Half-Life 2 map reference

Spoiler Warning
Some information on this page may contain plot spoilers. Continue reading at your own risk.

In the order commonly played, here is every Half-Life 2 map:

Day 1

Arriving in City 17, Route Kanal, Black Mesa East, and ending with Ravenholm.

Point Insertion

Arriving in City 17 all the way to meeting Alyx Vance.

d1_trainstation_01

The map with Gman's intro monologue. From there, the player arrives at the train station, encounters Barney, and leaves the interrogation room with the first freely openable door in the game.

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  Gman speaking to Gordon before dropping him in City 17.

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  The outside.

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  Inside the station.

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  Barney!

d1_trainstation_02

Starts with the well-known "pick up that can" cop. Goes through the train station, then out into a plaza with checkpoints. Through old streets, an alley and a playground with two citizens talking about Civil Protection. It ends with the player heading into an apartment building.

In the demo version, the chapter ends here.

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  "Pick up that can."

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  The plaza Barney spoke of before.

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d1_trainstation_03

The interior of an apartment complex. Takes a very long and specific path with lots of detail and dialogue to give players more insight into how life is in City 17. About half-way through, the player is detected as someone who should not be there and becomes a target of Civil Protection and is chased.

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  CP's raiding an apartment.

d1_trainstation_04

Continues the chase from the previous map across rooftops. Gordon is trapped by four metrocops in an attic. He is quickly saved by Alyx Vance, their first encounter. Alyx escorts the player over to Dr. Kleiner's lab, passing through a secret door with a poster of Breen on it.

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  The player's first view of Alyx.

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  The secret door.

"A Red Letter Day"

Kleiner and Gordon's first meeting, to fleeing City 17.

d1_trainstation_05

Alyx takes Gordon to Kleiner's lab, passing through another secret door. Barney arrives short time later, and Gordon gets his suit. Alyx is teleported to Black Mesa East. Lamarr interrupts Gordon's teleportation, he is teleported to several random destinations (a wasteland, Breen's office, and a coastline with an Ichthyosaur), the Combine become aware of his presence, and Gordon flees.

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  Secret door to Kleiner's lab.

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  Kleiner's lab.

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  Teleporter room.

d1_trainstation_06

Gordon continues fleeing, but is blocked by wood planks. Barney appears on a platform, telling Gordon to escape through the canals via the refugee network. Barney also gives him the first weapon in the game, the crowbar. Gordon is able to break the planks, and enters the trainyard seen in d1_trainstation_01, pursued by Civil Protection.

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  Barney giving the crowbar. In the distance are the wood planks.

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  Trainyard. Compare with the second screenshot from the first map.

Route Kanal

The first part of Gordon's journey through the City 17 canals. Starts with two cops hurting two citizens, and ends with the Airboat.

d1_canals_01

Starts with two cops assaulting a citizen, as another citizen watches in fear. Gordon kills both and picks up the second weapon in the game, the pistol. The player fights on through a railway and comes across a boxcar. Inside, a human and a vortigaunt help the player keep going. G-Man is briefly seen on a TV that they are both watching.

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  Police hurting a citizen.

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  The railroad followed through. Due to the forcefields in the way, the player has to detour around them.

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  Inside the boxcar.

d1_canals_01a

The player sees a crow fly right into a barnacle tongue and be eaten. This is the first time in Half-Life 2 a barnacle is seen.

Ahead is Station 12, currently being raided by Civil Protection. One citizen escapes the initial massacre and tries to plead with Gordon to help him, but the citizen is quickly shot dead by a cop. In the lower bunker of Station 12, an unknown woman tries to radio the station. Station 8 gets on the line, saying they heard the Station 12 raid, refugees are coming in from Station 9, and stations are being raided. The man from Station 8 is interrupted by something before he can finish speaking. The woman speaks again, saying that manhacks are being deployed.

On the roof of Station 12, two metrocops man a mounted gun. If the player kills them and takes over, they can kill many enemies approaching easily. If they stay too long, a Combine APC will come and shoot the gun with rockets until it breaks.

