Did you know that in 2004 Valve launched Half-Life 2 [official site]? And did you know that Episode 1 followed two years later and Episode 2 a year after that? Did you know it’s now been ten years and besides a mass of rumours, bad jokes and conversations with unverified sources, Gordon Freeman’s elusive third Half-Life outing – be that Half-Life 3 or HL2: Episode 3 – is still Not A Thing?
I’m sure you did. Let me now ask you this: do you know about Half-Life 2’s modding scene – a community which has been producing consistently brilliant tweaks and tinkerings to Freeman’s Combine-killing shooter for over a decade? Built from Valve’s Source Engine, the following list is comprised of single and multiplayer mods for the Seattle-based dev’s seminal and ever-enduring FPS – some of which are set in Freeman-familiar worlds, others which take on completely new looks entirely.
I know it’s hard to swallow, but Half-Life 3 might never happen. Play these mods instead.
Get a Life
By Cide
Get a Life was one of the first Half-Life 2 mods I ever played, and I instantly loved how different it was from its source material. Playing as Alexander Zemlinsky, you assume control of a vulnerable subway technician suffering from leukaemia and are tasked with taking on an unscrupulous agency and waves of otherworldly beings.
As an everyday civilian, Zemlinsky can barely handle the mod’s 13-weapon arsenal and afflictions such as bleeding, dizziness, shaking while aiming, and limping make combating its 60+ enemy types across its 24 maps less than straightforward. Add that to the mod’s limb damage system and you’ve got your work cut out for you. Upgradable weapons and drugs that trigger a special bullet-time mode work in your favour across Get a Life’s ten hour or so runtime.
GoldenEye: Source
By Team GoldenEye: Source
Designed to reimagine the Nintendo 64’s wonderful GoldenEye FPS from 1997, GoldenEye Source is a fan-made Half-Life 2 total conversion mod with one goal in mind: “To bring the memories and experiences from the original GoldenEye64 back to life using Source technology.”
It’s been around for almost 12 years and has been consistently updated along the way – having launched its version 5.0 last year. Classic maps such as the Bunker and the Dam return, however while its team promise to maintain the “original feel” of the game now two some decades old, naturally it’s been brought up to speed with ten multiplayer game modes, 25 maps in total and all 28 weapons from the original. Here’s its latest trailer:
Neotokyo
By Studio Radi-8
Set in a fictionalised cyberpunk Tokyo some 30 years into the future, Neotokyo is best described as a class-leaning Counter-Strike mixed with the Japanese fantasy/sci-fi manga series Ghost in the Shell. Government corruption is said to have turn the Japanese capital as we once knew it into a dystopian nightmare where war rages between the military sect Jinrai and the National Security Force. In practice this means loads of twitch shooting and relentless warring across Team Deathmatch and Capture the Ghost – the latter of which is portrayed by a female robot and is, as you probably expect, this mod’s version of capture the flag.
Once housed on ModDB, Neotokyo now exists on Steam and can be downloaded without owning Half-Life 2 itself which is pretty neat.
Minerva: Metastasis
By Adam Foster
Perhaps Minerva’s greatest achievement is that much of its sprawling levels play out in tight corridors and confined spaces, yet it rarely, if ever, feels cramped or claustrophobic. And this is testament to lone creator Adam Foster who, through this wonderfully designed three-episode mod, wound up with a full-time job at Valve.
Filling the boots of an unnamed hero, you’re tasked with uncovering the mysteries of the heavily Combine guarded island you’ve been held prisoner on. “Something is going on here,” suggests the mod’s blurb. “Your goal is to uncover what that is and destroy it.” Doing so will lead you into the island’s central mine shaft and with the help of the titular Minerva – who only exists via on-screen text messaging – you’ll set about taking down whatever it is that’s keeping you trapped on the archipelago.
First released in 2007, Foster launched Minerva on Steam Workshop on 2013. You’re required to already own Half-Life: Episode One to play.
Research and Development
By mbortolino
A non-combative game before non-combative games were cool. Crafted in 2009, two years after the aforementioned Minerva, R&D was often uttered in the same breath as Adam Foster’s work by way of its originality and ambition. Minus guns, besides the Gravity Gun, Gordon Freeman must here rely on his wits as you guide him through a series of tricky, often mind-building and sometimes infuriating puzzles. Occasionally, you’ll face the odd baddie who wants nothing more than to see you dead, but only by leveraging your surrounds can you see them off.
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“You’re definitely not Edward Pistolhands,” said Alec not long after R&D’s release, before saying this:
“The best comparison, oddly, is the original Half-Life – a game whose noble puzzle values its sequel largely abandoned in favour of super-atmospheric action. There is very much that sense of strange tricks and traps born of scientific experimentation, and your largely non-combative persona is in many ways more in keeping with the mind-over-matter character we’re often told Gordon Freeman is than the openly, incongruously murderous role he dons in Valve’s games.”
Games such as the Talos Principle have since performed the idea better, but R&D was well ahead of its time some eight years ago.
The Stanley Parable
By Cakebread
How to explain The Stanley Parable without spoiling it? And how to explain it without sounding mad? Two tough questions that I’d honestly rather you worked out for yourself because The Stanley Parable really needs to be experienced to be believed. You probably already know this mod went onto become a fully realised paid-for game – which is absolutely worth paying – however its less sophisticated, rougher-around-the-edges, and free mod version can still be played and enjoyed today.
Exploring themes of 9-5 culture, the illusion of choice, and the contradictions of self-fulfilment, The Stanley Parable takes you on a journey where your only friend is an omnipresent, overseeing narrator. But do you trust him?
“You will make a choice that does not matter,” suggests the mod’s description. “You will follow a story that has no end. You will play a game you cannot win… it’s actually best if you don’t know anything about it before you play it.” I agree.
Black Mesa
By Black Mesa Dev Team
Put simply, Black Mesa is a mod project that started in 2012 with the aim of reimagining the original Half-Life in its sequel’s Source Engine. Having somewhat grown arms and legs since, Black Mesa now exists as a free mod which its creators the Crowbar Collective are no longer progressing, and a paid-for Early Access game, which will receive the most attention.
