Half-Life 2: Episode One Guide by Grawl
grawler (@t) gmail (d0t) com                         
10/21/06 - Version 1.2
http://www.grawl.nl                 
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Introduction
====================================

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To make searching easier, I added search-codes in the TOC. Just press CTRL + F
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======================================
Table of Contents                                        [HL.00.00]
======================================

*Table of Contents.................................................[HL.00.00]
* History & Next Version............................................[HL.01.01]
* Introduction......................................................[HL.02.01]
* Walkthrough.......................................................[HL.03.01]
  * Prologue........................................................[HL.03.02]
  * Chapter 1: Undue Alarm..........................................[HL.03.03]
  * Chapter 2: Direct Intervention..................................[HL.03.04]
  * Chapter 3: Lowlife..............................................[HL.03.05]
  * Chapter 4: Urban Fight..........................................[HL.03.06]
  * Chapter 5: Exit 17..............................................[HL.03.07]
  * Coming Soon.....................................................[HL.03.08]
* Cheats & Secrets..................................................[HL.04.01]
  * Console Cheats..................................................[HL.04.02]
* Weapons...........................................................[HL.05.01]
* Enemies & Bosses..................................................[HL.06.01]
* Allies............................................................[HL.07.01]
* FAQ...............................................................[HL.08.01]
* Conclusion........................................................[HL.09.01]
   
==============================================================================
History & Next Version                                              [HL.01.01]
==============================================================================

Version 0.1 (06/02/06) - Everything is new. (17,4KB)
Version 0.2 (06/03/06) - Updated walkthrough, added more FAQs, Weapons
 section added, Enemies & Bosses section added, Allies section added, labelled
 the walkthrough with chapters, introduction changed. (38,3KB)
Version 1.0 (06/04/06) - Finished walkthrough, updated Allies section, updated
 Enemies & Bosses section, updated Weapons section. (60,6KB)
Version 1.1 (06/07/06) - Fixed the name of Chapter 4 and some more silly
 mistakes, added some puzzle tactics, added cheats, added an FAQ. (63,8KB)
Version 1.2 (10/21/06) - Added a strategy in the part where the elevator goes
 down and you need to protect Gordon and Alex from upcoming trash. (64,0KB)

==============================================================================
Introduction                                                        [HL.02.01]
==============================================================================

Taken from the official site:

"Half-Life introduced the world to bespectacled young physicist Gordon
Freeman, Ph.D. A simple research assistant at the Black Mesa Research
Facility, Gordon is thrust into the center of a cosmic war by a teleportation
experiment gone badly wrong. Alien creatures from distant alien hellholes
scramble through a shattered dimensional barrier and set about butchering the
Black Mesa staff as a prelude to exterminating life on Earth. Government
forces quickly arrive to eliminate the alien threat. Unfortunately, their
methodical killing spree targets every human witness as well. Thanks to an
experimental hazard suit, Gordon is able to navigate this violent confusion
of creatures, staff, and homicidal soldiers, finally reaching then destroying
what appears to be the monstrous source of the infestation. The victory is
short-lived, however. Gordon's heroics catch the attention of a sinister
interdimensional bureaucrat. The G-Man, as he's come to be called, seals
Gordon in stasis far from Earth, thought, and time itself.

Gordon emerges from the darkness, nearly two decades removed from his last
conscious thought. The G-Man has reawakened him, though the briefcase-toting
official's intentions are murky at best. Gordon is back on Earth, but it is an
Earth marred almost beyond recognition by a succession of alien overlords
known as The Combine. Gordon finds himself a powerless, faceless citizen of
City 17, a grim metropolis in what was once Europe. Whether through luck or
the G-Man's subtle influence, he's soon the center of a burgeoning resistance
movement led by rebel scientists from Black Mesa, including Gordon's friends,
Drs. Isaac Kleiner and Eli Vance. More importantly, Gordon is reunited with
his protective hazard suit. With the help of Vance's daughter, Alyx, and her
enormous pet robot, Dog, Gordon embarks on a fugitive journey that pits him
against Combine war machines, alien horrors, and the modified human
collaborators who enforce The Combine will. Though he is able to rally the
resistance into open war against their totalitarian oppressors, Gordon ends up
imprisoned in a massive Combine fortress called The Citadel. Here he meets the
Combine's traitorous human liaison, Dr. Wallace Breen. Gordon escapes, and
with Alyx at his side, puts an end to Breen's treachery by destroying The
Citadel's teleport reactor. As the blast engulfs Alyx and Gordon, the G-Man,
his mysterious goals apparently satisfied, reappears to once again toss his
pawn into timeless cold storage.

