character, would never brokered. If all our analogies where true thus far,
in HL2 our “saviour” would effectively be working for our “devil”! Talk about moral
ambiguity! Our strongly defined borders of good and evil are suddenly shattered
into a million fragments.
laid down his life for the salvation of his fellow man, rejecting the “evil” G-man’s
seductive offer and choosing death. Freeman does not sacrifice anything for the
greater good of his people. In fact unless the player is going to get something
in return, Gordon Freeman is looking out for Gordon Freeman, even to the point where
the player may actually commit acts of atrocity to further his cause. Who waited
to get their own gun and who took the Barney’s from his cold dead hands?
Is this not sacrifice, the ultimate aim of Freeman’s crusade? Lest we forget, Gordon
does not find out about the Nihilanth until he’s too far in. True, the cause is
noble, but Freeman knows that the only way to stop the alien incursion (which will
give him some breathing space) is to cut off the serpent’s head. By the time the
air in the room starts exploding with hostile alien life, Gordon is stoked. [br]
[br]
Gordon, ultimately protects himself first, but does so actively. A choice with getting
the job done and living or sitting around and awaiting certain death will, ten times
out of ten lead to another self-appointed mission for our “hero”. So it seems that
Gordon is not quite the force of good that we first thought, his “quest” just one
man’s struggle. Without any kind of moral or spiritual symbolism or well defined
boundaries like “good” and “evil”, our fledgling religion looks jeopardised. [br]
[br]
Interloper…[br]
[br]
Do not despair however! For those of you desperate to pass out the robes, mix the
punch and generally get on with the ceremony, there is hope. You want a good religious
concept? How about one that’s been used in religions all over the world: original
sin.
repentance. That original sin is the activation of the machine. Think of this machine
as forbidden technology.[br]<hr color="#000000" size="1">
Now in Christianity, the original sin, (taking the apple from the tree of knowledge)
required human intervention to accomplish and could not be the consequence of events
outside the control of the participants. It was a conscious decision, and thus,
an act of sin.
incapable of true choice at a human level, (until Source comes along that is - then
the computers will probably be meeting in secret at night and plotting our downfall).
In Half-life then the decision making entity must be, and is, the player, via Gordon.
This is because original sin is about choice and purpose. One defines the other.
It is your choice to start the rotor, your choice to commit the sin. Repent Now!
It is very telling when the consequences of the experiment are a spectacular and
unpredicted failure. God’s wrath at the sinful exercise is released. Causality strikes
back.
with the big bang. What came before? Whatever existed was beyond space and time
and without our interference or perception. As G-man glares at us from the train,
we realise that there may be room for God. God? G-man? What? [br]
[br]
Well brothers, it would appear that G-Man is the god figure of our piece or at least,
a divine incarnation. “G-man equals God…” I hear you mutter, “…am I really ready
to believe that?”. [br]
[br]
Forget about Freeman…[br]
[br]
Now, no-one said that G-man was god or even a christ-like character. More that he
was the deity; a character representing a divine-like authority. It is the laws
of the game that set the rules of the universe, straight from the hand of Valve.
Just as Freeman is our representative in the world, so to is G-man the representative
of the game and of Valve. He has a supreme connection with everything for he is
one with the game. Through him the will of Valve and of Half-life is done. Don’t
you see fellow Valvians? What better figure of absolute power?
Some of you may ask now: Why is G-man and not the administrator is the God incarnate
character of this piece? Firstly the administrator appears to have none of the characteristics
that I am about to associate with the G-man. It seems to be consensus that the G-man
is working to his own agenda and is the more important character within the Half-life
Universe. Those that know the identity of administrator in HL1 and HL2 must surely
have noticed that G-man shares little in common with this man. Both the G-man and
the Administrator seem to have an authority, but why did Valve make the G-man seem
so much more inherently dangerous?
