Half-Life - Story Explanation and Analysis (Part 1)

[@maxderrat]

Here's a link to the Project Borealis website: www.projectborealis.com/ Go show them your support!

[@livingtoaster1358]

hey man really loved the video I was curious as to know if you've heard of Pain's cycle of Hatred from Naruto if not you should look at it and if it's interesting enough you should cover it I'd like to hear your thoughts on it

[@essex3777]

I think you have something with that crackpot theory of yours but have you thought that 'We' are G-Man's employers?

[@kowi333]

Why would anyone play this and spoil the real HL3 experience? HL3 will come one day.

[@stcablesentaadmin4315]

Unreal Engine 4 - A fucking piece of shit!

[@jasonk7675]

you asked "Who controls Freeman?" twice.

[@chrizzel28]

Project Borealis, at this time of year, at this time of day, localized entirely outside of Valve's official development team?! ...may I see it?

[@maxderrat]

Mmmmmmmmmmm... no.

[@ChucksSEADnDEAD]

Well Freeman, you're an odd fellow - but you resonate a good cascade.

[@gabrieltallent8080]

Freeman the lab is on fire! No Kleiner, that's just a bullsquid teleporting into our universe from Xen

[@FernandoSilva-wt1ik]

Oh egads, my Half Life 3 is ruined. But what if.... I were to let the fans make their version and disguise it as my own game... ho ho ho... Delightfully devilish, gabe

[@shiroyasha7324]

hmmm ahh, Mr Freeman is the episode 3 ready

[@nabollo]

13:01 “We are one of the many minds in Freeman’s Mind.” Yeah, but mostly Ross Scott.

[@maxderrat]

This is true.

[@omgsam7185]

NO WE ARE NOT! YOU ARE JUST BEING PARANOID!

[@thewayfayer3268]

@@omgsam7185 I get it now! EVERYONE WANTS TO KILL ME!

[@Nate_the_Nobody]

@@maxderrat do you think Ross has asp?

[@tmtmtg]

@@thewayfayer3268 CLASS IS IN SESSION

[@WerbleWerb]

I guess the real Half-Life was the friends we made along the way

[@TalkingTurtle97]

@Vino woop woop watch out its the joke police

[@MrBlackace17]

Nigga

[@KizaruB]

Nah. People are weird. Games are better.

[@mencar1879]

True

[@MrChet407]

Oh shut up

[@Pendleton115]

Can I just say “something secret steers us both” is a genius line.

[@alyx8815]

I agree i also know there are people who are up to date on the new games

[@dr.cheezeguy9093]

Pendleton 115 explane

[@Pendleton115]

Dr.cheeze guy Something Secret Steers us is a name of a piece of music from the first game. It also references the Gman and his employers, and the fact that he not only controls Gordon freeman, but also the Vortigaunts. Who knows how far the Gmans influence really spreads.

[@jiraffe9600]

Pendleton 115 Well in half life 1, the song was called nuclear mission jam. It was renamed to something secret steers us in half life 2.

[@Pendleton115]

ThePcGamer Ah true, i forgot about that.

[@GigaBoost]

I always took it as the all-knowing vortiguant breaking the fourth wall with the following lines: "Something secret steers us both." "Far distant eyes look out through yours" and a few others. That secret thing being the code of the game and the far distant eyes being those of the players'. Also "How many are there in you?" meaning all the different players playing the game. That's just my own reading though, I suppose it could have both meanings. That aside though, good and interesting read of it all!

[@smurfsareoppressed9584]

That’s a theory I’ve had for a while too.

[@noahegler9131]

Sounds like you didn't finish the video. Max seems to agree with you

[@Sidiciousify]

It is also the correct theory.

[@Daniel-oq7xy]

No, I think you're absolutely correct. And Max does mention this reading in the video, just not regarding that line. The lines he references just solidify the fourth wall break imo

[@mishasubin]

Thats what he explains in the last minute of the video. Can't you just watch the whole thing?

[@mjr2451]

Good stuff. More straightforward and less gimmicky than a MatPat or average YT Documentarian or video essayist would have done it. Looking forward to part two.

[@elmalloc]

or or or and or but and or, and but or or or

[@EnclaveSOC-102]

Mat Pat sucks, he just makes videos for clickbait.

[@rts2468]

I always took the quote. “The distant eyes look through yours” as our eyes as the player seeing through Gordon’s eyes. A mystery to those in the game who can see everyone else’s mind but when looking into Gordon’s, they see that he is being controlled from outside the games universe( ours) and cannot understand where that control is coming from.