Further along, a citizen calls for the player and reassures them that there are other stations who can help. Metrocops attempt multiple times to kill the player with explosive oil drums.

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  Crow caught by barnacle.

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  Station 12 members being shot. (It's hard to see them as they are shot.)

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  Escapee citizen.

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  The mounted gun on the roof of Station 12.

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  An attempt to kill Gordon with explosive barrels.

d1_canals_02

This map starts with a physics puzzle. A large wood board rests on a cement pipe and 8 cinder blocks are scattered around the room. The player cannot proceed because the only way out is high up. There are many ways to get past this issue:

1. Put the cinder blocks on one end of the wood board so that the end nearest to the exit is raised high enough for the player to jump to the exit. (This is the intended way.)
2. Jump on the far end of the board to temporarily nudge it downward and jump off the near end as it raises.
3. Stack the cinder blocks and use them as a makeshift ladder/steps.
4. In the previous map (d1_canals_01a), before going off the slippery downward ramp at the end, try to jump across the gap to the exit platform.
5. Load the map directly (or restart in the console). You will spawn just past this physics puzzle.

After this puzzle, the player encounters a hunter chopper. It takes every opportunity to shoot at the player as they evade it.

d1_canals_03

The player encounters another station (11? The number is never stated) with a single person inside. Quickly, a group of manhacks crashes in and attacks. If the player does not attack the manhacks (sometimes just distracting them is enough) the citizen will be killed. This is the first time manhacks are seen. After going through many more areas, there is another small "puzzle" here. The player has to turn a valve to raise the water level in a room in order to pass through it.

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d1_canals_04

This map was scrapped during the development of Half-Life 2. The game proceeds from d1_canals_03 to d1_canals_05 seamlessly.

Todo: Find out more about it.

d1_canals_05

Gordon encounters what is evidently Station 6. Black Mesa East (possibly Alyx speaking?) radios this station to tell them to give Gordon the airboat. Before the player can reach the boat, they must pass through a small area currently being bombarded with headcrab canisters. After this, a citizen gives the airboat over to the player and says to drive to nearby Station 7.

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  Station 6.

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  Getting the boat.

Water Hazard

The complete boat journey from the City 17 canals to Black Mesa East.

d1_canals_06

Station 7 is close to the start. The occupants of this station have been zombified by headcrabs, though. On the radio, a woman is heard attempting to reach Station 12 again. Ahead is another physics puzzle. Usually, the player will solve this by putting a few barrels under a ramp, so that they can jump across with the boat. They can also choose to just abandon the boat and go on foot. (good luck)

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  Station 7 from the river.

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  Ramp puzzle.

d1_canals_07

The player raids a Combine post and must destroy some explosive barrels to allow for a floodgate blocking their path to open. The enemy firepower increases as rocket-firing APCs are deployed more and more frequently.

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  The post, from above.

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  The player breaks the barrels, and the explosion breaks the wood holding the i-beams in place. The beams become a battering ram for the large gates.

d1_canals_08

The player raids another Combine post, this time a hunter-chopper is summoned to harass them. As the player drives off, the helicopter starts using bombs on the player for the first time.

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d1_canals_09

The helicopter continues chasing the boat. It mainly attacks by dropping more bombs on the player's path.

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  Bombs being dropped.

d1_canals_10

Yet another chase map. The helicopter loses track of the player as they drive through a tunnel.

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  A chimney falls and interrupts the player's path.

d1_canals_11

The player encounters a rebel outpost. Here, a vortigaunt equips the airboat with a high-power gun, which is used to ward off the hunter-chopper for a while.

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  Vortigaunt welding gun.

d1_canals_12

Nothing too special about this map. It has lots of APCs and exploding barrels.

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d1_canals_13

The final encounter with a hunter-chopper, which is persistent and fights to the end. After this, the player reaches Black Mesa East.

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  Helicopter entering "bullrush" mode.

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  G-Man sighting.

