Anticitizen Freeman's Arrival 

For anyone wondering why the civil protection didnt just stop Gordon as soon as he was called out by overwatch, in the game the metrocops get notified about gordon as soon as you exit the train station but are confused and asks for updates and or confirmation assuming its a mistake of some sort since they keep count of everyone who enters the border.

Ive always thought a half life game from the perspective of the metrocop going up against Freeman would be actually quite scary. You'd be going up against basically an apex predator whos bodybagged tons of your buddies already, and if you survive but fail to kill him, you're probably going to lose "family cohesion" or suffer "permanent offworld reassignment" You couldn't be more fucked if you said "I'm only three days away from retirement!" out loud.

Seeing Gordon walk like a player while everyone else walks like an npc is way too funny for some reason. you gotta do a version of Gordon bunny hoping everywhere

Can't believe you managed to get Gordon's VA for the video. What a brilliant and flexible artist.

I bet Barney's initial reaction to the visual download of Gordon would be akin to seeing a ghost. His best friend, missing since single-handedly ending the Xen invasion of Black Mesa, never to be heard of for 20 years and presumed long dead just _appearing_ out of nowhere, and to paraphrase Kleiner "without warning". No wonder he would drop everything in his current situation and help out Gordon, since for all we know he's the one good memory he has untouched by the PTSD of Black Mesa and the Combine rule.

I never knew Half Life 2 had these details/Voice lines in it. It really shows how much the Valve team put into making this game scarily realistic.

Honestly the idea of a "Non-Citizen", someone who managed the impossible and slipped through the cracks of the Combine occupation is probably terrifying to any who collaborate with the Combine. Could be the reason why those Metro Cops were staying back and seemingly a little bit scared of an unarmed man is because they know that the Combine could decide to blame anyone of them for how someone was able to not get registered as a citizen.

I think this recontextualizes that first chapter in a really good way. I always assumed that they weren't quite "onto me" especially after Barney helps you give them the slip. But this is much more interesting, it indicates that they're absolutely ontop of you the whole time, just waiting for the right moment to grab you. It'd work too if not for intervention from Alyx.

Gordon was in City 17 barely 5 minutes after his stasis and already the scanners, Overwatch, Metro Cops and everyone involved in the Combine imperium acknowledged his presence and that he was not in the system. I was sure that Gordon could hide for days, even weeks before being noticed but Earth was in much deeper shit than I thought.

I love how they slowly realize that the anticitizen is still out there because they keep getting 647e readings, at first almost treating it like an error, but eventually noticing that they're still out on the loose

I never realized up until now that WE were the reason that apartment was raided. Or better say, the thought that the metro cops were just looking at us pass, but just quietly reporting and waiting for orders. This is why I love half life. They never outright tell you what is going on, but there is always more beneath the surface that you can figure out by observing the world.

This is actually insane, I want to imagine what this would look like if Gordon had custom animations displaying his bewilderment to this new environment, and we got to see it from the metro cop perspective

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="63">1:03</a> when he said “pick up that can” I fully expected a “no fuck off” followed by immediate static

love how it had a slow escalation at first, all of them just subtly corralling freeman, then you hear the miscount alerts become more frequent, and then overwatch gives the terminal verdic go ahead and the metros just spring into action. it went from 0 to 100 real fast

This could make an incredible horror series

I love how it shows how fast Overwatch and the CPs react to Freeman. He’s immediately identified and tracked by city scanners and CPs constantly keep an eye on his location. The detail of the CPs calling the one citizen that blocks the door an “accomplice” and the correct usage of voice lines and codes really help make it seem more believable. Love the video, keep up the good work.

I see a lot of people saying this would work as horror, but honestly, I'm glad you didn't do that-I feel horror, especially analog horror, is pretty overdone with stuff like this. I like this new perspective of enemy NPCs confronting the player in a sensical manner; no comedy, no horror, just how this segment of the game probably did work in-universe, with great editing at that. One thing I want to single out that might seem odd to praise is how Gordon acts while walking from the plaza to the alleyway. I don't know, something about how he stops and stares evokes some player in 2004 getting immersed and looking around into the room the metrocop is guarding or at the scenery down the street-before clocking that's not where the level progresses and moving on when prompted-yet it does so without having Gordon hop around or try and shove his way through like an actual player probably would. I don't know why, but I liked that.

Finally, an NPC POV video where it doesn’t make Gordon freeman into a joke, but rather an actual person, bravo!

looking at it from this perspective made me realise why they were waiting to push on freeman, they assumed he may have been some sort of rebel spy or informant due to having no identification in their records and they were tracking his movements to see what destination he was heading to, and since he arrived at that specific apartment block overwatch assumed it to be linked to the resistance in some way which is why they were punishing the whole block

This is incredible. I'd love to see a full-length version or more small segments from later moments in HL2. It could also be interesting to see a view from one of the aliens invading Black mesa - either get killed by Freeman, get killed by Marines, or get killed when the G-Man's nuke goes off (if you take OPFOR as part of the story)

This is such an interesting perspective. It actually makes me feel bad for metrocops, they're still people, they have feelings and soul and families and if they fail to do their job they're gonna lose everything.

