Half-Life 2: A Deep Dive into the Lost Coast

[@unoriginalperson72]

I think the fisherman is so old he's seen many things in his life that seeing Gordon fading from existence is just normal to him.

[@aaroo9554]

@Teutonic Knight you miss the part where the fisherman says youre getting fuzzy aeound the edges

[@aaroo9554]

@Teutonic Knight "Hey Where're you going. You're getting fuzzy around the edges Well... I guess you got other places to be" It even mentions this in the video you just commented on.

[@aaroo9554]

@Teutonic Knight I replayed lost coast. Its said every time. Why are you insisting on dying on this hill. Its ok to be wrong.

[@BabzaiWWP]

@@aaroo9554 i mean gordan is wearing a sci fi suit he probably just thinks its a feature

[@ORLY911]

He may not be aware of G man putting gordon away, but I'd imagine the effect would remind him of things being teleported which im sure he's seen from the Combine when they first came to Earth.

[@ValentineC137]

Can we admire that even on a random off-shoot like Lost Coast, then they still programmed in tiny details like the fisherman reacting to you shooting the birds

[@plasticballs]

you don't seem to entirely understand why those tiny details are there but you have the general spirit at heart

[@ValentineC137]

@@plasticballs you’re welcome to explain

[@plasticballs]

@@ValentineC137 those tiny details are there because lost coast is a testbed. the details are literally the reason it exists, valve just figured they could get a couple extra dollars by releasing it to the public

[@arionell]

@@ValentineC137 Well, feel free to finish the video as it explains why that system exists.

[@melc311]

it probably takes like 5 minutes to do all that logic in the level editor

[@Pinnaporaptor]

It wasn't the G-Man taking away Gordon, but rather he was taking the Fisherman.

[@plasticcup795]

or both of them, Wouldn't that be funny?

[@nottoofast]

@@plasticcup795 G-Man be like "Who this mf?"

[@creditsunknown7974]

Dr Fish-man, in the flesh.

[@merrittanimation7721]

@@creditsunknown7974 I took the liberty of relieving you of your fishing pole. It was government property after all. As for the hat, I think you've earned it.

[@kosminn]

@thecountermen01 That's why I am here Mr. Fisherman. I have recommended your services to my- uhh employers, and they authorized me to offer you a job. they agreed with me that you have limitless fishing potential.

[@TalleyBellum]

What if the fisher man's lack of surprise in Gordon disappearing in front of him is just due to having lived through a bunch of the shit the combine did and was just used to weird unexplainable stuff happening

[@tatotaytoman5934]

yeah, the combine have some weird crap, like energy balls and modified animals as tanks and dropships

[@Sorta8]

If he was alive during the Cascade Resonance it would kinda make sense, considering the Xen aliens teleporting all over Earth during it. I wouldn't be amazed if some of these aliens teleported back to Xen on some occasions.

[@barple367]

@@Sorta8 I'd say he most certainly was alive during it, HL1 and HL2 are about 22 years about from each other.

[@Skiivin]

That was my takeaway

[@TheFloodFourm]

Fisherman, watching a recent acquaintance get disintegrated by an unknown form of alien weaponry: “I’ll be seein’ ya!”

[@x8BitRain]

The fact that a 15 minute tech demo has so much love and attention to detail put into it makes it one of my favorite games of all time.

[@flabby011]

woah is that bitrain? the epic speedrunner for half life 2 the video game by valve????????

[@LyrenMeow]

@@flabby011 It indeed is, BitRain is a very cool person!

[@DeranRoute-vu5jy]

Technically every half-life game is a tech demo, so it’s no surprise.

[@JustSomeRandomIdiot]

Ya know, Lost Coast in 2005, looked pretty damn good. Valve did an amazing job, presenting so much detail and accurate lighting at a time when hardware and software was still so limited in comparison to today.. there are games today that don't look as good as Lost Coast did then.

