Overview
I’m writing a guide about this because I thought that the hunter introduction for Half-Life 2: Episode 2 was a prime example for atmosphere in a game.
Creating Suspense
The introduction to Half-Life 2: Episode 2’s Hunters begins with you and Alyx walking into a presumably empty mining facility, when you see crows fly away from a pair of Antlion corpses while you hear a squeaking noise, being pointed out by Alyx by saying ‘What was that?’ and then pulling out their weapon, with a scared expression on their face. This noise was never heard before in any Half-Life game, therefore creating a sense of eeriness as the player tries to guess what could have made the noise. Shortly after the noise plays, something moves on the roof of an old building, making the player’s eyes dart to where they have seen a difference in the picture, but there is nothing there as it has already left. The player then carefully makes their way into the facility, with a slight scared feeling.
Keeping The Suspence
As the player jumps into the abandoned mining facility, the player comes across some Antlion corpses that have perished only recently, a sign that whatever might have killed them could still be around, maybe even watching you. Later, Alyx says ‘Shh, quiet! We’re not alone.’, before going somewhere with their back to the wall while keeping watch for anything that might be out there. As the player looks around, they see rusty buildings with roofs that have many holes in them. There are trains that are just left where they are, a sign that there might have been some emergency and people needed to evacuate. There are trees in the distance that look withered and dying. The player climbs up one of the ladders on a train, and enters one of the buildings.
Something Is About To Happen…
When the player gets into the building, they hear another one of those squeaking noises. This time it’s louder than before, suggesting that whatever is making that noise is close to the player. The player presses the button that opens the gate for Alyx. When the player turns around to exit the building, they see a Hunter through a window next to the corpse of a resistance member hung up for a brief moment. This is the closest the player has been to a Hunter, which can be taken as a sign that something is about to happen, something big.
Using All Of The Built Up Suspence
After the player sees the Hunter through the window, the player opens a trapdoor that is going to take them outside. The player is crawling through a vent while Alyx says ‘Gordon, there’s something snooping around out here.’ Just as the player is about to get out, a Hunter jumps down from a roof and stabs Alyx through the torso while pieces of rubble fall in front of you, making you unable to help and eventually you pass out. Later, you wake up again to a pair of Antlions eating Alyx’s body when a Vortigaunt comes in and saves you with a plan to revive Alyx.
