Half-Life: Alyx - Overwatch Voice Announcements [Mild Spoilers]

All the Overwatch Voice announcements from Half-Life: Alyx.
While I still prefer the HL2 version (which can be heard as background noise in the first two levels), the HLA version has grown on me. The Overwatch Voice is played by Ellen McLain.

[@ew9506]

It's cool how since this is a prequel, Combine soldiers are threatened with "permanent relocation" instead of "permanent off world assignment" because the Citadel is not finished and off world teleportaion isn't possible yet.

[@keyabrade1861]

The designers really did think of everything, didn't they?

[@DOSFS]

Announcement : Plz cooperate ALSO Announcement : ENGAGE, ISOLATE, NEUTRALIZE!!!

[@tachikomagaming2451]

command inserted, awaiting judgement

[@MrCalhoun556]

@@tachikomagaming2451 You want a malcompliance verdict? Prepare for final sentencing.

[@dibs6462]

EIN, the cousin of SCP

[@Shadybish]

I like how she seems to panic when the vault is destroyed.

[@cpt.shmitt7387]

Why are you reading this Combine at the end of HL:A: "FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!"

[@afungai1649]

Further implying that overwatch isn’t an artificial intelligence, at least not entirely.

[@Animebffsforever]

Or maybe a superintelligent AI

[@XarathDominion]

@@Animebffsforever OVERWATCH might just as well be a giant Synth. because, why take years to develop something akin to "Artificial Sapience" when you can just as easily use vat grown Organics to handle your systems? especially with neural transplants, which the combine already use everywhere they go, it's just easier to suppress every bit of resistance from a Carbon based life-form and let it perform your will.

[@hhbkawaii]

@@cpt.shmitt7387 when fallgate is exposed by someone in future: and when it didnt happened

[@MoonLightFML]

"Acces to this block is not permitted." Yeah, like the entire quarantine zone

[@saladspinner3200]

That's the whole thing. Use evasive minimalistic terms to shroud the truth in mistery.

[@kritische3959]

@@saladspinner3200 Overwatch is quite verbose, I’d say she’s not minimalistic at all. XD

[@iratepirate3896]

@@kritische3959 It's basically Orwellian Newspeak. Trying to cut down on meaning by mutilating language.

[@Nugzerian]

valve really likes having Ellen Mclain as an offscreen announcer huh?

[@iguessyoucouldcallitconten8568]

Gotta admit, she does the job well

[@ursa_margo]

Can't really call Glados offscreen. In fact, she occupied the entirety of my screen on more times than one :)

[@iguessyoucouldcallitconten8568]

@@ursa_margo when she's not on the screen, glados is sort of an announcer. Plus, she was the administrator in tf2 so

[@bl4ckrabb1t]

@@ursa_margo in portal she's offscreen until the end of the game

[@krollic]

would let her enunciate dystopian threats at me any day

[@mintie66]

THIS HAS ME ROLLING PLEASE- i actually can't breathe holy shit. omfg my gay ass just landed myself an asthma attack again.

[@krollic]

@@mintie66 dw mate you'll be alright

[@mcgfn]

@@krollic LOL

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

Damn that overwatch kinda bad tho

[@large-turkey]

Bro y'all are wild 💀

[@MaximG.]

I think Ellen McLain did a pretty good job recapturing that original tone, considering over a fifteen years gap between HL2 and HLA. Audio effects, on the other hand, make all the difference. New Overwatch voice sounds too clear compared to the old lines.

[@nos17]

I think her mannerisms have changed too, almost sounds like the Overwatch AI has regressed in capacity

[@Resi1ience]

Five years, not fifteen.

[@MaximG.]

I meant in real life

[@generalfeeessh7764]

@@Resi1ience What do you mean 5 years? Even hl2 ep 2 came out 13 years ago.

[@alepthanderson5189]

@@nos17 that, or it's just an earlier, more emotive version of overwatch.

[@rainysunday9664]

Imagine jogging during night time and hearing this.

