Evolution of the Half-Life 2 Citadel

[@canadianblt8667]

Maybe people are saying “it’s alive” because all those big yellow, translucent pipes that run through it have veins on them, and they kind of undulate or sway back and forth. You get a good look at them while you’re riding the second “cart” in the citadel chapters. There’s also a better view of them on the HL2 menu screen from inside the citadel. Anyway, my take from this was that it’s not the citadel that’s alive, but rather the technology that powers it is. Think like the rat powered consoles in Alyx. It appears as though the combine have organic powered technology. So maybe that’s it?

[@erikbrand6682]

that’s how i always took it. there are organic aspects of the citadel, however the superstructure itself is not alive!

[@sgas]

Are you sure rat is the correct word for the console power, I never say any rats in the consoles

[@canadianblt8667]

@@sgas check again next time you play HL Alyx (or watch gameplay) - there's rats and other biomass in the consoles. You see them start to breathe and twitch when you align the node/disc with the energy beam. Fun stuff

[@F1stBr34k3r]

@@erikbrand6682 The whole point of Xen is that the flora is literally flesh, which is why Headcrabs are attracted to humans but not necessarily to Vorts. Headcrabs are herbivores in the context of their own habitat, and the grim reality is that humans evolved to be of the same material that headcrabs feed on. The Combines are probably using flesh flora in the same way the Nihilanth powered his own Xen Tech (alongside Vort Essence).

[@sgas]

@@canadianblt8667 Weren't the rats like dead If they were in them then I saw it as just them having crawled in there

[@21sumsaR]

I’ve always been a sucker for huge monoliths such as the citadel. Thank you, I’ve been looking for stuff like this for so long

[@lightinabox6931]

Same, I both absolutely fear and love when there's huge structures in a game of indescribable size, and you can see it from most places

[@Foebane72]

Barad-Dur? Orthanc?

[@SirPembertonS.Crevalius]

The citadel concept art looks like something out of H.R. Giger's work.

[@rgbforever4561]

Yes

[@yourmom-jm8eg]

Ew furry

[@idimo7976]

Looks like something out of MDK.

[@creepermangaming7912]

the one that came before the rusty one? (the one with no model in-game) edit: im talking about the one at 0:33

[@Tenshihan-Quinn]

The Citadel interiors were inspired by the 1954 film "Forbidden Planet" during the tour on the interior of the Krell Power plant.

[@rusty2804]

When I was a kid I had a nightmare where I was trapped in a building similar looking to the tiles citadel (The one Radiation Hazard likes) and I was being chased by something I couldn't see but can hear. When I saw that citadel version for the first time it reminded me of that dream.

[@asyncresearcherbaconhair5202]

What was your reaction.

[@Nexmury]

I think people theorized that the Citadel was supposed to be "alive" because of some of the beta sfx that people have gotten ahold of. It might just be due to the uncanny and unnerving nature of these sounds, which led to people saying that maybe the citadel was supposed to be some sort of sedentary creature. An interesting theory for sure, but it's hard to say whether that was actually the case, since it's really only the sounds that give any sort of "evidence".

[@insertmemorableusernameher6795]

I think its also cause theres a eli maxwell voice line talking about particle storms that says "theres an intelligence in there somewhere" but someone cut out the part about particle storms so people thought it was about the citadel

[@tlpa]

Also the citadel in the concept art looks very "veiny" and looks as if it is either organic/covered in organic material

[@waitholdonwhat28]

Well in the retail Half Life 2 the citadel has veins, so it's not "alive" but it has organic elements and tech complementary to the metallic tech.

[@starwarsevilanakin]

@@tlpawhat the fu

[@agentgollem1919]

It's quite interesting how much they thought about how the citadel would look, some AAA studios would have just made a big tower with a cylinder and some spikes but here valve really took their time, it shows the dedication in making a follow up of one of the best game ever made.