Black Mesa East

The lab that Eli Vance does stuff in. When the player is here, the lab is raided by the Combine.

d1_eli_01

Gordon enters the airlock and meets Mossman and Eli again. After a long expository sequence, Alyx takes Gordon over to the scrapyard.

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  Outside.

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  Airlock.

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  Eli's lab.

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  Tunnel to Ravenholm.

d1_eli_02

Alyx gives Gordon the gravity gun, and the player learns how to use it here. Gordon meets Dog and they play fetch. The Combine comes and begins to raid the base. Everyone rushes inside. Alyx has to stay behind but Gordon escapes by going through the Ravenholm tunnel.

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  Scrapyard.

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  Scrapyard again.

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  Dog.

We Don't Go To Ravenholm...

Scary time with a monk guy and going around some mines, and ending up back in City 17, but not for long.

d1_town_01

The player enters Ravenholm. Father Grigori is first heard from a distance. At a certain point, Grigori is seen, helping the player fight off zombies. Most of the gameplay elements for the chapter are introduced here: the players uses blades, fire, and cars (crushing traps) to kill zombies.

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  Grigori.

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  A blade trap spinning.

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  Fire trap.

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  Fire trap.

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  A car about to crush some zombies.

d1_town_01a

Basically a continuation of the last map. Killing more zombies in various ways.

Here, poison headcrabs are introduced.

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  A chain reaction of explosive barrels.

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d1_town_02

First Part

Fast zombies are encountered for the first time. Father Grigori gives the player a shotgun. Shortly after that, a poison zombie is also introduced. The player continues on into d1_town_03.

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  Father Grigori throwing the shotgun to the player.

Second Part

After coming back from d1_town_03, the player eventually ends up at the top of a building connected to where Grigori is by a cart. The player must defend from zombies while waiting for Grigori to send the cart over. Grigori and Gordon finally meet, and they begin to travel over to the Ravenholm mines.

Note:The demo version of Half-Life 2 ends here.

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d1_town_03

The player reaches a street with constantly respawning zombies, which must be escaped by taking the higher ground on the rooftops. Grigori says to not go off-path. The exit of this map goes back to d1_town_02.

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d1_town_02a

Grigori and the player travel through a zombie-occupied graveyard. At the end, Grigori opens a gate so the player can continue on to the mines.

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  An overview of the graveyard.

d1_town_04

The Ravenholm mines, infested by a staggering number of headcrabs of each type. There is one last blade-cart-of-death thing at the end.

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  Blade minecart.

d1_town_05

The player re-enters City 17 at one edge. Snipers are guarding the train tracks here, probably looking for Gordon. They player moves on to encounter an active battle between rebel and Combine forces at Shorepoint. After all the enemies are defeated, one of the allies takes Gordon to the back. Alyx is there by radio signal. This is where the player finds out that Eli has been taken to Nova Prospekt. Alyx asks the rebels to lend Gordon the buggy.

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  Sniper shooting zombies.

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  Talking to Alyx.

Day 2

Starting the journey to Nova Prospekt, entering, and then teleporting out of the prison.

Highway 17

Majority of the path to Nova Prospekt that is driven.

d2_coast_01

Gordon gets in the buggy and is... "lifted" down to the ground by crane. The player drives on toward Nova Prospekt.

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  Pier, with the car on it.

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  The car dropped upside down on the beach.

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  Same pier, from the opposite angle.

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  A gap which can only be crossed by using the buggy's turbo boost.

d2_coast_02

This map was cut during development. The game proceeds from d2_coast_01 to d2_coast_03 seamlessly.

Todo: Find more information.

d2_coast_03

The player drives around a small bay and arrives at New Little Odessa. Here, Gordon meets Colonel Cubbage, gets the rocket launcher, and takes down a gunship.

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  A pair of binoculars, able to see across the bay to New Little Odessa.

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  New Little Odessa from the binoculars.

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  New Little Odessa in person.

d2_coast_04

The player arrives at another dock occupied by Combine soldiers. The player has to operate a magnetic crane to move their buggy to higher ground before continuing. Another gunship attack occurs as the player nears the top of the broken bridge.

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  Crane.