For example, this means Xen – the otherworldly zone Gordon Freeman visits towards the end of the original game – will not feature in Black Mesa’s mod version, and the premium version plans to add ten or so hours which won’t feature for free. That said, about 85 percent of the single player game does exist in the mod and is for the most a beautiful reinterpretation of Freeman’s first outing. Perhaps the best testimonial I’ve spotted for Black Mesa is tied to generational differences: “Now I understand what people felt like in 1998,” said ModDB user HunteR4708 which is probably absolutely right, even if it makes me myself feel old.
Silent Hill: Alchemilla
By White Noise
There are loads of horror-inspired Half-Life 2 mods kicking around these days, however 2015’s first-person Silent Hill: Alchemilla is my favourite. While it claims to tell a “completely original story”, Alchemilla is heavily inspired by the first game and reimagines its world – particularly the titular hospital and the outside otherworld areas – to terrifying effect.
Without spoiling anything, its puzzles are a little on the light side, so it’s perhaps best to avoid diving into this one expecting a revolutionary first-person modern day retelling of the 1999 debut – a la Resident Evil 7. That said, while Alchemilla promises to entertain “fanatics of the original game”, there’s definitely enough meat on this ‘uns bones to impress series fans of all understandings.
Synergy
By Synergy Team
If co-operative multiplayer is your bag, look no further than Synergy. Another long-standing mod that’s since been housed in the Steam Workshop, Synergy was born from a number of other mods – DC Co-op 2, Dev Co-op, Tim-Coop, for example – and stands to let players play through Half-Life 2’s otherwise single-player campaigns with friends.
Be that Half-Life 2’s base game, Episode One and/or Two, you and your pals can take down Headcrabs, Gunships and Striders to your heart’s’ content – and Synergy now even works with other user-made mods such as the aforementioned Minerva: Metastasis. Synergy also brings a handful of its own levels to the table, which means there’s plenty here to hold you and your pals’ attention.
Dino D-Day
By Digital Ranch Interactive
Besides having the best name on this entire list, Dino D-Day almost certainly has the best premise: during the second World War, Hitler has discovered a way to resurrect dinosaurs and, by fighting online, players can either choose to side with the Allies or the Nazis.
Now, a war-based Deathmatch-style shooter that lets players ride around on dinosaurs is probably enough to sell those of you inclined, however Dino D-Day offers a host of classes which vary on each side, a range of dinos, and an impressive arsenal of weaponry.
Dino D-Day is another mod which has since graduated to paid-for Steam release, however the original freebie itself is still available to download and packs five maps and three game modes – the latter of which includes team deathmatch, king of the hill, and objective mode.
Honourable Mentions
Garry’s Mod
By Garry Newman
By Garry Newman
The archetypal mod – Garry Newman’s Garry’s Mod offers players a sandbox and tools to make it their own. There are no rules or objectives, but tens of thousands of players and game modes.
Prospekt
By Richard Seabrook
By Richard Seabrook
Prospekt has received middling reviews on Steam, however is a fun one-man project which furthers the story Adrian Shephard, star of Half-Life 1 expansion Opposing Force.
Dear Esther
By The Chinese Room
By The Chinese Room
The non-combat exploration game, or Walking Simulator if you prefer, that started it all.
HL2: Capture the Flag
By MeNtHoL
By MeNtHoL
Simple, yet necessary. The Half-Life 2 Deathmatch mode than never was.
Nuclear Dawn
By GameConnect
By GameConnect
A lovely FPS/RTS hybrid.
As noted above, Half-Life 2’s modding community has now been operating for well over ten years. This means I’ve definitely missed some crackers, but the above list should more than get those of you new to the scene started. Again, these are my own favourites but, as always, I’d love to hear which ones I’ve missed in the comments below.
The Combine | |
---|---|
Half-Life series character | |
The Combine 'clamp' symbol, seen in propaganda throughout Half-Life 2 | |
First game | Half-Life 2 (2004) |
Created by | Gabe Newell[1] |
Designed by | Gabe Newell,[1]Marc Laidlaw[2] |
Voiced by | John Patrick Lowrie[3] |
Information | |
Alias | Our Benefactors, The Universal Union |
Affiliation | Dr. Wallace Breen |
The Combine is a multidimensional empire which serves as the primary antagonistic force in the 2004 video gameHalf-Life 2, and the subsequent episodes developed by Valve Corporation. The Combine consist of alien, synthetic, and human elements, and dominate Earth. They are encountered throughout Half-Life 2 and its episodic expansions as hostile non-player characters as the player progresses through the games in an effort to overthrow the Combine occupation of Earth.
The Combine are frequently shown as harsh rulers over the citizens of Earth, suppressing dissent with brutality, policing using violence and using invasive surgery to transform humans into either soldiers or slaves. Throughout the games, the player primarily battles transformed humans as well as synthetic and mechanical enemies that are the product of Combine technology. The atmosphere generated by the dystopian Combine state has been praised by reviewers, although the artificial intelligence of the transhuman Combine characters was thought to be inferior to that of other characters in Half-Life 2. In addition to their role within the Half-Life series, the Combine have been adapted for machinima productions and one Combine character type has been made into plush toys by Valve.
