How Half-Life Explores The Horrors of Cosmicism

[@club2772]

My tired brain misread the title as How Valve Explores the Horrors of Criticism. That would be a very different but still interesting video. And this is a very interesting video. I’m realizing I’ve always admired the resistance because they had their reality fundamentally inverted and still chose to fight let alone survive. They are mythically brave not only for facing physical threats from other worlds but also fighting for their purest ideals. What’s exciting about the world of half life is the story possibilities. Maybe in the badlands there are former resistance that have had their ideals crushed and are now violent heathens only allowed to exist because their chaos indirectly supports the combine. Many new directions they can go, if not by a modding team. It would be nice if Valve did it so we can have more diverse assets to craft more of our own stories. Overall the writing is not only excellent (not too dumbed down but also not generic and overcomplicated) but also a perfect fit for the scope of the linear single player gameplay that’s been a part of hl’s DNA. idk what valve was on when they were working on an open world hl3. That would never have had the same impact as a focused experience. That’s why Bethesda’s games, as much as I want to love them, have such horrible ludonarrative dissonance. It’s therefore unsurprising how successful the TV series has been. Bethesda’s fundamental flaw is undervaluing cohesiveness for trendy features like open world, building, multiplayer. Lots of talented people but it’s wasted on visions that dont make sense. Fallout could have been as great of a story/game as half life otherwise. Lots of potential in that world. Basically Valve nailed the dystopian game genre. Anyways it’s great to hear someone’s thoughts on a classic series and I hope you make more videos like this. Awesome job matching the visuals too.

[@onyxi.x5777]

open-world games in general struggle with ludonarrative dissonance, just by the nature of what they are. Some companies like rockstar do a far better job of managing this and are able to tie their open world to their stories better then most, but even then they struggle and falter at times, especially with their more recent titles (looking at you rdr2). In any case, if anyone could pull of an open world half-life game, it's valve

[@e.l.wallace9060]

Mine read it as half life and the horror of communism.

[@HeliodromusScorpio]

You deserve more subscribers bro, i like your passion for half life btw

[@exploringlore2856]

Thank you so much!

[@theishiopian68]

One thing that you didn't touch on is the bizarre relationship the G-Man has with the combine. While it's true that the two are clearly opposed to one another, the G-Man also appears to want the combine on Earth, at least for a limited amount of time. Evidence for this can be seen in the ending of Alyx, as well as him reactivating the nuke in opposing force. It's almost like the combine gives something to humanity, something that is crucial for the g-man's plans.

[@exploringlore2856]

Yes. This and a few other things were in an earlier version of the script. But not everything made it in the final cut because of flow or some other reason. But that's okay, the G-man is not a one and done topic. Here the most important thing was establishing his connection to cosmic horror. But there is still a lot more to talk about.

[@lizardizzle]

8:36 I'd argue that Alyx survives the Vault because of her connection to the vortigaunts and the vortessence, not because of the Gman. In the vault, the energy of the Vortigaunts creates that area where the room and Alyx herself are split in two. When Alyx leaves that room, one exit leads Alyx outside of the vault to return to Eli, and the other exit leads to the Gman to free him. One Alyx continues outside the vault and ages another 5 years to meet Gordon Freeman. She is 24 years old. The other Alyx is used by the Gman to add a new hire to his power. She is 19 and has never met Gordon. The 19 year old Alyx is an entirely different character from the 24 year old Alyx we know from Half Life 2, and can be an antagonist to Gordon because of the Gman's machinations, and that's the biggest takeaway of the Gman's power really.

[@exploringlore2856]

That is honestly more than fair. I was speculating hard on that part of the video so everything is up for debate. I especially like this variant Alyx becoming an antagonist idea. But I am not as sold on the part about the Vortigaunts energy. Clearly it was their energy, but it's not like they were in control. So it's not like the Half-Life 2 episodes when their interference was clearly intentional. I also suspect, though can't support it, that the Gman allowed himself to get captured to setup a very particular chain of events to meet Alyx.

[@SecPro1984]

I always love me some Lovecraft, and I've always loved Half-Life; Half-Lovelife just makes sense.

[@jokelot5221]

Marc Laidlaw is a writer who uses Lovecraftian lore as an inspiration for his novels. G-Man is modeled by one character in particular, from the Cthulhu Mythos called Nyarlathotep. I'm surprised no one yet noticed the parallels between the two characters and made a video about it.