[@uglybad4]

Some of the biggest selling points of Raytracing, especially global illumination, were captured by Source well before the new technology came around and I think that's really neat. Granted that GI seen with Raytracing is done in real time and is much higher resolution, but getting a similar effect years before it had mainstream appeal is nothing short of impressive

[@Nicolo-ue9xu]

Well when valve release something they made good

[@disposable_income_andy]

It's also a lot sunnier and realistic with the lighting, you could actually imagine being there on the coast and it's not fogged to bits like it would be in, say, L4D. L4D has some wonderful sights but in my opinion it's partially ruined by stuff like a cloud always being over the sun.

[@ob2kenobi388]

2:26 The funniest part about Half-Life to me is that when Gordon lowers his revolver when facing an ally, he points it directly between their legs-which is potentially more threatening than pointing it at their head/chest.

[@mil1992]

Wait why not the head

[@sneed2600]

@@mil1992 nutshot

[@mil1992]

@@sneed2600 oh nah jit trippin

[@jetski8839]

@@mil1992 is not like they gonna be having kids anyways cuz you know

[@danielsurvivor1372]

​@@jetski8839 Know what?

[@mydude249]

6:53 I like how the valve theme starts right when the helicopter hits the building.

[@mydude249]

@lolcat It's pretty satisfying.

[@theoverpreparerlamenters3r436]

It's like the bonk sfx

[@mydude249]

@@theoverpreparerlamenters3r436 Yeah

[@CesarBendy1]

[Helicópter crashes] valve guy: BAAAMMMM

[@Loopy1330]

I think St. Olga existence and the fisherman's existence as well by extension are both canon, as implied by Half-Life: Alyx. St. Olga is absolutely canon, it's seen on the poster, and the fisherman I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be canon. As for Gordon's adventure at the lost coast I'd say it's most likely not canon. There is no place that I can seen where the lost coast could fit within the canon, I view it the same way I do Uplink. I think the best that could be done to work it into the canon would be a mini prequel to Gordon's adventure in base Half-Life 2. I'd imagine the G-Man briefly took Gordon out of stasis to see how well he'd do against new Combine forces and to see if Gordon still has what it takes with cliffside combat similar to Half-Life 1. By the end the G-Man puts Gordon back into stasis (because it would have to be him) and he doesn't really care about the fisherman witnessing it since he's old and will probably think he's hallucinating. That's my little headcanon explanation. Now that I think about it, the cut opening to Lost Coast with the fisherman on the boat is probably what inspired the character Samuel in Arkane's Dishonored, since they're both older men who transport the main character by boat and Dishonored was made with Viktor Antonov.

[@themilkman6969]

could be set when freeman and alyx were going back to kleiner’s lab in the late game, gordon could’ve been transported to the coast

[@themilkman6969]

@@kumi6797 yeah, just watched the rest if the video shit

[@HEVcat]

Gman says at the start of half life 2 "rise and shine mr freeman" which would probably mean that actually the only cannon half life game is half life alyx because half life alyx is the only half life game that exist and actually in team fortress 2 gman appears in a poster saying "need a dispenser here" which would probably mean that father gregori is actually the gman and the gman is actually the spy which would mean the scout (who is the son of the heavy and engi) is actually the next gman and adrian sheppard is actually the pyro which would mean that walter is the medic

[@Loopy1330]

@@HEVcat Not gonna lie, when I got to Scout's parents I burst out laughing for the rest of the read. 10 out of 10.

[@4P5MC]

Crazy idea but could it be after Episode 3? Obviously it's not out yet, but if I remember right Epistle 3 ended with the G-Man putting Gordon back into statis. It could be that the combine weren't completely off the earth, or survived in small patches.

[@lm9029]

5:09 With that "HEY" i could not unhear Bill responding to Francis calling him a helpless old man.

[@deltacee9751]

I just imagine the fisherman defended himself during the 7 hour war just with his trusty mackerel and beat the shit out of every single combine also great vido btw :)

[@radiationhazardsfather6310]

No wonder why his back hurts

[@kadenstutzman6216]

It’s a weapon of bass destruction

[@SpaceToast_Coast_To_Coast]

@@kadenstutzman6216 You rat. I'll let you get away with that dad joke.

[@zherean42069]

And uses his bullsquid as his allies

[@TamamoF0X]

I guess he was taught how to wield a mackerel as a weapon from a certain Boston boy.