the administrator. Within the Half-life universe G-man is representative of a force
beyond our comprehension, the force of the game and thus the causality of the Half-life
Universe.[br]
[br]
The Administrator seems to have authority from up on high and in Black Mesa, it
is the administrator who orders the experiment and seems to be “in charge”. However
outside Black Mesa, the story may well be different. In that case it would be better
to think of the Administrator as a Priest, or temple authority figure, using his
position to conduct his own experiments. Though his claims to represent ultimate
authority, but has instead become corrupt and belligerent, serving his evil benefactors
(damn, HL2 again, I’m sorry about this). In fact the administrator may simply believe
G-man to be his subordinate (if he even notices him at all):
the administrator and his kind out of the “temple”. [br]
[br]
G-man does indeed seem to have other similarities with a Divine Authority: he is
immortal (lacking even a dying animation), he seems to transcend space and time
and he is omni present. These facets add to the character of the G-man: a figure
who is in overall control. He is not phased by the events around him like the deaths
of nearly everyone in Black mesa. Even though these deaths are caused by a vicious
alien threat (or you). [br]
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
This serenity is often seen in those who are on a spiritually higher level than
people around them. One only has to look at the face of the Reclining Buddha to
realise this. Detachment from the here-and-now realities seems to infer a higher
purpose or destiny which is being completed to the full, outside the knowledge of
the remaining participants. Just as the game has its own purpose, the G-man has
his own agenda. [br]
[br]
Questionable Ethics…[br]
[br]
So we can accept that G-man has the potential to be God incarnate. But is he really
good? Can G-man represent the powerful benevolence of the game and its creators?
Our initial concept that he was the villain of the piece and in religious terms,
the Lucifer, stemmed from his involvement in the chaos and destruction at Black
Mesa. Surely this means he cannot good. [br]
Actually, yes he can. G-man threatens to kill Freeman if he does not work for him,
but this is still in keeping with our comparison. G-man knows that Freeman will
work for another otherwise, and this is unacceptable.
(who we can accept were sinful in their actions) and destroying the evil devils
and disbelievers and spreading the word of god by raising the facility to the ground.
The crusaders: the blackops, hiding in the shadows like the inquisition, and the
troops razing “Jerusalem”. All had some connection to the G-man, but none ever spoke
to him (technically neither did Shepard). [br]
[br]
Many times the soldiers are overheard questioning their roles in the incident and
examining their position. All are acting in G-man’s name but without genuine or
explicit authority. More likely their authority came from the Administrator, who,
we now realise has strayed. Just as God is said to be blameless for the evil in
the world, in the game mankind’s freewill once again raises its ugly head.
[br]
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
In Opposing Force we see G-man crouching over the nuclear weapon. The symbolism
is clear. His covenant was with the scientists; they are the “chosen people” so
to speak. In the game, G-man was seen angrily disagreeing with a scientist before
the experiment. When the experiment went ahead, the covenant was broken. [br]
[br]
Xen…[br]
[br]
The scientists have thus forsaken god and thus are forsaken by G-man who destroys
them, preserving the great plan of the game and its creators. They have (in reality
and fiction), invoked the power of another world, unintentionally or not. This makes
Xen symbolic of hell. Where the laws of physics are twisted, all is organic and
all in habitants are instruments of death and suffering. The creatures of Xen, represent
the daemons within: a sinful product of the original sin. They are monsters, and
this emphasises the unnatural and dangerous properties that they posses. It is they
that are the “evil” side and once they have been summoned by the scientists, all
together are branded heretics. Xen is pure evil, and not just because that whole
section looked like had been given to the work experience kid (Sorry Gabe).[br]
[br]
Nihilanth…[br]
[br]
Throughout the game the G-man intervenes in Freeman’s fate, sometimes making Freeman’s
life a little difficult. This is simply Freeman’s “test of faith”, where his beliefs
and his role are called into question. Since we are Freeman, this is our test of
faith too, and only the steely minded believers in Valves great plan will show us
to the end. Our final test is the Nihilanth.
the biblical Lucifer, on his blackened throne at the very centre of hell. Another
way of approaching is to think of the Nihilanth as a modern Satan; one that apportions
loss of faith, emptiness, atheism and doubt. Beware the Devils clever defences,
for he attempts to distract and divert the righteous by teleporting you away to
fight his lesser demons until your energy is spent. Hark not his mournful words
as he tries to undermine your belief in your purpose and destiny.
the world’s oldest languages: “Nihil”, Latin for “nothing” and “Anth”, Sanskrit
for “end”, and so literally translates to the End of the Nothingness. This connotes
the Prelude of Knowledge; Clearing the darkness of Ignorance with the ray of Knowledge.
