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{{Location_Infobox
|image=
|image2=
|name=Arctic regions
|constructed=
|destroyed=
|location=Northwest of City 17''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar''
|builder=
|era=Combine occupation of Earth|Combine occupation
|affiliation=
|maps=See ''Borealis (cut ship)|Borealis'' and Kraken Base
|designer=*Marc Laidlaw (backstory)
*Aaron Barber (level design)
*Dario Casali (level design)
*John Guthrie (level design)
*Randy Lundeen (level design)WC mappack
|hidei=
|hideu=
|hideg=
}}
The '''Arctic regions''' are an area located northwest of City 17 that Half-Life 2 original storyline|originally was to be visited between the Coast and City 17 in ''Half-Life 2'', mostly covering the third and penultimate day of the game. Completely scrapped from the final game, it was to start at the end of the Air Exchange area and leading into the City 17 uprising. It consisted of three main areas the ''Borealis (cut ship)|Borealis'', Kraken Base, and the Weather Control. While they are located in City 17, the Skyscraper and Vance Headquarters are also part of this section of the game, linking the Arctic levels with those of the City 17 uprising.''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar''WC mappack
==Overview==
*In one of the earliest versions of the ''Half-Life 2'' story, Gordon Freeman was to start the game by boarding the ''Borealis'', bound for City 17, and leaving from an undefined Arctic location.http//www.gamespot.com/features/6112889/p-6.html "The Final Hours of Half-Life 2", Page 6 The Hemoglobin, on GameSpot
*In the latest version of the script before the Arctic regions were scrapped, the ship was to appear later during the game After sabotaging the Air Exchange, Freeman was to continue his journey to Kraken Base and reach the ''Borealis'' where he was to meet Odell. After leaving the ship with a submarine, Kraken Base was to be reached; there Helena Mossman was to reveal her double agent role and have unleashed an army of Stalkers against the base. After narrowly escaping the base's flooding and destruction in an escape pod, Gordon was to be rescued by the Resistance and take part in the epic canyon battle of the Weather Control with Alyx Vance and her father Captain Vance leading his Conscripts, and head back to City 17 with Alyx aboard a C-130, carrying "chips" of unknown nature. Upon reaching City 17 at dawn, the two would crash in the Skyscraper and be separated while Gordon would take part in the city's uprising.''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar''WC mappack
*This area was also to introduce Arctic-related weapons and items such as the Ice Axe, the Flare Gun and the Fire Extinguisher.
==Fate==
The Arctic regions were completely scrapped from ''Half-Life 2'', replacing the Air Exchange by Nova Prospekt and its Depot as the location originating the uprising, with the latter linking directly into the City 17 uprising, skipping the Arctic story arc and setting the last act of the game on the third day instead of the fourth. However it appears that the Arctic setting has been and may still be considered for reuse by Valve for the Future of the Half-Life series|next ''Half-Life'' game, since Judith Mossman is seen in ''Episode One'' talking from what appears to be an Arctic location, and Aperture's ''Borealis (Aperture Science ship)|Borealis'' is shown stranded in icebergs in ''Episode Two''. Several official and leaked pieces of ''Episode Three'' concept art also indicate an Arctic environment was planned.
==Gallery==
===''Half-Life 2'' (cut)===
FileHL2 original journey.jpg|An early ''Half-Life 2'' journey, featuring the Arctic regions northwest of City 17.
FileBorealis opening concept.jpg|Gordon Freeman hiding from the Combine on the ''Borealis''.
FileBorealis E3 screen.jpg|The ''Borealis'' adrift in the sea later during the game's development.
FileDemo arctic06.jpg|A version of the ''Borealis'' stranded in the ice.
FileDeep 01 011 07.jpg|The ''Borealis''{{'}} submarine inside Kraken Base.
FileLooklab landscape.jpg|The Arctic landscape as seen from the demo map "looklab".
===''Half-Life 2 Episode Three''===
FileBorealis Ep2.jpg|Aperture's ''Borealis'' stranded in icebergs.
FileHalf Life 2 Episode Three concept 2.jpg|Combine Advisors following a humanoid figure into the ''Borealis'' in the first ''Episode Three'' concept art image, released in 2007.
FileAdvisor Intothepixel.jpg|Gordon Freeman face to face with an Advisor in the second ''Episode Three'' concept art image, released in 2008.
FileBorealis Advisors.jpg|Combine Advisors around the ''Borealis'' in the third ''Episode Three'' concept art image, released in 2008.
FileEp3 char jacket goggles2.jpg|Unidentified character dressed warmly with goggles, with an ice axe.
FileEp3 alyx4.jpg|Alyx Vance dressed warmly with goggles.
FileEp3 chopper crashed2.jpg|The crashed Mil Mi-8, with a large Combine installation in the background.
==List of appearances==
*''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar'' {{1st}} {{Nc}}
*''Half-Life 2 Episode One'' {{Pos}}
*''Half-Life 2 Episode Two'' {{Pos}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{succession
|title=Half-Life 2 original storyline|''Half-Life 2'' original storyline
|before=The Coast
|after=City 17
}}
{{Locations}}
CategoryArctic locations
CategoryHalf-Life 2 (pre-release)
CategoryLocationsCategoryCut locations