- 2Attributes
- 2.2Depiction
- 3Appearances
- 4Cultural impact
Design[edit]
Artwork of a Civil Protection Officer
Some elements of the Combine's appearance, such as that of the Advisor, are inspired by the works of Frank Herbert.[4] The towering Striders seen throughout Half-Life 2 and its subsequent episodes are based directly on the Martian tripods of the H.G. Wells novel The War of the Worlds, where said Martians invade Victorian England, using the tripods as their main 'weapon'. The name 'Combine' itself is a tribute to Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which features a collection of authorities which mechanistically manipulate and process individuals.[4]
During Half-Life 2's development, various concepts for Combine non-player characters were cut. Female Combine assassins, similar to black ops assassins featured in the first game, were planned but later abandoned, although they appear in the Half-Life 2: Survivor arcade game.[4] Another non-player character, the cremator, was conceptualized as a Combine laborer who cleaned the streets of bodies after a battle with an acid gun and although removed from the game, its head was featured in Eli Vance's laboratory. Other cuts included a variety of alien Combine soldiers that would have complemented the trans-human soldiers in the game and a number of synthetic combat machines.[4] Many of Half-Life 2's Combine characters went through multiple redesigns; the Combine Overwatch soldier was subjected to at least twelve redesigns before the final appearance was settled on.[5]
Opera singer and actress Ellen McLain provides the voice for the Combine Overwatch announcer and dispatcher in Half-Life 2 and its episodic expansions,[6] while the various Combine soldiers throughout the games are voiced by John Patrick Lowrie.[3]
Attributes[edit]
Society[edit]
Little is revealed of the Combine's role outside of Earth, but dialogue in Half-Life 2 states that they control worlds in different dimensions and inhabited by a range of species.[7] The Combine occupation of Earth, however, is shown to be a brutal police state. In City 17, an Eastern European city, Civil Protection units are seen frequently, often conducting random searches of apartment blocks, interrogating human citizens and engaging in random police brutality. The military Overwatch forces of the Combine are shown attacking human resistance bases in an effort to further solidify their control. The citizens themselves are all clad in blue uniforms and live in designated apartment blocks. Citizens are shown to be moved around to different cities or locales at the Combine's will, using passenger trains.[8]Vortigaunts, alien creatures from the original Half-Life, are also shown to have been enslaved, and are observed in various jobs such as janitors. According to Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, the Combine are draining the Earth's oceans, minerals and resources to be used on other Combine worlds;[4] while in both City 17's waterways and the outskirt's coastal shores the water levels are greatly reduced.[9]
At the heart of the Combine's command structure in Half-Life 2 is the Citadel, an enormous structure of Combine construction, reaching approximately 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) into the sky from ground level,[10] and delving deep underground. Located within City 17, the Citadel serves as the primary headquarters of the Combine, housing both Combine Advisors and the office of the Earth administrator, Wallace Breen. Breen is frequently seen on large screens around the city from which he spreads propaganda. The Citadel projects an energy field that is able to prevent human reproduction,[11] as well as a field that keeps dangerous alien wildlife out of the city.[12] In addition, the Citadel contains a trans-dimensional teleporter which allows the Combine to travel between their native universe and Earth.[13] The Citadel also contains construction facilities for various synthetic Combine combat machines.
Depiction[edit]
The Combine is composed of various species and machines. The most commonly encountered enemies throughout Half-Life 2 and its expansions are the transhuman Overwatch soldiers and human Civil Protection officers. A variety of combat machines also encountered, ranging from APCs and helicopter gunships to a giant 'Smart wall' which encloses occupied cities and gradually destroys anything in its path. A number of weaponized alien 'synths' are also encountered by Freeman.[14]
Advisors[edit]
The Advisor's grub-like appearance was inspired by the works of science fiction author Frank Herbert.
Advisors are large larvae-like creatures which are virtually featureless, with no visible eyes, ears or limbs, though they do possess an eye-like mechanical device attached to the left side of their heads, and detachable mechanical arms.[15] Their faces are covered by a form of respirator, which is able to lift to reveal a mouth-like orifice from which extends a long flexible proboscis. With this, they can examine objects, or attack and kill enemies. Advisors appear to be feeding upon their victim during their attacks. It is implied that Advisors are the original master race behind the Combine, with the Earth administrator Wallace Breen answering directly to them.[15][16] Although Advisors are usually seen in protective pods guarded by Combine soldiers, they also possess telekinetic powers with which they are able to float through the air and immobilize enemies so that their proboscis can examine their victims without interference.[15] Their appearance was based on the Guild Navigators from the film Dune.[17]
Civil Protection[edit]
Civil Protection is the Combine's law enforcement agency on Earth, consisting of humans who have agreed to work on behalf of the Combine. Also referred to as metrocops, Civil Protection units wear light armor and gas masks, which heavily resemble a somewhat modified Soviet PMG mask. They are usually armed with electroshock batons and pistols, and are occasionally seen using submachine guns. Metrocops are brutal in their methods, keeping the local populace in line via intimidation and physical force. Interrogations, inspections, raids, random beatings, summary executions and acts of extreme police brutality are all used as a means of policing their respective jurisdictions; their methods are justified by their role as 'protectors of the civilians' well-being'. On the outskirts of City 17, Civil Protection units are observed patrolling for escapees from the city. Civil Protection officers are in constant contact with Combine Overwatch headquarters, which gives them objectives and situation updates. On the death of an officer, that officer's armor detects that its wearer is no longer alive and automatically informs headquarters of the fatality and advises nearby units as to the place of death.[14]
Overwatch[edit]