[@asddsdsssd]

Man Valve has some serious psychonauts working there

[@Oneiriel]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@nellynels1410]

Yeah these themes are basically just ego death based lore. I love it

[@Rex_Caliber]

at the very end, where Gman says "in the mean time, this is where i get off..." maybe it was literally implied that they had actually planned on a halt in HL development. Possibly for the following reasons: 1. a better game engine/gaming medium (VR) 2. they really didn't know where to go from here 3.wanted they community to unravel more of the mystery and help build a mythical story line 4. create anticipation by making the audience wait 5. poor management LOL

[@bredrick.]

or maybe he's sexually aroused

[@siddsen95]

Also, The Source Engine is literally the source of everything in the Half Life universes. O_o

[@engineerbot]

Sidd Sen true.

[@sunwannat]

And Valve is the device that control the passage of the source... no? k then...

[@Fenrize]

@@sunwannat And the Valve controls the passage of Steam from the Source. Um.

[@nerd_nato564]

Well, kind of. Half-Life didn't run on the Source engine, it actually ran on another engine, which was the basis of our modern Source: good old GoldSource. CS 1.6 ran on it, so did the old Half-Life.

[@KizaruB]

Technically, the Quake Engine is

[@Mrglanet]

I’ve got many insights about this game series. (This is a LONG analysis! Stick around and read if you're still interested). It's interesting to see Half-Life as this story about the struggle for ultimate individuality/individuation in the face of constant tyranny and/or forces beyond your control. I knew there was something philosophical about the Half-Life series that it was trying to convey, and I think this is it. It's a question that I think is tied much to the question of, "What is my place in this universe, this cosmos from which I sprang?". All sentient life, I think, ends up asking this question at some point or another. This reminds me of that Carl Sagan quote, “We are a way for the Cosmos to know itself”. Think about the implications of this. Individuality, freedom/free will, and identity are such big philosophical issues that it is a problem faced by sentient life across dimensions/planes of existence, even those that can perceive time very differently from human beings! The fact that the Vortigaunts, who seem to know more about the nature and structure of this universe, are also still struggling with these philosophical issues (they even have poets that probably conveyed these sentiments) seems to suggest that these issues are questions common to all sentient life and might never be known/solved (like what happens after death, for instance). It makes me wonder about how other life forms out there in this universe might really be dealing with these existential questions with how differently they may perceive this universe from us... I always thought Half-Life was called that because Gordon, in his HEV suit with the lambda, represents the decay constant in the half-life equation (lambda) and is essentially a metaphor for how Gordon causes chaos and decay to a given power structure. When a radioactive atom (isotope in this case, which is a typical atom with more neutrons than normal, causing instability) or chemical undergoes radioactive decay, it does so exponentially (the half-life of a substance is how long it takes a given amount of it to decay into half of that amount. You could also say the half-life of a substance is how long it takes half of that substance to decay). When Gordon is in Black Mesa or City 17, things end up decaying quite rapidly (you could say, exponentially) into utter chaos. In fact, most places Gordon visits tends to decay into chaos if you think about it. The Citadel and City 17 were destroyed, Black Mesa was obliterated, the Earth was conquered partly due to Gordon being in the test chamber, Father Grigori ended up burning away in madness in Ravenholm, The Resistance’s future becoming uncertain with Eli dying, White Forest ended up being attacked, to name a few examples. Thus, Gordon embodies the half-life (well, technically the weak nuclear force is responsible for radioactive stuff decaying, but I won’t get too technical about it), and all the decay and chaos that comes with it. Thus, it is fitting to see Gordon wearing the lambda on his HEV suit, and it is also fitting to see the rebels adopting this insignia (though they may not know the significance of lambda and may just use it to convey the chaotic freedom-fighter spirit of Freeman). I agree that the name “Half-Life” centers around a key theme, but I always interpreted the key theme as being the agent of chaos brings chaos to a hyper-orderly tyrannical system, thus bringing balance to the system. From a Daoistic perspective, Gordon represents the little black dot of Yang in the center of the white Yin to turn the white into black and the black dot into a white dot to continue the cycle and keep things in balance. I always thought the greater master refers to the Combine, as the whole reason the Nihilanth and his Vortigaunt slaves went to Xen was to hide from the Combine. They were aware of the Combine’s existence before Half-Life. What is the Combine, anyway? Some sort of force/virus that seeks to conquer the multiverse and bring it into absolute order and control? And anything that goes against that order is some sort of illness, disease, or pathogen? That's what I think their intention is given much of the Overwatch's (and Combine soldier's) usage of cold medical terminology (sterilize, expunge, malignant, amputate, antiseptic, etc.) throughout Half-Life 2 and its episodes. We know that the Combine merges lifeforms across the multiverse with technology (hence the name, “Combine”), but for what ultimate purpose? To create the perfect life forms, establish perfect order? Order according to whom? I notice that Breen uses a lot of sentiment that has a corrupted, twisted Sagan-esque pathos in how humanity should obey and assimilate into the Combine to fulfill its dream of spreading out across the cosmos, but is this a ploy/illusion set up by the Combine to psychologically ease undesirable species into extinction, or is it what the Combine actually wants from their subjects? To be completely subservient to them in order to transcend and literally become “Combine” or “Transhuman”? Or maybe this entails something sinister, rather than something utopian? This brings up another question: given Eli mentioning how G-man told him, “Prepare for unforeseen consequences” before the Incident occurred, why did the G-man, being a Shu'ulathoi, cause the Black Mesa Incident to occur knowing that it would trigger the Combine invasion of Earth? In order to recruit human individuals such as Gordon into the fight against the Combine? That seems like a bit of a stretch to me, that out of all the lifeforms in the universe, the Shu’ulathoi would want humanity to fight/interact with the Combine at this stage of our development as a civilization. What’s the ultimate big picture here? I think we need an understanding of the Combine and their intentions in order to understand why things in the Half-Life series happened in the way they happened. I wonder how much of this will be answered in Half-Life: Alyx. It’d be interesting to see how Valve develops/concludes the Half-Life story with this new game. I never liked the idea that the Vortigaunt was breaking the 4th wall, so I interpreted the line “Far distant eyes look out through yours…Something secret steers us both. We shall not name it.” as referring to the G-man. This can be substantiated, as the G-man can telepathically communicate with Gordon and has a general knowledge of your whereabouts throughout the game (besides Episode 1). I think it also fits with the imagery of G-man staring at you, as there are several points in the Half-Life series where G-man is staring at you, observing you, watching from afar. The “Something secret” can also be referring to this force, this Cosmos that humans, Vortiguants, and life is connected to that you mention that can’t be described with human language. But I also think G-man can apply especially when he says, “We shall not name it”, because G-man is never explicitly named in the Half-Life series, and he always popped into my head whenever I’d hear that sentence. I also thought that his lines of “Could you but see the eyes inside your own… How many of them are you? Whose hopes and dreams do you encompass?” served more as a way to motivate Freeman in his quest to free humanity by reminding him of the responsibility being placed on his shoulders by becoming this “messianic” figure, or it could be a way to connect Freeman directly to the Vortiguants especially with the first line. However, a 4th wall break also works. I loved your interpretation of the Vortiguants being of a hive mind, but also trying to escape it to find their own individuation, their own quest for freedom. As though they are aware of forces even beyond their control that they must struggle against with humanity, even with the ability to stop the relentless arrow of time that we all must endure. In a sense, this is not just a human problem but an existential problem. I think you can also think of the “Vortesscence” or “The source of all things” as the “Cosmos”, “Universe”, or “Nature”, in keeping with what Carl Sagan said. This stuff really makes me think, and it’s what I love about Half-Life! In addition to introducing me to science, it really makes me think the more I ask questions about it and get curious and think about this series. I also love the interpretation that the “deeper mystery” is the abyss that is death. Hopefully some of you have read this far, and if you have, congrats! You are an awesome person who can pay attention to the ramblings of a KZbin comment! I hope I made you think!

