The Outlands
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| The Outlands | |
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| General information | |
| Location |
Near City 17 |
| Usage | |
| Era(s) | |
| Game information | |
| Map(s) |
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| Designer(s) |
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- "Hey, I know that peak! You can see it from White Forest!"
- ― Alyx Vance[src]
The Outlands[2][3] is an alpine region located north of the City 17 outskirts (as referred to many times in the Episode Two dialogues) and is towered over by an unnamed peak known by Alyx. It is the main location for Half-Life 2: Episode Two.
Contents
Overview[edit]
Features[edit]
The area consists of coniferous forests, streams, the Victory Mine (an abandoned mining complex colonized by Antlions), the Radio Tower settlement, Station 21, the White Forest Inn, the Rebel base of operations White Forest, several hamlets and minor Resistance bases, connected by a road in a state of disrepair with a number of abandoned cars, similar to Highway 17. Various other structures include radio stations, industrial warehouses and bridge houses can be seen, often infested with Headcrabs. Gordon and Alyx end up in the area after their train crashes, and start their journey to White Forest on foot, until they take hold of a custom 1969 Dodge Charger which they use to finish their journey.
Name[edit]
This region is never named in-game; "the Outlands" and "Outlands forest" is given in the The Orange Box Prima Guide and all the Episode Two maps start with "outland". It is possible that "White Forest" is another name for the forest, a name the White Forest base and White Forest Inn names would be based on. It is also possible that the White Forest consists only of a small part of the Outlands.
Behind the scenes[edit]
The name "Outland" was present in Half-Life 2 in unused lines for Civil Protection used to identify the Coast areas as an "outland zone".[4] These lines would be used to specify the location during idle radio chatter and for reporting enemy sightings and officers getting killed. One of the lines for identifying Antlions uses the term "outland biotic".[5] However, as no Civil Protection officers are encountered on the Coast in Half-Life 2, this can never be heard during normal gameplay.
Estonia served as one of the references for developing the Outlands.[6]
Gallery[edit]
Concept art[edit]
Gordon and Alyx being chased by Hunters.
The destroyed City 17 and its Citadel viewed from the Outlands.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Concept art for the opening of the game.
Concept art for the forested, mountainous location.
The diagram showing the planed progression through the Outlands.
Logos[edit]
Victory Mine sign.
Ditto.
Trainstation sign with "СТАНЦИЯ 21 ГОРОД", Russian for "Station 21 City".
Screenshots[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
Screenshot of a location called Riverbed, used as a style guide map for the designers. It is the background texture of the Source Particle Benchmark.
Screenshot of a version of Riverbed included in the Android port of Half-Life 2: Episode One.
The destroyed Citadel in the second Episode Two teaser.
Attacking Hunter in the Outlands.
The gorge where Gordon, Alyx and the Vortigaunt are attacked by Antlions, as seen in the Episode Two trailer.
The Muscle Car with Alyx standing in a stream near the Radio Tower Settlement.
Rebel firing at a Hunter-Chopper with a Pulse Rifle in the Outlands.
Dog challenging the Strider in the Episode Two trailer.
Ditto.
Ditto.
An early version of the intro sequence.
An early version of the gorge near the Victory Mine outpost.
An early version of the area around the Radio Tower settlement, with a city vista in the background.
An early version of the Barn Advisor area, again with city buildings in the background.
An early version of the railroad leading to Station 21, set in a more urban environment.
Retail[edit]
The Superportal as seen from the Outlands.
Gordon and Alyx's train after the wreck.
Ditto.
The Portal Storm starting.
The Portal Storm about to reach Alyx and Gordon.
In the middle of the Portal Storm.
Gordon and Alyx's train falling when the bridge is destroyed by the Portal Storm.
Combine forces proceeding to attack White Forest.
Advisor Platform in the Combine convoy en route to White Forest.
The gorge before the Victory Mine outpost.
Victory Mine outpost, with the Antlion Guardian below.
A road in the Outlands. The Radio Tower settlement antenna is visible in the background.
A stream in the same area.
The Radio Tower settlement.
Crashed Advisor pod, which possibly carried the Barn Advisor.
Birds-eye view of the building housing the Barn Advisor.
The entrance to the building.
The Barn Advisor's life support pod.
The Barn Advisor feeding on a dead Rebel.
Railway and damaged railroad cars in the Outlands.
Easter egg involving the remains of the Consoling Couple.
The road connecting Station 21 and the White Forest Inn.
The White Forest Inn sign.
A cave with a Resistance stash near the road to the White Forest Inn.
Ditto, interior.
The unnamed peak as seen from near the White Forest Inn.
The White Forest Inn.
Outland valley near White Forest.
White Forest's south entrance.
List of appearances[edit]
Main games[edit]
Other[edit]
- Source Particle Benchmark (First appearance) (Non-canonical appearance)
- The Final Hours of Portal 2
References[edit]
- ↑ Matt Wright's resume
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Episode Two files
- ↑ The Orange Box Prima Guide
- ↑ Half-Life 2 game files, "
V_G1_LOCATION_MAP05P2" insentences.txt - ↑ Half-Life 2 game files, "
METROPOLICE_MONST_BUGS3" insentences.txt - ↑ PC Gamer issue 151, page 16
| Preceded by City 17 |
Half-Life 2 story arc journey | Succeeded by N/A |
