- Originally, Episode 2 was supposed to start with a series of ledge-to-ledge jumps (similar to the path from the Lighthouse to the Sandtraps’ desert in HL2), but after seeing many playtesters falling to their deaths repeatedly in the first 5 minutes of the game and being frustrated, they decided to exchange ACTUAL danger with PERCEIVED danger (moving through the slowly sinking train seems dangerous, but is actually totally safe).
That caused them to have to find a different way for Alyx to get hurt, because they now couldn’t use her fall; besides, as Valve said, it seemed arbitrary that the cat-like Alyx, being all dexterous and able to jump and climb with ease through dangerous ledges and stuff, would suddenly make such a silly thing as to fall down a cliff.
Also, by making Alyx hurt by the Hunter, they could then introduce a much stronger emotions, as can be seen at the Radio station (after you clear the mines and get the car) – you can see Alyx “pumping up her rage” when the Hunters attack you in the building with broken roof: “They got me before, but not this time. NOT THIS TIME!” (paraphrased)
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Portal Storms. The explosion of the Citadel which knocked you unconscious also reintroduced portal storms into the world. So whoever is wondering how did Gordon get inside the train just has to suspend his disbelief a bit and say “Oh, there was a portal storm and gordon was shifted by few feet inside the train wagon”
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No, Alyx couldn’t have moved Gordon inside the train, because once you reunite, she exclaims: “Gordon! There you are!” and later: “When I couldn’t find you, I got worried…”
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Yes, it could just as well be the work of Vortigaunts, similarly to what they did at the beginning of Episode 1.
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Gordon only sees everything WHEN HE IS CONSCIOUS! We’ve seen him moved when he was knocked out in Half-Life 1, we saw him moved in Half-Life 2, we saw him moved at the beginning of Episode 1, and it’s absolutely OK that Vortigaunts might have moved the train, the wagon and/or Gordon while he was unconscious.
BTW, think about what it must have been for Alyx in Ep2 – one moment, she’s punched in the back by the hunter, then stabbed to death. She passes out. And when she wakes up, she has 4 drooling Vortigaunts leaning over her, she’s underground on a concrete slab and she has no idea what was happening with her.
So, in essence, while Valve did build a nice vista and didn’t care (at the beginning) about how to connect it to the end of Episode 1, it is not continuity-breaking enough to justify the amount of “bitching” some of you show here.