Half-Life 2 Walkthrough - Chapter 5: Fun At Black Mesa East

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Overview

This is another non-combat chapter that basically just builds up the story. You will spend most of it listening to a conversation, but you do get to play with the gravity gun near the end.

Key Objectives

Find Black Mesa East

This is probably the hardest part of the chapter. Just follow my directions.

Follow Mossman and Listen to Dr. Vance

This is pretty easy. Ride the elevator down and listen to the conversation. That’s it.

Train with the Gravity Gun

Just follow Alyx’s instructions and play ball with dog until the end.

Escape to Ravenholm

Follow Dog to the ladder out of Black Mesa East.

NPCs

Dr. Mossman - She’ll lead you to Dr. Vance and start an argument with Alyx.

Dr. Vance - Alyx’s father will greet you and tell you the history of the war.

Alyx - She makes a return and will teach you how to use the gravity gun.

Dog - This is probably the best character in the game for a mixture of fighting power and comic relief.

Enemies

Just some boxes

History Lesson

Get out of the airboat and walk up to the building on the left. Just follow the dark path up the hill and climb the ladder until you get into a big room. The door will slam and you’ll be in an airlock. Just wait for the scan to complete and for Dr. Mossman to greet you.

Follow Mossman into the elevator and enjoy the scenery. Get out at the bottom and watch the conversation with Dr. Vance. Then look around the room for a minute or two. You can get Dr. Vance to tell you more of the backstory if you look at the newspaper and the picture of Alyx. Wait around the room until the conversation is over and Alyx asks for you to follow her outside. Also take note of the blatant foreshadowing for the next level at Ravenholm.

Gravity Gun Training

Go outside and happily accept the new gravity gun. Have fun experimenting with it. Just follow Alyx’s instructions for now. Once you play with it for a bit, you need to build a platform to get up to the second level. Just use the secondary function to move the crates and barrels. Climb over and go meet Dog.

Once you meet Dog, you’ll get to play around with the gravity gun a bit more. Just catch the boxes that Dog throws at you and set them down or shoot them away. Dog will then play with his ball for a bit. Just catch it and punt it back at him to get a handle on angles and strength for the gravity gun. After a little bit, Alyx will ask him to throw something heavier. Dog decides that the dumpster fits the bill, but Alyx manages to talk him out of it. Unfortunately, that’s the least of your problems.

Escape

The combine are raiding the laboratory and you need to get to cover. Follow Alyx into the airlock and wait. Vance reiterates that you shouldn’t go to Ravenholm but the signal dies. Wait for Dog to open the door and follow Alyx until you are separated by the cave-in. Now you have to officially go to Ravenholm.

Follow Dog to the gate and take a good look at the dead zombies to get an idea of what you’re facing. Get into the elevator and shoot the lock off the ladder. Climb to the top and move through the pathway to enter Ravenholm.