Consciousness returns. Gordon and Alyx discover they've somehow escaped both
the reactor explosion and the G-Man's malevolent grasp. Before they can ponder
their miraculous survival, the crippled Citadel lurches back to life just long
enough to initiate a self-destruct sequence. With Alyx at his side, Gordon
must flee a city in chaos before the Citadel's final detonation turns City 17
into a toxic, mutant-infested crater."

==============================================================================
Walkthrough                                                         [HL.03.01]
==============================================================================

Some hints and tips to get you started:
* Remember to check out the controls. Some features won't be discussed
  anywhere, so you might miss the zoom-function of the suit, for example
  (that's the Z-button, by the way).
* Run, walk or crawl while shooting, that way you're harder to hit.
* Save often, but not when you're low on health.
* Even if I don't tell you to do things, you can still try them out. There's
  nothing wrong with trying to talk to someone, unless I tell you not to do
  so.
* Reload your gun when you're not in battle to be sure you won't start the
  next battle with just one bullet before you have to reload.
* Aim for exploding barrels, because they'll blow things up, including
  enemies that are near. Don't take cover behind one of these barrels
  yourself, obviously. When Combines roll them towards you, shoot them before
  the barrels arrive.
* If you need health, it's fine to go back a few rooms to get it. You get the
  idea? You can also do this for ammo, suit energy or whatever you want to
  get.
* Most weapons (only the Crossbow) don't have a zoom-function. However, there
  is a way around it. Zoom with your suit (Z-button), aim, go back to the
  original view, and shoot. It's not a way to quickly snipe Combines down,
  but it works.
In the walkthrough, I'll add *Loading* quite a few times. This means the game
will load a new area and you'll have to wait a few moments. Not only for that
reason I decided to add it, but it'll also make searching more easier. I've
seen Half-Life 2 guides, but they aren't really organised, so it can be hard
to find the spot you need.
Sometimes, in levels with a lot of walking, I won't describe every corner for
you. If you see an enemy, just shoot it. Don't let it attack you, just because
I didn't tell you to defend yourself. If I tell you to get from A to B, I
assume you're able to go there without too much trouble.

And the biggest note; THIS GUIDE CONTAINS SPOILERS! Don't use it if you don't
want the game to be spoiled for you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prologue                                                            [HL.03.02]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tell me, Dr. Freeman, if you can. You have destroyed so much. What is it,
 exactly, that you have created? Can you name even one thing? I thought not."

A little speech by Dr. Breen. Soon after we'll see the end of Half-Life 2.
The core is exploding and Alyx is in the middle of all the trouble. However,
suddenly vortigaunts will show up and teleport Alyx away. G-man shows up and
will tell you he'll see about that.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 1: Undue Alarm                                              [HL.03.03]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some light, some rubbish. Dog will soon dig you out and you and Alyx will
rejoice. Hooray! Dog will give you your Gravity Gun back, which is a weapon
you'll be using for a long time, until you finally find a normal gun. Alyx
can jump onto the ledge ahead, but you can't. On the side you'll find a few
planks holding back a gate. Shoot them off, and the gate will drop, allowing
you to head onto the ledge and find Alyx again.

Alyx will contact her father, and obviously there's trouble up ahead. The
citadel is about to explode, and you're way too close to make that a
comfortable explosion. However, there is one way: inverting the core. Of
course Alyx and Gordon accept this quest.