[@RolandVonRose]

I mean from a logical perspective the citadel moves in a very organic way. It is in the combines nature to adapt alien biology into their computers and structures, so it is not that much of a leap that the citadels core could be a life form itself or at least have one at its core. Look at the rats and other bio Materials inside the computers in half-life alyx The citadel also seem to “breath” and what I remember to be non mechanical sounding noises in its ambiance. I don’t know where the idea sourced from but the feels right, at least thematically it makes sense. The combine views itself as a giant single organism. To them we are all just cells or at best an organ. I see the stalkers as the personification of that idea. Just a mindless cell filling its role in the great organ of the citadel.

[@2Potates]

I always assumed the rat getting in the bio computer was an accident and they just didn't bother to fix it.

[@Niyucuatro]

@@2Potates Whether an accident or not. It is istill a bio computer. The whole citadel might be made like that.

[@vladimirmuca849]

I really hope this turns into a series, it's really great

[@allieanarchy2833]

I like the retail citadel the most, but it may just be because of the level of polish it got. By fading into the sky and the ground, getting lost in the clouds and smog, it becomes very hard to get a real scale or position of the Citadel and its oppressiveness almost seems otherworldly. It also gets 'hyped' by sheer omission: this massive obelisk that doesn't get recognized much at all outside of Barney commenting on it "lighting up". An omnipresent marker of alien dystopia is such a fact of life that it needs to do something special for anyone to bring it up. In terms of aesthetics though, I really wish the tile-heavy, very organic iterations got more exploration. It wouldn't fit retail Combine, but it's striking enough to carry itself in a separate IP.

[@snakefoolery2177]

Also what I think many people ignore about the citadel is that yes, its tall, but its deep we only get a glimpse of it in retail but it goes down for miles maybe even to the earths core.

[@MillywiggZ]

Weird how HL2 and the citadels used to look like something that could have been in the ‘C&C Tiberian Sun’ universe.

[@ZAXTAX4063]

my favorite is the greenish-looking ominous metallic one with spotlights on the top! (the concept art one.)

[@kossa_maneka315]

My take on the "Citadel is alive thing" is that the sounds we hear inside the Citadel sounds like breathing. While it's cool and enigmatic to speculate about this I think it's the wind going through the big "hole" on the side of the citadel or just combine machinery working to keep the citadel running as we hear in the game other combine machines make non human and unknown sounds so that might be it. By the way my favorite design is the retail one. It really encapsulates the alien empire and feels really towering to me maybe because it's much skinnier than the beta one. Keep up the good work Radiation Hazard!

[@Sc0rch_Burns]

Daily uploads and beta stuff? Perfect! I’m joking mostly, but seriously, the beta citadels have always been really cool to me, so it’s great to see a video on them!

[@tarekcat1]

4:10 i think in that version,the citadel was supposed to be like an unfinished building in the game story and if the combine finally finished it, they're going to open the portal edit: i think the same thing with this 4:25 probably almost the entirety of the game at that version was going to be around this version of the citadel,who knows ?

[@werstname]

Really nice to see some beta stuff on this channel again, that being said, loving the broader approach to content as well. I'm really happy to see whatever you're putting out.

[@blockstacker5614]

other people are talking a lot about the vein-like structures inside the retail citadel, maybe they contain some sort of fluid to feed to all of the synths stored inside of it.

[@casmith1998]

something I appreciate about Rad Hazard is that he doesn’t perpetuate this ridiculous notion that the beta was somehow superior to the retail version of the game. even when he discusses unused concepts he admires, he always acknowledges how superb the final game turned out

[@funx24X7]

Such is often the nature of beta content, our imaginations can fill a lot of missing details without being restrained by things like good game design, budgets/deadlines, or hardware limitations of the era. As much as I love the grim, darker tones of the earlier art, it would be very presumptuous to say the final product would have been improved if valve stuck with that direction.

[@casmith1998]

@@funx24X7 I absolutely agree. the thing that makes the beta so interesting to me is that it’s like seeing an alternate version of my favourite game; just without the subtlety and nuance that make the retail game so brilliant

[@ikagura]

Except when it's Duke Nukem Forever.