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  A bridge that is crossed under, then over.

d2_coast_05

This is the first map to have rollermines that attack the player and can latch onto the buggy, severely affecting its handling. It also has a forcefield that blocks the buggy, which can only be disabled by disconnecting the source of power, an APC.

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  Rollermines popping up out of the ground.

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  The first crossbow in the game.

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  APC.

d2_coast_06

This map was cut during development. The game proceeds from d2_coast_05 to d2_coast_07 seamlessly.

Todo: Find more information.

d2_coast_07

First Part

The player encounters another forcefield blocking them from crossing a bridge. There is one other route that can be used to progress; a door on the side of the bridge leading to d2_coast_08. This route has access to the power source for the forcefield.

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  Forcefield (faint appearance).

Second Part

Now that the forcefield is down, the player can continue driving on the top of the bridge, but not before backing up, because a train comes from the other way, and it will kill the player if they collide. From here, the drive continues on, into Sandtraps, the next chapter.

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  Train!

d2_coast_08

The underside of the large bridge seen in d2_coast_07. The player goes completely across the bottom of the bridge here to reach a button that will turn off the forcefield in d2_coast_07. The player goes back the way they came after pressing this button, except now being harassed by a gunship.

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  Room holding the button on the other side of the bridge.

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  Under the bridge.

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  Combine outpost.

Note:Loading into this map directly from the console spawns you into the area shown in the third image above, with no HEV suit or weapons. This is fixed in the 20th Anniversary Update.

Sandtraps

Ditching the car, getting bugbait, and arriving at Nova Prospekt.

d2_coast_09

A run-in with zombies inside a tunnel, then passing through some Combine-occupied buildings. Finally, a puzzle that requires the player to find two car batteries to power a gate.

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  Battery is under this tub.

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  All batteries.

d2_coast_10

The player arrives at Lighthouse Point. The car has to be ditched here. Combine soldiers invade in dropships, while the Dropship also shooting at the player. After that, a single gunship has to be taken down.

Note:In previous version of Half-Life 2, around 2010 until 2022, including console ports (, ), there was bug that prevents dropships from rotating the gun to shoot the player, which makes this part of the game much easier.
This bug has been fixed in a update that improves compatibility with Steam Deck while also introducing more bug fixes and new renderer (Vulkan). This bug still remains unfixed in both console ports and Source SDK 2013 however.

The 3D skybox part of this map was also updated during 20th Anniversary Update, to reveal the next map (d2_coast_11) in far distance.

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  The Lighthouse.

d2_coast_11

Gordon encounters Laszlo and his friend. Antlions kill Laszlo as he moves on the sand. Gordon continues carefully along (or recklessly if you do so desire) until encountering an antlion guard for the first time. After killing it, a vortigaunt extracts pheropods from the guard. The player is then taught how to use pheropod bugbait, then continues on toward Nova Prospekt.

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  Laszlo and friend.

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  Antlion guard.

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  Area where player is taught to use bugbait.

d2_coast_12

With antlions now turned allies, the player fights a long way across a beach and cliffs to ultimately finally enter the perimeter of Nova Prospekt through a tunnel.

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d2_prison_01

The first map in Nova Prospekt, taking place in a courtyard. The player must defeat two gunships before proceeding.

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  Path that opens after killing both gunships.

Nova Prospekt

The insides of the titular prison, until just before finding Alyx.

d2_prison_02

The first map inside the prison. Combine turrets are introduced for the first time, as well as the concept of knocking them over.

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  Antlion knocking over turrets.

d2_prison_03

The player encounters another antlion guard. This map has lots and lots of enemies, and antlions are very helpful. There's also a room where it looks like soldiers were attempting to experiment on a vortigaunt. It is dead.

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  Vortigaunt bound to a chair. What's happening is not clear.

d2_prison_04

In this map, Breen is giving a berating speech about the current progress on capturing Gordon Freeman through a speaker. The main difficulties in this map are the height levels and multiple locked doors which are unlocked by pressing a button.