[br]
[br]
Think not of the Nihilanth therefore as an entity, but as a concept that Freeman
must, face, come to terms with and then overcome. Nihilanth…the End of nothingness…the
Genesis of knowledge. A complete circle from the beginning of the game to the end.
The enlightenment. The Devil cannot be destroyed, he will change form and soon will
return, infesting the minds of men. Stay vigilant and devout brothers![br]
Well brothers, we are coming to a close. A few loose ends, then onward to transcendence![br]
[br]
Residue Processing…[br]
[br]
All we need now is a new role for Freeman. Perhaps then he is more of a Buddha character.
He began his journey having rejected all possessions, and he seeks enlightenment
throughout.[br]
[br]
Unfortunately it is not as simple as one concept. Throughout the game, Freeman undergoes
a series transformation. At first he is simply one of the sinners, fleeing from
the wrath of causality. Later he becomes the repentant, seeking redemption for his
actions. Finally he undergoes a near death experience (captured by the marines).
Ergo, his whole outlook changes, his goals become more dynamic and his momentum
increases. [br]
[br]
He is born again, a servant of God, ready to accept his role in Valve’s great plan,
directed by the G-man. With that he journeys into the realms of Xen, the hellish
nightmare where the nature and rules of Freeman’s universe do not apply, spreading
the light as he treads. [br]
[br]
Upon the completion of his work Freeman is finality offered a chance to ascend and
assumes his place at G-man’s side. The two turn out to be devices for each other
with a strange kind of predetermined unity. Freeman, G-man and the Player; a true
trinity.[br]
[br]
Freeman is a Free Man. Free to change his own destiny. Thus he is creating his own
revelations from the teachings that the various tests of G-man give him in his servitude.
Freeman, his action and his character is synonymous with free will. The scope of
his being allows the player to choose and mould his actions in the Universe. It
is choice that created the original sin and hence choice that can repent for it.
Freeman represents us all and, perhaps, in the end by representing us, Freeman represents
mankind…
[br]
How could I go without looking to the future? We are in exciting times brothers!
Our doctrine is being written before our very eyes… [br]
[br]
Once again there will arise the question of science verses religion. City 17 represents
another fight between these two forces as the old European city is consumed by the
clean. Hard, clinical, faceless, Technology of the combine. Above all of this rises
the G-man. In Half-life he has the role of the vengeful, violent god of the old
testament. He is the god that brought down the plague on the pharaoh and the god
that flooded the earth to rid the world of evil. If Half-life was the Old Testament
with an active, violent and intrusive God, then Half-life 2 will be the New testament.
G-man is God the father figure, Freeman’s employer and observer. What is Freeman’s
(and by extension our) new purpose? What might G-man, incarnation of our lord Valve,
want from us?
be heresy in the church. Gnostics believed in gnosticism, that Jesus could not be
of flesh and could not suffer, as this would have made god tainted by the world.
Baptists believed that John the Baptist was the true messiah. The 4th gospel (written
after the other three) held these words:
eats its way through it, perhaps represents the slow, inexorable spread of heresy
and doubt , a perversion of the G-man’s aims in Half-Life, following the revelations
made in Black Mesa. The aliens once again are corrupting mankind and Freeman, released
into this world, whether enacting his own fourth gospel or otherwise, must now form
part of G-man’s great plan again. We must serve once more.
[br]
So brothers! The next time you find yourself in the forums, worrying about the time
you spend there, know that you are in reality seeking enlightenment and to paying
homage to your set of beliefs. You are revelling in your worship and preparing,
ever so diligently, for your trial of faith.[br]
With such a broad and vast world, it seems unrealistic that Valve would have written
such an intricate and complex story without some deeper meaning. There certainly
appear to be tangible threads running through this story. Half-life as a religion?