[@Neb_Raska]

Absolute beast of a comment, thank you for sharing your thoughts with the world. Amazing to see what a videogame can evoke in people.

[@Mrglanet]

@@Neb_Raska Thank you!

[@DoctorReflux]

For anyone scrolling past, this comment was entirely worth the read. Seems there are still a lot of mysterious ahead, I only hope valve can keep up. Thanks for writing this dude

[@Jazi2282]

You know this is one of the reasons that half life is among my favorite series that it is open to so much interpretation. That can be scientific, philosophical or a mixture of both. Your comment was a worthwhile read and it definitely adds to the understanding of this universe.

[@Mrglanet]

Almost a year after writing this, wow! I never expected such a response! Thanks to everyone who was impacted enough by this to leave a comment or even a like! I've changed some of my ideas on these speculations slightly, but most of my insights, questions, and philosophy of the game series remain. I love how Half-Life inspired me, and how my ideas have positively contributed to others' perspectives on the Half-Life universe! Thanks for reading! Shameless plug-in here: I'm pleased to announce that I'm working on a Half-Life web-series with someone whose goal is to portray the events of the Half-Life series in a realistic fashion! Please check out his KZbin channel here: kzbin.infofeatured His motion-capture animations and vision for the series is brimming full of potential, and I recommend any Half-Life enthusiast or fan contribute ideas by joining him in his streams on Twitch, or his Discord server. I seriously think this guy will make the next biggest Half-Life series on the Internet, please check him out!! Thank you, and have a very safe and productive day!

[@ViceMightBeTaken]

Gaben For President Why? No World War III

[@cygnusfloyd]

If he's too lazy to make a game he'll make one shitty president.

[@gplastic]

@@cygnusfloyd Did you catch the joke?