[@j_boc]

no

[@barrancuda6454]

İmagine seeing alien airdrops at night

[@Thlormby]

Imagine hearing this and then getting shot and just dying lol

[@GloriG_C17]

It gonna happened

[@Critical_Hit]

I think the combine would have night curfews implemented so you would be breaking the law by jogging at night

[@chuckchuck4016]

I like how all the evil AI robot voices come from the sweetest lil old lady

[@gscheidleiwondoida5868]

0:04 i love that eerie Alarm sound!

[@st.paddymad7085]

5:31, I’m getting some strong Consul “the true citizen” quote vibes from that one there.

[@paris-1911]

_The true citizen conserves valuable oxygen._

[@st.paddymad7085]

@@paris-1911 yeah, similar vibes.

[@Phaz0nFckr]

I know this will never happen but seeing the consul in hl3 would be so lovely

[@st.paddymad7085]

@@Phaz0nFckr we might see something similar to whatever the sequel to Half-Life Alyx is.

[@thePeterandByron]

The first unused line would have been nice to hear in the first maps. Just to add to the ambience. Alyx had a noticeable lack of Combine announcements. It had a very limited use of the OW voice, using her only on story points, and no Breencasts, or anything similar to replace Breen.

[@Kream_Komi]

The first line is used, wat

[@OwenGee22]

I think at that time Breen was in City 14 evidenced by the two talking civilians at the train station at the start of HL2 "Dr Breen again? I thought we had enough of him back in City 14" hence no Breen casts I guess. That and the VO is dead.

[@NicksNameGoesHere]

I realized after my first couple runs through Alyx that the game was set in "City 17", but apart from the intro level it didn't really feel like Half Life 2's City 17. Valve said they cut like an hour-long huge intro sequence that really brought you back into Half Life's world, and that they got rid of it because it took too long for players to just get a gun and be playing the game. It's kinda sad.

[@iratepirate3896]

@@NicksNameGoesHere Valve playtesters are infamously braindead.

[@Helperbot-2000]

@@OwenGee22 while that can make sense, i would assume the combine would have alot of reccordings to play on repeat and such

[@solderfromteamfortressthes6036]

She sounds more like a human than in hl2

[@lilsos6892]

Well, it happens 5 years before HL2 so if soldiers are more humane then maybe announcer is a real person too? Atleast before they turned her to AI.

[@Myne1001]

In the HL2 games the Overwatch announcer does get more robotic and inhuman, especially in Episode 2 where it almost sounds like GLaDOS

[@SirKolass]

@@lilsos6892 You can tell she's still an AI really lol

[@MrAndroyd22]

A lot of people are saying that she doesn’t sound as cold and machine like as HL2, and I’m willing to bet it’s part of the combine occupation phases. If you remember Episode 2 OW says “entering phase 9, enhanced compliance” and the voice was much more robotic and threatening than in HL2. As well as the CP’s being more aggressive and quick to kill than in HL:A. I’m assuming HL:A could be during a different phase and the destruction of The Vault raised them to Phase 8 I’ll admit it’s heavily speculative, and it could just be the time difference between the games, but tell me what you think

[@dynamitedinosaur4601]

That's an interesting way of seeing it, but yes, it is just because of the time difference. The voice actor got a fair bit older.

[@SirKolass]

The vault never existed in HL2 since g-man traveled back in time. The resistance always been causing trouble though, so they could have caused the combine to be stricter still.

[@jamesanderson5727]

I like this theory! Though Ellen Mclain did get older (actor for overwatch voice)

[@MrAndroyd22]

@@dynamitedinosaur4601 yeah I believe she’s in her 60’s but might I also add that the tone of the voice lines is also written differently. In Alyx at around 3:10, she says “please cooperate” after the player commits multiple level 5 violations. And yes I know they’re trying to trick Alyx (poorly), but with Gordon he was almost immediately named Anti-citizen one and hunted. No tricks, no mind games. They used almost every resource they had by the time he made it to Black Mesa East.

[@akeiai]

@@MrAndroyd22 that's because Gordon Freeman is like a hero. A very dangerous and intelligent hero, and that's why they did that. They give no fucks about Alyx though, she looks like a normal citizen that won't cause any real harm

[@Rikegile]

So nice to hear Glados, I mean, Ellen McLain in this game. She reminds me of the announcer from TF2

[@Gaelic-Spirit]

She reminds me so much of the second singer in "Count to Three" too, really crazy how similar all these voice actors and performers are.