The Combine Overwatch is the primary military force of the Combine on Earth. It consists of biomechanicallyenhanced humans, who wear heavily padded long-sleeve body armor and gas masks. The markings on the suit change depending on each individual unit's assignment and rank. Elite Combine soldiers wear bright white armor with one red eye, while the majority of soldiers wear blue armor. Shotgun units wear similar armour to the standard Combine Soldier, but coloured brown with orange eyes. They are armed with a variety of firearms, including shotguns, submachine guns, sniper rifles and pulse rifles. Overwatch soldiers usually operate in small groups, using squad tactics and grenades to flush out and flank the player. They occasionally provide support to Combine synths, and often travel to areas by use of dropships. They use radios to communicate with each other and with Overwatch headquarters. Combine Overwatch soldiers are usually encountered outside City 17, and only appear in the city after 'The Uprising' near the end of Half-Life 2.[14]
Combine technology[edit]
The Combine use a large array of science fiction technology. They have access to teleportation technology, which takes them from their dimension to Earth. However, their teleporter technology is restrictive in comparison to that developed by Eli Vance, Isaac Kleiner and Judith Mossman in that it cannot be used to teleport to other locations on Earth without significant modification.[18] Throughout the games, various futuristic computer consoles, doors, power sources and weapon emplacements are encountered. In addition, the Combine employ the use of small airborne robots, scanners, to observe the citizens of Earth. The city variant merely moves about the streets, monitors individuals, and takes photographs, while the combat equivalent is capable of dropping mines into an area.[14] Civil Protection makes use of smaller airborne robots called manhacks, which fly using razor-sharp rotating blades with which they attack their targets to cause laceration injuries. These are often deployed in closed-in areas. The Combine also use two types of land mines; hopper mines throw themselves into the air and detonate when an enemy is detected nearby, while the spherical rollermines roll towards vehicles or other enemies, attach themselves and deliver damaging electrical attacks.[14] Combine technology is also used to transform humans into Overwatch soldiers or stalkers, deformed and mutilated humans with no memory of their past selves who act as slaves and maintenance workers in Combine facilities. Transformation into a Stalker is considered among the Combine's worst punishments for dissidents.[15][19]
Militarily, the Combine make use of both synthetic machines—machines powered by organic components—and traditional mechanical machines such as armored personnel carriers and attack helicopters.[14] The most prominent of the synthetic machines are the insect-like gunships; and Striders, 50-foot-tall (15 m) armored creatures that walk upon three legs, which are armed with a high powered warpspace cannon and a head-mounted pulse turret.[14] In Episode Two, a smaller equivalent to the Strider, the Hunter, is introduced. These 2.5 m (8 ft) tall, tripodal assault machines fire explosive flechettes at targets and are small enough to maneuver indoors. Other synths are seen near the end of the Half-Life 2, although their roles are not elaborated on. Sentry turrets are also used by the Combine.[14] The Combine also use headcrabs as a biological weapon against dissidents, firing artillery shells loaded with the creatures into areas and allowing them to infest the vicinity.[14]
Appearances[edit]
Half-Life series[edit]
According to the backstory presented during Half-Life 2, the Combine appear on Earth after the death of the Nihilanth, the boss character at the end of Half-Life. The death of the Nihilanth, a powerful creature controlling the dimensional rip between Xen and the Black Mesa Research Facility on Earth, causes the rip to worsen, resulting in 'portal storms' which spread the hostile wildlife of Xen across Earth. The Combine manipulate this tear in the spacetime continuum, widening it to allow access to Earth from their dimension. When it is sufficiently wide, the Combine invade in force, and in the subsequent Seven Hour War quickly defeat the forces of Earth and destroy the United Nations Secretariat Building in New York City. Earth's surrender is negotiated by Wallace Breen, who is then made the Combine puppet administrator of Earth, and uses City 17 as his base of operations.[20]
Two Overwatch soldiers in Episode Two, with a Hunter in the background.
The Combine's first appearance is in Half-Life 2. Through the early stages of the game, Combine Civil Protection units pursue Gordon Freeman through City 17 after he accidentally reveals his presence to Wallace Breen. Due to Freeman's actions in Half-Life, Breen sees Freeman as a major threat.[21] As Freeman escapes the city, Civil Protection units raid the resistance base of Black Mesa East and capture resistance leader Eli Vance, who is transferred to holding facilities at Nova Prospekt.[20] Freeman and Vance's daughter Alyx break into the facility to rescue him, but Eli Vance is teleported to the Combine Citadel by double agent Judith Mossman. However, the strike against Nova Prospekt is seen as the start of a revolution by the citizens of Earth, who take up arms against the Combine.[22] In response, Combine Overwatch are deployed to City 17, and heavy street fighting takes place. Freeman manages to infiltrate the Citadel but is captured and taken to Breen. Mossman allows Freeman to break free of his captivity, and Breen flees to the Citadel's trans-dimensional teleporter, intent on escape. However, Freeman destroys the teleporter's reactor before Breen can escape, causing a large explosion that destroys the top of the Citadel.
In Episode One, the destruction of the teleporter at the top of the Citadel has isolated the Combine forces on Earth, but also caused its primary reactor to begin to melt down. This forces Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance to journey back into the critically damaged Citadel to temporarily stabilize its reactor while the city's inhabitants are evacuated.[23] The Combine forces, however, instead attempt to accelerate the meltdown in order to send a message to their native universe for reinforcements. After Alyx acquires an encrypted copy of the message to be sent, Overwatch forces desperately attempt to stop the pair from escaping the city, spurred on by Combine Advisors. As the pair escape on a train at the end of the game, the Citadel detonates, sending the message and destroying City 17.[24]
Episode Two opens with Alyx and Freeman discovering that the Citadel's destruction has resulted in the formation of a super portal to the Combine dimension, which is slowly progressing to a stage where the Combine can send overwhelming reinforcements.[25] They also discover that the data packet in the message they retrieved from the Citadel contains codes that can be used to close the portal, and so traverse the countryside to deliver the packet to the resistance headquarters at White Forest. As they progress, it becomes evident that the Combine Advisors escaped the Citadel's destruction, and that remaining Combine forces are regrouping, albeit under occasional attacks by Vortigaunts.[26] Aware of the resistance's plans to close the super portal, the Combine attack White Forest in force, but are repelled.[27] The super portal is destroyed after the resistance launch a satellite containing the appropriate data. However, in the game's closing scenes, two Advisors attack Freeman, Alyx and Eli Vance, and kill Eli before being driven off by Dog.