Why! It simply seems to be the next logical step! Has any of this article been useful,
faultless or even relevant? Probably not. If you read the whole thing praise be
unto Valve. If you didn’t your going straight to Xen. Hopefully though, you have
been given food for thought, and something to do other than discuss “the release
date”.[br]
I leave you now with a quote from the one true book, the “Half-life Bible”, and
the (official) Half-life prayer:
[br]
NB :Since no-one knows for certain exactly what will happen in HL2 and I do not
want to confuse the issue with Blue shift or Opposing Force, I have decided to try
to restrict the content herein to the first and original game. I do not entirely
succeed. Cope.[br]
[br]
In the beginning…
Greetings brothers! What is Half-life to you? A game? For sure. An obsession? Probably.
A way of life? Perhaps. A religion? The fact (given the ridiculous title) that you’ve
even bothered to read this probably makes you a pretty large fan of all things Half-life.
You’ve played the original oh-so-many times, have downloaded every mod you could
get your hand on, tried your hand at moding, and now await the game to end all games:
Half-Life 2.[br]
[br]
Yet, whom among you though, have begun to cross the line between obsession and devotion?
Whom among you would dedicate not just a life’s work, but your very life to this
calling? A religion is surely the next logical step! Come brothers! Shrug off the
vitriolic cries of “ITS JUST A GAME”! Genuflex! Prostrate yourselves at the alter
of Half-life…[br]
[br]
Anomalous Materials….[br]
[br]
Half-life may truly have what it takes to be a fully fledged religion. Some of the
ingredients already exist, right here at Halflife2.net. Among the followers there
are devout, the occasional and casual, the activists and the reticent, the blindly
faithful, the born again, the doubters, the heretics and the lost. Among the clergy
there are the shepards, the ministers, those that make the sacred law, the news
preachers and those that interpret the very word of Valve. Now browse the posts.
You will find the gospels, revelations, letters and proverbs of the same; all appendices
to what no true religion couldn’t be without: it’s sacred text. You’ve heard of
the Half-Life Bible right?[br]
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
Does the game itself carry any real spiritual or religious subtext though? Perhaps.
It’s important that we know what the beliefs and morals will prop up our system’s
foundations. Will it be the classic good verses evil battle that it first appears?
Homer got it right after all, as did Shakespeare and Tolkien, and Lucas. Hell, even
the Wachoski’s got it right…eventually.[br]
At first it seems that Gordon must be the bringer of light, and G-man the dark and
evil Nemesis. The scientists of Black Mesa seem to echo the same mantra throughout
the game: “I know you”, “we knew you where coming”. G-man as the anti-christ or
even the devil (since we’re going to need someone we can blame Dungeons and Dragons
on), can be seen in the offer he makes Gordon at the end of Half-life: join me or
fight an un-fightable battle, come work for me, sell your soul. [br]
[br]
Unforeseen Circumstances[br]
[br]
Don’t go selling your soul (or worldly possessions) just yet though. The United
Church of Freemansons is a thinking man’s religion and we must not rush in blindly
assuming that “Gordon is good, G-man is bad”. That creed, much like a Planet Half-Life
animation, lacks preparation, substance and merit. [br]
At the end of the game Freeman joins the G-man. As our beliefs currently stand,
this would be the equivalent of joining the “evil” side, a deal that a fundamentally
good character, would never brokered. If all our analogies where true thus far,
in HL2 our “saviour” would effectively be working for our “devil”! Talk about moral
ambiguity! Our strongly defined borders of good and evil are suddenly shattered
into a million fragments.
There is no sacrifice either. If Freeman where truly christ-like, he would have
laid down his life for the salvation of his fellow man, rejecting the “evil” G-man’s
seductive offer and choosing death. Freeman does not sacrifice anything for the
greater good of his people. In fact unless the player is going to get something
in return, Gordon Freeman is looking out for Gordon Freeman, even to the point where
the player may actually commit acts of atrocity to further his cause. Who waited
to get their own gun and who took the Barney’s from his cold dead hands?
Some gesture wildly to when Freeman enters Xen to kill the Nihilanth and “save humanity”.