I love the idea that the whole intro of the game every metro cop's been made aware of you and every one you bump into is just funneling to a trap

I love how the massive scale and ruthless efficiency of the Combine is shown as both a strength and a flaw. They're giant and have procedures for everything, but that also makes them predictable and causes them to overlook the small things or things outside of their routines.

Please read the description! If you guys wanted to understand the metrocops better, I've added custom captions to understand them better! (Hopefully you can see them it's probably a bit iffy on mobile.)

I love how Gordan moves like an actual player even if the camera is on one of the civil protection guys

This is sick, dude. The visuals and perspective give it a charm that you can't find much place else anymore. Also since Half Life 2 is a great game.

I was kind of expecting an analog horror-esk video where we see how npc's would respond to a player using no clip / god mode.

I seriously love this! I love this kind of "civil protection helmet cam footage" Its really cool to see this in a civil protection perspective. I honestly would love to see more of these. maybe even before freemans arrival?

This adds a whole new layer of tension to Half Life 2 The CP all know you're not supposed to be there, you're a wanted target. They're all just waiting for you to corner yourself and watching you like a hawk while they're at it.

the coordination of the metrocops stalking Gordon patiently waiting for him to get cornered is amazing and scary

I didn’t know it was even possible to have MORE respect the writing and creation of HL2. The character of the combine being terrifying alien overlords while maintaining the jargon and behavior of human military/police, it’s chilling. Glad Gordon gummed up the works. This was such a great video!

I just realized the way the voices are garbled and obscured _does_ actually make it so your brain fails to pick up on relevant details of a conversation by just overhearing it. I suddenly see the value in this system. You don't understand it unless you are listening on purpose.

this needs more recognition, its really good!

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="4">0:04</a> bro got the face of someone who just rolled outta bed after 20 years in the vortavoid

I never realised that that citizen that told you to run died right after you left. Does that actually happen in the game if you wait long enough or was it a creative liberty?

ciunic’s videos are absolutely everywhere he could be posting a video about a really funny half life meme and then all of a sudden go “okay here’s a photorealistic found footage animation about the black mesa incident” I love it

He's just a ticking time bomb. That first picture just makes him look like a normal citizen but with a terrifying presence, like a sleeper agent that you know is about to wake up any minute now.

This is amazing! Having played through the games a few times now, it never dawned on me that Gordon had been tagged and tracked from the minute he steps out of the train. The game makes you feel like you're blending in with with everyone else and we're just unlucky to stumble into that apartment raid, when in reality the Combine had been following your movements from the start.

holy shit this is amazing. i love how you portrayed the combine in this. the moment Freeman stepped off the train the combine knew something was wrong and every cp officer in the general area was commanded to look out for Freeman and report sightings. i also really like the detail of the cp officers being able to see a photo of Freeman from the scanners perspective on their hud. genius. this is the most well made half life content ive seen IN A WHILE. would love to see more

It's awesome to see these new perspectives on this iconic sequence

Trying to gaslight me into thinking valve put this much detail in these often off-screen interactions? Anyway, I LOVE this!

i really hope this is a series this is so fucking cool! combine voices give my brain dopamine

Super cool edit, I don't think I've ever put too much thought into the inner workings of the Civil Protection's prosecution during this bit of the game.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="57">0:57</a> the last viewing of a combine soldier before getting obliterated by a massive roast

This whole time at the beginning of the game, from the moment you got past the checkpoint, the Civil Protection were readying to grab you, and waiting for the right time to do so. Never crossed my mind while playing. I swear, learning new stuff about this game even years later.

This video really shows the exact reason why i wish the metrocops, soldiers, and overwatch voice had subtitles on their dialogue in game(if you have subtitles on). Its really interesting playing through that chapter and realizing you are the thing everyone is talking about in the radio chatter you overhear, which can seem indecipherable when you just hear it in passing. Its also really fun to see the combine's utter confusion about the means you're using while breaking into nova prospekt later in the game. Just lets you more easily apreciate the tiny details the devs put in. Thankfully i know there is at least 1 mod that subtitles this stuff where it can.

I really want to watch a full game playthrough like this, through enemy perspective, only reverting to freeman in scenes with no enemies

G-Man is a real Comedian. He placed Gordon back in the world and mere seconds after his arrival he is starting a chainreaction like that one Atom that starts the nuclear fission.

This is awesome. You've really built upon Valve's subtle worldbuilding. Excellent work

I like how this shows that they had actually specifically planned to trap Gordon in the apartment block before bringing the hammer down

I’ve said something similar on another video with the radio transmissions, but this also showcases how _routine_ the Civil Protection views instances like Gordon’s, where someone who isn’t supposed to be in a City gets in. It also shows how goddamn *fast* they are to crack down on Gordon when Barney helps him slip past the security at the station. Right up until Gordon teleported into Breen’s office, the Combine just viewed him as just another dissenter to be taken care of, quick and quiet, a simple blip on the radar, and the fact they, through Civil Protection, do so with such nonchalance shows how little they care for humanity, let alone those who actively resist. It was only when Breen confirmed who he was that the Combine started to view Dr. Gordon Freeman as a threat, likely due to knowledge of the events of Black Mesa...somehow. Then, and only then, did they start doing everything in their power to utterly destroy him.

