Half Life 2 Beta: The Story (Summary)

[@RadiationHazardYT]

RadHaz Lore at 22:30 👀

[@VirgilSonofSparda]

Your cool and I like pasta

[@HL2Parovoz]

based also that intro

[@alang.bandala8863]

Is this the first time that you introduce lore in your videos? Because I'm new on your channel

[@RadiationHazardYT]

No no, not really. The only lore this channel has is that whenever I go to the Vertigo tower maps, I go "crazy". You can see that in the Vertigo video I made, and any other vid that has the Vertigo maps in them incl this one. The "lore" itself was started by the Discord members.

[@alang.bandala8863]

@@RadiationHazardYT Ok, I don't have Discord, so I had to pay attention to the content. Also, I never thought that your craziness could be part of a lore!

[@RandomPerson-zy8mf]

It feels sad how 17 years after the leak of the beta, and 16 years after the retail game was released, nobody has made a complete mod with the full original story. (except for HL2 Beta minimalist)

[@enclave_here]

Even HL2 Project Beta is unplayable.

[@theconsul9597]

RTBR and Dark Interval are our best bets for a full Half-Life 2 Beta storyline.

[@mauzki-]

I mean yeah, were lucky to have the progress we have from RTBR and DI, considering the storyline itself wasn't fully finished.

[@a_cats]

@wheatley crab I think they also said they won't add the arctic areas or ravenholm but I may be mistaken

[@alexanderuser1282]

@wheatley crab yeah, I onestly prefer RTBR

[@totallypez]

I can't even start to imagine how Gordon would've felt, just knowing a normal world, going through literal hell (resonance cascade) and coming out alive, then being in stasis just to be woken up up by gman and thrown into a completely different world that has been overrun. Holy damn.

[@nederlandsefrhd]

And probably the worst part is that his stasis would have felt immediate, and he'd have no time to digest the events of the first game before experiencing the events of the second

[@DarkPeter]

knowing he was the one who caused it all.

[@spinosaurus9518]

@@DarkPeter Breen caused the resonance, in his stupid blind order to research the crystal and the machine, and thats probably the reason why people hate him.

[@DarkPeter]

@@spinosaurus9518 guess it depends on your character... i used to say sorry after someone stepped on my foot, so :/

[@jockeyfield1954]

@@DarkPeter my character of gordon freeman is someone who starts out as a reluctant, curious scientist, before ending up scarred and a non hesitant badass, ready for action my gordon didn't wanna kill any alien or civil protection, he only did so because he had no other choice, but he didn't hesitate to kill the nihilanth or breen because he's seen what they're capable of and realized how they need to be destroyed

[@YZYE]

I used to wish that Valve made a ‘Half-Life 2: alternative Story Arc’ or something where they made a game for the Beta. Maybe it would be too long but I, and many others would love it.

[@BFClothing]

Either that or a book based on it would be satisfactory

[@BFClothing]

Either that or a book based on it would be satisfactory

[@GeminiWoods]

From what I understand there's is a mod where the original HL2 beta is being remade into a full fleshed out game.

[@AT-9777]

@@GeminiWoods Really? Do you know its name or link or something?

[@Pixel-oo7vw]

@@AT-9777 There are a few mods actually Most notably Raising the bar Redux And Dark Interval, Radaiton Hazard made a series about them

[@ElectromasterTech]

Possibly unpopular opinion: While I think all of the beta content is super cool and really interesting... I am really glad we got the HL2 we did. I really feel like the game wouldn't be as ubiquitous as it is today with this story, but maybe that's just me

[@RadiationHazardYT]

That's true. When I first looked at the Beta maps myself (the Beta City 17 one), I kinda got weird feelings about how it was kinda looking like Blade Runner or had concepts like 1984. The retail game, while not as dark and gritty as the Beta, is more unique and is definitely a timeless classic.