[@tlpa]

I hate when people insinuate that the beta was better than retail, It's not right now and never will be, The closest we are to beta being better/equal than retail is Dark Interval.

[@creepermangaming7912]

@@tlpa except for the vortigaunt voice acting...

[@Duspende]

The notion of the Citadel being alive are the big yellow tubes that run throughout it. If you look closely at them, it looks like they have veins running around on them. As such, the implication is that they're of a somewhat biological nature.

[@trekker105]

As far as the citadel being alive, I recall Barney refers to it as an entity unto itself at least once or twice (the only one I can remember clearly is near the beginning of the game when he says it's acting weird and he's never seen it stirred up like that before).

[@canadianblt8667]

"Hey Gordon! The Citadel's on full alert, I've never seen it lit up like that before! Get out of City 17 as fast as you can Gordon." Probably what you recall, just after the teleport misadventure in Kleiner's lab.

[@gabrieltiberius1076]

The thing about the Citadel being alive, as far as I know, is just a theory. The reason it's because in hl2, the citadel has yellow veins with capillaries in it, really similar to the circulatory system of an animal. You can also kinda see these veins "breath in and breath out" when you are close to them. Also, I remember reading some ppl saying that some sounds that you hear in the citadel sound like breahting sounds or whatever. I dont know about this theory, sounds interesting, but it basically says that the Citadel itself is a synth just like a strider, a dropship etc (the only difference being that it acts as a static tower instead of a vehicle or weapon).

[@beaniest9210]

There was some cut sounds that hinted it was breathing or trying to speak (according to the comments of the video, I believe the video was called "Cut citadel beta noises" or smthn like that.

[@chocofrolik834]

@@beaniest9210 Yeah no, all of those sounds start with Trans- so it's meant to be the noises of transhuman Combine units

[@beaniest9210]

@@chocofrolik834 thanks for telling me

[@White927]

@@chocofrolik834 No, it was an ad interim sound that was briefly indited off as "trans" (transition). I believe the tracks are numbered so the audiobook plays them in order around the Citadel but I could be erroneous. It can only be a theory that the essence of transhumanism cultivation is carried out predicated on the sound.

[@nfwrambo]

Others have mentioned the citadel’s veins but I would also like to point out how the announcement system seemingly gets “sick” in episode one. I imagine that the citadel is a horrific abomination of flesh and machinery like almost every other combine synth Edit: also the 2002 citadel looks like a vape pen

[@TheRealRobertBlarg]

Great video! My two favorite Beta Citadels are the one you mentioned as your favorite and the shinier more alien one. But they all have their pros and cons -- I had never seen that castle-like one, whoa! Someone should make a self-contained level set there and instead of being the Citadel, it could just be another Combine facility. I've been creating a sort of "HL2: Extended" playthrough idea which essentially takes base retail HL2 and, well, extends or expands it with various Beta or other elements; not a mod, just a playthrough where I'd play retail HL2, then occasionally switch off to other things. For example, Lost Coast will take place sometime during or between the coastal maps H17-Sandtraps. Lost Coast itself will utilize both a cut extended opening with additional Fisherman lines, plus the prettier official release. From there, that leads into the Mission Improbable mod which leads into the Lost Industry 2 mod and then back to retail HL2 to finish off the journey toward Nova Prospekt. But with this pseudo-project, I'm also utilizing all the various Beta-styled mods like Dark Interval or Raising the Bar Redux -- at least the stuff that doesn't outright conflict with retail HL2. So that means there older version of the teleport incident at Kleiners' WON'T be used... but the various levels exploring the grittier more ominous City 17 WILL be used since that's easier for me to justify as being simply different sections or districts -- the children making Cremators will be the last generation of humans essentially since retail has the Suppression Field. As a result though, there are several different depictions of the Citadel which obviously does conflict. My solution? The Citadel already has moving sections even in Retail so my idea is that for any mysterious reason, sections will shift and spin and rise or lower... thus explaining the various different looks of the Citadel when switching off between Retail, RTBR, DI, and other mods haha

[@Ticketer2]

imagine being one of the citadels construction workers to return after like 3 days to see the fucking citadel destroyed

[@ethanlivemere1162]

Man it's so interesting seeing the evolution since that first 2001 design. I can't believe the Citadel used to be dark and shitty.