[@cygnusfloyd]

@@gplastic The same tired one about the number 3? Yes, it's goddamn hard to miss.

[@p.rivates5549]

World War II: Episode I

[@WHOARETHEPATRIOTS475]

your forgetting about the hardcore fanboys that want a three to happen so they use Lord Gaben's modding tools of which he bestowed unto them in order to make them happen

[@BruceForte]

That one Vort in Alyx broke free by sustaining brain damage.

[@TheRockstarr33]

This is one of the best and most unique videos analyzing the Half-Life lore that I've ever seen. Good job!

[@nickwalker4936]

Imagine for a second: Half-Life 3. The “struggle for freedom” boils over to Freeman breaking free of the player’s control. He utters his only line, something song the lines of “you are not me. I am me.” Before *playing the rest of the game himself.* as in, you’re simply a passenger at that point, watching. The game is still going and it’s not formatted like a cutscene, but you simply watch him finish the job.

[@CryingZombie666]

Sooooo... interactive video game?

[@jon3854]

Nick The Undying no the lines too cheesy

[@bredrick.]

That wouldn't really be fun.

[@Bozothcow]

"It is not ours to forgive." I believe he means that the hive mind can't forgive what has been taken from an individual. If some conciousness remains, it is his to forgive Freeman, and not the hive's.

[@amtrent123]

10:00 I thought the meaning here might be a bit more blunt in all honesty. As in, this being a reference to the player themself, 4th wall breaking. "Far distant eyes look out through yours", Again, the players eyes looking through Gordons, and "Something secret steers us both. We shall not name it." Being a reference to the fact that they are infact, video game characters, unable to steer from their course.

[@VinxTerranova]

I thought the same thing. I was just checking the comments before posting but I found yours lol

[@ChainikVlad]

THE DAY HAS COME But, it's prequel - still cool though

[@TwoSouthFarm]

This video makes me look forward to some more deep things in the lore of HL

[@crodojoe]

Actually it might not be a prequel. there are many hints of time travel

[@jiraffe9600]

Crodojoe Well it is a prequel, but there might be more to it.

[@jacurururur8848]

@@jiraffe9600 I don't think there will be more to half life alyx, but valve did refer to this game as their official return to the half life franchise, and source 2 has been completed

[@jiraffe9600]

Ja Curururur Well they said they recommend you play episode 2 before this. And there reason was “ it will make sense when you play.” So there will probably be time travel.

[@OmnipotentZORG]

I got the chance to work with Freeman Dyson on my project for highschool. What a pure man. I never knew gordon got his name from him.

[@innsj6369]

Brilliant video, I am a fan of the Half-Life series myself. The Vortegaunts are a very interesting bunch, I find a lot of people seem to miss them out in their theories and focus solely on the G-Man. Nice to see a different kind of video.

[@CombineWatermelon]

I always thought "Far distant eyes look out through yours" was the vortigaunt being vaguely aware of our own existence, behind the computer. "something secret steers us both" would refer to the us, the player, having control over Gordon, and to a limited extent, the vortigaunt. We do not fully control Gordon, so we are only said to be "steering" him. ah, there you mentioned it

[@MoondustOverdose]

4:01 anyone notice the subtitles say 'beyond' when the Vortigaunt says 'between'?

[@unfa00]

13:00 "We are one of many minds inside of Freeman's mind" Ross Scott flashed before my eyes.

[@glaex1526]

I never realised half life had a deep lore. All i did was shoot and kill enemy

[@Beatumpop]

haha metal stick go swoosh

[@Spartan-sz7km]

@@Beatumpop haha gravity gun go boom

[@Beatumpop]

@@Spartan-sz7km grorbon freemen be like: **mute noises**

[@mr.b89]

The ties with the portal games are really interesting too, especially with the whole borealis thing that was supposed to happen in hl3

[@Lukas-hb5be]

P E W P E W H A H A

[@jiraffe9600]

In the developer commentary in the new 20th anniversary update of Half-life 2 they confirm your theory. In the empty train car with the guy and the vortigaunt, the developer says that vortigaunts have a hivemind.

[@NinaadDas]

I feel that in the "god" part of the argument, the players controlling Freeman is also metaphysically signified.

[@praetai5461]

"What seems to you a sacrifice is merely, to us, an oscillation. We do not fear the interval of darkness." song that plays in hl2ep2 when eli dies - dark interval you guys seeing this

[@nh62]

I got chills from this because this is the same kind of thinking as in kurzgesagts video "The egg - a short story"

[@sinom]

But then in Alyx the vortigaunt hates that "his cord is cut", and still can exist at all points in time at the same time free from time and space. So that part of your theory has been retconed now

[@SilvyReacts]

Yes, indeed. Half-Life is probably one of the more interesting stories in a game I have ever played and so it's been a pretty big disappointment that Valve pretty much has decided to not continue it. Your analysis thus far seems to sound fairly accurate and agreeable to me. Good work, I am looking forward to the next one :3.