[@dextergrif1052]

I agree. The beta stuff is just more fascinating because it’s not what we got. It would be cool to one day get a fully complete version of beta Half-Life 2 that could coexist with the original. Obviously that would require Valve having any interest in the idea but as a pure ideal scenario I think it would he neat

[@littlechickeyhudak]

Exactly. I do hope someone is eventually able to produce a full recreation of the beta, but it definitely gives off generic dystopian vibes, especially in the wake of all the mediocre YA dystopian novels of the 2010s that boiled the genre down to its raw elements and brought it to its knees. HL2 is still a thematically and visually unique work of dystopian fiction even 18 years later, whereas the beta just isn't. It's too on the nose with its darkness. Too in-your-face with the horrors of the Combine's reign. The relative subtlety of HL2 and the many implications of horrific things rather than blatant depictions is what makes it interesting and stand the test of time.

[@OverwatchSniper]

That's the nice thing about the beta recreation mods, because we got the HL2 retail we got, but also we can experience (once they're done) these various beta concepts in a full game on their own.

[@Giygas-c5n]

Same. Plus the 2003 build was basically the retail story with minor changes.

[@thatdudemetro6271]

The beta storyline in general always seemed to be more darker in comparison to the retail version, also the atmosphere as well seemed to be more darker. I like how the citadel in the retail version is visible to be organic with all those "veins" we see inside of it, meanwhile in beta its just sounds playing indicating its somehow organic, also the consul seems to me more of a vilain in comparison to the breen we got in the retail version. I still wish valve releases a full half life 2 beta storyline. Also happy 2021.

[@cloacky4409]

Atmosphere wasn't darker and most of the beta stuff was just inferior in comparison to the retail

[@thatdudemetro6271]

@@cloacky4409 The atmosphere and the storyline was darker, now as of inferiority thats your opinion.

[@gen-zboomer]

There’s probably a reason it got dropped, tho. All the same both were probably great games, and we still got an AMAZING game.

[@thatdudemetro6271]

@@gen-zboomer The beta got leaked and valve had to rework the game.

[@gen-zboomer]

@@thatdudemetro6271 that’s why they did it? Shieeeet. Hope HL3 can continue with what this beta had.

[@MTNDEWGANG]

Discovered the beta stream vinny did and did a lot of digging on youtube and found some unsettling sound files and some other maps and some concept art. But never really got a proper explanation about the main bits. Thanks for sharing, glad this was recommended!

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Sure thing! Thank you for watching! :)

[@brood8849]

ah yes word jumbling at it's finest "would've found himself on an ice of sheet"

[@elitely6748]

The beta is darker than retail in story and atmosphere, but I still want Valve to release the beta-story as a game, I want to know how the story differs, beside it would be really interesting.

[@ShadowSumac]

The problem, they don't have a complete storyline for a beta. The plot and its details were constantly changing, even before Valve settled on the final version. There was just a general idea, how the game would've progressed, but everything was changing, this is why we don't have a "playable old story of Half Life 2", only bits and scraps of it.

[@gordonf5553]

I wouldn't really call it darker honestly. While beta has the whole 1984-vibe, child labour and the complete and utter destruction of the environment, retail has something much worse in my mind. And that'd be something like cosmic horror - the combine rule an empire that stretches across multiple universes and is in fact so large that the occupation of earth is a very trivial if not irrelevant operation to them. *and* they are sucking up all of earth's resources, just not as quickly, *and* steering humanity towards extinction basically

[@ShadowSumac]

​@@gordonf5553 I agree that retail version works on more subtle level (this is why Valve cut most alien monsters, serving combine), but I can't help myself, but just love darker "in your face" oppressive aesthetic of the beta. Also, I would say, that while retail works on a subtle level, a lot of hints and clues about true nature of combine are not immediately obvious or come clear in-game itself. Like case of Breen, who was reborn as an Advisor or Combine's backstory and their exact power are all revealed by former lead writer on his Twitter. But none of it is even hinted in the games proper. A lot of stuff, which could explain story better was cut for some reason, like explanation on how rocket in Episode 2 closes portal (it uses a satellite network, enabled by Gordon back during events of Half Life 1). So, while I appreciated how HL2 builds its narrative, a lot of stuff is either undersaid to the degree of looking like a plothole or outright missing from the games, which my main problem with HL2 story.