[@OssyFlawol]

good video, really enjoyed this look into a strange but charming part of Half Life's history :)

[@BalthazarB2]

Really makes you wish we got more Half-life 2 content, doesn't it?

[@tev5040]

no way its the portal man himself

[@jasperfox6821]

Yo, it's the portal shark dude 0.0

[@yoursonhaspassedaway3330]

water cooler

[@teadrinkingwarlock5101]

St. Olga is just beautiful. The cliff, the morning view of the town... Even mountain on the horizon!

[@Жойлес]

For some reason, the architecture in that exact village hitting really close to home for me. Reminds me of the old districts of Kyiv, like Andriyivskyy Descent or Podil. Absolutely beautiful places Mix it with Source Engine aesthetic (which is huge nostalgia inducer for every 1990-2004 kid) and get full nostalgia overcharge

[@loganlockheart6286]

What was it like? I like to hear about it.

[@Жойлес]

@@loganlockheart6286 what was like... what?

[@loganlockheart6286]

@@Жойлес the districts of Kyiv

[@Жойлес]

@@loganlockheart6286 it's one of the most famous places in Kyiv; a districts that still have pre-soviet buildings in it. Cozy streets with old European architecture make huge contrast with soviet blocky buildings. Me with my mom loved walking there when I was 7. And she actually grew up on Andriyivskyy Descent so that takes a special place in her heart and in mine too tho I grew up in more common residential areas like ones in Obolon'

[@loganlockheart6286]

@@Жойлес that sounds so peaceful and beautiful

[@CoolSs]

as much people meme on it . i actually love Lost Coast and especially the church . it's show how powerful the source engine back then (it's from 2005) And the vertical combat . that work . is something rare to see in half life and is something i kinda wish we had more off . also the developer commentary is insightful . i always love hearing Valve devs talking about the game . Edit: We did have vertical combat in nova prospekt and i liked it . before entering it . next to the cliff . Also the church at the end uses this cool source engine glass . we rarely see used ever .

[@ThePigeon5734]

Source Engine is pre-2003

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

White Forest's Silo in HL2: EP2 and the Lost Coast's Cliffside felt like Valve wanting to recapture the glory of HL1's Surface Tension and the finale of On a Rail.

[@lookstothetroon]

Source engine glass?

[@CoolSs]

@@lookstothetroon I'm referring to 2003 tech demo of the source engine . there is a glass mosaic of Gordon freeman . here in lost coast . we can see similar looking glass (yes i know it's church glass but it not flat like normal glass and stuff)

[@lookstothetroon]

@@CoolSs ohh yeah that

[@cosmiccynic2757]

Fun Fact: If you take a specific route it is possible to navigate through the water without the leeches killing you.

[@joeyzahorik6878]

Putting this vid in 4:3 was pretty genius and gave this vid a great vibe, phenomenal job.

[@TheBlueBullets]

It's a bit corny, but I always liked to imagine that Lost Coast is a dream a demoralised Gordon has when he blacks out at the end of Episode 2 after Eli dies. The Fisherman representing a voice for humanity and a reminder of his mission to take down the Combine, the cliffside climb and the helicopter battle being a rephrased memory from Black Mesa where he had to stand up against overwhelming odds, and the gun emplacement itself either representing the Citadel or the Borealis. This doesn't really account for Half Life Alyx, but if Gordon is aware of Eli's death being erased then it could snugly fit into the epilogue of HLA

[@MrAB-fo7zk]

Why is Eli's death so important to Lost Coast? Have never played Lost Coast, ... Might play it in the next few days as I'm currently replaying HL2 base as we speak. But I don't understand why Eli's death is so important? Many other comments have mentioned that it must take place before his death. So just curious.

[@danielsurvivor1372]

​@@MrAB-fo7zk There isn't much lore in Lost Coast so don't get your hopes up.