[@SirKolass]

I love how she sounds and talks like an airport announcer, yet she still sounds intimidating.

[@roboticrebel4092]

Are you not intimidated by airport announcer!?

[@Artamentous]

Sounds like she grows up from Alyx. Pretty damn funny how valve decided to do this.

[@britishbeef4890]

She also sounds different in episode 2 compared to half life 2

[@viniciusmedeiros3191]

@@britishbeef4890 She's destroyed after the citadel's destruction, she's known to be kind of the combine's AI for planet administration. After Dr.Breen dies with the Citadel reactor explosion, the advisors boot up a much more direct and cold tone one.

[@commodore7331]

@@britishbeef4890 In Episode 2 her announcements are broadcast from the Citadel whereas that is definitely not the case in Episode 2

[@damonnugent1993]

@@commodore7331 I think the AI is built in such a way that it can be heard everywhere. Like the name implies, Overwatch. The voice itself might be a GLaDOS-esque computer intelligence that resides somewhere in the Combine's homeworld for all we know.

[@eternal7912]

@@damonnugent1993 It would be cool to get more lore on the Overwatch Voice in Half-Life 3.

[@Piovli]

I'll tell you what, Ellen McLain did a fantastic job acting as overwatch, I love her.

[@florenciomendoza8497]

She sounds a bit like the announcer of TF2

[@jarisai3193]

It’s the same voice actress

[@thatfighterguy5846]

It's the same actress, I believe.

[@uglies7056]

Because he's old, so his voice is a bit weak

[@florenciomendoza8497]

@@uglies7056 "He's old"? The person in question is a SHE

[@uglies7056]

Oh yes, pestle typo

[@jcdenton2819]

The one that is unused (5:30) is the most powerful.

[@adjectiveollie]

can't wait to hear "THEY HAVE CAPTURED OUR INTELLEGENCE" in the next entry

[@mehmettekeli5706]

What does "inoculate" mean actually? You can hear this in Half-Life 2 too. You know, Overwatch does not use words in their actual meanings; for example, they call bullets "verdicts"

[@davidliu4134]

Inoculate in a medical context means to administer a vaccination to give a subject immunity to an infection. The Overwatch Voice probably uses it to refer to preventing any criminals from appearing in a community.

[@PabloPerroPerro]

My favorite is "manhacks" which they call "viscerators" I wonder why they do it though

[@user-ql7mw7rt3v]

@@PabloPerroPerro its not as scary sounding, basically politically correct in their universe

[@mehmettekeli5706]

@@davidliu4134 Yeah I knew what it meant in medical context but didn't know what Overwatch was trying to say with that. Thank you for your reply.

[@tbotalpha8133]

@@davidliu4134 It probably means "round up anyone who seems like they might be causing trouble". So instead of looking for actual rule-breaking activity (which would be evidence of an "infection") they attempt to halt the infection ahead of time.

[@Gorthug.]

i love this about the half life games that soulless AI voice is so chilling especially considering what's being said.

[@arashikumo7593]

When you understand what's contained in the vault, You almost side with Overwatch...

[@margaritaguildpublishing1700]

Yep, keep that in there. Lol

[@SirKolass]

It's impressive to me that the Combine is powerful enough to contain G-man, and they know exactly what he is. I thought he and his employees were above everything, but the Combine is probably their rival out there.

[@vibaj16]

@@SirKolass I doubt it. The combine don't really fully understand him, but they think they've contained him. I bet gman could've escaped on his own if he wanted to. Gman purposefully let himself be captured to test if Alyx was good enough to be hired.

[@SirKolass]

@@vibaj16 He couldn't, we know very well he's powerless against vortigaunt energy. I'm pretty sure the combine detected him traveling back in time, and while he was vulnerable, they grabbed the whole building and made a temporary prison for him. Once he actually arrived in place he was already trapped. If he let himself be captured and Alyx failed, he would be done, so I doubt he did that. He also seemed very thankful that she saved him. Things don't go according to his plans when vortigaunts are involved.