[@anthonymorris9794]

ThatMarchingBunny valve touched half life. It’s a prequel, but they revived the fire. They cant not make a third one now. They didn’t have to make a half life, a way cooler vr game would be portal, but they picked half life. This is only the beginning

[@engineerbot]

Anthony Morris I wish they made a third game that wasn’t a prequel and wasn’t VR only.

[@eric.waffles]

The depth to Half-Life’s universe is honestly what’s kept the fan base alive. Few other series have such lore that makes the universe have such depth.

[@ZeranZeran]

Anyone else here tried LSD and had very similar messages come to them as what this Alien says? No one "told" me anything, it's just things I realized. For example, I truly do now believe that human beings all share one great consciousness, and it's been 5+ years since I touched any psychedelic. For me I was shown everyone on our planet connected like tree-roots, through a light beam. A giant grid of spirits, all connected, all one. It showed me a concept I previously would have never even considered or thought about, and made so much sense. The way this alien is talking, is almost like the thoughts I had on LSD. It's really quite cool. This game is a lot deeper than I thought. Great video, man.

[@snake9721]

Been scrolling through to find this i know exactly what u mean brother

[@2kuyu685]

Oh my god I am amazed by the quality and deliverance of the video. I am looking forward to seeing more of your content. Why didn't I see this channel before?!

[@ricardo__gordon]

I loved the small detail at the end: "In the meantime, this is where I get off!"

[@supertrooper1576]

something secret steers us both... Music starts playing

[@sabaradrawer]

This is some arrival shit right here

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

love that movie

[@codaboi138]

12:48 This is a fantastic theory, max. Even if there is no canonical validity to it, it is one of the best fan theories i've seen out there, because in my opinion, a good fan theory shouldn't just provide explanations (which this one does very well too), but also enhance the narrative experience. What you did is essentially convincingly turn every person who ever played half life into an in game character. That is impressive, and also greatly enhanced my experiences when playing through the half life games. I feel as though there is a barrier between me and the events of half life, and I am seeing them through far distant eyes. Amazing.

[@RetrofIex]

I always thought the G-Man was a human construct of his “employers” who would be a supreme godlike race of extraterrestrial beings that oversee the happenings of the universe

[@iou787]

Sounds like "Jim Cant Swim" explaining game theories lol

[@zolikat4458]

"We call you sib (sibling), but your mind and meaning are a mystery to us." "We are a tapestry woven of vortessence. It is the same for you if only you would see it." "We are you, Freeman, and you... are us." idk, these lines make me warm and fuzzy inside. I makes me happy to know that the Vortigaunts would call Freeman their own, but despair that he could never truly join with them.

[@thebreadman]

Fantastic. Though, I would argue the all knowing vort does say they do not fear death. "We do not fear the interval of darrrrrkness."

[@DillaCat]

My dad bought the original orange box. GOTY edition back in 1999 and it was the first game I ever completed at 6 years old. This game's been a foundation on which I judge all fps games. The atmosphere, the characters, the alien designs, and my favorite aspect is how it feels like it could really happen. Lets just hope the people over at CERN don't do something similar 😂

[@ThatSlowTypingGuy]

And one of those minds in Freeman's Mind is Ross Scott.

[@bigcoffinhunter5500]

I don't think there is anything wrong with associating the connection as God, but the idea falls short when the human mind thinks God to be human. Its an obsessions of ones self projected. Absolutely love this video, have been a Half Life fan since I was probably 6, as well, but I was far too young to grapple on to any of these themes. It wasn't until this year that I delved beyond the gameplay to learn more about why this series is so fascinating. Thanks for posting.

[@abdelwahabflayinv9592]

Every vortigaunt ever in Half-Life 2 will start saying the lines that the "All-knowing Vortigaunt" says, you did not need to go all the way down that tunnel just to give credebility to this, because this is just pure genuis, your whole channel is just pure genuis, and I pick my words very carefully.

[@security864]

How do these half life analysis videos not have more views. I've seen a lot on half life, but nothing like this on the true meaning of the story its telling. Thank you, great content!

[@robertorebola7532]

God damn Max this analysis is simply and purely the best one on the web I'm so glad I found these watching all 3 thanks so much

[@LeeAmNiesen]

4:05 "For a brief time you joined us. You are one. Between the worlds." Is the vortigaunt refering to Gordon encountering several vortigaunts right when the resonance cascade happened and Gordon was teleported several times? Or is it something else?

