Half-Life 2 soundtrack
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The limited-edition Half-Life 2 "Gold" package included, among other exclusive extras, a CD soundtrack. Although the CD contains several exclusive tracks, it does not include all of the music released with the game. Using an appropriate program, it is possible to extract all audio tracks heard in-game from the "source sounds.gcf" archive file. Tracks 44–56 in the list below were not released on the CD and can be obtained by this method. The soundtrack (save the CD version of tracks 1 and 34) was also included in the game directory of both the full and demo Audiosurf releases on Steam.
"Hazardous Environments"
Description
The most iconic track, this is now the singature theme of Valve software.
Location played
At the titles, a section of the track can be heared when putting on the HEV suit for the first time in the game.
"CP Violation"
Description
An action sounding track, fits an escape.
Location played
Various times in Route Kanal when Gordon Freeman fights off Civil Protection.
"The Innsbruck Experiment"
Description
- [1] For more info on name.
Location played
"Brane Scan"
Description
Relatively slow paced action music. Continues same beat throughout, with some electronic sounds - however, mainly drums.
Location played
(Anticitizen One or Follow Freeman - please check), leading up to the fight in the plaza (with the combine generator).
"Dark Energy"
Description
Location played
- Highway 17, when leaving Shorepoint Base.
- During the first part of the credits.
"Requiem For Ravenholm"
Description
Location played
After Father Grigori takes the player through a graveyard and let the player go under a gate.
"Pulse Phase"
Description
Location played
In the chapter Dark Energy when the player is descending in the elevator to face Breen.
"Ravenholm Reprise"
Spooky, mysterious music. Quite unsettling.
Description
Location played
- "We don't go to Ravenholm": Just as one comes out of the passage to Black Mesa East, straight into Ravenholm.
"Probably Not A Problem"
Description
A harrowing track, follows through a strange siren like refrain before ending with a subtle outro.
Location played
During the Headcrab shelling towards the Route Kannal level.
"Calabi-Yau Model"
Description
Not so much dark as very strange, follows through a distorted field of sound effects. seams to be very anticipatory. Quite eerie.
Location played
Upon entering the Vortigaunt Camp.
"Slow Light"
Description
Location played
"Apprehension and Evasion"
Description
- Fast paced action music.
- The name is most likely a reference to Gordon's apprehension by Civil Protection and his subsequent escape through which this song is played.
Location played
- During A Red Letter Day, while escaping from Civil Protection through the train tracks.
- During Sandtraps, during the night time raid on Nova Prospekt (the bunker raiding section).
"Hunter Down"
Description
Extremely short and dramatic trumpet piece.
Location played
Water Hazard: As soon as one has defeated the Hunter-Chopper.
"Our Resurrected Teleport"
Description
Location played
"Miscount Detected"
Description
Location played
"Headhumper"
Description
Location played
"Triage At Dawn"
Description
- A very earnest track. It is designed to be contrasted with the atmosphere of Ravenholm, once more placing the player in the middle of an uprising, while simultaneously almost mourning the situation - played in tandem with Winston's moans of pain.
- The name is a reference to the the very situation the player finds himself at the point it is played - Triage of Winston at dawn break.
- "Triage at Dawn" is incorrectly said to be based on the track "Path to Borealis", supposedly from the Half-Life 2 Beta. This is completely untrue, as no such thing can be found in the playable Half-Life 2 Beta files or any other leaked files. "Path to Borealis" is a completely made up named and is actually a remix of "Triage at Dawn" made by DJ Dain, named "That Long Train Ride".[1] It was one day presented by a gamer nicknamed "Black Mantis" on the Half-Life 2 Beta oriented Father Grigori Forums. There he pretended he received the track directly from Valve, which was a lie. After that, the lie was spread to the Facepunch forums. Today many players think "Path to Borealis" is a track from Valve, here crediting it to Kelly Bailey, there to Viktor Antonov, who is not even a composer. Many videos of it and crediting as from the Half-Life 2 Beta can be found on YouTube, and fixing that lie now appears to be impossible. The track is also used as the game menu music for the mod Obsidian Conflict, where it is also incorrectly named "Path to Borealis" and incorrectly credited to Antonov in the mp3 tag.
Location played
At Shorepoint, when the battle in the garage is over.
"Combine Harvester"
Description
Location played
"Lab Practicum"
Description
Location played
"Nova Prospekt"
Description
- The name, aside from detailing the location it is played, hints at its content (based on what one already knows of the place). Beginning, with the throb of a bass drum, the track whirls through a range of different ambient themes. A subtle refrain from CP Violation can be heared at 1:00 at last for around twenty seconds, before dropping to a more dramatic outro. The track is very creepy and unsettling. Gives a hint at what is to be expected later in the level.
- Duration: 1:56.
Location played
At the start of Nova Prospekt, just as one enters the jail.