Appearances in other media[edit]
The use of sandbox applications like Garry's Mod have allowed for Combine non-player characters to be used in a variety of webcomics and machinima productions. The Combine are also referenced in the Portal series. In one webcomic, Concerned, the Combine are portrayed as a highly bureaucratic and often inept organization. One issue shows a Civil Protection briefing for attempting to capture the comic's protagonist Gordon Frohman, in which officers are instructed to cluster around explosive barrels, seek cover on unstable structures and rappel down from bridges in front of fast moving vehicles.[28] In another example, the machinima series Combine Nation follows Civil Protection officers in a similar style to police procedural documentaries. The officers perform their duties with various twists, such as the team's medical officer having an obsession with adhesive bandages and the legal consultant, an Overwatch soldier, favoring dramatic entries, such as throwing flashbangs, which often backfire on him.[29] Another web series, called The Combine, parodies the TV show The Office. This series attempts to portray the combine as an intergalactic corporation that suffers from everyday office issues and problems. One episode shows the soldiers attempting to bypass a webfilter so they can watch videos online instead of working.[30] Other media portray the Combine with more serious overtones, such as the live-action video The Combine Interview, which parodies an interview with Tom Cruise discussing Scientology. The video, described by ActionTrip as 'eerie, to say the least'[31] and by both Joystiq[32] and Kotaku[33] as 'creepy', instead presents an interview with a Civil Protection officer discussing the Combine's rule of Earth, adapting Cruise's words to fit the Combine theme. PC Gamer UK noted that 'the suggestion, of course, is that Scientology's purpose or self-image in some way resembles that of the homogenising intergalactic murderous alien collective'.[34]
Cultural impact[edit]
Merchandise[edit]
The Combine have inspired the creation of several items of merchandise for the Half-Life series. A plush toy was created by Valve, based on the synthetic tripod Hunters introduced in Episode Two.[35] Sold and distributed via Valve's online store, the toy was released in February 2008.[36] In addition, Valve has produced t-shirts depicting the Combine's idea of humanity's evolution, from ape to Combine Overwatch soldier,[37] and a lithograph displaying twelve pieces of concept art for the Combine soldier.[5]
Reception[edit]
Collectively, the Combine expressed control over every aspect of human life, from assigned living quarters to an energy field designed to suppress human reproduction. [..] Have transformed humans into faceless soldiers, known as Civil Protection and mindless slaves known as Stalkers.
–IGN, The Top 100 Videogame Villains[38]
The Combine have received a positive reaction from critics. 1UP.com praised the 'epic feel' built up by the Combine and their harsh rule of City 17 in Half-Life 2, stating that this created 'a world governed by newspeak, decorated with urban decay, and lacking any hope'.[39]GameSpot echoed this praise, saying that the 'vision of a dystopian police state is chillingly effective'. PC Zone described the appearance of the Combine's soldiers as 'stormtrooper-like', but although stating that overall the artificial intelligence for the game was 'extremely competent', the Combine non-player characters 'could have used better survival instincts', citing their reluctance to take cover and tendency to charge at the player and into a shotgun blast.[40]
A number of reviews of Episode One were disappointed by the lack of new characters for the Combine,[41] although GameSpot praised the improved AI for Combine soldiers and the addition of new abilities, such as rappelling down buildings.[42] The addition of the Hunter in Episode Two was particularly well received by critics; Computer and Video Games stated that they were challenging to fight and were 'a very welcome addition' to the series,[43] while IGN stated that the Hunters were 'impressively designed.. [they are] sleek and powerful all at once and reek of malicious alien intelligence.'[44]
The Combine were ranked at #22 in IGN's 'Top 100 Videogame Villains' list.[38]
References[edit]
- ^ ab'The Top 100 Game Creators of All Time -16. Gabe Newell'. IGN. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- ^'Marc Laidlaw'. Giant Bomb. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- ^ ab'John Patrick Lowrie'. IMDb. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- ^ abcdeHodgson, David (2004). Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar. Prima Games. ISBN978-0-7615-4364-0.
- ^ ab'Half-Life 2 Combine Soldier Lithograph'. Valve Corporation. Archived from the original on March 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- ^'Glados Speaks'. IGN. 31 October 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
- ^Valve Corporation (2004). Half-Life 2. PC. Level/area: Dark Energy.
Wallace Breen: Carbon stars with ancient satellites, colonized by sentient fungi; gas giants, inhabited by vast meteorological intelligences; worlds stretched thin across the membranes where the dimensions intersect..impossible to describe with our limited vocabulary!
- ^Valve Corporation (2004). Half-Life 2. PC. Level/area: Point Insertion.
Citizen: No matter how many times I get relocated, I..never get used to it.
- ^Highway 17
- ^Half-Life 2 Citadel Height
- ^Valve Corporation (2006). Half-Life 2: Episode One. PC. Level/area: Urban Flight.
Isaac Kleiner: I feel obliged to point out that a more fortunate side effect of the reactor's destruction is the complete removal of the Combine's reproductive suppression field. Previously, certain protein chains important to the process of embryonic development were selectively prevented from forming; this is no longer the case. For those so inclined, now would be an excellent time for procreation, which is to say, in layman's terms, you should give serious consideration to doing your part for the revival of the species.
- ^Valve Corporation (2006). Half-Life 2: Episode One. PC. Level/area: Lowlife.
Alyx Vance: Antlions here? The Combine's defense field must have collapsed. Makes sense if it was powered by the Citadel.
- ^Valve Corporation (2004). Half-Life 2. PC. Level/area: Dark Energy.
Alyx Vance: This is the Citadel's dark fusion reactor. It powers their tunneling entanglement device.
- ^ abcdefghi'Half-Life 2 Enemies'. Planet Half-Life. IGN. Archived from the original on October 22, 2006. Retrieved 2008-09-23.
- ^ abcd'Half-Life 2: Episode One Enemies'. Planet Half-Life. IGN. Archived from the original on April 26, 2013. Retrieved 2008-09-23.
- ^Valve Corporation (2004). Half-Life 2. PC. Level/area: Dark Energy.
Dr. Wallace Breen: (to an Advisor) It's me you should be worried about! I can still deliver Earth, but not without your help! [.] The portal destination is untenable, surely you can set the relay else where. There's no way I can survive in that environment! A host body?! You must be joking, I can't possibly—oh, all right, dammit, if that's what it takes. Just hurry, he's right behind me!
- ^Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
- ^Valve Corporation (2004). Half-Life 2. PC. Level/area: Black Mesa East.
Judith Mossman: We're closing in on a reliable local teleport technology, something the Combine still hasn't mastered. Eli thinks their models are string-based, similar to our Calabi-Yau model, but they fail to factor in the dark energy equations. They can tunnel through from their universe, but once they're here, they're dependent on local transportation.