[@iver1343]

yeah, this is why they went with half-life 2 lore, it is indeed still dark, but it's got more action, it's just more epic, more interesting as a game and fits og half-life more, but half-life 2 beta could actually do well as a separate game, it'd be hella cool ngl, I enjoy it's dark atmosphere a lot

[@ShadowSumac]

​@@iver1343 I would argue that HL2 has little to do with HL1 style and story. I mean, 17 years later it is easy to think, that it "always was that way" and that it fits, but if you look at HL2 without foreknowledge, the game really feels like its own thing.

[@timothytimothy4854]

9:56 holy shit Gordon is packing heat in that m60, even for the combines that seems abit to much if youre only objective is to escape the city

[@timothytimothy4854]

Imagine Gordon playing fortunate son while gunning down Overwatch units

[@CasualCoder]

Your content is so wholesome and genuine, keep it up I'll definitely keep coming back for more!

[@AngryShooter]

It seems like the Beta had some really interesting locations and tone but it flow is way more contrived than the retail version, I feel the way HL2 retail presents the world is way more elegant and organic too.

[@lolguyduh1]

I think there was an idea early in development to have gordon go around different planets conquered by the combine

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Yeah, it was one of the earliest ideas Valve had. But that was when HL2 was just an idea (around '98 - '99).

[@cheekyweeky4954]

Where the hell is that profile pic from

[@caviar_dreamz]

That’s interesting. It would shed some light on where the different Synths come from.

[@heladovegano9770]

@@cheekyweeky4954 an incident where a random cursed picture appeared on live tv

[@cheekyweeky4954]

@@heladovegano9770 thanks

[@spacecaptain6608]

Awesome video as always . I Think that HL3 would be something like this . It is very easy to understand how the the original story is just extended more beatifully by valve , which means that the HL main story follows the original story as blueprints . So- HL3 must start from the Borealis chapter ( captain Vance as Eli Vance ) and we finally get the kraken base ( i presume the clip we see in episode 1 was from Kraken Base ) , then air exchange and the story goes on ..... It's all so much exciting to think about!!! Bonus - in the original story it made no sense for gordon to travel to borealis and then go to kraken base and then back to the city. Thus to make the story better and more sensible , the production team must have rearranged events in a much better way. ( Also , I think that gman is a vortigaunt )

[@mbnnn3447]

Members of the rebellion have called me a collaborator to radiation hazard as if such a term were shameful

[@hermann8875]

No problem Rad. We are always here for you and your amazing content.

[@invisiiso]

"Gordon would wake up at an ice of shite" had me laughing

[@kiokkiok4590]

I've been wanting a video like this for ages. Thank you!

[@Taishisama]

I still wish they keep the weather control and the wasteland would be more interesting then Highway 17

[@CommanderHuggins]

I actually didn't know about the HL2 Beta until I stumbled onto some of your videos. It's really interesting to see this primordial version and how different elements of the story evolved over time. It seems like the junkyard level eventually turned into the area where you first play with the gravity gun, the mining town eventually became Ravenholm and the mining tunnels right after, weather control sort of spiritually got adapted into the suppression field, the Citadel became an administration center instead of a prison but kept the prisoner pods. It's like they had all of the pieces of their puzzle and only needed to figure out how best to assemble them.

[@matijajovic8125]

This is the video that I have been waiting for! Love the ending lol. Happy New Year!

[@aaaaeeeeoooo1575]

Hey I love the video dude, I think one thing that could make it better though is making sure the music is quieter than the microphone, Nice to see some more half life beta content!

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Thank you! I must've messed something up during the mixing. I'll keep a look out next time. Thanks!

[@frxstbite909]

Here’s a comment to drive up engagement :) keep up the great work brother

[@ohohoho7056]

I think I like the darker tone of the beta more than the retail version.

[@Kingofstones1]

23:08 MOM! I’m popular!

[@alexlokanin3312]

First, good job on keeping the channel up! Your English gotbetter over time too. Now at 6:30 when you say some things from the industrial factory area were reused in Half-Life Alyx I would really love a picture to go along with it because it's very unclear what you're talking about.

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Thank you. Sorry about that. Honestly - I haven't played HLA because I don't have a VR headset yet. So I can't give an exact reference. But I remember in one playthrough I was watching, there was a level in HLA that had similar mechanical stuff like the one shown at 06:08.