[@NoVIcE_Source]

Lol this rhymes with Dark and gritty

[@bennnoboyo5238]

@@NoVIcE_Source ikr!!!

[@Flesh_Wizard]

​@@NoVIcE_Source *hits the gritty*

[@Immort4l5]

The “The Citadel Is Alive Theory” has been around for a while, people say that you can see blood coming from the walls of the citadel in concept art and things like that, in the beta you can also see a metal heart lookin thing apparently (I haven’t played the beta, this is from the theory), in the full game you can see these weird green vein lookin things too, honestly, I believe it I had an idea for a Half-Life 2 Beta sequel, like an episode 1 but in the beta universe, where at the end, Gordon and Alyx are escaping like they do in episode 1, but instead of the citadel exploding, it just starts bleeding out, it begins spraying out of the citadel from every side until the entire city is covered in blood, I think it would be a terrifying but great scene

[@6l1t3h_Official]

That would be cool.

[@whitedude877]

The retail version always gave the best impression that the citadel was portaled in from the Combine empire, straight into the Earth if you remember that theory. It's angular, sleek, and I love what Valve did with the interiors. That said, I never thought it looked "menacing" enough. It's ever present and looming, and perhaps its efficiently crafted exterior says more like these things were mass produced thus making it more menacing that way, but the first 3D design and the cylindrical one really do it for me. Thanks for this presentation. I wish you had shown the maps more, but it's fine. What was the music? From the beta soundtrack?

[@Man_Flippin_Pentagrams]

A list of the versions here present and their timestamps: 1. 0:32 - Dystopian Citadel. Present only in concept, no 3d model. 2. 1:40 - Rusty Citadel. First one to have a 3d model and be present in maps. 3. 2:55 - The one with shapes attached. Used between 2001 and 2002, actually has two shapes one tapering and another thicker. 4. 3:40 - Shiny citadel. Used in E3 2002. 5. 3:58 - Hole Citadel. Present between 2002 and 2003, very similar to the retail one but with an even bigger hole in the middle. 6. 4:23 - Clamped Citadel. Looks like a castle, used in map proto_docks.vmf. 7. 4:46 - Retail version. Personally, I'd have to say the clamped citadel is my favorite, actually looks a citadel, also looks the most robust to attacks.

[@notjebbutstillakerbal]

Citadel 3 is my favourite

[@creepermangaming7912]

anyone give a link to a vmf with the 2001-2002 citadel or shiny citadel? its for a beta map

[@6l1t3h_Official]

Citadel 1 is my favourite.

[@ShadyRonin]

The original citadel design you see at 2:00 is nearly identical to the model of a brutalist monument that stands outside of the central train station in Sofia, Bulgaria. The monument is quite tall and towers over you ominously as you exit the train station. Viktor Antonov, the guy who designed the citadel, was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, and has stated in interviews that City 17 is heavily influenced by his childhood memories in Communist Sofia, and fusing that with the idea of an alien invasion happening in that city.

[@becraftmeboi]

Hey Man, I Really Appreciate You Pumping Out 2-3 Videos a Week, I Remember Back Around Early To Mid 2021 When I First Found Your Channel, You Used Upload Like 1-2 Videos a Month, Even If The Videos Are Short, I Still Appreciate The Effort That You put In.

[@RadiationHazardYT]

I appreciate that, thanks!