- ^Valve Corporation (2006). Half-Life 2: Episode One. Level/area: Direct Intervention.
Alyx Vance: Goddamn the Combine! This is what happens to you if you resist.. or if you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time. [.] God, I hope you don't remember who you are..
- ^ ab'Half-Life 2 Walkthrough—Chapter 5: Black Mesa East'. Planet Half-Life. IGN. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^Valve Corporation (2004). Half-Life 2. PC. Level/area: Water Hazard.
Wallace Breen: We now have direct confirmation of a disruptor in our midst, one who has acquired an almost messianic reputation in the minds of certain citizens. His figure is synonymous with the darkest urges of instinct, ignorance and decay; some of the worst excesses of the Black Mesa incident have been laid directly at his feet. And yet unsophisticated minds continue to embue him with romantic power, giving him such dangerous poetic labels as the 'One Free Man', the 'Opener of the Way'.
- ^'Half-Life 2 Walkthrough—Chapter 10: Entanglement'. Planet Half-Life. IGN. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^'Half-Life 2: Episode One Walkthrough—Chapter 1: Undue Alarm'. Planet Half-Life. IGN. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^'Half-Life 2: Episode One Walkthrough—Chapter 5: Exit 17'. Planet Half-Life. IGN. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^Valve Corporation (2007). Half-Life 2: Episode Two. PC. Level/area: To The White Forest.
Isaac Kleiner: What you're seeing is the infancy of a superportal. If it retains full strength— / Eli Vance: It will be the Seven Hour War, all over again! Except this time we won't last seven minutes!
- ^Valve Corporation (2007). Half-Life 2: Episode Two. PC. Level/area: Freeman Pontifex.
Vortigaunt: They carry Shu'ulathoi: Advisors still in incubation pods. They gather and unite the scattered Combine forces.
- ^Valve Corporation (2007). Half-Life 2: Episode Two. PC. Level/area: Our Mutual Fiend.
Resistance fighter: We've counted a dozen Striders just north of us. Our job is to keep them from reaching the base to the south. If they get close enough for one good shot at the silo, the whole launch is a bust. And in case Striders aren't bad enough, recon indicates that they're being escorted by packs of Hunters.
- ^Livingston, Christopher (2005-10-07). 'Issue #62'. Concerned: The Half-Life and Death of Gordon Freeman. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- ^'Combine Nation: Episode One'. Lit Fuse Films. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- ^'The Combine Episode 2: Workfilter'. Currentpie Productions. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
- ^Paul, Ure (2008-09-03). 'Tom Cruise Scientology Interview, Combine Style'. ActionTrip. Archived from the original on 2008-09-13. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
- ^McElroy, Justin (2008-09-03). 'The Combine Interview puts Tom Cruise in new light'. Joystiq. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
- ^Plunkett, Luke (2008-09-02). 'Creepy Tom Cruise Interview Redone As Creepy Half-Life 2 Interview'. Kotaku. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
- ^'The Combine Tom Cruise'. PC Gamer. No. 194. United Kingdom: Future plc. December 2008. p. 113.
- ^'Hunter Plush Toy'. Valve Corporation. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- ^Plunkett, Luke (2008-02-18). 'Hunter Plushies Now Available'. Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- ^'Half-Life 2 'Evolution' Shirt'. Valve Corporation. Archived from the original on March 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- ^ ab'The Top 100 Videogame Villains'. IGN. Archived from the original on August 6, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
- ^Pfister, Andrew (2005-01-17). 'Half-Life 2 Review'. 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-04. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
- ^'PC Review: Half-Life 2'. PC Zone. Computer and Video Games. 2004-11-16. Archived from the original on December 8, 2006. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^McNamara, Tom (2006-06-01). 'Half-Life 2: Episode One Review'. IGN. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^Ocampo, Jason (2008-06-02). 'Half-Life 2: Episode One for PC Review'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^Robinson, Andy (2007-10-10). 'Review: Half-Life 2: Episode Two'. Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on June 24, 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^Adams, Dan (2007-10-09). 'Half-Life 2: Episode Two Review'. IGN. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
External links[edit]
- The Combine on Combine OverWiki, an external wiki
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Combine_(Half-Life)&oldid=903965314'
Steam rose from the dark and cold pod as a new combine prototype came out. There was no longer any fear, sympathy, sadness, or despair in the body now clothed in black body armor. His helmet was as black as his soul. His four orange lens glowed in the depths of the citadel chamber. He was escorted to the barracks. He was brainwashed, practically dead, now, he was the combine leader or better known as C9116.
The combine advisors have ordered him to be created in order to crush the resistance forces in city 12. It has been flooded with head crabs and zombies. Now it is a dangerous battleground. There is a secret weapon the rebels are trying to build and should it be unleashed, it would cause chaos to the combine bases near the area which planned to do further damage to the resistance. For C9116, his mission was to exterminate every resistance member and destroy the weapon.
If he failed, he would be given a permanent off-world assignment. He planned to move higher in the combine ranks to dominate the earth. He was taken to the barracks, where he was given a specialized gun laid on a blue table. It was a combine sniper and a powerful ar2 pulse rifle. He equipped himself with grenades and pistols.
When, he came out, he walked into a combine dropship along with his squad. The combine dropship flew over the landscape of the utterly ruined lands of the rebels. C9116 and his squad felt the dropship descending, the gunshots were loud and clear, but they kept watching the dark door of the container. As the dropship hovered, the door slowly opened and they jumped out. As C9116 ran behind rubble for cover, his radio beeped and he said in a voice deeper than any combine vocoder 'All units clear the area!' Almost instinctively, he drew his weapon and fired rapidly across the streets which were caved in at the rebels.
The rebels convulsed as the dark energy pulses tore through them then fell to the ground. In a split second, he turned, facing a rebel who attempted to shoot him directly in the head with a sniper and scoped him with his upper orange lens. A blue point appeared on the rebels head. 'Crap!' he exclaimed, but violently hit the ground after a combine sniper bullet went through his skull, leaving him in a pool of blood. A combine soldier kicked the door open and the squad unleashed gas bombs as gunfire sounded throughout a wooden house.