[@vibaj16]

@@SirKolass gman would know if the combine were planning to capture him. He let himself be captured because he knew that he could escape if Alyx didn't break him out. He was pretending to be thankful to keep Alyx from being suspicious as to why he let Alyx save here father. When Alyx releases him, he is calm and seems to have been expecting Alyx. If he was really caught off gaurd by the combine trapping him, he wouldn't act like that

[@seanfitzgerald9320]

I like how relocation is a threat. In the half life universe this means being sent off-world to some nightmarish alien hellscape.

[@KingThrillgore]

"Relocation" could be a catch-all for execution or liquidation. Whatever it is, its not where anyone in the Human Overwatch wants to be.

[@SirKolass]

@@KingThrillgore In Half Life 2 she says "Permanent off-world relocation"

[@Im_oofman232]

@@SirKolassi think "permanent relocation" means being relocated to some obscure place off City-17 because the citadel isn't completely built yet

[@TechPriest-A]

5:48 Best threat

[@bly9077]

for some reason I love half life alyx announcement voice I love how it’s like echoing and the alarm noise for the city I love the effects now for half life overwatch announcements

[@nateman6583]

The last line is definitely a callback to Half-Life 2. It sounds very much like Overwatch's announcement when you deal with Gunships in Nova Prospekt. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3u9mnygrsqHbZo

[@TylertheCC1010fan]

I'm pretty sure the last one was meant to play before the player's first encounter with a suppresor, as an introduction to the new enemy, it's introduction in the final game seemed a little incomplete, as it just shows up with no build up to it's arrival, If someone could mod the game to add that line back in, I'd love to see it. The suppresor seemed like an after thought, if I had to guess it was probably meant to be a replacement for the cremator, which was meant to be in the game.

[@SirKolass]

Yo, I noticed that too lol

[@tommoss-the-prank-engine3578]

@@TylertheCC1010fan Actually, the Combine Hazmat Workers are the replacement for the Cremator, so…

[@edryctan672]

The citizen reminder reminds me of the consul starting sentence. A civilized society vs A true citizen.

[@Juulbakker33]

Awesome!!

[@TylertheCC1010fan]

The last one was probably meant to play immediately prior to the first encounter with a Suppressor, as a way of formally introducing the new enemy. the effect over it sounds like a message being transmitted through some sort of communications device, like a headset, presumably an Ordinal's, the message is clearly meant for a stabilization team, since it mentions a failure in objective and reinforcements being sent in, it was likely cut due to Valve not being able to make a believable reason why Alyx would hear a message meant for an Ordinal.

[@lumingjia4475]

Well since the Suppressor was first encountered gunning down zombies, it would be believable if Valve placed a bunch of combine and zombie corpses prior and let the message play from a dead Ordinal's radio.

[@laylaruan]

When we first meet Combine soldiers in general, we hear them talking through the radio of a dead grunt. Would have been easy to do something similar with a dead Ordinal EDIT: There's an Ordinal that you watch from above just before meeting the suppressor, who runs off if you shoot at him. Maybe you were meant to eavesdrop on the announcement leaked from his helmet

[@little_tornado1804]

That first unused one I’ve heard somewhere during the intro? Around the time of meeting Olga.

[@Neo2266.]

I think you can hear the last one on a dead combine soldier, it’s his walkie talkie

[@andruhabro5497]

Alert. Ground units. Invasive operation of anti-citizen origin. Response code: Engage. Quell. Inquire.

[@illyrian44]

When you forget to put on mask

[@crennips5669]

_Alert ground units. Emergency code: Lock-Cauterize-Stabilize!_

[@ctrlaltrepeat245]

I notice a lot less cutting between the Overwatch voice (mainly because Valve didn't really plan for the Overwatch Voice to be as prominent as HL2 since you don't hear her through the radio) So In canon I think this is around when the voice they used as the voice of Overwatch was still alive, and was an actual person giving these out. And when she died (was killed or passed away?), they turned her into an A.I.

[@TheSixteen60]

1:56 its actually strange that the overwatch voice is different in this part only Edit: the voice is just muffled it seems

[@johnetchason3185]

Nice

[@raptor8184]

yeah old subs are back thx dude

[@richie7624]

She sounds cool

[@collinslogan01]

It would be so cool playing as a combine soldier. One that slowly as you progress rebels against the combine itself.. God the possibilities are endless.

[@SirKolass]

They can't rebel tho

[@Kalan_CT-7567]

try entropy zero and entropy zero 2 two fan mods for halflife 2

[@collinslogan01]

@@Kalan_CT-7567 I’ll check it out!

[@wellsilver3972]

By the time most of us get the game the oculus quest 5 will be able to play this game

[@N_5278]

Angle. Cauterize. Flash. is my favourite

[@user-rv3hh7le6b]

+5:35 lol, this is just like Beta consul!

[@ghostshark680]

Some of the words she says sounds a lot more like the tf2 administrator than the hl2 overwatch voice

[@thing.]

that's because they both are the same voice actor

[@ghostshark680]

Big Boi I’m aware. I’m just noting how her voice sounds older

[@asdbef3667]

@@ghostshark680 well it is 15 years You expect the voice to stay the same?

[@ghostshark680]

@@asdbef3667 No? Again, I only commented on what it sounds like now. I'm not saying it sounds bad or anything

[@cloudynguyen6527]

Nah tf2 administrator is way more snarky. This one still has the hl2 feel but have more emotions instead

[@joelvilte4469]

2:21 best !

[@L_U-K_E]

She did an amazing job

[@shadowgrimfoxy592]

5 years after alyx the combine are like awww shit here we go again

[@outlandspecialist5367]

What would Nine-Two-One-Two possibly mean?

[@sbbsmashriver5703]

Lady Blidness's Facilities, Become much more powerful, Alert.

[@redundantideas]

Overwatch makes the game what it is (i.e. the 1984 feel.) Without this, it's just like any other FPS.

[@jaredisley-oliver389]

She sounds a lot like The intercom announcer in Evil Genius 1

Oh yes.

[@Cyynapse]

F to that one time in Episode 2 they made it sound like glados to cash in on portal hype

[@finscontingencyplan7005]

I stand by the fan theory that the Overwatch is actually a copy of the GLADOS that the combine stole from the Aperture Science archives.

[@ShroomFilmsBonus]

I believe that too. Her A.I. station might be visited whenever Gordon goes to the Borealis maybe.

[@afungai1649]

Aside from both Glados and overwatch having the same voice actor there is NOTHING suggesting this is the case. Sorry to disappoint.

[@finscontingencyplan7005]

@@afungai1649 hence “fan theory”

[@GPWfiles]

Pretty retarded theory

[@SirKolass]

The Combine never got inside Aperture, that theory is baseless.

[@deathrow5261]

Wow I’m here early

[@Aperture_Science_laboratories]

Announcer: plzz cooperateeeeee plz plz plz Also Announcer: Kill Alyx.

[@uranium_enjoyerOfficial]

Its pretty bad that we got so little of overwatch voice, i think it adds very nicely to half-life atmosphere. And it also sucks we didn't even got a breencast as well

[@lazynihilanth1899]

The HL:A announcer has alot more emotion than in HL2

[@3333218]

Wait wait wait!!! So you're telling me that the HL2 crappy audio quality wasn't on purpose?!?!?!!!

[@Tea-bj7jh]

The announcement voice is actually use the same voice actor from TF2

[@jackman12359]

Ellen is also the voice of GLaDOS and the turrets in portal

[@komarovosevastopol]

Ellen McLain is the best

[@Vinicius_Rodriguez]

Overwatch: alyx cooperate with the ground units plz also Overwatch: ok guys we gotta kill alyx

[@TubbyFatfrick]

Overwatch got a case of Rhotacism with that last clip.

[@Guard_official]

1:51

[@finnfinanimations137]

I love how this time she does sound european, but damn, i miss that careless "atention pleeease" from 2004

[@uglies7056]

I love how the overwatch voice is not changed

[@j_boc]

it did change

[@j_boc]

listen too them side by side

[@PebsBeans]

It has changed

[@uglies7056]

Yes it's changed, but it's older

[@uglies7056]

Ellen McLain is old, so the sound some kind different

[@bishalgurung4356]

"Suppressor inbound."

[@wolfkinsix]

Oh yes! Tell me all my crimes!

[@ismJoboi]

6:02

[@Nogardtist]

security alert red spy is in the base

[@mr.someone6128]

They made the AI have emotions

[@KCKrumbcake]

in half life 3 there should be a boss battle with her. ellen mclain is the VA, but who's the voice in the lore in the first place?

[@mentally_insane_0]

This little Russian accent is funny

[@makarylli1]

When combine owerwatch gaming?

[@LambdaField2006]

Naw they got the Administrator as the Overwatch

[@slookipos8907]

Since when TF2's Administrator worked for Combine

[@501ststormtrooper9]

Second jobs keep the lights on. And that’s why you should join Civil Protection today-

[@psemek8000]

This literally sounds like the 1983 announcement lady

[@ismJoboi]

2:17

[@ramosa_quanki]

1:55 (for me)

[@ismJoboi]

0:45

[@Pandajosh8]

how do you get the sound?

[@user-rv3hh7le6b]

Heh, if clean it, McLain's voice will be for TF2 administrator)))))

[@pivotgrindepic]

pov: tf2 announcers second job

[@jamesanderson5727]

I've always wondered if it was a robot or a woman speaking

[@afungai1649]

Going off what the combine are known to do to the races they enslave, it’s very likely a fusion of machine and flesh.

[@mikaelwojciechowski7281]

@@afungai1649 Would be really cool if we ever get to see Overwatch in the game - not just hear her voice. Be it a huge chamber of servers or a synth AI, it would be very cool nevertheless to find out what she really is.

[@rnrailproductions5049]

I wonder why they put original Half-Life 2 voice lines for overwatch and this new one.

[@RescoeZ]

Background noise most likely, but if you're like me and you know what she's actually saying most of the HL2 lines are out of place.

[@rnrailproductions5049]

@@RescoeZ yeah a lot of the lines don’t make sense, I think I’ve even heard Nova Prospekt lines in the mix.

[@aerina_eclair]

What's this channel

[@sabo1789]

posts half life voice lines and stuff

[@VeriAka]

2:02 "overwatch said zero two." What!? ........ WTF!?

[@ItsChevnotJeff]

"To read this comment is in violation of civil code"

[@m15tly]

Shit...

[@shadowteam9943]

Voice sounds a bit too clear and human. Old overwatch sounded alien and synthetic in nature. If they make another half life game they should try to capture the same feel as half life 2

[@uglies7056]

But the sound is more like TF2

[@oltrogge7064]

That’s because it’s the same voice actor

[@uglies7056]

Yeah, I know

[@uglies7056]

Ellen McLain

[@Enclave99]

Ngl, the overwatch voice was better in HL2, HLA just sounds to clear

[@EL1TEHD1]

I mean you kinda want the announcer to clearly tell you what criminal charges you have

[@lilsos6892]

tbh I like HL2 annoucements much more than Alyx' ones.

[@DevilWolf000]

I mean 13 years have passed. you cant possibly expect it to be the same. She aged alot obviously

[@commodore7331]

I think they accidentally used the effects for TF2's administrator. It sounds way too loudspeakery as opposed to the cold and alien tone of the original.

[@kratos-staples]

It takes 5 years before hl2, so the combine doesn't have as strong of a grip on the city, probably meaning they would have to use a real person instead of ai

[@commodore7331]

@@kratos-staples I doubt it and it still doesn't change the fact that it sounds worse

[@kratos-staples]

@@commodore7331 maybe because the actual voice artist is about 15 years older than hl2?

[@commodore7331]

@@kratos-staples and in that time she turned into a crusty 1970s loudspeaker?

[@kratos-staples]

@@commodore7331 weel the game is before th combine get a grip so they would have to use the crusty old loudspeaker until more tech gets there

[@MVKHXV]

voice is too old

[@EL1TEHD1]

Nothing can be done about it lmao

[@antonov5463]

Nah Half Life 2 was better. This one have too much emotions.

[@user-dl8vp7qc2x]

Too emotive, not as good

[@ismJoboi]

6:02