Walk-through

Note that, wherever possible, this is a spoiler-free walk-through, so we're not going to describe what occurs during cutscenes except where it's relevant to the gameplay (which is rare). We also assume that you're playing through on hard mode.

Point Insertion / A Red Letter Day

The Trainstation

Welcome to City 17, "Where It's Safer." In case your surroundings didn't clue you in, you can talk to the other blue-jumpsuited inhabitants to confirm that this is, indeed, Squalor Central. It could use a good dose of Carol Channing, if you ask us, but instead, the G-Man has chosen to send you, Gordon Freeman, into the fray, for reasons unbeknownest to us. You're not exactly full of pep.

You can prove your misanthropy, if you wish, by fooling around with the objects and debris strewn about the train station. You can pick up almost all of the trash, boxes, suitcases, etc. that you see with your E button and throw it with your attack button (by default, mouse one). Fool around as long as you wish, but when you're ready to proceed, you'll have to head into the Combine checkpoint. There's nothing to worry about, though, as you'll soon be reunited with none other than the man himself, Barney the security guard. Although his appearance in the original Half Life would often precede a gaping head wound (at least when we played), you're unfortunately unarmed at this point, so you'll have to listen to his conversation with Dr. Kleiner before escaping through the storage room behind the interrogation room. To do so, climb the ladder in the room and stack the two boxes atop one another underneath the window, then jump out.

The Plaza

The game quickly introduces you to Dr. Breen - the ultimate quisling - and the ominous Combine Citadel.

After proceeding through the door (your manipulate key will open it), you'll soon find yourself in another part of the station. Walk through it until you reach the plaza, where you can take a look at the impressive spire that the Combine has apparently constructed in the middle of the city. You can also listen to one of Dr. Breen's little lectures on reproductive rights, if you wish, but when you're ready to move on, head to the right from the station exit and find the alleyway with the ladder above the dumpster. Jump up to the ladder, then head round the corner and into the building beyond the decrepit playground.

Combine troops are apparently raiding the building, but you won't have much to worry about here; your ability to move around will be circumscribed by the troops themselves, so you'll only have one real route to move through. Once you reach the third floor, you'll have to start running, as the raid begins in earnest, and the CP troops will begin chasing you, and rather quickly, at that.

We're not sure whether or not these guys can actually kill you, and we recommend that you not stick around to find out.

When you reach the attic of the building, move out onto the rooftops and start running from building to building. Your path can be difficult to discern in a couple of spots, but so long as you keep moving in a more or less straight line, you should come to a pair of open windows; head inside to meet up with the creepily attractive (for a computer character, at least) Alyx for the first time. She'll escort you to Dr. Kleiner's lab, where you'll get your very own HEV suit!

After the teleportation gone bad, you'll finally get to engage in some combat, although you'll initially only have your trusty crowbar at your side. It's not going to be of much use against the CP troops, since they'll be behind a secure layer of fencing, so just quicksave before you head into the railyard and run through it as quickly as possible. You're going to need your crowbar to bust through a few of the obstacles in the cars themselves. As you make your mad dash to the safety of the sewers on the far side of the tracks, you'll undoubtably take a bit of damage due to the pursuing CP troops, but fret not, for there's a medical station immediately after the start of....