Combine snipers continued to shoot down rebels attempting to flank the combine. Meanwhile, a rebel rushed in a office and shouted 'Ethan!, the combine are infiltrating our territory, we have to leave, now!', he hit the table with a clenched fist, 'We can't, I've spent years planning this attack, tell the others to keep fighting!' C9116 gave a hand signal for the squad to stealthy move in the building. Before, some rebels were able to react, bullets mowed them down. The combine squad moved through the building, shooting down rebels. The rebel then told Ethan 'The combine reinforcements have already arrived, if we don't pull out now, we could lose everything!' Combine soldiers moved in positions in darkness, as they heard the rebels argue back and forth.
'You're the leader, your supposed to do what's best for the resistance!', he looked down on the table momentarily pausing then suddenly pulled out a colt python, the other surprised rebel dropped to the floor as the bullet blew into a combine elite's ocular lens, sending it flying back. He jumped over the table, 'Lets go!', he said as he picked up the rebel and ran out of the door. 'Tell the others to retreat!' Ethan exclaimed. A door exploded and rebel bodies were quickly mowed down by combine gunfire. C9116 raced through the hallways, shooting down all enemies in sight. He was hunting down the rebel leader whom he had overhead in the office.
'Gather all the equipment, I'll meet with you later' Ethan told the rebel accompanying him. Their ways were departed. C9116's orange vision was scoping Ethan to get a clear shot from a higher level as he was in pursuit. The first shot was fired, slicing through the upper part of ethans shoulder, ethan was not going to let him fire again, so he fell to the ground and fired a few bullets at C9116. He moved back into darkness, missing several of them. He turned again, this time, opening fire with his ar2 rifle, there was no one on the ground, too quickly ethan grabbed his rifle and wrestled with him to shoot him.
Ethan was strong, but C9116 was superhumanly strong. With agile reflexes and footwork, ethan disarmed C9116 and threw his weapon away, pulling out his colt python, aiming for the killing shot, but C9116 grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled it away from him, shots went through barrels then C9116 violently shook the gun out of his hand and gave a hard blow with his elbow to the face. Ethan lay on the ground and C9116 drew a usp match pistol when a crowbar hit him in the chest, knocking it out of his hand. Ethan already was on his feet and exchanged punches with C9116, but C9116 caught his fist, hit him in the back, and sent him to the ground. Ethan quickly rolled away back to his feet before C9116 could stomp on him. There was a dense puncture in the ground. Ethan ran to his to his gun, C9116 kicked him down and ran to it. He picked it up and aimed at him.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him collapsed and he lost balance. He fell down in the hole as the ceiling collapsed on the gap, sealing off the opening. He was left in complete darkness. Concurrently, Ethan rushed to the helicopter with the remaining resistance members. It took off.
The combine forces were too late, as it was ascending in the air, it shot down those who were firing at it. The combine overwatch tried to contact C9116 with no success. Meanwhile, in the dark underground where C9116 fell, he stood up and turned on his combine vision. Many head crab zombies began to walk to him.
Perhaps a normal rebel would panic and despair in these forsaken depths or perhaps they would fight with the hope that they would return to the surface. C9116 was not motivated by either of these. He was like a computer program, bent on fulfilling his mission and all who oppose the combine would be crushed to bits. He raised his weapon and opened fire.
The energy pulses ripped off the headcrabs from the bodies, as green blood stained the muddy and rocky surface. Several fast headcrab zombies rushed, screeching at C9116. He killed most of them in seconds, while one attempted to tear through him with its claws. He hit it with the butt of his gun, breaking off its arm then shooting its head off. Ten then twenty bodies of zombies fell dead in piles.
He reloaded then with his sniper shot every black headcrab off of a zombie with deadly accuracy. Waves of zombine walked slowly towards C9116 then sprinted, carrying active grenades. The energy pulses of his rifle have ripped their heads off. He threw away empty barrels of ar2 rounds on the ground as he kept reloading. The energy pulses made holes in the zombines hands, and body then they fell to the ground like ragdolls.
He pulled the trigger, yet this time, he ran out of ammo. He quickly shot down zombine after zombine with his sniper. A grenade beeped behind him as a zombine wrestled with him. He shoved the sniper into its head and there was a loud explosion of the gunshot sound, infected blood sprayed everywhere. The corpse flew backwards and he grabbed the grenade then threw it far into the ribcage of a zombie, causing it to burst into pieces, killing its companions around it.
With one powerful swipe of his gun, he tore a headcrab attached to its host in half, followed by several sniper bullets piercing through the bodies of fast headcrab zombies. Pieces of headcrab flesh flew into the air as the impact of sniper bullets killed the hordes of headcrabs. He reloaded, he was running out of sniper rounds. Only time would tell how long he would last. With the butt of his weapon, he shattered the decaying ribcage of a zombie then shoved a grenade into its stomach and rushed away from the blast radius. Shooting more zombies in the head.
The grenade exploded, leaving only pieces of the bodies. He shot a flammable barrel, causing many to fall in pieces. Some cried as they were set on fire. After a few shots were fired, he turned to a fast headcrab who jumped at him with claws ready to strike him. He pulled the trigger once, nothing, he quickly kicked it in the gut, causing the body to break almost in half, it flew back.
C9116 tossed a grenade on the ground causing them to explode to pieces. He withdrew his gun and pulled out two pistols. He kept firing from left or right, taking down incoming zombies. One zombie who had his torso severed, grabbed C9116s foot, but C9116 stomped on the headcrab, removing it from its body. He now killed thousands with each shot he took.
C9116 found there were too many zombies to fight. He ran and tossed flammable barrels at the pursuing zombies, killing some and setting others on fire. He approached a ruined combine facility and kept shooting at them. He kept searching for ammo, but found none. He fired at the ones crawling to him.
He shot them faster than before. He kicked ones leg off then the other, dodged a swipe and broke his head off with his fist. He threw grenades as many zombies exploded in pieces. Without warning, a dark energy beam fired, killing several zombies in seconds. C9116 could see that it was an alien combine soldier.
