Half-Life 2: Highway 17

31st March 2013

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This is the seventh chapter of Half-Life 2. Freeman is informed that Eli Vance has been taken to Nova Prospekt, and sets out on a journey along Highway 17 to rescue him.

The player encounters Combine Soldiers for the first time, as well as a new type of Xen alien, the Antlions.

Colonel Odessa Cubbage is also met in this level, giving Gordon the RPG, which Gordon uses to defend a Resistance outpost from a Combine Gunship.

Trivia
  • If the player loses the buggy, either by punting it into the sea with the Gravity Gun or by getting hit by the Razor Train, the message: “Assignment: Terminated. Subject: Freeman. Reason: Failure to preserve mission-critical resources.” will be displayed.
    • Achievements

    OSHA Violation (5G): Kill 3 enemies using the crane.  Targetted Advertising (5G): Pin a soldier to the billboard in the chapter Highway 17.  Where Cubbage Fears to Tread (5G): Defend Little Odessa from the Gunship attack.  One Man Army (5G): Destroy six Gunships in Half-Life 2.

    Screenshots

    Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
    WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers.

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    The Replay Experience Experiment

    This post is part of the The Replay Experience Experiment event. This is a chance to replay all the Half-Life games and discuss them based on our experiences since we first played them.

    Hat Tip

    The intro and trivia text are taken from the CombineOverWiki, a fan-supported, editable wiki covering the Half-Life series of games.

    Walkthrough
    A Complete Half-Life 2 Walkthrough

    On the left is a complete text walkthrough for Half-Life 2.

    It has been written by Stanley E. Dunigan and updated with all the tricks and tips from PlanetPhillip.Com readers.

    It is in PDF format, meaning you can open it directly in modern browsers or download it and print it.

    (Left-click to open and right-click to save)

    Do Not Own This Game?

    You can purchase Half-Life 2 directly through Steam and could be playing in within moments, depending on your internet connection.

    Categories (?)
    Games Half-Life 2

    15 Comments

    1. PlanetPhillip

      When I first started this level I couldn’t remember too much about it. Most of it came back though. The crane at the beginning was pretty cool and there were some new introductions but ultimately it’s a “mover” and BeginningVille took its inspiration from this.

      It’s more about showing off what the new engine could do and getting the player further along the coast than anything else. That said, the bridge section is amazing and deserving of any design school analysis.

      I had forgotten about removing the blocks to let the tank roll back into the sea, same for racing the train. It was pretty funny getting hit by it. I tried so many times to get some great screenshots but failed all the time – oh well.

      This was a nice change of pace from the previous chapter and such a contrast in lighting and setting too that it feels so open and fresh. Obviously, that’s not a mistake and the transition was so smoothly done with the end of the last chapter that it felt perfectly natural.

      Definitely an iconic chapter of Half-Life 2 but besides the bridge, I’ll probably forget most of it again by the end of next week.

      Playtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes

      Reply
    2. s.anchev

      Five words : Hail to the bridge, baby!

      That section is so amazing that even after a decade, This is IMHO the greatest sequence of Ali Time, of Ali Time! (Imma let you finish but…)

      Reply
    3. Olrick
      General

      On the contrary of Half-Life 1, Half-Life 2 take place on the outside. What’s better than an adventure on seaboard to resume it ?

      The first part where we take the buggy remind the arena of the air boat, but because we discover the antlions at the same time we don’t stay in it and run away. Maybe those enemies should be introduced later.

      I really enjoyed diversity of locations, isolated houses, N.L.O. hamlet, freight dock… In many of them Gordon have somethings to do like saving Odessa or open the way. Using the crane for that is quite fun because we can do many improbable things with it (think OSHA Violation is not the worse)

      The great moment is of course the bridge section. I remember in my first play I was scared of falling down due to train vibrations. I don’t know why but, at this time I didn’t understand that I must switch down force field, or I forgot my car. So that, I was searching for an exit at the end of the bridge.

      One thing I noticed is the ocean level. Is it low tide? It’s seems to be permanent and another consequence of combine occupation.

      Caught my eyes

      Great advertising of that guy pinned on a billboard!

      G-Man Sighting

      I didn’t saw him this time, did you ?

      Death

      One, because I was want to pass before the train.

      Playtime

      42 minutes

      My French Let’s Play

      Reply
      1. Unq

        Re: G-Man. Yes, you can see him through the binoculars before you get to New Little Odessa.

        http://imgur.com/gKOLufT

        He’s even in your video at 6:50 or so:

        Reply
    4. Kaito Kid

      I have to admit I actually did TWO tries for this chapter. I didn’t get a rocket launcher during my first try, and I realised I really needed it when planning the sandtraps route.

