Welcome to City 17. Its safer here. A quick glance around the looming fences and crumbling walls of the station in which Gordon Freeman finds himself, not to mention the belligerent attitudes of the ever-present Overwatch forces, is all it takes to understand Wallace Breen -- hes a liar. And, as youll come to discover after a reunion with your old colleague Eli Vance, a traitor.Its questionable whether Breens collaboration with the Combine, the alien empire that preside over Earth in Half-Life 2, can be justified as better than the unspoken alternative. While a dialogue with the eternally mute Freeman isnt a possibility Breens a consistent presence, issuing warnings and giving proclamations as you journey towards the Combines Citadel. His rhetoric shifts as Gordon meets up with the resistance, his pacifying speeches and propaganda giving way to threats and, eventually, pleading with Gordon directly. Like all good villains, Breen seems to believe his actions are justified, though as his hold over Earth weakens hes revealed as a coward whos ultimately discarded by his masters. While hes a fairly straight-laced antagonist compared to others on this list, Doctor Breen is a plausible, and thus chilling, portrayal of how many real-world leaders might behave in similar circumstances.