[@becraftmeboi]

@@RadiationHazardYT No Problem

[@JangoF12b]

I've never seen the E3 one before in my life, and hell it's amazing. It could've fit into retail, as it showed off the alien aesthetic and the big combine symbol on top to remind the people that the combine are there, and can be seen everywhere they look. I love how cool it looks, how polished and sleek it looks.

[@everycafe44]

3:13, This Citadel had concept art as well, showcasing it was much and more thick than most others, there's an image of it somewhere.

[@mabs9503]

There's a lot of aspects from the Beta I wish were kept but I can't say that I feel the same about the Citadel. The one we got is great.

[@Fatih_M177]

Even 18 years later we are still having a lot of theories and speculations in the half life fandom, i really love these videos a lot, and it makes me sad how dedicated the community is yet valve just ignores the fandom

[@Levrifon]

I love the color at 3:00 dark blue sky, yellowish light in opposition ! it looks very non-Earth atmospheric, they did a great job to vary those citadels looks until last version

[@Kacpa2]

Dark Interval goes all into that aesthetic :v

[@MegamanNick]

I believe the citadel claims are from a Reddit post theorizing how the citadel could be alive, with its strange movements (the “ribs” that move slightly when it opens itself up.) and the weird veins on its inner tubes.

[@XxDarkxMoth17xX]

"The cidatel was gonna be alive, source: trust me bro"

[@victobe]

the source was revealed to me in a dream

[@goob8945]

(gold )source

[@decker5758]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGjPYYWnbqprg7s

[@Man_Flippin_Pentagrams]

@@goob8945 Benissimo 👏

[@LoneWindtheWolf]

my source is that i made it the f*ck up

[@residentevil1.5nerd]

"The Citadel is Alive" source is something Mark Laidlaw said back in 2000 at the same panel where the "Get Your Free Tvs" map was revealed. This source state "I wanted Half-Life 2 to feel different from what I did withthe story of Half-Life 1. I wanted the Citadel to be more Alien and more Alive." -Mark Laidlaw. There was also a saying by a few employees at Valve that said "The Citadel was a living creature" or "The Citadel has something moving inside it".

[@zarrg5611]

Laidlaw's quote seems more metaphorical, as in he wanted the citadel to feel like a believable, dynamic place.

[@apreciateit]

The “proto_docks” Citadel Looks So Interesting And Also, Very Unusual. I Wish That We Had More Info About This Version, And Also, How The Story Would Go If We Had a Fort-like Citadel!

[@roberthunter6122]

I personally like the cylinder one that you also like most. And i'm glad you went over the Citadel evolutions, some of these I wasn't even aware of!

[@BlockWorks]

4:31 This one is the scariest one imo, i like to think that we are at "The Coast" (Retail HL2) and even from there you can see that gigantic structure

[@ProphecyxOffic]

I love your almost daily content in the morning, great video!!

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Thank you :)

[@slayerrealm4845]

el profesis en un video del radhaz nunca visto

[@elmemeropro1012]

alv el prop en un video del rad

[@bliss1390]

Holy crap, another citadel video. Rad, you are creating these videos out of the woodwork and I respect that. Thanks for doing your part to keep the source community alive.

[@ShadowSumac]

C17_inner was used for the concept art where Gordon stands near the entrance of Citadel at 0:40. It seems "rusty citadel" could have been in-game incarnation of the "concept citadel" or derived from it. I wish we got C17 / citadel maps from 2000, when the whole City 17 idea was created. Also, if you look closely at concept art with a citadel wall at 0:53 you can see Gordon scaling its wall with a rope - a mechanic which is absent from the game.

[@TheConsulC17]

2:56 This is definitely my favorite version of the beta Citadel. Like you said, it looks more ominous and foreboding than the others.