Finally. 2nd person Half-Life

This is unnervingly realistic

This video really opened my eyes and made me realize how actually important chapter one is. I always thought that the cps chased you because you were just in the apartment at the wrong time but it completely makes sense, they are not after other people they are after you instantly.

So nice of Gman to put Gordon on stasis and drop him 20 years in the future with his glasses still on.

This game is nearly 20 years old and it still doesn't cease to impress me.

This is the first time I realised that the metro cops are actually pretty tactical, and had an eye on you the moment you left the train :o

i like the detail in the captions where different voices have different colors

I love the style of this video. It gives an air of unease, as it should given what Freeman is capable of, but It feels like a horrorless analog horror, It's like...analog action or something. Super nifty.

Imagine this but with Freeman's Mind Voicelines

dude id be honestly wlling to see the entire game from this second person perspective, this is really cool, really does put some sense into how organized the combine is

I like to think the player character movement Gordon makes has some kind of Jamrock Shuffle-esque explanation, like there's a reason he moves around so weirdly in comparison to the NPCs.

This makes speedrunning hl2 even funnier

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="50">0:50</a> his shadow is holding the crowbar ☠️

awesome video... so many little details that do so much for immersion, like all of the transmitted images having to load (and being of varying quality) as well as the faint hexagons of the Metrocop eyes.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="243">4:03</a> alyx jumpscare

I liked the early 2000s futuristic thing on the metrocop display recording. Perfectly fits into the game art style

That immediate escalation the second overwatch goes "Deliver terminal verdict immediatelty" is so well done.

Ok this is actually an amazing video, the perspectives are so well done. Also i love how in-lore it feels that even with the combine, half-human tech still uses ctr type resolutions for photos

the perspecitve of the metro cops looks very cool! Nice working compiling this masterpiece!

Alyx:"Over here." Combine:"wut?"

That was probably the most epic episode of 'Cops' ever

This is the best tribute to the story of Half Life 2. This is why I love this game.

This is awesome. Totally makes the introduction to this game feel even more realistic and dystopian.

"Your family cohesion is preserved." Chilling.

Imagine if HL3 starts with a throwback scene like this

Great job! Doubly so with the captions! Here's some free advice: If you want captions to be the default experience, you can force enable them by adding the tag yt:cc=on

It is fascinating to see hl2 from another perspective and the amount of detail VALVe put into it. Also it really shows how bad the hl2 universe is, even for the metrocops. They are given rewards and those rewards are things that in our lifes we take for granted, and receive punishments such as amputation for not being able to catch Freeman. Great video.

Little details like these voice lines and their sophistication only serve to make Half-Life 2 better.

Second person is such an intriguing concept

This is VERY impressive. I love this. Please, do more of such content!

This video is Amazing, I love how all the perspectives are from Metropolice and the Scanners. It would be really cool if you had a video that takes place in nova prospect when Gordan breaks in, With the same style as this video. I really enjoyed watching this and I hope you keep up the good work!

Every time a scanner is about to take my picture I turned around so they only see the back of me

It'd be awesome if a high-budget movie was made about this universe.

this is awesome dude, hope you make more of these

This is such a cool concept and execution

Along with the need to confirm that Gordon did indeed mysteriously appear on a train, you can imagine the CP would still be hesitant to apprehend after a positive ID based on Gordon’s actions in the first game.

that way of walking, thats the way a nerd killing machine goes

Real good stuff man! Loved it! Hopefully you will grace us with another

why does this feel like a arg

This was such a great watch, almost like a documentary, thank you for making this!

I find it funny how they refer to the guy who got killed while blocking the rooftop door as an animal.

guy at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="226">3:46</a> musta been high af on whatever they put in the water cuz he ain't hitting shit

I wasn't expecting for the cops to be working so realistically behind the scenes. That was super accurate. Wow!

Don’t think I’ve ever listened to CP dialogue this clearly, always passively heard it very quietly.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="191">3:11</a> COPS is filmed on location with the men and women of combine law enforcement all criminals are guilty regardless of crimes viewer discretion is advised

you are definitely capable of making an extremely unique analog horror not a lot of analog horrors have action in them, make that your thing

THIS IS SO COOL. I'm super late to the party but finished HL2 last night. Just finished ep1 and taking a breather. The whole intro to HL2 makes you feel like a badass fresh off HL1

An Analog Horror from the perspective of the Metrocops and Combine Soldiers having to live and face against shit like Freeman, Headcrabs, Zombies, Antlions and everything else

I had no idea about the family cohesion preservation line until I saw this, had to go hear it for myself in-game. Please make more of these vids, so cool and I love how you pay close attention to the story beats.