[@Naftoreiclag]

i like it

[@manny7289]

@@MrAB-fo7zk its not lol, hes not even mentioned. I guess people are trying to fit it into the story line

[@juanletsplay1550]

Rest in peace to Jim French, I see the poor man had to record a lot of voice lines for the fisherman

[@RiveryJerald]

you're forgetting all the lines he did in left 4 dead 1 & 2

[@AJ-po6up]

A very charismatic and nostalgic voice, he will never be forgotten, I will always remember him as Bill.

[@maxmocs5008]

He was also the guy who lost his skeleton under care of the Medic according to an old SFM.

[@kylehaas864]

If I remember correctly, the Lost Coast wasn't actually free at first--at least, you had to have Half Life 2. I remember getting a copy with my old ATi X200 card. I remember being blown away by the graphics, and I used it as a benchmark for my PC for years.

[@MrElpizo]

Now I can't not feel that Fisherman fits rather well into TF2's style. Anyhow, great video!

[@CynUnion-ji9uj]

You know what, mad respect to Marc for even bothering to answer an Email about a Tech Demo for a game he wrote for 20 years prior. He didn't have to, it's not like it was expected of him, but he did it.

[@colonel_yuri]

I have the source SDK they apparently give to game developers of the source engine, running a spec test of your computer on lost coast, I never knew why they had a map of an abandoned harbour, but now I know, thanks richter.

[@Syddy_]

everyone can download the source SDK on steam

[@colonel_yuri]

@@Syddy_ yes, I know, but I wasnt aware of anything about the lost coast map

[@finnyjam8252]

I’ve always interpreted the fade-out ending as just being that- a fade-out ending for a tech demo because it doesn’t have a “proper” ending like in the other titles. Honestly, I always saw lost coast as being uncanonical anyways, as it is never mentioned in any other HL title and was clearly intended to be a one-off. It also doesn’t fit into the rest of the HL2 storyline, unless there’s some point between Gordon arriving by at city 17 and Eli dying where this can be slotted in (remember that half-life is a uninterrupted experience from Gordon’s perspective. Also, just wondering but why’s the video in 4:3?

[@stuglife5514]

It might have been rendered in 4:3 as a artistic inclusion, as when lost coast was released (as well as HL2) 4:3 was basically the standard. So it might have been rendered that way to be true to what it looked like for everyone on release as 16:8 wouldn’t really be the standard until 5 years later or so after lost coast

[@Mate_Antal_Zoltan]

because Richter really likes uploading videos in 4:3 get used to it

[@Garsh89]

I like to think of Lost Coast as a "warm up" that Gman tasked Gordon with before he took him completely out of stasis and put him on the train setting the events of HL2 in motion.

[@musicaleuphoria8699]

I'm thinking that too.

[@haroldearlgray5629]

I always took the ending as just Gordon leaving not really being teleported away

[@cheesybeard]

then why would the fisherman say "Your getting fuzzy around the edges."

[@pinkunokinyobi]

@@cheesybeard To break the fourth wall !

[@cheesybeard]

@@pinkunokinyobi or he could be walking away I guess. Maybe the fisherman has bad eyesight or somethin?

[@hansonkerman7286]

i always thought he was losing blood, and the fisherman saying 'you're getting fuzzy around the edges!' was just his way of saying Gordon is not looking so good

[@gordon_freeman2542]

Ever since I mounted every game on Garry's mod 13, I have noticed the lighting from Lost Coast start effecting other games like TF2, And it even is affecting Source mods like Entropy Zero.

[@Treyway31201]

If G-Man is supposed to be a shorthand for "government man", and in the Lost Coast you meet the "Fisherman", could it be assumed that you could shorten that to "F-Man"? Is there a connection? Probably not but it could be pretty interesting to consider the fisherman as another G-Man like figure just with different, although similar, motives. Hence why he isn't all too phased to see Gordan just disappear at the end on the dlc.

[@thecianinator]

G-Man is an actual real life slang term for shady government workers.

[@f-man3274]

Damn

[@simtexa]

G-Man F-Man GF... Gordon Freeman.

[@bhonemyintmyatzaw-riz9535]

bro thats sus

[@AK3601]

10:09 That is sad to hear that the teleport theory got shoot-down. Going to have to store it in my headcanon now.