[@creepermangaming7912]

omg the consul

[@sillkthashocker]

Looks more like a weird human made skyscraper as opposed to the retail which looks like a big railroad spike shot into the earths crust

[@mrmalos4194]

i find the E3 Citadel Very Cool looking, and it probably would have looked different in the inside but i am very thankful for the change, it looks cool! but not scary like the retail citadel which makes a big differents for the tune, if we got the E3 citadel for retail i think we would have lost that feeling of that blue metal tower that seems to go on forever in the sky

[@yaya_is_real]

Fuck yeah a new video also why's is radiation hazard not the intro theme anymore? I unrionically listen to it lots

[@RadiationHazardYT]

Was trying a different style. It'll be back to normal in the upcoming videos.

[@yaya_is_real]

@@RadiationHazardYT (in mah opinion) it aint as impactful but it would be nice for "creepy" videos

[@the_only_ag1]

I love the citadel and I've been looking for video only about the citadel for a long time, thanks Rad for this daily content.

[@altairseri]

I cant stop thinking, what if in another world. Half Life 2 got completed, including every concept art in the game. I would really love it.

[@Pabliski577]

At that point, it would be open world

[@Walterbennet3697]

the clamped Citadel would actually be more scary If more height it was added to it then that would be my favorite citadel.

[@ikagura]

The Citadel may be "alive" in the same way a skyscraper is like a living organism because people working inside are like our body cells, each with a different role depending on the area they're working in.

[@BasilOmoriFan]

Retail Citadel will always be my favourite, though I guess I always preferred retail HL2 over the beta.

[@ChronosHVT-g3u]

Why?

[@geniuses___]

1:09 "My source is that I made it the fuck up!"

[@NoVIcE_Source]

It's interesting how the citadel doubles as one giant thumper aswell, keeping the antlions out of c17 (In ep1 the giant moving things at the bottom don't work, I think, and there are antlions in the city) (idk about the citadel being alive tho)

[@tauon_]

hello nvc

[@NoVIcE_Source]

@@tauon_ hi

[@BlockWorks]

Damn mate, another interesting video about HL2 Beta just 1 day after the last video? just subscribed

[@Foebane72]

I like the "retail" version most, of course. What I particularly like is the architecture within the Citadel, which you explore at the end of HL2 and for a big bulk of HL2E1, it has a really futuristic, alien and oppressive feeling to it.

[@GodofWeird]

To be honest I like the retail version the most. It’s less stylised, and looks the most utilitarian. It isn’t trying to be scary or imposing, it is meant to do it’s job efficiently and its efficiency makes it terrifying in its own right. The combine doesn’t care about you or your feelings so it doesn’t bother to make it scary.

[@tobiaskunterding5907]

As usual a interesting video but to be honest: I'm glad that they changed the design of the Citadel and the general aesthetics of the game after the Leak. In my personal opinion, the Beta had a very generic "LOOK THE WORLD IS LIKE 1984 AND BAD ALIENS HAVE CONQUERED THE WORLD" while the Retail Version is much more subtle about this.

[@Shrek_es_mi_pastor]

The 2001 citadel was the one that deviated the most from that concepto though, I think. But overall I agree.

[@casmith1998]

you summarized the entire beta in a nutshell lol

[@chocofrolik834]

This is a common myth, the design of the Citadel and the general aesthetic of the game was already changed before the leak

[@braveclem]

When the leak happened,those things,concepts etc, were already scrapped...

[@cwal3478]

100%. Beta was really generic, overly dark & oppressive, and looked like it would have been just a miserable setting for a game, not at all fitting in with HL1 (or Portal). The HL2 we got is vastly superior, subtle & realistic in it's depiction of Combine occupation, grounded in the everyday normality like HL1. Glad they eventually went back to a game that feels perfectly half life, rather than mimicking generic brown fps games that were all too common in that era & beyond.

[@Vort__X]

1:42 2001 citadel look like the ones from the combine overworld from the end of the game

[@Noxx55]

I don't know if the theory that the Citadel is alive predates Half Life: Alyx but the reason I'd make that assumption is [mild spoilers for HL:A] when you hack the combine consoles it's revealed that the "computing" is done on brain like, small cylinders made of assorted biomass. Implying under all that sleek metal is something that could be considered living.

