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People don't trust Kleiner? Pffft.

I don't trust Alyx. Yeah she follows you about and shoots anything that gets in your face, and she makes little doe eyes and simpers at you (here's a hint: any woman that can kick a zombine to death is unlikely to be found simpering at ANYONE).

C'mon: The HL2 writers surely won't be SOOOOO cliched as to have Freeman defeat the bad guys, save the universe and get the girl? Can't see it myself.

The G-Man, whatever his actual motivation might be, seems to have far, far more hold over her than could ever ultimately be good for Freeman. In Episode 2 she does what he tells her without realising she is doing it.

Regardless of what purpose he had in mind for her, he obviously now considers her expendable (hence leaving her to die in the explosion at the close of HL2). At what point does Freeman's usefullness expire and what will be the method of his contract termination?

Remember:

Breen: Did you know your contract was open to the highest bidder, Doctor Freeman?

Alyx: Don't listen to him, Gordon.

Wouldn't a more sensible response be something along the lines of "Contract? What's he talking about?". Unless, of course, she already knew exactly what he was talking about...

I'm expecting a massive, massive stab in the back in EP3. And if you're questioning what Alyx's possible motivation might be? It appears the Vortigaunts can bring someone back from the edge of death and the true extent of the G-Man's powers has never been revealed - certainly he can operate outside the rules of conventional physics (stopping time, for instance)...can he surpass the vortigaunts abilities and bring back the dead?

Kleiner looks like my physics teacher.

Hmm. Interesting points there, but I don't quite buy it. I personally didn't see her as simpering, except possibly behavior in Episode 1 which I interpreted as an intense phobia of Stalkers. The "Don't listen to him" thing ... well, it could go one way or another, but I interpreted it as "Don't listen to him, he's lying." She also wasn't likely very interested in expressing confusion (i.e. weakness) in front of Breen.

I'm also not sure what you're trying to get at with the "bring back from the dead" thing. You mean the G-Man promised to resurrect Alyx's mother? Or what?

You're forgetting one thing. At the beginning of HL2 Ep1. Gordon is freed from the Gman by the Vorts

But maybe he just let them do that!
(j/k)


Personally I don't think Valve are capable of a stab in the back of that magnitude, not after the time (and money!) they spent in Ep1&2 fleshing out Alyx as a person.

Magnusson now, he'd stab Gordon in the back and sell his mother for glue at the drop of a hat if you ask me...

It'd be interesting for her to have some ulterior motive, though. Probably not probable. But interesting.

My perdiction for the direction of Episode Three:

-Helicopter gets shot down near the Borealis with Gordon/Alyx in it
-Copter crashes at the top of a large ridge of ice overlooking the Borealis
-Combine elites dispatched to intercept Freeman (white uniforms blend with snow better)
-Blizzard strikes, cutting visibility (Use new weather effects system, possibly Cinematic Physics for a snow filter, high env_wind, large amount of fogging, etc.)
- Gordon and wounded Alyx arrive at the Borealis and enter the ship
-The ship has a fairly old crusty interior, old corpses from the teleport accident and the "survivors" bodies are found in places throughout the vessel
-Ship's security system is initially Freeman's ally when it kills several Overwatch attempting to blow a hole in the top of the ship for a breaching manuver, but eventually turns on Freeman who it identifies as a corporate spy for Black Mesa
-Mossman is close to death by the time Gordon and Alyx reach her, reveal that Borealis has a teleport devise aboard that is capible of reaching the Combine homeworld, and that her team has taken a nuclear missile warhead onto the ship, the plan being to teleport the ship to the combine homeworld and detonate a nuclear devise. She gives Alyx the launch codes for the teleport matrix and dies when a combine assassin gets the drop on Gordon. Gordon's HEV suit locks up and is forced to watch as Alyx and the assassin fight hand to hand (Alyx has some flip animations in HL2, she can do rolls and Matrix style backflip stunts. Look in the animation files, it's there.) Alyx dispatches the Assassin by ripping a pipe off the wall and bludgoning the assassin to death and unlocks Gordon's suit. (Interesting, how does she know how to work an HEV suit? Plot twist impending...) Gordon and Alyx then make their way through the ship, with other assassins on the prowl and some various other Xen organisms, including a brief showdown with an Itheosaur in an area of the ship that has been breached by Combine (Scripted event for Cinematic Physics- the hull breach causes the entire ship to list and water to flow in as the Combine attempt to take some sort of water-born version of the Dropship into the breach, but as the combine begin to exit an Itheosaur tackles the gunship and completely destroys it, also eating an Elite Overwatch in one gulp) before arriving at the teleport field matrix manipulator. Alyx enters the code but is greviously wounded by a Combine. After Gordon dispatches an assassin on his own without Alyx's help, along with two Hunters that breach the wall, Alyx states her intention to stay behind on the ship and see the detonation through. She tells Gordon to get off the ship, that she won't make it, and as the player leaves she tells him that she cared about Gordon much more than he would ever know. With the help of a just arriving Barney, Gordon gets off the ship just as a squadron of five Gunships clears the horizon line, the teleport takes them all out and Gordon is picked up in a chopper by Magnusson, Kleiner, and a rebel that happens to have the face of Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw.(Speculators on the Escapist forums rejoice, there *was* a reason he took a trip to Valve) Then an Advisor attacks the helicopter mid-flight (it's Dr. Breen reincarnate!) and the player fights off the advisor in a spectacular ariel fight (Cinematic physics at work on the helicopter listing and turning in the blizzard). We finally exit the area and fly in over White Forest at sunrise. Kleiner consoles the player on Alyx's loss in what has become his tradmark humorous understating nature, Magnusson beriles him and offers more serious consolation, humanizing his character somewhat. The Gman stops time and informs the player that he has completed his contract and will be awaiting "other offers" in his traditional psychadelic vision style and awkward speech.

(Note, this isn't entirely what I bet will happen, but it's partially how I would make ep3.)

That's a pretty entertaining plot, and I'd happily play it, but don't forget, Alyx has just lost her dad.
Mind you, the teleporting alongside a nuke to blow the fuck out of the combine is good, I reckon she'll go for revenge in a quicker and nastier than that, it's a side of her personality we've not seen before, but if any thing is going to bring it out, loosing Eli is it. (and how will Kleiner react to Eli's murder? Or the Vorts?)

dunno about you, but the first advisor I see in Ep3 is going to get a rocket up it's cuff and no mistake.

I can't really see aerial battles in half-life, although they would certainly be interesting. I think gordon may end up being teleported to the Combine Homeworld himself. There, maybe he fights advisors and synths, and ends up in front of the highest ranking advisor, and everything about his contract and employers is revealed. Gordon destroys the homeworld by creating another C17 Citadel explosion that sets off a chain reaction with all the other citadels on the planet. Gordon portals back as this is happening and ends up back on Earth.

I'd have to say that going to the Combine Overworld (referred to as such by Magnusson) is highly unlikely in an episodic game. And of course, having Yahtzee get killed by Advisor Breen would be hilarious.

There's about a 101% chance that somehow Gordon will misplace all of his hard-earned weaponry. How do you think he'll manage it this time? I'm betting on them all being scattered into the snow after the helicopter crashes...

It would make an entertaining cinematic physics segment, wouldn't it? I could totally see that happening.

Helicopter crash is the most likely explanation, but maybe he'll get sucked through a portal...
Or maybe the G-man will intervene, speaking of which, what do you think he wants with the Borealis?
Still think that Alyx will be on a major revenge trip, and I for one will be upset if Dog isn't around.

I'd also like to know where Barney's gotten to ...

That's a good question, does he show up in Ep2 at all? Last time I remember seeing him was at the train station at the end of Ep1, presumably he had time to get a bit further from the blast than Gordon and Alyx so he's probably ok, but where is he...?