[@Signorellielli]

I think the name Vortigaunt is a reference to the aliens in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five

[@Casterborous]

I think you did a phenomenal job at explaining all this! But I want to pick up on a few things. I believe the something secret that steers the Vorts is actually the g-man. Although they can resist his power, it is shown in Episode 2 that they can be distracted from it. I also believe that their greater master is the Combine. I remember finding out from somewhere that the Vorts are from a place even further from Xen, a place that was invaded by the combine, leading to them fleeing to Xen (presumably bringing some other species with them. Those species are any creature in the game with a third arm, as they are all from the same planet. Their fleeing to Xen may have been what prompted the Nihilanth to enslave them, but they may have been enslaved beforehand. Nothing is native to Xen, however, but I believe that as it is a border between worlds. Like a buffer. Elements of both universes leak through. Causing it to look similar, yet different. As for the G-man, I wrote a piece on this a while ago on reddit that you can read here: www.reddit.com/r/HalfLife/comments/b08qhf/gman/eif4n0t/?context=3 Spoilers for Epistle 3.

[@glassjaw2007]

I loved it! great essay!

[@AhmedGhazwan]

Great and fresh analysis. I'm looking forward to part 2.

[@eerosoots]

Amazing video! You articulated many things that many of us just noticed subconsciously! This was a great video essay, and it gave me many great insights into my favourite game (referring to HL2). Do you think that all of us players, seeing through Freeman's eyes, are a shared coterminous consciousness as HL players? We are basically like the vortigaunts! Trippy!

[@danraz0ralice340]

i love this

[@gushy305]

So really the only real and final way for Freeman to win and break free ..Is for us to stop playing. It sounds like a cliche but I wouldn't mind it. It'd be sort of amazing to reach a point in the next half life game where the connection/"cord" between Gordon and the player is cut for good, he will be himself with his own ideology and will, without our intervention. Don't know how the writers will put this one off but I'd like someone, maybe even Gordon himself, to talk directly to the player and let him chose his own name and identity, ask what his goals are. A character portrayed by *you* will be born somehow. I wrote this after watching up until 12:51 and after watching the rest, now this comments fits even better.

[@genghisdingus]

Dr Breen: "Tell me, Dr. Freeman, if you can. You have destroyed so much, what is it, exactly, that you have created? Can you name even one thing?" Me on my first playthrough: freedom Dr. Breen: "I thought not!" (guess I was right)

[@viper12823]

This series is great! I like the different levels of interpretation for the themes of the Half Life games, both the philosophical and 'meta' analysis. The summary of the theme of 'control' is brilliant, and while you make great points about relating the human/vortigant connection to 'God,' as Freeman Dyson puts it, or 'the source of all things,' I think the meta interpretation, that Gordan Freeman is the summation of all of his players, is what the writers had in mind when coming up with the story.

[@colosalkompakt]

This reminds me so much about the global consciousness experiments. Great video!

[@t_linus_andersson]

this is one of my favourite videos.

[@daveymjohnson]

HL has always set the sci-fi bar for me. nothing has beat it yet in all media imo

[@mountainpepsi9991]

This is why I love the Half-Life series so much! You always have the feeling that something bigger is going on. Something, that we as humans can't possibly understand or fight. The best example is the G Man. My theory is that he is some form of god and only uses the body of the G Man to speak to Gordon (And Sheppard, Elly, etc.). Maybe everything that happens in the series is just part of a conflict far beyond what our mind can make sense of. AHHH theories like this make me go crazy, I love it!

[@asyadolinin1352]

It's interesting to think about how the combine monsters also fit the theme of half-life. They seem to be modified creatures, half living things and half machinery. It fascinates me.

[@xweert711]

12:47 That isn't a far-out theory, that's just-.. Literally what those lines reference.

[@olorinmagus4479]

Believe it or not that is not the only vortigaunt that does that speech, the one that attaches the gun to your airboat does it as well, and I think there are a couple others in the game that do it too

[@drgonzo9148]

Amazing video, can’t wait for the next part. I always love hearing in depth thoughts on Half Life

[@Spacejockey426]

Excellent analysis! Much food for thought...

[@oldoldmeme]

When you theorised that we are the "far distant eyes" I straight up just said "holy fuck" out loud, even if it isn't what Valve intended it's such a brilliant interpretation that puts the speech in a whole new light as well as helping to illustrate the idea of the Vortigaunts hive mind and consciousness surviving after death concept. Fuck, that is gloriously mind-boggling

[@darcyhaze_r913]

These are awesome break downs of the HL series. New Sub!. Thanks :0

[@TheGhostOfSabotage]

In the Freeman's Mind...is that a referents to the Freemans Mind?

[@omnacky]

Another pinteresting reference to Freeman Dyson is in Marc Laidlaw's Epistle 3 story: "I was left alone, riding the weaponized luxury liner into the heart of a Disparate world. An immense light blazed. I caught a cosmic view of a brilliantly glittering Dyson sphere". A Dyson sphere, being a thought experiment originating from Freeman Dyson.