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

The Fisherman had the most detailed character model and textures in a Half-Life game before HL:A, and he's a barely seen side character in a free demo that most people complete in 10 min.

[@Friendly_Lad]

My idea is that gordon would have ditched the buggy by now and was to have traversed to st Olga on foot. He would find himself on the other side of the water closer to the industrial area. He would meet the Fisherman and a couple of resistance members hanging out in a warehouse. They would mention that he was heading the right way to nova prospect, however the combine had said up shop in the monastery, using it at an observation point to scan for any incoming attacks on nova prospekt. Of course the resistance had been spying on the combine the entire time and had noticed helicopters dropping off head crab canisters, fearing the worst the fisherman asks you to go take the combine out. Then lost coast plays out. Afterwards you would be lead to O.P.B (Olga point base) where the fisherman would give you the bug bait and instruct you how to use it, he would also joke about it being good to catch lots of fish. Then the invasion of nova prospekt would play out.

[@jockeyfield1954]

developer commentary actually did get me into game design. while i'm not game designing at the moment, whenever i make a gmod save, i always wanna doc the development of an area for others to hear about and understand the area more. like how one of my saves started as a 1v1 map but slowly turned itself into a combine filled shoot house with a helicopter as an escape, hope i can one day tell how those changes happened to everyone who plays the save. really wish more game studios did this, i'd love to hear about payday 2's development or the original assasssin's creed without having to read a book or article online

[@youbaouahdi4358]

This video looks like had alot of effort and research done for it for such a small topic like Lost Coast, awesome job Richter, its good to more Half Life related videos with this style.

[@daesplays8737]

I like to think that the Lost Coast events still happen, just with someone else instead of Gordon, like Adrian or perhaps, Gina or Colette.

[@Clone3A7]

Gina and Colette DEAD by then

[@MalcolmNessGranger]

@@Clone3A7 well Gina is dead, Colette green is MIA, so is Rosenberg

[@zherean42069]

@@MalcolmNessGranger i love to see rosenberg and collette in Half-Life ep3

[@MalcolmNessGranger]

@@zherean42069 rather doubt it, they are obscure characters at best that can either get a small mention at best.

[@TheBearWithOrangeFur]

It’s actually Gus the forklift driver! :0

[@RainingMetal]

I always thought the ending involved Gordon running away at the thought of eating disgusting leeches.

[@Wall_Liver]

12 minute video about a game you can finish in one minute? Yes please!

[@Smorble]

5:41 You fool, the Fisherman is the Employer G-Man talks about!

[@kobra7227]

I viewed Lost Coast as a Dream Sequence in between HL2 to EP1 or EP1 to EP2. That whole "getting all fuzzy" line is just Gordon waking up to reality, the reality that inspired his dream of the Lost Coast.

[@narrowgauge0727]

the fisherman is the reason we lasted 7 hours and not 3

[@MrMister5305]

I can totally see the art connection between the old fisherman and Arkane studio's Dishonored series. There's a very distinct coastal/fishing port look throughout those games and now it's starting to make sense with Viktor transferring over with his talents being embedded within Arkane's art style. What a cool insight indeed!

[@Mabra51]

6:56 The hunter chopper crash being synced with hazardous environments' drop is weirdly satisfying.

[@spookuman]

I like how you keep consistent with the 4:3 Aspect ratio for your videos, It adds a nice charm.

[@bayanresenski2230]

I like to think this can be squeezed into the teleportation issues in the start of half life 2, gordon teleports all over the place, lands in the lost coast and if all is in real time takes him about 30 minutes to clear out everything before the teleport bounces him back to the outside of kleiner's lab

[@atomato5989]

Great video man. I’ve always been interested in obscure and cut content from game franchises, especially Half-Life considering there’s so much of it. Most people wouldn’t give Lost Coast a second thought so I think it’s really neat that you did.

[@ToxikBox]

"That's not true, what about lost coast, and your Speedrun is only 20 minutes at most" -Barney talking about the iconic expansion

[@lacey6585]

When he said "nice knowning you" made me sad

[@dextergrif]

My headcanon for Lost Coast is that it’s a short test G-Man puts Gordon through after Half-Life 2. This was meant to be training for the mission G-Man would have sent Gordon on in Episode 1, but of course that gets interrupted by our buddies the Vorts.