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  Breen is never seen, only heard. The sound seems to emanate from here

d2_prison_05

Fighting through more of the prison, starting from the laundry facilities. Following the laundry, there is a kitchen area that has a gas fire start inside it. In a cafeteria area, multiple combine soldiers fail to stop an antlion guard. At the end, combine-style moving walls attempt to crush the player.

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  Fire in the kitchen.

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  Moving walls.

Note:Loading into this map directly from the console spawns you into the area shown in the first image above, with no HEV suit or weapons. This is fixed in the 20th Anniversary Update.

Entanglement

Not to be confused with Entanglement from Half-Life: Alyx.

Meeting Alyx, tracking down Eli, finding Mossman, and leaving Nova Prospekt.

d2_prison_06

First, Gordon and Alyx meet again. Alyx retrieves Eli's pod that he's been put inside and they communicate for a short time. Alyx stays behind to move Eli through the prison and to help Gordon find a way through the prison.

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  Alyx.

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  Eli.

d2_prison_07

This map consists of two arenas designed for standoffs where the player must make use of Alyx-reprogrammed combine turrets to fend off waves of attacking soldiers. After the first standoff, it is discovered that Mossman is a traitor.

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d2_prison_08

Alyx and Gordon confront Mossman, and attempt to make her teleport them to Kleiner's lab. Mossman distracts Alyx, then teleports Eli and herself to an unknown, presumably Combine-controlled location. The final turret standoff then takes place, where Alyx and Gordon manage to hold off soldiers for long enough to teleport out of Nova Prospekt themselves. A soldier shoots an energy ball at the teleporter and the chamber starts crumbling just before they are teleported to Kleiner's lab.

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  "Enough of your bullshit!"

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  Combine Teleporter.

Day 3

Continuing the Entanglement chapter. Goes through all of the remaining City 17 maps, into the Citadel, and to the end of the game.

Entanglement (continued)

d3_c17_01

Alyx and Gordon arrive at Kleiner's lab. Kleiner reveals that they had spent over one week's time teleporting from Nova Prospekt to City 17. An uprising has started since then, initiated by the destruction of Nova Prospekt. Gordon and Dog head out to find Barney.

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  Kleiner packing heat.

Anticitizen One

The first part of Gordon's push through war-torn City 17. Ends just before meeting up with Barney.

d3_c17_02

Dog fights Combine soldiers and an APC, then opens a gate for Gordon to go through before going back and fighting a dropship. There is a G-Man sighting with him briefly appearing on a tv screen. This map passes through some of the same areas that were in d1_trainstation_03 and d1_trainstation_04.

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  G-Man on the monitor.

d3_c17_03

The player finds their first rebel allies and learns how to command them to go places. At the plaza, a group of rebels is seen tearing down one of Breen's giant monitors. This map passes through most of the area from d1_trainstation_02.

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d3_c17_04

This map introduces the player to hopper mines. Striders also make a re-appearance since the very beginning of the game, with both their turret and laser cannon seen in action.

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d3_c17_05

The player and allies storm a barricade with metrocops, then go through an apartment complex.

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d3_c17_06a

This map takes place in an underground car tunnel. Eventually the player comes to an obstruction, where they must defend their area from Combine soldiers as a rebel on the other side plants explosives so that the player can come through. The player is then blocked by a door, which can be opened from the other side by going through a zombie-infested section of tunnel with toxic goo.

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d3_c17_06b

Mostly notable only for its drawbridges. Lots of fighting.

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d3_c17_07

Alyx and Gordon reunite again. They fight their way down to a plaza with a power generator. The player guards Alyx while she disables the generator's shields, then the player disables it with the gravity gun. Alyx and Gordon then split up again as Alyx is captured and stormed off the to Citadel.

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d3_c17_08

The player fights through underground sewers and industrial structures including a tall warehouse where they have to ascend on a physics-affected suspended platform.

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  The platform, activated by a button.

d3_c17_02_camera

Appears to be identical to d3_c17_02 except that the player spawns with no weapons or suit, and the scripted sequence with Dog starts automatically. This map is never entered at any point in regular gameplay. When the player tries to go to the next map, an error occurs because this map is not recognized by d3_c17_03. The vmf for this map in the files of the game.