[@mitkomilev4690]

I just loved the theory why the protagonist remains silent all the time, it just blew my mind. Subscribed.

[@Hamartia64]

Surely those few lines about “How many hopes and dreams do you encompass?” doesn’t refer to a hive mind but to the fact that Gordon is the hero of the series and people are putting their faith in him to save them; he’s not just doing it for only his hopes and only his dreams.

[@VitriolicVermillion]

I have some divergent interpretations from yours, on the subject of the all-knowing vortigaunt lines: [Edit: And then you said more stuff and began to agree, or always did. No idea!] "We remember the Freeman. We are coterminous. There is no distance between us. No false veils of time or space may intervene." As I keep watching the video, it seems you have taken this to mean that the AKV is talking about himself and the rest of the vortigaunts. I think he is talking about Freeman and all of the vortigaunts. I think that this means that human minds are linked by the vortessence, but that humans are not aware of it. I can't fathom why the AKV would feel the need to say "yeah, we remember you. We've got super great memories," in a really poetic way, but I can see why he might tell Freeman that he is linked to them through the vortessence, as this would be something Freeman wouldn't be aware of, and even once told, probably still wouldn't understand. We, the audience, probably would struggle with it, too, and think that the AKV is saying something different than what the AKV actually intends. "We see you still in Black Mesa. Clearly we see you in the Nihilanth's chamber. We bear witness to the bright eternity of the Nihilanth's demise. You leap, you fall, we see you flash between the barriers." So far, so good. "For a brief time you joined us. You are one. Between the worlds." I think that he means that, for a brief time, Gordon was aware of his connection to the vortessence, and actively communed with it. During the initial scenes of the resonance cascade, Gordon is in a black space in a circle of vortigaunts. I don't think this space was a literal physical space, but a representation of that communion. Even so, within that space, among the vortigaunts, in that space (or non-space) between the worlds Gordon was still "one" -- an individual. Also interesting, regarding this AKV line: Why would anyone need to say "you are one?" Most people don't need to be reminded that they are singular beings. We might use the phrase "we are one," when we're talking about acting with singularity of intent and purpose, but "you are one" seems like something that just doesn't need to be said. Unless you're a vortigaunt, anyway, and then it might not seem like the most obvious thing to say to another intelligent entity. To them, it is an oddity, perhaps. They also call him "the ONE free man" in other instances, which reinforces this. Gordon would have been the first individual (the Combine Overwatch voice also emphasizes Gordon's individuality as an oddity/anomaly/abomination) that the vortigaunts ever encountered. "Communion of the vortessence. And that other: a deeper mystery. No deeper than the void itself." "That other" could be the mystery of death, as you say, a horizon that none can see beyond, a divide across which none may commune. But I think, instead, that they're talking about the G-Man here. He is a deep mystery. He is aware of the vortessence; when the vortigaunts break his hold over Gordon, they are all there together, vortigaunts and the G-Man, in that representation of vortessent communion-space. The vorts aren't familiar with who or what the G-Man is, though. They've met Gordon's species, and they have a lot in common, as intelligent beings under the rule of the Combine, and possibly also as beings connected by the vortessence, as I posited previously. But the G-Man is a total mystery to them. I suspect that his connection to the vortessence is as bidirectional or unidirectional as he wants it to be at any given time; it's a shared collective awareness, and he can be part of it, and is aware of it, but he can also compartmentalize himself, put up those "veils of time or space" to intervene, so the vortigaunts can only understand G-Man so far as the G-Man allows it. "Forgiveness is not ours to bestow." You say that they don't forgive Gordon, in a way that sounds similar to the idea of holding a grudge, or some kind of reservation against forgiveness. I don't think this is accurate at all. I think that what it means is that, in life, the vortigaunts only experience identity collectively, and past that horizon of death, the entity who is cut off from the communion no longer remains available to convey forgiveness. The living vortigaunts are not the only aggrieved parties, therefore, forgiveness is not theirs to bestow, at least not unilaterally. "The way ahead is dark for the moment." This was one of the ones you decided to omit from talking about, saying that the meaning is obvious. That final line of the set, though, means something different from the rest. It means that their collective is not aware of the future. It is too dark -- not thematically, like "dark times," -- but literally, like "dark night," to see. It's interesting that the AKV says this, because time seems to not be an issue for the vortigaunts, in a lot of other situations, but here, the future is unknown? I think we have to take this one back to the "far distant eyes look out through yours," and "something secret steers us both" lines. If those are fourth wall breaks of a sort, then "the way ahead is dark" would mean "the story hasn't been written. Not even Laidlaw knows." I don't have any further disagreements, per se, and maybe I never actually did, because I didn't finish watching the video before writing, but just at this point. But: The greater master could be us, the player, sure. In a more literal story context, it would be the Combine, rather than the G-Man. The G-Man could be seen to be a master to Freeman, but not, I think, to the vortigaunts. Acting in opposition to someone else doesn't make one the other's master. There's another layer to it that needs to be considered, though. In terms of the fiction, the outcomes that are possible, the outcomes that can be acknowledged as part of the story, it is Valve who is the greater master, not the player. The player fights with the resistance not as a master, but as someone fighting for their own liberation at another level, in another context. The game is a series of obstacles to our progression through the story; the series of obstacles is the lesser master. The greater master, though, is Valve, even to the player, because even as the player fights to win the outcome they desire, it is still the outcome that was written by Valve. So, between us as the players, Freeman, and the vortigaunts, we are all linked to these outcomes that Valve has written for us. We are coterminus.