"Broken Symmetry"
Description
A Strangely-placed reflective track, a repetition of two bass chords with a synth pad. A little similar to the Self Esteem Fund track from the Portal Soundtrack.
Location played
Upon leaving the sewers in Route Kanal.
"LG Orbifold"
Description
Appears at the climatic ending of Freeman's witnessing of The Uprising whilst fighting a multitude of Striders. Lengthy, fast paced action music. Has a few sections throughout.
Location played
During Follow Freeman! at the time of arguably the climax of the game whilst fighting a multitude of Striders.
"Kaon"
Description
Location played
"You're Not Supposed to Be Here"
Description
Location played
"Suppression Field"
Description
Location played
"Hard Fought"
Description
Location played
"Particle Ghost"
Description
An anticipatory track, seams to awaken one from the darkness of Ravenholm.
Location played
Kicks in upon leaving Ravenholm and into the sniper's nest outside, right before the Fast Zombie appears.
"Shadows Fore and Aft"
Description
- Strange & mysterious music.
- The whirring of Manhack blades and Kleiner's teleporter can be heard in the background.
Location played
Point Insertion: Very beginning of Half-Life 2, during the G-Man's speech.
"Neutrino Trap"
Description
Location played
"Zero Point Energy Field"
Description
Location played
"Echoes of a Resonance Cascade"
Description
Known also as "Space Ocean" this track seems to have a very intense 'walking the tightrope' feel, and appears extensively at such moments.
Location played
- Anticitizen One: Upon entering the underground hazardous liquid cavern with the cars.
- Our Benefactors: While Freeman is in the Prisoner pod, moving through the Citadel.
"Black Mesa Inbound"
Description
- An Ambient track. Reasonably dark, but implies a relatively passive and innocent atmosphere. Fits well during the player's first encounter with Dog.
- Name derived from the first level of Half-Life, in which Gordon is making his way to the Anomalous Materials Lab.
- Duration: 2m 11s.
Location played
"Xen Relay"
Description
Location played
"Tracking Device"
Description
A techno song. This is a remix of the song Credits - Closing Theme from Half-Life.
Location played
"Singularity"
Description
Location played
This is played upon the viewing of the Nova Prospekt teleporter.
"Dirac Shore"
Description
- Also named Dimensionless Deepness. It opens with the sound of water splashing (a possible reference to the track's name). Like most of the ambient soundtrack, it is hard to hear - keeping volume to a minimum - but is somewhat eerie.
- Its name is most likely a play on Dirac Sea, a "is a theoretical model of the vacuum as an infinite sea of particles possessing negative energy".
Location played
During Entanglement.
"Escape Array"
Description
- Starts with the blast of a distorted electic guitar chord. Comes from the Half-Life 1 song "Electric Guitar Ambiance". Enhances feeling of desolation.
Location played
At the beginning of Black Mesa East, right after the loading screen.
"Negative Pressure"
Description
Location played
"Tau-9"
Description
Reused from the Half-Life song Drums & Riffs.
Location played
Highway 17, when first reaching the crane.
"Something Secret Steers Us"
Description
A techno-sounding track. Gives off a feel of urgency.
Location played
Lighthouse Point during the Dropship attacks.
"Triple Entanglement"
Description
Location played
"Biozeminade Fragment"
Description
Location played
"Lambda Core"
Description
A fast-paced track with a car-chase feel. Its Half-Life name was Diabolical Rhythm Guitar, a good indicator of how it sounds.
Location played
Water Hazard when fleeing from the second Hunter-Chopper, involving drives through large cement pipes.
"Hazardous Environments (Game Mix)"
Description
A much shorter version of Hazardous Environments.
Location played
Immediately upon equipping the HEV Suit.
"Tracking Device (Game Mix)"
Description
Location played
"Entanglement"
Description
Location played
"Pulse Phase (Game Mix)"
Description
Location played
"Highway "
Description
Location played
"A Red Letter Day"
Description
The title track of the short level, extremely minimalist, sounds like a distorted choir singing. The track is barely even audible as a soundtrack.
Location played
During "A Red Letter Day", upon entering Kleiner's Lab for the first time.
"Sand Traps"
Description
Location played
"CP Violation (Remix)"
Description
Medium-fast paced action music.
Location played
"Train Station 2"
Description
Location played
"Train Station 2"
Description
Location played
"Industrial Suspense 1"
Description
Location played
"Industrial Suspense 2"
Description
Location played
"Radio"
Description
- Despite being one of the shortest and most simplistic, it is most probably the darkest track on the soundtrack. It is mostly a strange, discordant sound, as if a multitude of songs were mixed together. Very eerie and disquieting. Ends abruptly, as if a real song were being played.
- Name perhaps derived from the similarity of the sound to an old or out-of-tune radio.
- It can also be heard in the film 28 Days Later (at 00:26).
Location played
Anticitizen One: Just as the TV with the G Man on it is seen.
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