[@starcrest4486]

Wasn't there a written piece by a Valve writer that had an unused plotline for the game included? If I'm remembering correctly it was intended to set a mood and an atmosphere they could keep in mind for the production of the game. The citadel had a massive eye that it used to frantically search for Gordon and destroy buildings, as Gordon had to escape into sewers and exit the city as fast as he could.

[@Gruffun]

woah that sounds like an actually terrifying gameplay mechanic. Although, would you be able to provide some evidence on where you found it?

[@KinerfV4]

He’s finding a way to make more beta videos and love it. On another note, I have no clue why people are thinking the citadel is alive is those weird pipes that look veiny? As if there isn’t another purpose for those that doesn’t go explained like a load of other stuff?

[@billspangler2685]

Dude. Your content rate and quality has really stepped up lately. I'm definitely appreciative of all the effort you've been putting in lately. Keep it up!

[@matijajovic8125]

Another great beta video! My favourite citadel is the one that DI uses. As for the citadel being alive combineoverwiki mentions 'organic versions' of the citadel. There are also some leaked citadel maps that have some organic looking forms like heart and veins. The retail pipes also look like veins to some. I guess fans took these as a sign of 'alive citadel'.

[@Hoogalindo]

The pipes literally have veins on them.

[@ianmata1998]

1:01 i think not only are refering the art of Giger, but also the game Scorn (that is gonna be released on this october). Scorn is a game with flesh, bones and machinary with the Giger's art style. In my opinion and point of view, HL2 Beta's art style is different compared to Scorn or Alien 1 (the movie) or any media made or inspired on Giger's art style. I could say that HL2 Beta's art style is the same as HL2's art style but darker. The Combine machinery is the same but with diferent tones. The city 17, depressing but still with human buildings just like in the final version. I never feel the citadel "alive", like, "if the building itself is organic and is alive". The citadel is more the mastermind's lair were you can feel like someone's watching behind and you must be careful of not being lost, the citadel is already bigger and with a lot of structures to explore. Now is popular the Gmod's "somebody's watching me", and is not suprice of why since the origin of the Source Engine is already dark, creepy and depressing.

[@2Potates]

My hot take is that i prefer the retail design over all the beta ones.

[@ripoutyourprejudice]

I love the early concept art for the game. Reminds me of "The City of Lost Children".

[@denifnaf5874]

The citadel in it self is not alive, it is an important organ to the combine system.

[@TheManWhoSoldTheW0rld]

The citadel is the most unknown and creepy thing in the beta

[@jess648]

Dark Interval has some sort of mix of the 2001 citadel design with the E3 2002 lights

[@Dusthandle999]

Hmm All of them are atmospheric in their own way

[@HariMaTTheW]

Oh yes! I was always interested in the Citadel's structure, and how it looked back then. Thanks for the video!

[@hcbv9225]

Omg, you explained it very simply! It's really easy to understand. Thank you so much! I've always wanted to learn these.

[@Pinnaporaptor]

I believe the misconception of the Citadel being alive comes from a snippet in Raising the Bar that sort of got out of control, From the book, page 190: *Combine Technology* 'Early visions of the Combine wall had it devouring the City over the course of the game, an ominous metal monster that constantly reconfigured itself as it advanced.' While I'm not 100% sure if this is the reason why it's viewed this way, it's certainly a guess on how it grew it's own legs and became 'Living Citadel!!!'.

[@jozefwozniak1]

radhaz is pumping out high quality half life videos like its nothing

[@ElmeriThePig]

Honestly, my favorite citadel design is the one from EP1. Sure, it's the retail one, but it looks cooler than the normal citadel that we see in Half-Life 2.

[@Jimbob_Offical]

It’s the first time I have herd the citadel being described as a monster, if I where to guess it could be some sort of innuendo.