      Here is the first try, without rocket launcher:

      Here is the second try, and what must be considered canon in my complete run since I used this save after that:

      Highway 17 is my favorite chapter. Lots of outdoor areas, lots of combat, lots of supplies, you feel like you decide where you’re going, and also a couple boss fights. the buggy is not that fast, but it can bring decent fun to normal player because of the speed. The antlions are actually very aggresive, but running over them is really fun 😀
      I think it’s quite weird how there are rebel houses (now occupied by the combine) every now and then, with no means of gathering food or anything they would need. Was there some kind of supplies delivery system? :0
      Also there is a town every now and then, also occupied by the combine. everybody died D:
      I like the animation with some soldiers blowing up a mountain, even if it nearly killed me BOTH times ._.
      I skipped the entire bridge puzzle, but what I remember from it was that it was too long to be very entertaining. the “randomness” of the broken pieces was also not very realistic, it was too easy to reach the other side.

      Challenges:
      I figured I’d add the achievements here :0
      – OSHA violation
      no, didn’t even touch the crane.
      – Targeted advertising
      I actually did it both times. I gathered the crossbow because I knew it would come in handy at some point, so I figured “might as well test it >:)”
      – Where Cubbage Fears to thread
      most people got this achievement the first time they played, but I didn’t do it this time 😀
      – One man army
      didn’t even get an RPG on the first playthrough xD

      my challenges:

      – Don’t use the buggy at all
      I wanted to make sure I got some recognition for “lasting 5 minutes on foot” 😀
      – Kill an Antlion with the crane
      That one is hard.

      Five words or less review:
      That chapter, I like it.

      Deaths:
      1 death on both playthroughs.
      1st try: Fall damage after falling down 2 times trying to skip the crane
      2nd try: Badly planned ABH climb. “I’m going so fast, it’s awes… ohshitohshitohshitohshit” *death*

      I also came very close to dying many other times, mostly in my first playthrough.

      Playtime:
      First try (failed): 9 minutes 33 seconds 708 milliseconds
      Second try (success): 7 minutes 59 seconds 167 milliseconds

      I don’t know which one should be added to the TREE page, it depends if phillip really wants the replay times, or the time needed to get the saves used after. Your call Phillip.

      Reply
    5. Stanley Dunigan

      Is anyone else getting the “fullbright” glitch all the way through this chapter? No matter how many times I type “mat_fullbright 0” on the console, it stays stuck on 1. It even does that in the first part of the next chapter, which sucks because the zombie tunnel is supposed to be all dark and creepy. I love that sort of thing! If anyone knows how to beat this glitch, please leave a reply for everyone to see.

      BTW: I’m playing the game in 800X600 resolution to make it more task-switch-friendly, which is essential to writing the new walkthrough. Could the resolution be the problem, or maybe some other graphical setting?

      Reply
      1. MisterAddy

        That bug happened to me at Black Mesa East. I believe that turning on HDR will fix it.

        Reply
        1. Stanley Dunigan

          Thanks! Turning HDR on worked, and the game still runs and task-switches fine. I’ve always been in the habit of turning HDR off ever since it gave me trouble several years ago on an older computer.

          Reply
    6. Blue Lightning

      Great level, akin to Water Hazard. Lot of secret places on this level as well.

      Reply
    7. Unq

      I really like this chapter. For me, it is kind of a blend of Water Hazard and Surface Tension – it has the cobbled-together buggy to drive up the coast, and it all takes place in bright open areas which gave me a bit of the feel of Surface Tension. It does grow a little long in the tooth by the end, and I thought that a couple stretches should be tightened up. But overall it’s a great mixture of setpieces and exploration. And I love that we got the tau cannon to play with since it’s missing from our normal arsenal.

      The crane was a nice setpiece highlighting the physics engine (and is great fun in co-op, Synergy mod I think?). But the bridge is the iconic setpiece of this chapter. I love the trek under the bridge, how peaceful it feels and sounds there. And then you get to fight another gunship – those things can be a total bitch on hard, I think they take 6 or 7 rockets.

      This chapter ends right at the perfect point: the scenery at the beginning of Sandtraps is the same, but we’ve just passed the huge bridge and racing-the-train sections, so the end of the chapter gives a nice sense of closure after conquering the highlights.