[@Tankband01]

I always assumed that it was going to be a part of the highway maps and the map before this one would've left Gordon getting f'ed up and waking up being assisted by the fisherman and then so forth. Gordon fading away always was a mystery to me.

[@TheMilitantHorse]

The Lost Coast is honestly one of my favorites of Valve's games, despite how short it is. I think it helped secure my love of Valve and their games.

[@MrGermandeutsch]

I always felt as if Lost Coast occured between after you teleported away from Nova Prospekt and before you reappeared back in Kleiner's Lab. That would at least explain how Gordon appears and disappears in Lost Coast in the first place.

[@MyUsersDark]

In the video we are shown confirmation from the series' writer, Marc Laidlaw, that this is not the case.

[@MrGermandeutsch]

@@MyUsersDark That is correct. Also *_damn_* , a response after over two years 👀

[@MyUsersDark]

@@MrGermandeutsch replying to replies after 2 years, respect

[@bappojujubes981]

I like to think that The Lost Coast is one of the random teleports from when Kleiner's teleporter malfunctioned.

[@Funnel2TV]

In my opinion, lost coast has the same role and cannon as Uplink, I think Lost Coast and Uplink both perfectly fit the role of being a gameplay demo and also fits perfectly into the role of being a snapshot of Gordon's journey in his respective games.

[@timisontube]

Interesting stuff. I always liked Lost Coast’s aesthetic as an alternative to retail or beta

[@novelezra]

Watching this makes me so fucking angry. Valve's speech and facial system is still absolutely stunning; the way he pauses to comment on the bird Gordon killed and then goes back to his main dialogue sounded seamless to me. Yet modern games still seem to lack this kind of expression within their character models. People are talking about peachfuss and crackled lip textures but who cares about the lips if they can't smile? The eyeroll Dr Breen does in the main game is still amazing to me. I don't think I've seen another game do such a natural (and pretty common expression) so well. It seemed that during the PS2/Xbox/GC era, we were trying so hard to do facial animation (Ratchet and Clank especially) but in the HD era we just... Gave up? I guess? Even Bethesda RPGs, which basically NEED facial expressions don't have them. Everyone comes off like a robot.

[@hehe42069-k]

games stopped having soul after 6th gen lol

[@novelezra]

@@hehe42069-k I'd totally agree with you; if we were talking about big budget games. It seems to be that on the PS2 you could make a big budget game with under 100 people. Now, it takes hundreds and the soul gets sucked out.

[@Bestgameplayer10]

This is far from the truth, especially with the facial animations thing. You’re playing the wrong games it sounds like.

[@novelezra]

@@Bestgameplayer10 Well name some? I am not saying it's impossible but considering the tech is nearly 20 years old and we still get games like Mass Effect Andromeda and every Bethesda RPG. Sure you get ones from Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games but for the most part facial animation has taken a backseat to everything else.

[@Falleax69]

My head canon is that Lost Coast is just a fever dream Gordon has in between Episode 1 and 2 while he's unconscious in the train.

[@Mart-E12]

This dude is making videos in 4:3 aspect ratio in 2022, epic.

[@DrHeinzy]

This was a really good video, I had no idea there was so much stuff behind LC that we never got to see. Good work.

[@gaming-98]

Hot take: Lost Coast is the best Valve made Half-Life game Really loved some of the small touches in this video like the animation of Gordon at the start.

[@teopazdrijan1008]

That track in church, vertical fighting, actual shell-launcher and an actual civilian

[@Sillytommysadventure]

Man I’ve been obsessed w everything half life for the past decade, and this vid shows stuff i haven’t thought off. Earned a sub man, nice work

[@mindoffisch]

Personally, I love the character of the Fisherman and hope he’s cannon. From his look, voice and role in the game, this guy would be a nice addition to any future HL game

[@NovaDelta]

Another houtouts to Richter Overtime for making his videos in the correct aspect ratio

[@mzov_1724]

I think the Coast is actually a prelude to the game. Gordon starts off with the suit and weapons, does something that probably helps save some crucial character in olga, and then is pulled back to actually meet them later

[@ThomasGledall]

Fisherman is the gmans employer

[@SillyCrocodile-zg9mz]

The fisherman is probably just used to all the weird stuff that's happened over the years like the portal storms

[@resinsauce]

Super well made video! Very nice editing and I liked its structure, I've recently been on a Half Life lore binge and this was a nice treat.

