Nova Prospekt

Introduction

Nova Prospekt is the prison area in Half-Life 2 which has been "renovated" by the Combine to store human prisoners and convert them into stalkers. The player leads a swarm of antlions into the complex and deals a crippling blow to the Combine, triggering a revolution that sweeps City 17.

Architecture

Being a prison, architecture is appropriately spartan. Exteriors use bog-white plasters and concretes, while interiors are covered in peeling plaster and tile. Many materials are often used repeatedly in different settings throughout Nova Prospekt. There is also a motif of "restriction": prison bars, heavy metal doors, and fences reinforce an ominous feeling within the player.

Patterns are particularly important in this setting: Long arrays of cell doors, exposed pipes, railing, or architectural elements (such as columns) complement the sparse decoration. However, this motif extends far beyond appearance; the level layout actually resembles cell blocks. At the end of each cell block, there are usually sliding doors, controlled from a nearby security station. Players learn to accept this pattern and it only enforces the prison theme.

Environment

As always, bright teal spotlights betray a strong Combine presence. For the most part, lighting is either natural (a subdued grey), Combine (a bright teal), or yellow-orange... (blah blah, add more here)

NPCs

Since the player turned off the thumpers on the coastline, tables have been turned against the Combine as endless swarms of antlions aid the player... (blah blah, add more here)