[@alexlokanin3312]

@@RadiationHazardYT maybe I'll watch some playthroughs too

[@MrVortrix]

You, roscoeZ, and MarphitimusBlackimus are the HL related channel that the FANBASE has to follow! if you guys have another interesting channel please share it

[@tehcooler]

Vect0r, but he doesn't upload often, I would say Escalation and Lambda Generation

[@chief6926]

Let's go RadHaz Hope this year is great for you

[@mountainpepsi9991]

Happy New year fellow scientist! Really great to see this channel grow so much!

[@sandrafomenko2537]

Rise and shine dr freeman and Happy New Year...

[@java2344]

While this project may seem logical at first glance, the valve was unable to logically connect the story and finish the story correctly. That's why this project was cut slowly, and in 2003 it turned into the half-life 2 game we are playing now.

[@pavelslama5543]

Ah yes, the good old times when logic and continuity mattered...

[@hexbugmuse]

This is such a great and descriptive video! I strive to be as confident in content creation as you! Have a great day, dude. And may ArkSynix rest in peace.

[@RadiationHazardYT]

I appreciate that. Thank you! You have a good one too! :)

[@OfficialMorgonkulan]

Good video. I cant stop thinking how you talk like youre from an Rick and Morty interdimensional cable episode.

[@ironic_doktor]

Happy new year lads! May the soul of the crowbarman be with you!

[@Kingofstones1]

13:13 hey! I don’t look that bad!

[@chrisobrien6249]

This is a great video. You deserve more subscribers.

[@dabogabo]

Since I got familiar with the HL2 beta leaks 5-6 years ago, I never was into the idea of the Manhack Arcade part. One one hand the citizens are so stupid they don't realize the game is actually real, on the other hand they can raise a decent resistance against the Combine. There's also the part in the Dark Interval mod where Gordon arrives by boat, even if the Combine was already on the boat and they should've apprehended Gordon as soon as he arrive in the C17 port. So, I think the train version where he just is put there by Gman (just like in retail) is much better as it makes sense for the Combine to not detect Freeman first. Also, I think the word "Consul" is not pronounced "ConsOOl" as in "SalOOn", but with a sorter U. Anyway, this is one of your best analysis on the game so far !

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Thank you! Yeah there are a couple of things that seem... off about the games but at the end of the day, it's all good and fun. And yeah, might be my accent. In some videos, I pronounce it Consul, and in some, I say Consool. Lol.

[@GreenChillZone]

What I never understood about the Manhack Arcade is why the Combine even bother providing entertainment in the first place. They aren’t exactly a bread and circuses type of dystopia.

[@dabogabo]

@@GreenChillZone Exactly. Not quiet logical since the people they want eliminated are already trapped and they could've just turned them into stalkers.

[@biomseed]

It would be cool for when the rebellion happens to use it to attack the combine instead, trying to navigate through the abstract environment

[@swollengoods]

happy new years bro :) and congratz on 800+ subs!

[@bruhman2089]

Happy late new year. I hope you get better recognition in the future

[@Kingofstones1]

I slept while taking bath that’s why I’m late

[@wildan494]

"for fuck sake" xD jk

[@Kingofstones1]

@@wildan494 For Fine Start

[@wildan494]

@@Kingofstones1 no for finished start

[@chalkymalky]

Another banger from Radiation Hazard

[@bheesechurger8340]

First of many great videos of the year.

[@raulins100]

Consul = big brother Breen = big caring brother

[@ElephantsDoingCrack]

ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO! Have a Happy New Year!

[@mymon2829]

i'm glad i'm here to see you grow

[@beef9785]

gman opening in hl2 beta kinda creepy tho

[@planescaped]

The manhack cafe sounds like an awesome set-piece, it's quite a shame they couldn't implement it into the walking around segment of the early game, even as an optional side-street you can wander down. And I am glad Valve cut the conscripts. Using just plain humans as soldiers, especially ones guarding important facilities, really doesn't fit the Combine's MO. Collaborators would be cops, thugs, bullies... and they'd get promoted into the human hybrids we saw in the full game.

[@beef9785]

Happy new year folks,gotta love your HL2 beta content video :D

[@trevor4212]

love what you're doing bro dont stop

[@gustavopradella3186]

Hey man, didn't know you were new to content creation. Great content and editing! Be sure we will see you progress closely. Best of luck

[@greekhuman8706]

Happy 2021 Now excuse me while i go pick up that can

[@ceoofcroatia]

Youre so epic and wholesome ! You got another sub from me

[@Game-ml5ze]

Very epic oh and happy new year!