Is this not sacrifice, the ultimate aim of Freeman’s crusade? Lest we forget, Gordon
does not find out about the Nihilanth until he’s too far in. True, the cause is
noble, but Freeman knows that the only way to stop the alien incursion (which will
give him some breathing space) is to cut off the serpent’s head. By the time the
air in the room starts exploding with hostile alien life, Gordon is stoked. [br]
[br]
Gordon, ultimately protects himself first, but does so actively. A choice with getting
the job done and living or sitting around and awaiting certain death will, ten times
out of ten lead to another self-appointed mission for our “hero”. So it seems that
Gordon is not quite the force of good that we first thought, his “quest” just one
man’s struggle. Without any kind of moral or spiritual symbolism or well defined
boundaries like “good” and “evil”, our fledgling religion looks jeopardised. [br]
[br]
Interloper…[br]
[br]
Do not despair however! For those of you desperate to pass out the robes, mix the
punch and generally get on with the ceremony, there is hope. You want a good religious
concept? How about one that’s been used in religions all over the world: original
sin.
Freeman makes a mistake at the beginning and is then throughout the game seeking
repentance. That original sin is the activation of the machine. Think of this machine
as forbidden technology.[br]<hr color="#000000" size="1">
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
Now in Christianity, the original sin, (taking the apple from the tree of knowledge)
required human intervention to accomplish and could not be the consequence of events
outside the control of the participants. It was a conscious decision, and thus,
an act of sin.
The game is incapable expressing itself as a facet of its own existence, and thus
incapable of true choice at a human level, (until Source comes along that is - then
the computers will probably be meeting in secret at night and plotting our downfall).
In Half-life then the decision making entity must be, and is, the player, via Gordon.
This is because original sin is about choice and purpose. One defines the other.
It is your choice to start the rotor, your choice to commit the sin. Repent Now!
It is very telling when the consequences of the experiment are a spectacular and
unpredicted failure. God’s wrath at the sinful exercise is released. Causality strikes
back.
Our religion now has its genesis, brothers! The Half-life universe began, like ours,
with the big bang. What came before? Whatever existed was beyond space and time
and without our interference or perception. As G-man glares at us from the train,
we realise that there may be room for God. God? G-man? What? [br]
[br]
Well brothers, it would appear that G-Man is the god figure of our piece or at least,
a divine incarnation. “G-man equals God…” I hear you mutter, “…am I really ready
to believe that?”. [br]
[br]
Forget about Freeman…[br]
[br]
Now, no-one said that G-man was god or even a christ-like character. More that he
was the deity; a character representing a divine-like authority. It is the laws
of the game that set the rules of the universe, straight from the hand of Valve.
Just as Freeman is our representative in the world, so to is G-man the representative
of the game and of Valve. He has a supreme connection with everything for he is
one with the game. Through him the will of Valve and of Half-life is done. Don’t
you see fellow Valvians? What better figure of absolute power?
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
Some of you may ask now: Why is G-man and not the administrator is the God incarnate
character of this piece? Firstly the administrator appears to have none of the characteristics
that I am about to associate with the G-man. It seems to be consensus that the G-man
is working to his own agenda and is the more important character within the Half-life
Universe. Those that know the identity of administrator in HL1 and HL2 must surely
have noticed that G-man shares little in common with this man. Both the G-man and
the Administrator seem to have an authority, but why did Valve make the G-man seem
so much more inherently dangerous?
G-man’s “employers” are plural, omniscient, powerful and probably do not include
the administrator. Within the Half-life universe G-man is representative of a force
beyond our comprehension, the force of the game and thus the causality of the Half-life
Universe.[br]
[br]
The Administrator seems to have authority from up on high and in Black Mesa, it
is the administrator who orders the experiment and seems to be “in charge”. However
outside Black Mesa, the story may well be different. In that case it would be better
to think of the Administrator as a Priest, or temple authority figure, using his
position to conduct his own experiments. Though his claims to represent ultimate
authority, but has instead become corrupt and belligerent, serving his evil benefactors
(damn, HL2 again, I’m sorry about this). In fact the administrator may simply believe
G-man to be his subordinate (if he even notices him at all):
In Half-life 2 we may well see the G-man (with the Disciple Gordon’s help) casting
the administrator and his kind out of the “temple”. [br]
[br]
G-man does indeed seem to have other similarities with a Divine Authority: he is
immortal (lacking even a dying animation), he seems to transcend space and time
and he is omni present. These facets add to the character of the G-man: a figure
who is in overall control. He is not phased by the events around him like the deaths
of nearly everyone in Black mesa. Even though these deaths are caused by a vicious
alien threat (or you). [br]
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
This serenity is often seen in those who are on a spiritually higher level than
people around them. One only has to look at the face of the Reclining Buddha to
realise this. Detachment from the here-and-now realities seems to infer a higher
purpose or destiny which is being completed to the full, outside the knowledge of
the remaining participants. Just as the game has its own purpose, the G-man has
his own agenda. [br]
[br]
Questionable Ethics…[br]
[br]
So we can accept that G-man has the potential to be God incarnate. But is he really
good? Can G-man represent the powerful benevolence of the game and its creators?