[@UnfamiliarEyes]

Plot twist: the fisherman is Adrian Shepard

[@EnclaveSOC-102]

I like to think that Lost Coast takes place between Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2 Episode One with Gman taking Freeman out of stasis to sabotage the Headcrab mortar launcher as a means of testing him for other assignments. And I think this might be the same for Uplink, although I usually play with Uplink Addon enabled, even if it was supposed to take place during Freeman's travel through the Lambda Labs. But maybe the events of Uplink take place before the Black Mesa facility gets nuked but after Gman recruits Freeman and briefly sends him back to Earth and into the satellite uplink facility as a means of testing his abilities.

[@softy8088]

I've never heard the theory that Lost Coast happens during the Nova Prospekt teleport. I love it, it makes sense and fits well IMO. Remember how Gordon's first teleport sent him to multiple unintended destinations? This is a... slower... version of that. I understand Mr. Laidlaw doesn't like it, but I never subscribed to the idea that creators get to decide canon by declaration outside of the work itself. Canon is defined by the work, not by any commentary outside it. I also don't understand his definition of the word "cool" in this case. Surely the teleport messing up enough to allow a sidequest like this is cooler than it *just* lasting a week. I will therefore believe that Gordon did indeed visit St. Olga for a brief 15 minutes during his week-long teleport.

[@fruitylerlups530]

Marc Laidlaw has things he "doesnt like" but he sees canon as fluid and evolving

[@newdawnsets7076]

I would say this takes place after Episode 3 as the ending to the plot synopsis Marc posted says Gordon awoke on a shore.

[@jacobgoodrich6984]

yeah but that may no longer be canon due to half life alyx's in-universe retcon

[@googleman2898]

This is the most expansive video on the lost coast yet

[@KRAFT7777777]

SUBJECT: FISHERMAN STATUS: HIRED AWAITING ASSINGMENT

[@PhobosTK]

STATUS: *GONE FISHING*

[@Megelos]

Holy, Marc Laidlaw so based. That's how i react when people start to unnecessarily theorizing about everything just because they can't cope with not having a conclusion.

[@voidofspaceandtime4684]

laidlaw couldn't cope with finishing the story.

[@Megelos]

@@voidofspaceandtime4684 he finished It though, AND he leaked the script with aliases to not get sued

[@maxptforreal]

6:55 god damn the sync between the chopper crashing and the transition to the next part

[@Greyrayin]

It would be very interesting to see a mod recreating/reworking the Lost Coast it seems to have alot of potential outside of being just a tech demo.

[@FreeSisyphus77]

Great video! I think HLLC is a fantastic little experience, cool area with a neat set-piece, the fisherman is an endearing character, and of course it's absolute eye candy. My head-cannon is that it takes place after HL2, BUT BEFORE HL:E1.

[@MaxiSniper]

this is the best episode of half life no doubt

[@dubmeister01]

As someone who's on and off worked on a Source related video essay, I absolutely love the subtle editing to make the title cards for each segment mimic the text from source games. This was an excellent little video, thank you

[@kukky22]

Thanks for the video richter985

[@PeBoVision]

I never gave Lost Coast much thought beyond it being a benchmark which always made my system score much higher than expected. Always wondered how it fit into the universe. But like all Half-Life fans, I was just happy to get some new content - no matter how brief. And the monastery WAS a visual delight at the time. Thanks for fleshing it out a bit.

[@ADonutMan]

11:08 Cool to know that that system was updated and made it into source 2 and aperture desk job, I didn't think it dates back to source 1

[@Wadethewallaby2001]

I have a brilliant imagination. But there’s so many through my head. I don’t know what to think. I’ll think of something.