Dog will create a new path. Follow it, making sure you shoot away and rubbish
that's in the way. Once you reached the other side, Dog will show up, and even
come up with an idea. He'll run away again, and throw a car your way. Be sure
you avoid it.

The idea Dog has, is to put you two into the car, and throw you into the
citadel. Seems like a fine idea to me. Step into the passengers seat and Dog
will throw you. However, he doesn't really put you into a safe position, so
the car will go for a short roller coaster ride.

Step out of the car when it's standing still. As soon as Alyx gets out, the
thing will fall down and make a big boom. Good thing Gordon Freeman is such a
cool guy. Take a look to your left, and head that way. Something will explode,
but ignore it. Follow the path from there.

*Loading*

Alyx states you two need to find a way down the core. Way to go Alyx! Jump off
the platform onto the lower ground, and Alyx will follow you. Continue until
you find a shield, and two Stalkers behind the glass. Alyx can't open it, but
notices the Roller Mines. Head into that direction, and follow it until you
find an elevator going up and down. Don't take it, but keep going until you
find a button. As soon as you press it, all the Roller Mines will drop down
and start to attack you.

Press the button, and run back. Use the alternative attack of the Gravity Gun
to get hold of one (right mouse button) and head to the elevator. Take it up
and show the thing to Alyx. She will modify it, so it'll attack the Stalkers.
Let go off it, and let it do the work. Once Alyx has disabled the field,
continue your journey.

After a short walk you'll notice some Combine Soldiers running over a bridge,
but they won't survive it. Just keep going until you find out your path is
blocked. Start shooting the objects, and more Combines will run it. However,
some weird device will activate itself and electrify them. Ah well, that's
nice too.

When you keep going, you'll find a bridge, and some Combines running over it.
However, the devices on the side of it will knock them off. Time your run,
and hold Shift to sprint. Make it to the other side, and let Alyx follow you.
If you keep going you'll end up in a room with a load of red lasers. Jump
down.

Alyx will check the console, and suddenly find a stream of Dr. Breen. However,
it's just a recorded movie, so no need to worry. Something to worry about is
the thing that appears on the screen. It'll pass you buy underneath the
glass floor, and then be launched into the air. Both you and Alyx seem to
react quite strange to the sounds and noise it makes.

After a short walk you'll find yourself in a room with more strange devices.
Gordon will throw the Gravity Gun away, and the thing will be upgraded, just
like it was upgraded at the end of Half-Life 2. Now you can shoot your
enemies with it, drag them towards you and pick and blow away heavier objects.
At the end of the hall is...

*Loading*

Nothing special. Heal yourself, and then find the bridge that's not activated
yet. With your improved Gravity Gun you can drag energy balls towards you.
Grab one (don't hold them for too long or they'll explode) and shoot it
towards the device underneath the bridge on the other side. Once you do this,
Combines will charge towards you and Alyx. Get rid of them, and find the next
'broken' bridge.

Fix it, and more Combines will join the fun. At the final bridge, you'll
notice there is a glass shield in front of one of the devices. The key is to
make the energy ball bounce between the glass and the wall, until it hits the
device. Follow the path when it's fixed for more trouble.

After a while you'll see a Strider (if you're fast enough) and a big ship
floating, flying and crashing. Just follow the path until you find a room on
your right side. Enter it and Alyx will open the door.

*Loading*

Keep going until you find a big elevator. Grab an energy ball and enable it
by shooting the ball into the device. Be sure to heal yourself first if
needed. When the elevator is going down, rubbish will start to fall down.
If the big things hit the elevator, it's game over. Grab an energy ball and
use that to shoot the rubbish, and change it's course. After two pieces the
elevator will stop moving. You can also grab the debris when it comes close
enough, and then simply shoot it away.

Note: The rubbish is coming from above, so look up.

Look for the device. It's behind glass. Drag the computer away and then shoot
an energy ball, letting it bounce onto the wall into the device. When you go
down, you'll need to shoot another piece of rubbish away. Soon after, the lift
will stop again.