Todo: Purpose? Possibly for use with E3 footages?

This map was also available on demo version, even through the real d3_c17_02 doesn't contain anything on it at all (0 bytes BSP file).

"Follow Freeman!"

Not to be confused with Follow Freeman (The mod).

Meeting up with Barney, raiding the Nexus building, and breaching the Citadel's walls.

d3_c17_09

Gordon kills Combine snipers to save Barney, then they continue onward.

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d3_c17_10a

Barney and Gordon run to the Nexus building, dodging the Suppression Device along the way.

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d3_c17_10b

Inside the Nexus building. Gordon and Barney fight through many soldiers as they locate three Combine power generators that must be turned off in any sequence before proceeding to the roof, at which point Barney stays behind. Uniquely to this map, there are ground turrets activated by laser tripwires. One of the large rooms features an ambush followed by a short standoff, and another one is a platforming puzzle where the player must avoid laser tripwires.

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  Ground turret.

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  High-security laser room.

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  A generator.

d3_c17_11

The roof of the Nexus building. The suppression device is passed by (now inactive). A gunship must be defeated before proceeding.

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d3_c17_12

Mostly the same area as d3_c17_10a but now an active warzone with rebels, soldiers and striders.

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d3_c17_12b

A strider harasses the player as they try to maneuver through a destroyed building. Scanners also relay information about the player to the strider.

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  Strider firing a cannon shot.

d3_c17_13

The player and rebels overtake a heavily destroyed building near the Citadel. Two striders have to be defeated before proceeding out of the building. Back on the streets, Gordon runs into Dog and Barney. Dog lifts part of the Citadel wall up, exposing a hole in the ground that opens access into the Citadel.

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Our Benefactors

Entering the Citadel, to the final pod ride up to Breen's office.

d3_citadel_01

The player navigates a crumbling cliffside before jumping into the Citadel. They then get on a pod, because there is nowhere else to go. Taking the wrong pod results in inevitable death.

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  Outside the Citadel.

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  One path is better than the other...

d3_citadel_02

A breather. Just a scenic ride through the Citadel showing soldiers, stalkers, Combine synths and razor trains. At the end, the player is dropped in a weapon confiscation field.

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d3_citadel_03

The weapon confiscation field vaporizes every weapon the player has, except the gravity gun, which becomes supercharged, able to grab and punt living soldiers. The player uses their new super weapon to fight through the Citadel.

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d3_citadel_04

The player continues fighting through the Citadel. There is a long ride up on an exposed lift while soldiers attack from all sides. A strider is encountered at the very end, but defeating it is not required to progress.

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  Lift.

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  Strider.

d3_citadel_05

The player is forced to take another scenic pod ride, seeing more stalkers as well as two Combine synths unique to this map. This time, they are spotted by a camera which sends the player in a special pod path up to Breen's office.

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  Camera.

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Dark Energy

The finale of the game.

d3_breen_01

Gordon is now captured along with Eli and Alyx. Mossman has a change of heart and saves them all for the moment. Breen tries to escape the Citadel by teleporting out. Gordon stops this, and sends the Citadel into a meltdown. G-Man comes and takes Gordon out before the explosion, seemingly leaving Alyx.

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Day 3 events continue into Half-Life 2: Episode One.

Toggle chapters Half-Life 2 ChaptersToggle chapters
Point Insertion d1_trainstation_01	"A Red Letter Day" d1_trainstation_05	Route Kanal d1_canals_01	Water Hazard d1_canals_06
Black Mesa East d1_eli_01	"We Don't Go To Ravenholm..." d1_town_01	Highway 17 d2_coast_01	Sandtraps d2_coast_09
Nova Prospekt d2_prison_02	Entanglement d2_prison_06	Anticitizen One d3_c17_02	"Follow Freeman!" d3_c17_09
Our Benefactors d3_citadel_01	Dark Energy d3_breen_01

See also

• Half Life 2 Background Maps