[WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the endings of Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and Half-Life: Alyx.]
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 ends in one of the biggest cliff hangers in the history of video games, but the recent Half-Life: Alyx may have cleared everything up. Just after shutting down the Combine’s portal to Earth and temporarily saving the day, Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance prepare to board a helicopter to leave for the Borealis. As Eli Vance says goodbye to his daughter, two Advisors break into the hanger where the helicopter is being stored. The Advisors immediately grab hold of Gordon and Alyx, leaving Eli to try and fend them off. One of the Advisors swiftly kills Eli before being chased out of the hanger by Dog. The player is then left watching Alyx grieve over her father’s dead body as the screen fades to black and the credits begin to roll.
At the time of Half-Life 2: Episode 2’s release, most players beat the game and probably thought to themselves, “Wow, I can’t wait for Half-Life 3 so I can get some resolution to this story!” Over 13 years later, gamers are still waiting. It’s gotten to the point where most fans have given up hope of ever seeing the end of this iconic video game series. Half-Life 3 has become more of a punchline than anything else, which is more than likely why so many people overlooked Half-Life: Alyx and its potential set-up for Half-Life 3.
Half Life: Alyx takes place after the events of the original Half-Life, but five years before the events of Half-Life 2. Players take control of Alyx as she’s trying to rescue her father, Eli, from the Combine. Eventually, after he is rescued, he warns Alyx of a super weapon being stored in a massive Vault. It’s later revealed that there actual isn’t a weapon in the Vault, but a person being held captive, a survivor of the Black Mesa incident. Alyx and Eli believe it’s the legendary Gordon Freeman, so they attempt a rescue. After making her way into the Vault’s center, Alyx quickly realizes it isn’t Gordon being held captive, but the ominous and evil G-Man. This is where things start to get crazy.
Half-Life: Alyx May Have Set Up Half-Life 3
After opening his prison, G-Man extracts himself and Alyx from the Vault. In exchange for saving him, G-Man offers Alyx his services. She asks for him to remove the Combine from Earth, but he says that’s too big of an ask. So instead, G-Man offers to save the life of Alyx’s father. He takes her to the future and gives her the opportunity to kill the Advisors and save her father’s life, rewriting the ending of Half-Life 2: Episode 2. G-Man is impressed by Alyx and believes she’s capable of replacing Freeman. He then traps her in stasis and leaves until he might need her. The game ends and an after-credits scene then follows. Players momentarily take control of Freeman in the hanger from Half-Life 2: Episode 2‘s ending. Eli realizes G-Man took his daughter and vows revenge. Dog then shows up and hands Freeman a crowbar, essentially signaling he’s back and ready to continue the story.
It’s impossible to ever predict what Valve might be thinking, but it seems Half-Life: Alyx may have finally set up the story for the long-awaited Half-Life 3. Considering how monumental the release of Half-Life 3 would be, it’s surprising news of this major retcon hasn’t been more widespread. Accessibility may have limited Half-Life: Alyx’ exposure, seeing as it was a VR exclusive. That, coupled with frustrations over the first Half-Life game in 13 years not being Half-Life 3 may have caused some drop in fan interest. With that said, Half-Life: Alyx is considered to be a VR masterpiece, and can stand shoulder to should with the other games in the series comfortably.
After many years of waiting, the Half-Life series has finally been revitalized. Half-Life: Alyx has reintroduced the game’s world to players, while completely reinventing it and leaving the door open to tons of new possibilities. There’s no telling what Valve may have up its sleeve, but it definitely seems like they’re building towards something based on Half-Life: Alyx‘s re-written ending.