Our initial concept that he was the villain of the piece and in religious terms,
the Lucifer, stemmed from his involvement in the chaos and destruction at Black
Mesa. Surely this means he cannot good. [br]
Actually, yes he can. G-man threatens to kill Freeman if he does not work for him,
but this is still in keeping with our comparison. G-man knows that Freeman will
work for another otherwise, and this is unacceptable.
This forceful way could also be the way of the religious zealot, purging the scientists
(who we can accept were sinful in their actions) and destroying the evil devils
and disbelievers and spreading the word of god by raising the facility to the ground.
The crusaders: the blackops, hiding in the shadows like the inquisition, and the
troops razing “Jerusalem”. All had some connection to the G-man, but none ever spoke
to him (technically neither did Shepard). [br]
[br]
Many times the soldiers are overheard questioning their roles in the incident and
examining their position. All are acting in G-man’s name but without genuine or
explicit authority. More likely their authority came from the Administrator, who,
we now realise has strayed. Just as God is said to be blameless for the evil in
the world, in the game mankind’s freewill once again raises its ugly head.
[br]
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
<hr color="#000000" size="1">
In Opposing Force we see G-man crouching over the nuclear weapon. The symbolism
is clear. His covenant was with the scientists; they are the “chosen people” so
to speak. In the game, G-man was seen angrily disagreeing with a scientist before
the experiment. When the experiment went ahead, the covenant was broken. [br]
[br]
Xen…[br]
[br]
The scientists have thus forsaken god and thus are forsaken by G-man who destroys
them, preserving the great plan of the game and its creators. They have (in reality
and fiction), invoked the power of another world, unintentionally or not. This makes
Xen symbolic of hell. Where the laws of physics are twisted, all is organic and
all in habitants are instruments of death and suffering. The creatures of Xen, represent
the daemons within: a sinful product of the original sin. They are monsters, and
this emphasises the unnatural and dangerous properties that they posses. It is they
that are the “evil” side and once they have been summoned by the scientists, all
together are branded heretics. Xen is pure evil, and not just because that whole
section looked like had been given to the work experience kid (Sorry Gabe).[br]
[br]
Nihilanth…[br]
[br]
Throughout the game the G-man intervenes in Freeman’s fate, sometimes making Freeman’s
life a little difficult. This is simply Freeman’s “test of faith”, where his beliefs
and his role are called into question. Since we are Freeman, this is our test of
faith too, and only the steely minded believers in Valves great plan will show us
to the end. Our final test is the Nihilanth.
At last brothers, we meet the devil head on! For us the Nihilanth could represent
the biblical Lucifer, on his blackened throne at the very centre of hell. Another
way of approaching is to think of the Nihilanth as a modern Satan; one that apportions
loss of faith, emptiness, atheism and doubt. Beware the Devils clever defences,
for he attempts to distract and divert the righteous by teleporting you away to
fight his lesser demons until your energy is spent. Hark not his mournful words
as he tries to undermine your belief in your purpose and destiny.
The nihilist believes in nothing, Nihilanth is a union of words from the two of
the world’s oldest languages: “Nihil”, Latin for “nothing” and “Anth”, Sanskrit
for “end”, and so literally translates to the End of the Nothingness. This connotes
the Prelude of Knowledge; Clearing the darkness of Ignorance with the ray of Knowledge.
[br]
[br]
Think not of the Nihilanth therefore as an entity, but as a concept that Freeman
must, face, come to terms with and then overcome. Nihilanth…the End of nothingness…the
Genesis of knowledge. A complete circle from the beginning of the game to the end.