[@Craigevansagain]

i know most will disagree with me but i regard "Lost Coast" as canon. everytime i play half life 2, when i get into the tunnel at the end of "highway 17", i save and exit the game and load and play "Lost Coast". when ive done that i reload half life 2 were i left off. that zombie and headcrab filled tunnel which is the transition between "Hwy 17" and "Sandtraps" is the longest in the game so it would make that this was the spot where "Lost Coast" would have once fitted in as it would natually break up the tunnel length.

[@helloufoundmychannel6055]

Biggest plot twist: the fisherman is gmans brother

[@PhobosTK]

^younger brother

[@candeo3687]

i hope we'll visit St. Olga in future half life games, perhaps even meet the fisherman. It's a very beutiful place, and the fisherman is nice :)

[@algea2921]

I remember using a mod that integrates this map into the campaign, setting it inbetween the Nova Prospekt teleport and returning to Kleiner's Lab. Since it's a slow teleport it very much fits too with the fisherman at the end saying "Where are you going, you're getting fuzzy around the edges!".

[@shep6489]

Not canon

[@algea2921]

@@shep6489 Obviously? What’s your point lol

[@TrustyGun2]

This was actually my first half-life game. My father got this game and HL2:DM for free due to an AMD deal at the time. I love those two little niche entries of the Half-Life series.

[@thealandude9146]

the dialog interrupt thing and the HLA poster is cool wtf

[@ghost_ship_supreme]

That rerouting dialogue thing was genius!

[@fivenightsgamer2268]

Don't forget, this is also the game that the classic "Gaben" audio is from.

[@themrfives]

I always just assumed Gordon was walking away at the end. I'm kinda surprised everyone assumes Gordon teleported away.

[@JiggliJellifish]

I find it really neat how they added that interrupted dialogue thing in Portal: Desk Job like when you shoot Cave

[@tricksterzyro3230]

9:06 vietnamese in the trees finnish in the snow and combine in the windows.

[@timothytimothy4854]

My theory is that this city was one of the only cities that managed to fend off a combine incursion during the 7 hours war, seeing there is lack of any resistance symbols in the area alongside rebel forces ( although I have not played through so correct me if I'm wrong ) could mean they aren't even connected to the main rebel cell, and they weren't aggressive or actively attracting attention from the combine, it was only when Intel discovered he was in or atleast going to the area that it attracted attention, but it thought Gordon was already inside the city so they fired headcrab canisters to smoke Gordon out of the area, or atleast forcing him to get out of the city, those combine forces guarding the church was just there to just keep an eye on any sorts of antlion attacks on the church since they are close to sand, meant they had only a squad at most protecting the area, the main large combine force that was waiting for Gordon was outside the main city itself slowly sieging it not stationed at the church, when they realized their fuck up, the combine heli were the first ones to arrive as " reinforcements " as all of the combines are now fixated at the coastal beaches forcing them to conduct a search throughout the area that had nothing came of it allowing time for the civilians to make a run for it and escape from combine troops, in short they were there to setup a trap but then got lead to a wild goose chase that now basically the only thing they had now it's an empty city with no real strategic value in it that has also most likely gotten booby trapped.

[@giovannimorelli4592]

I really like when i played it, something short, but fun and I really liked the fisherman

[@Chewberto]

I hadn't even realized that the slowness of Combine Teleport technology was meant to be a subtle joke about how useless it was, with it taking so long that you might as well just walk to where you want to go. It's amazing how much I continue to be able to learn and understand about this series after years of following it.

[@SoftieDog]

I always imagined the level was placed mid teleportation since you go multiple places, and when you go it's you being teleported to outside Kleiner's lab.

[@killabyte8669]

"you're blurring around the edges!" little did we know the fisherman was having a stroke

[@toxinketchup]

oh god i remember playing that map when i was young nostalgia

[@dr.insignia7361]

I believe that the fisherman is just gman playing some trickery with Gordon to “help” him along the way in a way to not be detected by the combine.

[@eternalmiasma5586]

When I built my pc in 2018 half life was one of the first games I played, and I remember finishing episode 2 knowing full well that was it. This was a nice little bite to finish off with