| Xen (half-life) |
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''Xen'' is the origin of the alien species that appear in the Science Fiction Computer Game '' Half-Life '' ( Valve Software , 1998 ). It is sometimes referred to as '''the border world'''. INTRODUCTION Rather than being a '') are on the surface of, or within, small Asteroid s (or islands) floating within what appears to be a Nebular void. Compared to the Gravitational pull experienced on Earth , Xen is notable for having somewhat reduced gravity. However, given that Xen is comprised of low mass asteroids, it is surprising that there is any appreciable gravitational pull at all, let alone a sufficiently strong pull to retain the breathable Atmosphere encountered there. Another noticeable thing is the fact that this gravity is always directed downwards, rather than towards the asteroid, so that one can actually fall off an asteroid into the void below. While it's possible that the "islands" are small chunks orbiting a larger and unseen planetoid, these unusual Physics strongly suggest that Xen occupies an Alternate Dimension where conventional physics may not fully apply. This is also hinted at when it is referred to as a "border world." In a brief sequence near the end of '' Half-Life 2 '', Doctor Breen can be overheard describing "worlds stretched thin across the membrane where dimensions intersect." It is very likely that Xen is one of the worlds Breen describes here. ECOSYSTEM The Xen asteroids are home to a wide variety of different plant and animal Species , forming a complex Ecosystem . Some of these, including Barnacles , Bullsquid and Houndeye s, appear to occupy Niche s similar to terrestrial animals, albeit with unusual anatomical or physiological features. While the Headcrab s that appear in the Black Mesa Research Facility have fully matured, juvenile forms (informally known as "baby headcrabs") appear in Xen. These are produced by another Xen resident, the Gonarch , a towering 6 M -high giant that continuously gives birth to infant headcrabs. Headcrabs appear to be fairly low on the Xen Food Chain , often seen being eaten by Bullsquid . Other, more intelligent species, such as the Controllers and Vortigaunts , appear to form part of an advanced alien civilization. Some species, such as the Alien Grunts and Gargantuas , appear to be the military arm of this civilization. As the player progresses through ''Half-Life'', it becomes clear that this civilization is controlled by a central intelligence, the Nihilanth . Although differing in many ways, the Controllers, Vortigaunts, Grunts and the Nihilanth share a common Morphology that includes a Vestigial third limb in the centre of their Thorax and vertically-opening mouths, suggesting that they are closely related species. A few creatures that appear in Xen are less easy to categorize. Seen occasionally around Black Mesa spawning Alien Grunts, Ray -like beings glide through the void, emitting soothing resonant sounds. These creatures come in two forms; one with a 'split' head and a double tail, and the other with a rounder head and a single tail. In one part of Xen seen in the chapter "Interloper" (depicted on the fourth screenshot on this page), one of the double-tailed type is seen flying around an asteroid in a complicated pattern, while multiple organisms of the other type are seen slowly flying forwards in the same direction. It is possible that the double-tailed type is the leader of a flock, and that its complicated flying pattern functions as a means to tell the rest of the flock something, as is seen among bees. These beings seem to follow preset patterns of flight, and do not react to attack or contact with other organisms. They occasionally let down a powerful beam of energy from the middle of their downside, and the double-tailed type is also seen spawning Alien Grunts while soaring overhead. The double-tailed creatures are also seen in the opening sequence of '''', where they attack Osprey aircraft using their energy beams. It is uncertain whether these ray-like beings are living creatures or examples of war machines built around Bio-technology . Attractive Bioluminescent stalks appear in large numbers throughout Xen. They retract when approached, and like several Xen organisms, it is uncertain whether these should be considered plants or animals. There are also bizarre tree-like structures dotted around the landscape, which seem to be more sedate versions of the Tentacle s. They sway gently and appear harmless when observed from a distance, but stab viciously at any creature that enters their immediate vicinity. One interesting point is that these tentacle-trees are almost always accompanied by one of the bioluminescent stalks. It appears that the two share a Symbiotic relationship, with the glowing stalk attracting prey, the tentacle-tree killing it, and the two sharing the nutrients. The two organisms are not, as some players believe, the same creature, as tentacle-trees and stalks can be seen on their own throughout Xen. NARRATIVE In ''Half-Life'', a science team at the Black Mesa Research Facility accidentally triggers a "resonance cascade" that opens a dimensional rift between Xen and Earth, teleporting Xen aliens into the facility. While some of the hostility of the aliens can be attributed to their sudden, forced Teleportation , physicist Gordon Freeman discovers that an Invasion force of Alien Grunts is being prepared in Xen. However, as later events in ''Half-Life'' show, a Covert Arm Of The U.S. Military has also been amassed on Earth for the invasion of Xen. Xen's leader, Nihilanth, is ultimately destroyed by Freeman to put an end to the invasion of Earth, allowing the United States military and the G-Man to invade and seize control of Xen. It is hinted in one of Nihilanth's speech fragments ("their slaves ... we are their slaves ... we are ..."), and strongly suggested by the so-called "All-Knowing Vortigaunt" in '' Half Life 2 '' ("once the lesser master lay defeated, we knew the greater must also fall in time"), that the Nihilanth itself was an unwilling Slave of the Combine . By destroying the Nihilanth, Gordon Freeman seemingly freed Xen and the Vortigaunts. However, given that the Combine control Earth in '' Half-Life 2 '' and that many Vortigaunts now live there, the fate of Xen after the events of ''Half-Life'' is unclear. It is now widely belived, if not fact, that the Nihilanth's race was forced out of its own homeworld by the Combine to seek refuge in Xen. If this is true it is unclear where the aliens seen in the original ''Half-Life'' are from. It would appear that the Nihilanth and its associated creatures (Vortigaunts, Grunts and Controllers) are not from Xen, but the origin of other alien species encountered in ''Half-Life'' is now uncertain (although many appear to fit comfortably into the Xen ecosystem). In ''Opposing Force'', several new alien species cross over to Earth. Referred to as " Race X ," these creatures are not found in Xen and may be from yet another parallel universe or alternate dimension. While they also appear to be invading the Earth, it is possible that the Race X aliens are fighting for the Combine. This is suggested by the hostility between Race X and Xen aliens, who are fighting each other during ''Opposing Force''. However, this may be as well a result of technical limitations, since AI of the Race X creatures is a copy of AI of original Half-Life enemies, who sometimes also fight each other (e.g. soldiers are hostile towards aliens and Bullsquids are enemies to Headcrabs). Combine/Xen Debate Although Xen does not appear in ''Half-Life 2'', there is some debate over whether or not the Combine controlled Xen before the events of ''Half-Life''. Two interpretations have developed following comments made by Doug Lombardi about the Combine: Those claiming they were not under control of the Combine cite the fact that there was no sign of Combine architecture, technology or iconography in the Borderworld, that no Synths appear on Xen (despite apparently being common to Combine forces on many worlds) and that the Combine themselves are unable to teleport locally as the Xenians could. They also claim that the quote proves the Xenians were successful in escaping from their homeworld to Xen. However it is clear that the races are aware of each other, and indeed are in conflict. The other side claiming that they were under control of the Combine says that this quote appears to suggest that Nihilanth and his race's evacuation seems to have been in vain, seen as though Nihilanth was forced by the Combine to deliver his race to them. It also appears that this opened the way for the Combine into Xen, from which they attempted their first attack at Earth. CRITICISM While much of ''Half-Life'' takes place in and around the Black Mesa Research Facility, the final few chapters take place in Xen. Some players have complained about this, insisting that the Black Mesa portions are better designed. They praise the jarring effect of "normal" surroundings being invaded by unfamiliar creatures, and claim that this is lost when encountering alien creatures in an entirely alien environment. However, other players have praised the Xen sections because of the imagination and quality of design in its execution. While most games that feature aliens draw inspiration from sources such as '' Aliens '' (e.g. '' Duke Nukem 3D '') or generic Horror Films (e.g. '' Doom ''), the aliens and environments of ''Half-Life'' have been more carefully crafted with considerable attention to detail (e.g. Xen's Ecology ; Homologous Anatomy ). Another source of player complaints is the disproportionately large number of Jumping Puzzles in Xen. Its unusual physics mean that there are many sections in Xen where the player must perform a series of precisely-executed jumps, with mis-steps punished by death. There is a sizeable group of gamers who object strenuously to any such jumping puzzles in first-person shooter games; however, the jumping puzzle is as old as the ability to jump in these games and is unlikely to disappear in the future (especially with the increasing use of more realistic physics; e.g. ''Half-Life 2''). ADDITIONAL SCREENSHOTS |
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