The enlightenment. The Devil cannot be destroyed, he will change form and soon will
return, infesting the minds of men. Stay vigilant and devout brothers![br]
Well brothers, we are coming to a close. A few loose ends, then onward to transcendence![br]
[br]
Residue Processing…[br]
[br]
All we need now is a new role for Freeman. Perhaps then he is more of a Buddha character.
He began his journey having rejected all possessions, and he seeks enlightenment
throughout.[br]
[br]
Unfortunately it is not as simple as one concept. Throughout the game, Freeman undergoes
a series transformation. At first he is simply one of the sinners, fleeing from
the wrath of causality. Later he becomes the repentant, seeking redemption for his
actions. Finally he undergoes a near death experience (captured by the marines).
Ergo, his whole outlook changes, his goals become more dynamic and his momentum
increases. [br]
[br]
He is born again, a servant of God, ready to accept his role in Valve’s great plan,
directed by the G-man. With that he journeys into the realms of Xen, the hellish
nightmare where the nature and rules of Freeman’s universe do not apply, spreading
the light as he treads. [br]
[br]
Upon the completion of his work Freeman is finality offered a chance to ascend and
assumes his place at G-man’s side. The two turn out to be devices for each other
with a strange kind of predetermined unity. Freeman, G-man and the Player; a true
trinity.[br]
[br]
Freeman is a Free Man. Free to change his own destiny. Thus he is creating his own
revelations from the teachings that the various tests of G-man give him in his servitude.
Freeman, his action and his character is synonymous with free will. The scope of
his being allows the player to choose and mould his actions in the Universe. It
is choice that created the original sin and hence choice that can repent for it.
Freeman represents us all and, perhaps, in the end by representing us, Freeman represents
mankind…
Halflife2.net …[br]
[br]
How could I go without looking to the future? We are in exciting times brothers!
Our doctrine is being written before our very eyes… [br]
[br]
Once again there will arise the question of science verses religion. City 17 represents
another fight between these two forces as the old European city is consumed by the
clean. Hard, clinical, faceless, Technology of the combine. Above all of this rises
the G-man. In Half-life he has the role of the vengeful, violent god of the old
testament. He is the god that brought down the plague on the pharaoh and the god
that flooded the earth to rid the world of evil. If Half-life was the Old Testament
with an active, violent and intrusive God, then Half-life 2 will be the New testament.
G-man is God the father figure, Freeman’s employer and observer. What is Freeman’s
(and by extension our) new purpose? What might G-man, incarnation of our lord Valve,
want from us?
The fourth gospel (John) was created to prevent the spread of what was thought to
be heresy in the church. Gnostics believed in gnosticism, that Jesus could not be
of flesh and could not suffer, as this would have made god tainted by the world.
Baptists believed that John the Baptist was the true messiah. The 4th gospel (written
after the other three) held these words:
In Half-life 2 it seems, City 17 and, more specifically the combine citadel that
eats its way through it, perhaps represents the slow, inexorable spread of heresy
and doubt , a perversion of the G-man’s aims in Half-Life, following the revelations
made in Black Mesa. The aliens once again are corrupting mankind and Freeman, released
into this world, whether enacting his own fourth gospel or otherwise, must now form
part of G-man’s great plan again. We must serve once more.
That’s all… for now…[br]
[br]
So brothers! The next time you find yourself in the forums, worrying about the time
you spend there, know that you are in reality seeking enlightenment and to paying
homage to your set of beliefs. You are revelling in your worship and preparing,
ever so diligently, for your trial of faith.[br]
With such a broad and vast world, it seems unrealistic that Valve would have written
such an intricate and complex story without some deeper meaning. There certainly
appear to be tangible threads running through this story. Half-life as a religion?
Why! It simply seems to be the next logical step! Has any of this article been useful,
faultless or even relevant? Probably not. If you read the whole thing praise be
unto Valve. If you didn’t your going straight to Xen. Hopefully though, you have
been given food for thought, and something to do other than discuss “the release
date”.[br]
I leave you now with a quote from the one true book, the “Half-life Bible”, and
the (official) Half-life prayer:
