Stabilization Team - A Half-Life: Alyx Short [S2FM]

A Combine team is tasked with safekeeping a construction site in the Antlion infested subway tunnels.
My initial goal with this project was to follow a Combine team as they hunt down ᵗʰᵉᶠʳᵉᵉᵐᵃⁿ a group of anti-citizens, but it turned out to be way more complicated than I had anticipated. The script eventually morphed into what you see now, and I wanted to give some extra attention to the sounds this time around since I feel I never quite get that right.
I'm really happy with how it turned out, and that's in no small part thanks to my dear friend Csaba who made these amazing echo and panning effects.
Please do check out his channel for some banger music he makes with his friend;
/ @rustroute3229
Software:
Source 2 Filmmaker (Half-Life: Alyx Workshop Tools)
Vegas Pro 17
Photoshop
Audacity
Song: The Only Thing They Fear is V
• The Only Thing They Fe...
Twitter:
/ theparrygod
Screenshots/Wallpapers
www.flickr.com...
Support my work:
/ theparrygod
www.buymeacoff...

[@DagaTheRat]

This makes me want a four-player co-op game where we can be the Combine soldiers and fight against Antlions, zombies and the Resistance. Great video.

[@derekfurst6233]

That doesn't sound dissimilar to what some think the game citadel might involve

[@lepetitanthony8963]

@@derekfurst6233 i thought citadel was going to be a strategie game like lambda wars

[@derekfurst6233]

@@lepetitanthony8963 hybrid. A commander top down person with units controlled like a first person shooter

[@UmbraSenko]

Basically Darktide but on Half-Life... That sounds fucking sick!

[@SebastianSolace440]

Heard of entropy zero 2? Not coop but you do become an elite

[@zarkflappysheep]

dam it really feels like they’re talking to each other. amazing work this is some of the best hand made sfm stuff i’ve ever seen!!

[@TheParryGod]

Thank you! Very glad you enjoyed it.

[@FrostyTheOne_]

Helo Shep guy

[@RaMaMBaHaRoU]

@@TheParryGod we all did

[@0turi]

hello zark

[@detectivewolf6981]

Ive looked at every single voice line for each and every combine unit, connecting what they say is probably the fun part of understanding how they communicate

[@northernshield5414]

I love how natural they move. Its almost like they're actual people moving behind that hunk of kevlar.

[@edchampion3720]

I love it and the audio is excellent as well.

[@papyfun5097]

whos to say its kevlar and not some alien metal

[@yuichi4339]

They are real people.

[@membles69]

@@yuichi4339 they mean that the animating looks real-like, unless you’re mistaking this for real life.

[@yuichi4339]

@@membles69 I mean, they didn't transform into aliens like universal unity. Normal people. Combine is not a bad organization, it's just doing what it's supposed to do. The game makes us look bad.

[@zekalveeryo9938]

1:10 Me hauling all of grandmas groceries single handedly in one whole trip.

[@edchampion3720]

You Chad

[@mycatstolemyphone3648]

Blood type: monster energy

[@Auriee_]

@@mycatstolemyphone3648 Blood type: Protein Shake

[@SO-Negative]

Gets to the kitchen with groceries: Sector clear. Opens empty fridge: No visual of the suspect. Grandma comes to kitchen: You, pick up the can.

[@zekalveeryo9938]

@@SO-Negative Me: Negative Grandma: You want a non compliance verdict?!

[@miecraftandmoregames]

Bro you should get hired for Valve to do cinematic trailer for their games, this is top tier quality stuff.

[@MrRisdon1]

Valve requires game industry experience. So, get a job somewhere else, THEN Valve.

[@jadefalcon001]

Hard agree on quality. This is excellent!

[@CMBUnion]

*yeah*

[@Neo2266.]

Hey, it happened to James Benson

[@SlebanDogux]

@@Neo2266. Wait, that dude got hired by valve? I thought he was just a dude who made some cool Half Life animations

[@Christian-gr3gu]

Did not expect for combine to be so badass

[@CMBUnion]

*yes we are*

[@combineadvisorwithinternet6040]

@@CMBUnion Who gave you permission to speak? You want a malcompliance verdict?

[@sharki9876]

really?? Why not

[@overwatchvoice-092]

@@CMBUnion Premature mission termination will result in- 50% rank points 50% reproduction credits Immediate Amputation Permanent off-world service assignment

[@overwatchadvisor2127]

@@combineadvisorwithinternet6040 Talk about Low rank's

[@CrusadingJello]

1:09 You can see how heavy the Wallhammer (big dude with the shotgun) is when he runs across the room. The floor vibrates heavily, and dirt and small rocks kick up from the floor... That would be terrifying IRL, especially if you knew what they could do. It was just impending doom of a dude in thick armour that could resist shotgun blasts point-blank, had their own heavy shotgun, and a shield they could deploy to nullify even explosions.

[@knightlightofmine]

The Charger waddling over was adorable in a way, other than yknow, being a killing machine.

[@jeremy_byrdpikachu3607]

"Wallhammer is pushing sector." In all seriousness, I can agree with you on this comment.

[@Sapphiregamer8605]

Holy hell how much people are you subscribed to? Rest in piece for your notifications

[@Russian_Vergil19]

Он машина не для убийств, а машина для порядка

[@Neo2266.]

I keep coming back to this I love how even though we never see their faces and it's less than a minute these guys have got personalities. at 0:40 Echo One is concerned that more of his memories will be wiped again, and the Ordinal is almost enjoying confirming that reality to him

[@idkwhattoputhere.9891]

I would also be concerned with getting my memories wiped out just to be turned into a murder machine without a personality

[@jasonx1174]

Makes you think of just how much the lower ranking soldiers are likely suffering underneath their superior officers and general leadership.

[@averybishopmartin6964]

@@jasonx1174 No doubt they still suffer but they still get significantly better treatment and living conditions than the citizens do.

[@scott-gaming.8834]

please, tell me more details

[@Neo2266.]

@@scott-gaming.8834 I have a comment full of details and criticisms on the Protectors video this guy made

[@richardavelino7383]

1:10 I was convinced at this point that you were going to surprise us all and do a Meet the Spy homage done with Combine....

[@vit968]

Oh that could be hilarious. And then the Spy is revealed to be Alyx or something.

[@ganii1804]

INCOMIIIIIIING

[@fatis2745]

Hey, it's still here

[@gutke7564]

@@fatis2745 *cough* Gentlemen?

[@theant2266]

@@gutke7564 - Meet the Spy -

[@TheParryGod]

The absolute mad lad with 3 videos in a single calendar year.

[@TheNairOG]

Please don’t stop. They are amazing!!

[@Reboot_User_Khookie]

You mad lad you did it!

[@peluchefps]

Send this to All Things Lambda!

[@Bordie3D]

keep going!

[@DrewRushmer]

I almost never comment on KZbin any longer, but man, this was so well done! Keep it comin!

[@combinecornercosplay]

The best sfm for hla ive seen so far amazing! Please more that shows us the point of view from combine perspective.

[@TheParryGod]

Thank you! Absolutely love your Ordinal cosplay. I'll see what I can do if I ever make something like this again.

[@combinecornercosplay]

@@TheParryGod i appreciate it!

[@jasonx1174]

How much time did it take for you to make that Ordinal cosplay? It's really amazing!

[@Tinteex]

@@jasonx1174 it took me 6 months, but that was due to my procrastination. if youre dedicated it could definately take less than 2 weeks. you should check kekkudas vort cosplay. its absolutely mindblowingy real.

[@benb.8550]

This blew my fucking mind! Everything 1:01 and beyond was pure eyecandy!

[@stellarr1]

I love what you did at 1:30. It's such a small detail almost nobody will notice, but the finger off the trigger till he's confirmed that he's ready to engage is such a neat detail. It feels so human to understand that trigger discipline when you could've just left it on the trigger, like most animators would do. Amazing animation, even one year later.

[@Crazyscob]

The way how they move is so realistic and satisfying

[@Crazak53]

This is awesome! Also, that exchange about “refresh and resolve” really hammers home how much of a dystopian hell world Earth is under Combine rule.

[@thedoruk6324]

+Crazak 53 *memories included*

[@Corrupt_Canine]

When they said that I was expecting one of the ECHOs to kill the CWUs due to memory replacement.

[@jasonx1174]

@@thedoruk6324 that part I liked a lot mainly because of Echo 1 asking if the memories were included. Like he hoped he would keep his.

[@thedoruk6324]

@@jasonx1174 exactly

[@Mini-wd7qz]

I think the combine is better than rebels the rebels are honestly the bad guys because they just kill everybody they see

[@fellll9774]

I just really love how the wallhammer's sheer weight and heavy weapons role is shown clearly through the sounds, camera shots and the way they walk!

[@realwazz]

1:10 me running into kitchen at 3:00 pm

[@tenmacinh2152]

Relatable. I mean everyone wear heavy armor plate and carry heavy shotgun to raid their fridge in the middle of the night.

[@ellioteathan2626]

@@tenmacinh2152 Nah mat i think hes talking bout the CWU in the background m8

[@somethingenthusiast]

3pm?

[@AltairBlue]

Also can we talk about how the armored combine walks and stands like heavy from tf2? 😳

[@ellioteathan2626]

@@AltairBlueNah its probably because its heavy so its weighing him down to one side just like the heavy from tf2 except he has no fancy unusuals or strange weapons or wacky cosmetics all around him

[@movealongjon]

Wow, fantastic work! I loved the cinematography, the fluidity, the little details. The grunt asking “memories included” was such a genius use of that line, really added character to the soldiers. (I’m also biased cause I love the Combine soldiers in HLA and how much personality they have lol) Subbed and liked!

[@captaincancer7786]

Echo One's aggressively saying "Keep it moving" to the worker really hammered it home. His own frustration at the system just sort of boiled over into his interactions with others.

[@jasonx1174]

@@captaincancer7786 and what's tragic is that he hates the system and likely wants to do something but with how strong the Combine are he feel he has no choice but to comply and live with the system.

[@lordazn]

One thing that I just noticed and love is how they formed up before the door. Wallhammer immediately takes front and center to take advantage of his shotgun and armor while the two grunts take the flanks, knowing Wallhammer will need their rapid fire SMG support. Meanwhile, Ordinal takes the rear to command and control but even he is slightly offset so he can actually see what's going on and keep wallhammer out of his line of fire. This isn't just some tacticool scene, there is a competent method to their madness.

[@melissahunter2]

absouloutely stunning work, as always. The visuals, the atmosphere, and even the way the team moves into position without an ounce of hesitation is just... MWAH.

[@hamps19]

That's probably the best boot in all of video games. But for real, well done Parry you are a putting out some insanely good stuff

[@deltahat2625]

A 4 player coop game where you play as a Combine Overwatch team would actually be pretty cool.

[@SomeKindaSpy]

Something like Republic Commando but as the Combine Overwatch.

[@Manajuana]

playing with your buds, raiding apartments in city 17 and beating up civilians. sounds amazing :'D

[@Ahkoto]

This is my first time stumbling across your channel, and I've rewatched all three of this year's videos multiple times now. I cannot sing enough praise of your work. Absolutely the most stunning, atmospheric, and goosebump-inducing sfm videos I've EVER seen. You are an artist and I cannot wait to see what else you create!

[@TheParryGod]

Thank you. Glad you enjoy the stuff I make. I should have something new up in a couple of days or so, so keep an eye out for that ;)

[@Ahkoto]

@@TheParryGod *LOUD CHIMP SCREAMING*

[@smoltanker]

This is trailer level quality. I mean it gives me hopes and dreams for a Combine focused, (probably) squad based game or movie. It's just MWAH.

[@eternal7912]

Yeah, imagine Republic Commando but you're play as an Ordinal commanding your squad on various missions. While the Ordinal, Wallhammer and Suppressor would be fairly inhuman, they would still have some hint of personality, while the grunts (who could potentially be dispensable units that come and go) would be the source of comic relief and provide the human aspect.

[@smoltanker]

@@eternal7912 See you get it

[@jasonx1174]

@@eternal7912 glad I'm not the only one who dreams of a Republic Commando Style game for Half Life. Especially with how distinct the soldiers in Alyx are.

[@eternal7912]

@@jasonx1174 Yeah, that game was amazing. And HLA's soldiers kinda make me think of a more dystopian sci fi team fortress type thing.

[@saphojuiced]

@@eternal7912 Good idea. An alternative would be the L4D formula of a multiplayer squad versus hordes. They went with that for Vermintide (Warhammer) and for the upcoming WH40K title centered on a squad of guardsmen.

[@LostHope777]

1:10 The civil workers union be like: oh heck nah im out

[@centercannothold]

Union labor be like

[@Geostationary0rbit]

I like the scene where all the combine get ordered to undergo new memory wipe and there is this collective unease and reluctance between the characters, you get the feeling every one of them is considering at least for a split second if they could take everyone eles in the room and disobey the order.

[@GarbageGuyAtGames]

their eyes are replaced withe the lenses on their masks so if they tried anything overwatch would revoke their eye priveleges

[@pickleson4573]

Oh my god 0:24 looks like a shot out of a live-action film. Animation, lighting, cinematography are all extraordinary!

[@Some-q1]

1:10 bro has the heavy weapons guy run

[@piemanpeek2357]

“I’m coming for you!” Headass

[@Splash696]

That's badass as atmospheric as hell.

[@andromeda32916]

i like how the combine workers at 1:10 is using the default gmod walking animation

[@Gryphon_2006]

Gotta say, never expected you to upload something like this. Neat

[@erikpng]

Once again… amazing. The amount of detail… holy moly. It's beautiful!

[@willssecretchanel1667]

Can we just appreciate the sound design at 0:25 LIKE HOW DID YOU RECORD THAT SOUND? You can literally hear the shackles on the boot moving

[@DrSabot-A]

Im pretty sure it's from the same "chains in the bag" pack that Valve has been using for Combine gear noises

[@ascentry9472]

It's not that hard. You just get the audio and put it in the background.

[@valikmora]

@@ascentry9472 Not just that, mix it (maybe mastered too) voice panning and reverb to create ambience and sync it all to what's happening on the scene, really tedious and consuming for just one person, so really congrats to him for keeping the SFM HL alive

[@thewiseowl8804]

@@ascentry9472 omg

[@AlexEvans-od4ir]

Echo one almost sounds like a teenager when he says 'memories included' The ordinal is just tired and weary like a parent 'yes memories included'. I also love how the moment the ordinal says refresh and resolve all of the combine workers just get up and leave.

[@basically_nk]

Lore accurate

[@birnel4736]

That camera angle on the boots was such an animation skill flex, i love the stuff you do, its fucking gold.

[@gummycubez]

All the new Alyx sound bits for the combine really help this come together. I'm really excited to see more content about Combine Soldiers now.

[@KarlDaKrab]

Every single one of your half life sfms has been an absolute banger! Love it!

[@cinical7160]

God damnit this was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good. Kudos man, honestly.

[@wilsonpercivalhiggsbury5900]

This is one of the best animations I’ve ever seen! The lighting is pretty, the movement is fluid, and I absolutely love Combine radio chatter in general. This is a work of art.

[@averageanger7092]

The second worker at 0:56 almost looked like he was about to fall over, or fall against the wall. He stumbled a small bit before he got yelled at by the Echo. With how fast the Echo responded, it's likely he may have fallen or tried to rest on multiple occasions... So much so that the Echo is used to it at this point. Or perhaps they're just that observant, capable of 'identifying' human emotion easily. Either I'm seeing things where they're not, or the detail in this is crazy. Either way, brilliant animation.

[@SkizBoots]

Wow. Great cinematography. That panning shot around the boot is absolutely excellent.

[@TheParryGod]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@EveryoneIsFightingSomeBattle]

That is an awesome video! I keep rewatching it. To me, one huge testimonial to the quality of this video, is that despite not knowing anything about the Half-Life franchise - other than it's a very popular FPS, this video had me hooked from the start. So much so I've watched it repeatedly, as well as started researching to learn more about the Combine soldiers, and what their missions entail. I would love to see a full-length feature one day!

[@TheParryGod]

Thank you! It's humbling to hear that it managed to hook you even without prior knowledge of the HL universe. If you have the chance, I can only recommend these games. Even if you're not big on FPS titles the story is something to experience.

[@jobRobbemond]

This is really cool! I love the smooth animations, the level of detail in every aspect of the video, and the overall atmosphere. Outstanding work Parry.

[@JohnBad]

Спасибо!

[@VickMcbread]

just watching giant combine soldiers lumber around and talk to eachother without having to hide from them or fight them is so cool!

[@Harry-mt2xs]

Awesome, how you get so much emotion into 1:46 is mad. Love this step to source filmmaker !!

[@LowKeyDokiDoki]

The way you make these never ceases to impress, holy shit keep up the great work.

[@Hampter_4312]

1:11 I like the way wall hammer walks bro it's kinda hilarious😂

[@STINKY_MAN5555]

Nah that shows it's a beast

[@the100radsstalker93]

The Combine ordinal is sick.

[@tanybrachid]

Bruh, this is so well made

[@AbdiYohan]

Your cinematography is freakin TOP NOTCH.

[@wave_o]

YOU ARE INSANE! You will definitely find a lot of success this is just amazing. This is exactly the content I've been looking for, thank you so much for making it!

[@TheParryGod]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@XiasIV]

Mom: Come downstairs I brought McDonalds. Me: 1:10

[@QuellicheilMarza]

Source 2 texture looks so amazing, but you have excelent taste in photography

[@Tgungen]

Its amazing we all have a massive surplus of extreme quality Half Life animations now

[@Bordie3D]

Back watching this over and over again. I love these photorealistic designs. Gosh I love how the soldiers have more realistic battle stations like there's the radioman, the machinegunner, the rifleman. Love it

[@RayTC]

I love the chatter, very immersive

[@thepissedoffcombinesoldier7853]

My fat ass stumbling to the kitchen at 3 AM: 1:10

[@charlyxyfnvc]

wtf, this is my second s2fm video i see, how tf i got nervous and excited in 1 minutes and 47 seconds, this is so well made it's unbelievable

[@saintpizza69]

That’s actually really well made and it’s really cool I like it good job keep up the good work.

[@Seyomint]

I love all the little details such as trigger discipline! Good stuff

[@neofromthewarnerbrothersic145]

God this is so good. I would do unspeakable things to get a feature-length movie or series of this.

[@samik83]

Had to watch this 3 time in a row....and now I gotta play HLA

[@idkwhattoputhere.9891]

Hla is a great game, but you need a decent vr headset and computer for it, i recommend getting a valve index or oculus quest 2

[@kevinlofgren4824]

You make the best Combine fan-made videos ever! Keep it up!

[@crislobo12]

Whoa, this is so hd. Everything feels so real. Even the voice acting is so legit sounding.

[@kurtsurban2081]

This is really neat, I've never played the Half:Life series but this gives me a feel for the combine.

[@TheMasterGamer64]

This animation NEVER GETS ANY LESS HYPE, no matter HOW MUCH I watch it. Makes me wish there was a combat sequence too.

[@x_ALLMIND_x]

"The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference"

[@conscripted2782]

it's so funny to me how you can instantly recognize the classic source jog that the NPC's have, especially at 1:09 with the workers in the background

[@PillagerCaptain]

I love how the Charger moves. Great work!!

[@Lylamariam]

This is so stunning! Great Work!

[@liammelon309]

man why are you so good at this kind of stuff

[@spudermun9522]

I like the small detail of the concern and questioning of one of the combine grunts saying, "Including memories?" when the ordinal says that overwatch requires them to refresh and resolve. (Which is like memory wiping.) Combine grunts still have some amount of their personality and conscience left, and the idea of refreshing and resolving may be quite scary.

[@mango9087]

The combine vocoder is so good. And the clicky beeps of their radios too...

[@thedoruk6324]

Hooly! This is quite well made! Splendid work! Kudos and Appreciation to your for using the Non combat workforce of combine the *Engineer core* *Update is live acceptance is mandatory* so Combine Uses literal wi fi to alter the thought patterns of their soldiers! Neat!

[@TheParryGod]

Thank you! Yeah that line just stuck in my brain when I first heard it. Such an amazingly terrifying insight into the inner workings of the Combine.

[@thedoruk6324]

@@TheParryGod It is way much more unsettling compared to hl2 brainwashing machines the half life alyx combine *is* directly up to date with the latest developed human technology and easily *combine* the technology to their form and necessities

[@TheParryGod]

@@thedoruk6324 I like to think those machines are used for installing or maintaining the synthetic body components, maybe turning a regular soldier to an elite or an APF, and the soldiers' "firmware" so to speak are updated wirelessly just as we hear in HL:A.

[@thedoruk6324]

@@TheParryGod That is very possible albeit we already seen the cybernetic components in the Alyx game although they were still noticeably humane

[@felinusfeline5559]

At 0:24 those boots looked so detailed my brain for a few seconds went "that's real life"

[@thealandude9146]

You make this really feel like they're working as a team with communication and stuff

[@King-jp8sx]

Perfectly captured the Wallhammer’s chunkiness

[@szymonrusek7844]

He thicc

[@moistexistence3090]

I have been watching all your videos and it just seems to be never ending masterpieces.

[@johnmadden5042]

this video is the definition of eye and ear candy

[@thor6872]

I love how well you made the wallhammer sound so realistically heavy, great sound design and overall animation

[@lxdgamer1215]

Thanks for making this animation, i had a lot of fun voicing it

[@jackdaniels5071]

0:32 *actual nonsense* "Transmission clear"

[@subque8556]

Remarkable sound quality, truly sounds like a real world!

[@Ajc-ni3xn]

i love how intimidating, heavy, massive, and slightly goofy the chargers look in your animation. super well done.

[@911IceMike]

Stunning, amazing work

[@MrGrumpyGames]

DUUUDE THIS GAVE ME CHILLS

[@anterosUA]

it's unbelievable, dude, keep up the good work, I'm looking forward to it!

[@EagleGames95]

1:10 me when pizza rolls are done

[@fellmortem42069]

Love the unit tactics. Youve gained a sub my mam. Ill be binging all these vidyas now

[@jimines6422]

Splendid animation, massively underrated content creator. :)

[@combinecommando001]

One thing I thoroughly enjoy in these shorts, the proper trigger discipline.

[@cheezkid2689]

That was by far one of the smoothest things I've ever seen. Amazing.

[@Chimera262]

he didnt rest his finger upon the trigger till after contain and control was declared to be underway. I, really, appreciate that.

[@GideonOnDahMic]

this looks damn good man! cannot wait for future shorts

[@Bordie3D]

You have no idea how much this made me smile. If you make more, I will watch. I'm subscribed.

[@BangZamArt]

i am intrigued Animations look natural, camera angles and sound effects are very high quality. Awesome!!

[@animationglows3961]

Just all the little movements is the best in animations like these, love it.