      Playtime: 1 hour, 13 minutes

      Reply
    8. brianthesnail

      one part of highway 17 that I remember was trying to avoid getting hit by the train … the first attempt I was crushed,however its a very fine line to get this right .. too slow and you will get hit,however too fast and you can overrun the exit and still get hit
      I found ( and this takes pratice ) is to skid to a stop at exactly the right time and then you should be looking in the opposite direction
      the bridge was obivously the best part of this chapter and does take time to master … there are several routes and you need plenty of saves to get you through ….
      on the few occasions I did fall( and survive ..most times this was done using godmode ) I did try to get back to the house however theres no way of doing this .. however this is because you should die if you fall
      the journey to the bridge is quite quiet except for a few combine soldiers however these are easy to sort out …
      a outstanding chapter and good fun !

      Reply
    9. MisterAddy

      This chapter along with the proceeding one Sandtraps are probably my favourite in Half-Life 2. The graphical style is simple but effective in depicting a desolate coastline. The area always sticks in my memory for its intense atmosphere; I will never understand why some people do not enjoy it.

      More so than in Water Hazard, there is a lot of optional gameplay, giving a good non-linear feel. Personally I like to take it slowly and search every area for supplies but I know others prefer to race through with the buggy. Some of these areas also have nice little scripted bits like a Combine ambush that make things more exciting.

      I was never particularly a fan of the crane puzzle, it always seems a bit cumbersome. The Bridge however is just classic. It must be the combination of fog and sound effects that make it so daunting.

      Overall it is the quiet, lonely atmosphere and long journey that make this chapter so memorable for me.

      Challenges

      I got the OSHA violation achievement this time. I’d probably done it already before achievements were added.
      There could be a challenge for finding every supply cache along the coast.

      Playtime:       At least an hour, I’ve got to start timing properly.

      Reply
      1. Sparks

        Since you post regularly, it would be great for TREE if you did add your play times as well!

        Reply
    10. rikersbeard

      Playing this level is another iconic memory jogger for me. That being my total inability to drive that buggy and fight off those antlions back in ’04! I was lost and ended up dead trying to find my way and flying off the jump sideways on turbo power! It was pitiful and I eventually finished up in the sea, numerous times.
      This time it was fun and I knew where to go and how to steer, mainly to squash antlions. After Ravenholm the open seafront is a breath of fresh air but this is a mover of a level with lots to explore, find and kill!
      Colonel Odessa Cubbage is a hoot and seems like a character pulled from the 60’s “Thunderbirds” series!
      I shot down the gunship unscathed this time, too easily I think; unlike my first time!
      Playing with the crane is too much fun to pass through quickly and I spent a few minutes seeing how far I could lob a shipping container.
      A couple of combine road stops leads to the famous bridge, still an epic crossing for me. With the sound turned up it felt truly giddy up in the bridges framework and at times I could feel a slight, queasy unease as I look down. Vertigo in a game? Nice work Valve! That surprised me; maybe it was the rushing wind noise being so realistic, but I am so very impressed!
      I survived the bridge and was met by antlions and more combine on my way back! Now that I had completely forgotten; I was busy trying to remember the train dodging sequence. I got the stunning view of my buggy pinned on the front of that train as my mission was terminated because of missing equipment!
      Got it done the second time and went in the tunnel to “Sandtraps”.

      Outstanding moments:
      Colonel Odessa Cubbage.
      Vertigo on the bridge.
      Sand buggy train ornament.

      Deaths:
      I lost my buggy due to train ride!

      Playtime:
      2 hours and 3 minutes.

      Time Wasting:
      Playing with the crane!

      Five Words or Less Review:
      Vertigo on the bridge!

      Reply
    11. Ade

      Managed to finally fix the fullbright by putting these in my autoexec:
      mat_dxlevel 90
      mat_hdr_level 2
      mat_hdr_enabled
      mat_fullbright 0

      So.. the first tune we hear as we get the Jalopy is still freakin awesome
      http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=156713447 this was partly hidden and upside down, prolly why I never noticed it before, til I seen it in Spherical Nightmares mod, used as a billboard 😀 weird how it’s in a broken Romanian
      Gman sightin thru binoculars hehe can never miss that
      Did some hiking after the first rollermines, too bad no cam to take a panoramic pic of the serpentines
      Some tree u can walk thru at the beginnin of the great bridge, would make a nice challenge to make people try every tree in the chapter til they find it
      Couldnt race pass the train, died every time, any1 managed that? Hate to think Valve wanted us to chicken out..

      Playtime: 51 minutes

      Reply

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