[@exploringlore2856]

Oh interesting. That is worth looking into. I vaguely remember the character from when I read a lot of his stories. Do you recall whether there was a direct connection or was it more so putting two and two together knowing Laidlaw is a modern lovecraftian author and this similar character exists in the mythos?

[@jokelot5221]

@@exploringlore2856 I came to this conclusion reading about the Nyarathotep from the official H.P. Lovecraft Wiki. And not only the story of these characters that it matches. There are actually other charscters or entities throught Half Life that fit the characters from the Lovecraftian stories. To name just the few, the great race of Yith fit perfectly with Vortigaunts. Flying polyps, could be something similar to the alien controllers. Outer gods could be G-Mans employers. When you read about Nyarlathotep and compare its story with the G-Man you will see the resemblance. Of course, its not exactly the same character, but the match is like 90%. I even discussed this with chatgpt, and tryed to make some predictions of the future of HL series based on this hypothetical comparions, and the conversation was interesting to say the least. A lot of things matched. A lot. Worths investigating.

[@6l1t3h_Official]

​​@@jokelot5221 then what lovecraftian creature does the Combine fit with?

[@Loregamorl]

I do think you talk about this but another aspect of the cosmicism is that humanity is also... sort of a pawn in the game between two incomprehensible powers. The Combine killed and oppressed and then used humanity for more resources (no matter how inconsequential those resources may be in the grand scheme). In HL:Alyx, they also use Earth/The Vault as a trap/prison for G-Man. G-Man is obviously a very powerful entity but it also shows the combine is advanced and powerful enough to challenge them. Its an unknowable, self sustaining machine against an unknowable, likely inhuman entity working on behalf of other more powerful inhuman entities. Both of these groups are able to destroy each other in time and if an advantage is gained, but this victory over the foe would probably come at the cost of humanity also.

[@sashabob3956]

we serve the same mystery

[@yeahnah27]

Love this video! Barney is the one exceptional man, look at everything my boy lived through

[@exploringlore2856]

True

[@AdrensphrdGaming]

The combine occupation of earth is interesting Everything they built and made was created from earth resources (citadel, transhumans, synths and wepaons etc..) The only combined thing that came from a different universe was the advisors

[@balazslelkes9949]

Really awesome video man, loved every second of it.

[@jcg9998]

"Rise and shine, Mr. Game player... "G-Man is the writer of Half-Life, Marc Laidlaw, and his employers are his former employers, Valve Software. Go back and listen to G-Man's comments from this perspective. This type of in-game joke has been around since the beginning of PC games.

[@hl2male09]

:fire:

[@Jacy-dx6dx]

It's the Mann, the myth, the legend! *Male09*

[@hl2male09]

@@Jacy-dx6dx Indeed, tis but is I.

[@mrsubject1]

Great video!!

[@sahilhossian8212]

Lore of How Half-Life Explores The Horrors of Cosmicism momentum 100

[@_.spectre._]

Good video 👍🏻 may you be blessed by the algorithm 🙏🏻

[@exploringlore2856]

Thank you! Not a bad run now that it's settling out.

[@NeonAmbient]

amazing analysis. please get a better mic.

[@exploringlore2856]

Thank you and yes. I am working towards improving my equipment, but also editing skills.

[@kacidy]

@@exploringlore2856 Understandable, professional equipment is expensive. But slowing down a bit and pacing your read of your script is better than free, it makes you more money! I'm not suggesting a substantially slower pace, but I will be honest: I checked to see if I was playing at 1.25 speed. Beyond that, great work. It's clear a lot of thought, insight and effort went into this.

[@exploringlore2856]

@@kacidy thank you and I appreciate the advice. I am a writer by trade so the feedback on the technical side is very much welcomed.

[@Jacy-dx6dx]

Shoulithoi. I spelt that wrong. I know but that is where the g-man is from

[@joebillybob42]

what

[@Jacy-dx6dx]

@@joebillybob42 the supposed species where G-man hails from.

[@abraxas9340]

I thought the Shu'ulathoi were combine advisors

[@Jacy-dx6dx]

@@abraxas9340 their species was exploited and used to make Combine advisors

[@ens4180]

is there anything in the games that really suggests that?