[@gegaomega5038]

I like the retail version the most because... Really can't describe it, I'm pretty much the same as the top comment, a sucker for monolith structures, this is more than a scyscraper or a building, it's ominous but doesn't look like something that wants to harm, more like collect, also I really liked the e3 one, it reminds me of those 80s-90s futuristic cartoons, mysterious but still something that somehow brings hope, and yeah, the clamp castle is just underwhelming, also I think that your favorite one was a final version of the prototype citadel, inner shape looks really familiar, posters and etc. probably was just to see how it was looking if it was implemented as style, but yeah in the end great video, keep up the good work mate

[@blahblahcv]

i really like the E3 one i think the way it looks is good not to mention the combine logo at the top of the citadel always being in view when you look at it is cool as well

[@morgonfr33m4n1337z]

the oldest concept art Citadel definitely was going for a H.R. Geiger look with the outwardly organic design and veiny walls some of those ideas still survived in the final cut with the veiny tubes inside the HL2 Citadel and HL:A's depiction of Antlions and the new Xen Memory Worms

[@unoriginalperson72]

Imagine the 2002 citadel with postal and postal redux ambient sounds and the sounds from the level screens

[@vhbc8791]

I always thought the citadel was alive because of the veiny tube things in the retail title screen background map. Why would the citadel infrastructure need veins o.o

[@quakethedoombringer]

While I like the Citadel as it is now, I wonder what it is like if Valve follows the original concept and makes it an organic living being

[@crafter5458]

another banger of a video from Radiation Hazard, love your content

[@yugoslavia_operator128]

Concept one prob looks the coolest, it is like it truly is synth place of power, the one at start is like just scraps together. And the last one is coolest one

[@bigpalookaalt]

Please never stop making videos. Even if it's you talking about real life architecture I'd still be interested 🙏

[@toprocket8556]

I like the full release and the beta that’s in between 2001 and 2002 Those are my favourite ones

[@TimesChu]

2:06 Ah, yes, the Shitadel.

[@DONG-502]

Or Crabtadel

[@dymaxion3988]

Ever since I became aware of the manga “Blame!” I’ve wondered if people on the HL2 team were inspired by it. It was published from 1997-2003, so it lines up…

[@lightinabox6931]

This feels like The Spire from God of War 2, it's an incredibly tall structure you can see from almost anywhere in the entire game, it's your main goal to reach it, and as it gets closer and closer, you really feel some progression.

[@novalmaxxed]

Ngl the rusty citadel looks like a dog squatting down to drop a brown stick.

[@sajmon2771]

I think the belief of living citadel comes from yellow "veins" we can see inside, but for me, they can as well be sort of a wires/cables or pipes

[@sajmon2771]

Well, who said constructs cant be alive =]

[@carstealer]

Alien technology i guess

[@aSkyclad]

The E3 2002 looks so sleek I love it

[@demondeity9816]

It's those yellow translucent pipes within the citadel, they have veins running through them. It just suggests that there are biomechanical elements to the citadel.

[@olknoxlo]

The citadel is alive in so many ways, Just not a ways we'd fully understand.

[@augmentedkazoo357]

I love how the more alien looking one looks like a giant vape.

[@thehazardousmemer1746]

Also my favorite one was the castle like one,gives off a steampunk vibe

[@sanctumscream372]

I might be the only person who likes that E3 2002 Citadel. While I think the retail design is the superior choice overall, that E3 2002 one just scratches a certain itch. It's certainly not as oppressive or threatening-looking as Combine architecture probably should be, but it's the first one that feels truly gigantic. And I'm fond of what looks like the giant floodlights that illuminate its exterior. And also, the Combine clamp symbol visible near the peak of the tower. It reminds me of the kind of buildings I would see in my dreams, along with the interior of the late 2001 Citadel. So yeah, not the greatest design, and I acknowledge that, but I really do have a soft spot for it.

[@azurola]

3:42 my favorite version of the citadel, its just so menacing and alien

[@Msifan741]

such a good edited and the music just so good keep up the good work like a true citezn