[@justjj4315]

It's always fun to watch your vids

[@stackalloc7741]

Ah yes the long waited video, made the story a lot clearer, specially the order between the quarry town, wastelands and coast/depot. Putting eli's lab before ravenholm in the retail was a superior choice since you get to use the physcannon against the zombies. Also, the cut wasteland chapter was unfortunate, IN my opinion, since the best moments in hl2 were the ones in which you traveled mostly alone with somewhat open maps, the parts bustling with people in c17 just don`t feel the same. I wonder if it is possible to mash both the betas and retail storylines to create a "perfect" version.

[@risto4216]

more growth to you my man, stay humble!

[@avantgardish_n_stuff]

Happy New Year!

[@wacksauce3703]

YYOOOOOOO CONGRATS ON 1K SUBS

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Thank you! :)

[@ripoutyourprejudice]

Damn, your music gets better the more I listen to it. ♥

[@k1ttkw1snky69]

as much as i love the vibe of the beta, i think changing it was the right move. the released game is more subtle and believable in its design and looks like all life was drained. as apposed to over the top machinery, child slaves, and green all over the place which makes it look full of life ironically. tho it is sad we didn't get a little more of the edgy and gothic vibe.

[@kaisernico]

Love your videos from Argentina! Keep up the good work

[@alang.bandala8863]

I really appreciate that they will erase the Arcade and the factory with the children, the first because it does not fit in my head as it is that nobody has realized that they are killing real people, the second because if we follow the Combine logic, it is more reasonable to suppression field than a children's factory. Also, does anyone notice that the concept art shows a Gordon Freeman more similar to a Cyberpunk Game?

[@soultaker2254]

18:00 can I get a citation on that? Because I've heard people "say" that this weather control facility "would drain earth of its oxygen" but I read the vignette and no where does it state that, it just states it's a combine weather station that they need to get control of and fight off the invading combine force in order for the plane to arrive safely.

[@Mii-Min]

Could have sworn I was subscribed, already... apparently not, Situation rectified! I found your channel by happenstance just having Half Life on the mind and wanting to find more content, The HL2 Beta has always been in big interest to me. Your slower, chill and descriptive videos are a real change of pace compared to a lot of other content on Half Life. Congrats to 800+ Subs here's to many more! (∩´∀｀)∩

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Ayy thank you! and glad to have you here :)

[@Nick_LeMur]

Happy new year and good luck with the channel growth, your content is great!

[@orinokonx01]

Before I continue with the video (I'm a minute in), I seriously thought the music was somehow leaked beta music or something. It seriously sounds like a half-life music track, something that definitely could be in game. I love it!!!

[@wisconsin_cheese417]

Were approaching the one year mark I cant wait

[@alang.bandala8863]

You are one of the best KZbinrs who ever talk about Half Life

[@felixandersen3815]

Why do I feel like brother Jauffre from oblivion is summarising the hl2 beta story to me? Jokes aside, great video! I'm sure Valve had good reasons to scrap this and make the game they ended up releasing in the end. But one wonders what we could have had instead.

[@Jake_Ro_X]

Hehehe... I'm a new fan and subscriber! Keep it up! 😁

[@lazmanyacanavar5888]

Me watching the intro: "I don't even know who you are."

[@royorbit3800]

Awesome video, and when you started i thought you were doing a gman impression

[@theconsulfromthehl2beta362]

I think in a more recent hl2 leak we got to see gordon's face texture Would you do a video on that leak

[@RadiationHazardYT]

I'll check it out. But it's a small topic. Might not translate well in video form.

[@liondoge5997]

Nicee,continue this work! And i think you have to explore portal universe,and happy new year!:D

[@thecanadianfood]

What's with Valve making really awesome games and then scrapping all of it and saying "okay let's make it again but this time make 45% less awesome." I'd like to go to the alternate universe where Valve didn't axe all their best ideas before release.

[@thecanadianfood]

I mean I still love both Half-Life 1 and 2, but damn can you imagine if we got even a fraction of the cool stuff they cut out?