[@VitriolicVermillion]

Christ, that was a long one. I hope you find it worth reading.

[@DaWagz123]

Dude I love your videos Max! Thank you!

[@slapstickcomedy2.061]

So the vortigaunts are like the little green men from Buzz Lightyear.

[@williamwashburn7665]

10:12 I doubt this is the case in the story but given this is a video game and this is already hidden like an Easter egg this could be in reference to the player ,we see this world through Gordon Freeman's eyes and our mind (or even minds) are not of their world . You could large by playing, writeing the story of(half life franchise in general), programing, and talking about we are the creator the force from which the half life universe flows, in particular valve. PS. Yes I enjoy deeply metatextual fiction (for example The Stanley Parable) also I am aware he ends up bringing this up at the end when I heard about eyes that see through Gordon I immediately thought of the player and therefore the implications of that

[@notalpharius3861]

when the secret easter egg about the player who plays freeman becomes a new meaning of the first creation of all connecting to us

[@StevenPeytonOrders]

this is still a wonderful video. great work!

[@kenn2ens]

I believe the greater master the Vortigaunt is referring to is the Combine. I'm not sure exactly where I read it, but I'm pretty sure its basically canon that the Combine used the Nihilanth and its species to control the Vortigaunts.

[@stefanstenroos6344]

Max, delivering a deep and compelling analysis: "Gordon, the Vortigaunts and everyone else are being driven by something beyond their comprehension." Me, eating all the donuts: "This is all happening because of you scientists!"

[@Izzy-la-vana]

Wow, lad, you did an amazing analysis. Good work! Cheers.

[@GeahkBurchill]

Yes, the Vortagaunt is definitely making a 4th wall break and talking about the great variety of players. I always took it that way, anyway.

[@babeshamwow381]

holy crap man, you really threw me for a loop at the end of the video.

[@commenturthegreat2915]

I don't know why, but when I played, a different vortigaunt delivered all of all-knowing vortigaunt's lines. It was the one that fixed the gun on the airboat.

[@cj-3810]

I am thinking the vort cord is the cord connecting them of their communal consciousness, they feel despair and anger as if it happened to them. They share memories and thoughts, leaving them to have little to no personality differences. When a vort dies, they merely stop sending information to this vortessence.

[@kazimir8086]

Half Life 3 is actually living in the reality. Great job Gabe, nice graphics you came up with.

[@SeriousApache]

Plot twist: G-man is Gaben

[@ElliFong]

I see you are using Haunting Ground bgm, nice

[@TheFinalGirly]

Man the voice actor for the secret Vortigaunt sounds JUST like Peter Stormare.

[@Fredericpub]

I can't wait to see your take on the Gman and his employers. I've had a theory since the BreenGrub tweets that the origin of the Combine involves a split, with Gman representing the rebellious elements of the Combine 'Overmind'.

[@maxderrat]

I will definitely be relying on the BreenGrub tweets to help explain G-Man and his employers. :D

[@Fredericpub]

Ohh, so I wasn't the only one to notice the hints in those tweets! :D

[@sethleoric2598]

I really love Vortigaunt accents

[@tiborostube1]

This is excellent. Keep it up and thank you.

[@abdelwahabflayinv9592]

maybe what the vaurtigaunt meant by "we are you Freeman, and you are us" is not what you explain in 12:00, but rather what you explain in 4:56. this is why he says "...You Freeman.." rather than just "You"

[@omni-man.2929]

Great videos man 👌🏻

[@GROENAASMusic]

What about the Vort Uriah, Magnusson's assistant?

[@Dondlo46]

This is way more interesting than listening to my online classes

[@DarkSaguaro]

I really love your videos. Keep up the great work. An intersting theory i never heard before.

[@alibombali8151]

Gordon "Freeman"

[@captaindemobeard9560]

This is why the Vortigaunts are my favorite characters in Half-Life.