Cover created in Photoshop with screenshots from the video game
Hi guys, how are you, I ask you: have you ever in your life, haven't you had that cessation of intrigue, nostalgia and even loneliness at the same time, well, sometimes I have experienced these feelings all together, either when I visit inhospitable places that at first glance seem to be empty or lifeless.
One of those places I just described can easily be compared to Santa Olga in Half-Life 2: Lost Coast? simply, as soon as you put your feet on the wet sand and try to walk, you realize that despite being a beautiful place to look at, you will also be involved in a sea of more doubts than answers, and I'll tell you why...
I remember that as a child I tried this video game, but being so small maybe I didn't pay so much attention to important details that I missed, now that I have downloaded it again I have decided to explore every corner of it. On the other hand, I consider that of all the places I have visited in old video games, so far I confirm that this is one of those places where it is worth taking out the camera and capture memories.
From the first starting point I have been left with restlessness, because I got up from the ground and apparently I do not know how long I was lying there nor how I got there; however, I managed to capture with my camera a small wooden boat that was completely destroyed and I automatically deduced my possible shipwreck.
As if it were an angel fallen from the sky I managed to see an old man in the distance and to look for answers I went to him, very cordially greeted me and welcomed me to "Santa Olga", curiously he called me by my name, but I did not even know him, as I followed him he told me that at the top of that mountain I had to deactivate a machine before chaos appeared. He promised to tell me everything once I had accomplished my objectives.
This old man said: "If you come back alive I will be here waiting for you" a phrase that made me uneasy all the way, because I did not really know at the top, considering that I would also be all alone.
Despite my concern, it was very difficult to resist contemplating such beautiful scenery while I heard the constant pounding of the waves on the coast, but all this peace suddenly vanished leaving me deafened with the explosion of a grenade, now I had no choice but to defend myself from those futuristic soldiers who wanted to kill me for no reason.
What had begun as a tourist trip, now had become a hell between cliffs, it should be clarified that it was a challenging part while I put the eye on the soldiers I had to watch where I stepped if I did not want to slip on those narrow roads.
Arriving exhausted at the top I was able to appreciate a phenomenal architecture, because I had suddenly been transported to another place, a totally old place, with crumbling houses. It was at this point that I felt even more that feeling of loneliness and danger of the unknown.
I cautiously advanced to a central courtyard where my heart was pounding, I had a feeling that something or someone would attack me at the least expected moment, but... this did not happen, so with a little fear and documenting everything with my camera, I explored the small town that was completely abandoned.
Further on I saw an old temple or church, upon entering it was a gratifying experience although it was invaded by a total silence, I managed to feel a little safe inside, its walls full of religious paintings and altars reminded me of when I went to church in real life.
Something that transmitted warmth to my photographs, no doubt are the large windows through which the rays of light pour in, so in the midst of all the chaos almost apocalyptic I decided to play a little with the camera angles and even broke some windows I hope God is not angry with me XD.
But calm returned when I remembered that I had to fulfill what I had promised the old man to destroy that machine and so I did, it was enough to lock the mechanism with some debris, feeling a sudden relief to know that it would no longer cause more havoc. After a moment I discovered that that machine was used to bomb the town of Santa Olga, this left me devastated to understand that for such reasons was due to the great emptiness in the streets of what was still left of the town.
Now I understand the desperation of the old man for wanting to save part of what was his home where perhaps he had a family, but now all that was gone because of those evil soldiers who wanted to exterminate, enslave everything in its path because it is a civilization superior to the human race.
Logically, when I destroyed that machine the alarms went off and a large group of soldiers and monsters came after me and with my arsenal of weapons I defended everything to end up fighting against a large helicopter that launched its rockets and as if it were an epic battle I had to fight face to face exchanging shots with rocket launchers, the disadvantages is that I had almost no coverage, however, I shot it down in the end.
I remembered again the old man who was waiting for me at the foot of the hill and when I went down a kind of elevator, the screen faded to black, ending this video game...
Ok maybe you thought: is this videogame so short, well yes, but it is not a specific game, but rather an episode that was discarded from the original half life 2, because from the beginning it was created as a level and it would be even longer, but the developers decided to leave it as a kind of test of the graphics engine "Source" resulting in lost coast this beautiful place almost touristy in sight that stole from me a few glances and the attention of my camera...
Let me know what you thought of this trip to Santa Olga!!!
PS: for those who want to play it without problems can, because their requirements are minimal, ideal for cardboard PC xD.... I recommend it is a nostalgic and satisfying experience.
System Requirements:
Processor: Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or AMD 2800+.
Memory: 1 GB of RAM.
Graphics Card: DirectX 9.
Operating System: Windows XP or higher.
Peripherals: Keyboard and mouse.
Storage: 500 MB of free disk space.
Translated with: DeepL.com
All images were captured in the video game.