[@gaiusfulmen]

I think part of it is that they have a different mentality. Since they have a "flat" structure, I would guess most of the people working on the game would be free to think of ideas on their own, at first. Later on, though, only certain ideas would make it, and without manager-types to oversee the process it's possible that most of the ideas that made it to the later stages of development did so simply because they were more popular (not necessarily more original or cool, although I'm sure most of the devs wanted to make stuff that really was cool and original). This would mean that lots of ideas get generated, but only a few actually end up being executed on (which takes a lot of work, probably another reason they cut so much content). I agree the beta version sounds like it would make a really cool game.

[@butbass2158]

Sigue subiendo videos de este estilo!

[@NexusLore]

Happy new year! I forgot to mention on an earlier video that the opening scene with the green meadows and gman was in the old build of Dark Interval. Check it out for yourself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rp7TmGuuhKujl7M

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Ayy happy new year! And thanks! That sequence looks SO good like damn. Strange that they changed it from the train side version to the boat ride one. I guess the boat ride version is the oldest intro Valve thought of doing.

[@gamepad3173]

with the train ride I can imagine that Gordon got off the train at Grand Central station in what was once New York.

[@uberbyte7467]

liked (check) subscribed (check) aaaaaaand bell (check) it's a crime that KZbin didn't recommend this channel earlier. now...if you don't mind me, I'll be binging your stuff now.

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Haha thank you :)

[@conboy147]

Great vid im glad I found your channel

[@Matthew-di4lv]

happy new year

[@simonilisei1311]

Ice of sheet Heh it happened to me in class no edits there

[@charmyzard]

The 7:18 actually made me chuckle. Man did actually pass through that.

[@ronm4212]

I C E O F S H E E T 3:06

[@RadiationHazardYT]

:D

[@ДрагошРобовић]

I think that post-soviet europe was better choice than orwellian dystopia

[@michalbochenski4329]

The antlion king would be a bit scary but it dosen't compare to that damn awful part in episode 2 where that antlion guard was charging at you.

[@AntzolY111]

Damn I like the HL2 Alpha/Beta way better than Retail. I loved to play the leaked it was atmospheric and unique. Final one is great too. It show much Valve evolved trough HL2 development too.

[@rossthegunn]

Ice of sheet lol . Sorry bro absolutely brilliant video keep it up !!

[@NomadicDmitry]

Nice one, thanks! Enjoyed the story. I hope it will re-created in some form in the future.

[@wolfelliza7850]

First video of the year boy!

[@KCKrumbcake]

the half life 2 beta seems more story progressing, complex, and lots of details. considering it takes 24 minutes to explain its lore unlike the final cut of half life 2. half life 2 takes like 6 minutes to explain.

[@ShadowSumac]

Nothing strange about it: final version cut about 1/3 of the story.

[@GreenChillZone]

Even if they went with the beta story, there’s no indication that all of this would have made it to the final. He even mentions in the video that there were different variations of certain parts, he just includes them all for completeness.

[@unoriginalperson72]

Mr.beta is smiling in his orange dev room

[@galacticstevetherealdeal]

This channel is underrated I wish you get like 1Mil subs and above

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Thank you my dude

[@saferhere]

just to say, thank you, thank you for relocating to city 17

[@non-shockingtopics7563]

Honestly, while all this stuff is cool to hear about and probably would've made for an interesting story, the beta's storyline always seemed so needlessly over-the-top dark to me. I'm much happier with the retail version's subtlety in the way the Combine has haphazardly suppressed humanity, not because they can't do better, but because they truly don't care enough to.

[@ATSF_GP30]

"Things are going to get Hazardours" ❌️ Things are going to get DaRK aNd GRiDdY!!1!!11" ✅️

[@CRT_YT]

honestly the hl2 beta (if it was finished) seems better then the final game

[@TheBigEdem]

Hey, happy new year! Just a friendly reminder, the music is a bit louder, than your voice (bit hard to understand). Still, great video keep up the hard work!

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Sorry about that, mixing probably got messed up. But thank you! And a happy new year to you too!

[@jagermantis]

Well be here until the end.

[@crilex2030]

RadHaz Gman 😳