Remove the machines and shoot an energy ball into the device. However, a
Stalker will mess things up. Shoot it and then active the device for a second
time to go down again. When the elevator is all the way down, run away from
it, since a lot of things will fall down. Heal yourself and then enter the
door ahead.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 2: Direct Intervention                                      [HL.03.04]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the other side of the doors you'll find machines. Alyx will check them out,
and finds out the Combines are actually planning to blowing up the reactor.
She'll open the elevator for you, and after some emotional moments you'll go
down.

The first thing you'll notice is the Stalker on the other side of the room.
Use your Gravity Gun to get an energy ball and blow him away. Watch out for
its laser, since it hurts.

You'll notice more of the "bridge-devices". One is on the other side of the
room (yes, active it), and one is behind you. This will create the first
bridge for you. Cross the room and active the device that's now in your line
of sight to active the second bridge. Cross it, and find the device with a
red button. When you active it, the bridges will turn, and lead to the
central part of the room.

Head there and climb up the ladder. Once up follow the path to enter a room
with Combines. Get rid of them, since they are annoying. Heal yourself and
notice the device above the window. Go back into the main room, grab a ball
and use it to active the device. Remember the ball won't stay onto your gun
forever, so hurry up a bit. What'll happen is that a machine will pop up from
the big plate on the floor, and shoot something at the core. Whatever it is,
it helps us.

When you did this, a door will open. Simply keep following the path, getting
rid of the Combines, until you find a closed door and some sort of electrical
pillar with one energy ball into it. Grab the ball to open the door, which'll
lead to the core again.

Now comes a tricky part. Note how the core explodes and then implodes again.
If you touch the core you'll die. Time it properly, and sprint to the other
side of the room. From here keep going, getting rid of even more Combines
until you find a room with a "2" and another device. Active it, and then find
the elevator.

Head up, heal yourself and keep fighting, battling, screaming and cursing
until you end up in the room with the core again, this time above the core.
Jump from the balcony you're on, onto one of the four panels that are
turning around the core.

As soon as you step onto a panel Combines will rush in, plus a truckload of
Manhacks. Grab the Manhacks and hit them onto something solid to get rid of
them. Note how Alyx is following every move you make from the chamber she's
in. When you're done, jump onto the other balcony and keep on fighting.

Eventually you'll end up in chamber 3, and some Combines will greet you. Show
them you don't like them and then grab an energy ball from chamber behind
the broken glass and use it to activate the device. The machine will come up,
but stop working. Head down into the room where the machine was, and you'll
notice the pillars aren't working. Grab energy balls and shoot them at the
three pillars. Make sure you're standing on the elevator (just stand in the
hole where the machine came from) when you're activating the third pillar. Go
up and activate the device again. This time it'll work and the core has been
deinterventioned (or something).

Another door will open and it'll lead back to our lovely Alyx. Alyx will show
you something in the room with the elevator about Judith. Be sure to heal
yourself too if needed. As soon as Alyx copies this sensitive information,
the alarm will go off. Just follow Alyx. She'll tell you your Gravity Gun
changed back into your trusty ol' one. Ah well... Keep on going.

*Loading*

Combines will show up, but you're obviously no match for them with no serious
weapon. Just run down the hall and Alyx will shut the door shut (what a
lovely sentence did I just make). When you continue, two Roller Mines will
show up. Grab them both with your Gravity Gun and move them to Alyx. She'll
make them friendly, so they won't harm you two anymore.

In the room ahead some Combines will show up. Alyx will open the door, and the
Roller Mines will do the rest for you. It's time to board the train when the
Combines are gone. Heal yourself and hop inside.

At first Alyx is happy, until she discovers you're both in a Stalker train.
Things ain't so nice in there. Something bad will happen and the train will
crash. To make things worst the Stalkers will awaken and scream their lungs
out. One is even attracted to Alyx and is trying to kiss her. Keep pulling
him off with your Gravity Gun until Alyx is freed. Hop out of the train and
crawl in the next room.

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