This variant had the appearance of a worm and a stalker. It was clothed in black armor and had a gas mask. Both C9116 and the alien combine soldier shot quickly at the hordes of them. Many convulsed as bullets rained down on them. C9116 reloaded as the alien combine soldier kept firing. A fast zombie jumped at the alien combine soldier and with a powerful thrust, his black rifle through its chest, splitting it in half.
They kept killing the zombies until none were left. C9116's radio beeped. The alien combine soldier sent a message to him, saying 'I have been dispatched to find you for the overwatch forces.' C9116 ordered the alien combine soldier to guide him out of the underground. They approached a dark and rusty combine facility where a dark blue light flickered and supplies were found. C9116 resupplied himself and found that the light was emitting from a combine command console. Stud 100 spray where to buy.
He accessed it and played the only video found. A combine scientist wearing a mask similair to that of a combine elite and soldier. An unrecognizable body lay on a surgical combine bed, motionless. The combine scientist said 'This is attempt 116, life levels are decreasing, the body needs to be sterilized.' The video faded out then it reappeared.
The combine camera was focused on a dark room illuminated by a dark red light. The being was being cut open by a red laser beam. Despite the buzzing sound, the scientist said 'Sterilization is commencing.' The video then shifted to the scientist removing the bloody green organs of the blood-covered being on the table. 'Sterilization is near completion.' The video then skipped to the scientist surgically replacing certain body parts with combine implants.
The video ended suddenly. He walked out, taking a digital map of the ruined area of what was once a combine base. He knew now that there was a combine project in progress, but where was it?, what happened to it? Did it disappear completely? These things were the least of his concern, he needed to reach the surface. He kept walking through the muddy land with the alien combine soldier following. Meanwhile on the surface of city 12, Ethan spoke with the rebels about the combine in their base.
'We lost the position, the combine got to it before we could reach victory!' one exclaimed. 'Take it easy' another said, 'They won the battle, but not the war, we'll find a way to take them down.' A rebel said 'well, what do we know so far?' 'They've already got 5 bases in the eastern part of city 12, they're growing fast.' Ethan stood, with his shoulder leaning against the wall and his arms crossed.
One pointed at a map, saying 'We've got these bases for our next targets, the combine are advancing, so we have to move fast, anyone know what new upgrades they have?' 'I've fought a new kind of combine soldier, its a shame i couldn't kill him earlier before i detonated the charges under the base, now hes dead, there's no way anything can survive down there.' As they kept discussing, a female rebel stood behind the door, listening. A hand swiftly covered her mouth, she struggled, but the one behind pushed her against the wall. 'Rachel, what are you doing here?, your not supposed to disturb the meeting!, get back over here!' Jason whispered.
'I know, but its just, i want to know what's going on!' she replied. She wasn't serious. Her true intention was far deeper than that. 'I want to know if Trevor is still alive, did the combine kill him?' she thought to herself. 'Fine, ill go back with you' she sighed.
Your programming task is to fill in the code that is specific to your application.The library's classes are presented here in the following categories:.The section explains how the MFC Library was designed.For an overview of the framework, see.
2 minutes to read.In this articleThis overview categorizes and describes the classes in the Microsoft Foundation Class Library (MFC) version 9.0. The classes in MFC, taken together, constitute an application framework — the framework of an application written for the Windows API. Class Library Overview.
'Pack up your bags, we move out tommorow, we'll show the combine what we've really got' ordered ethan. C9116 came to an immensely muddy area. There were more alien combine soldiers firing at the zombies. C9116 opened fire on all of them, causing them to fall into the mud. One communicated over the radio, 'There are 5 bombs which need to be detonated so there can be an opening.'
The radio beeped, C9116 said 'Cover me' then ran through the mud to a platform. There was no ammo on the ground for the alien combine soldiers to use. Blood spattered as the zombies fell to the ground by the fatal blows of the dark energy beams. C9116 shot zombies in the head with his sniper and sprinted forward when a green acid was flying towards him. He took cover, ready to deliver a fatal shot, but the creature was gone.
This was no ordinary moving zombie. He climbed over rubble to a platform. A swipe of a poison zombies hand, sent him to the edge. He got up, now facing 5 poison zombies. They each threw poison headcrabs at him, with the orange vision of his upper lens, he calculated precisely the movement of them in a split second. He ducked and fired into their underbelly.
They flew back, screeching from the killing blow. Another sniper bullet was fired at the throat of another, separating its head from its body. Although the corpse collapsed, the poison headcrabs walked forward about to jump on him. A grenade landed on the ground in the center of all of them, after it exploded, they were in pieces. They menacingly threw more poison headcrabs at him, he moved to the side, letting some fall down into a dark pit.
The rest, he shot and killed. He wasted no time, he shot each headcrab off the body of the zombie then threw two grenades, killing the other. He quickly shot the others with his sniper. Meanwhile, one alien combine soldier was struck and died. The battle intensified, only time would tell how long the rest would last.
There were now zombines walking towards the alien combine soldiers. After C9116 killed the remaining poison zombies, he sprinted to the bomb and tried to detonate it. Without warning, the abnormal zombie crawled on a wall and shot green acid at him. He hid behind a wall, tossed deactivated manhacks in the air then pressed a button which activated them. Their razor blades spun at extremely high speeds. They flew towards the zombie, attempting to cut him.
This would give C9116 time to detonate the bomb. He configured it for detonation. A large explosion caused rocks to fall on the swarming zombies down below. C9116 ran as the zombie kept destroying the manhacks. He shot zombies from left to right, giving the alien combine soldiers time to reload.
He ran to the next platform, but there were many zombies, crushing each other as they tried to walk through the entrance to kill C9116. He threw a few activated grenades in the confined area. When they exploded, blood soaked the walls. He ran through, shooting down any zombie in the way. The abnormal zombie was not far, pursuing him.
He fired a few shots at it. The energy pulses hit the wall, he missed. In front of him jumped a fast zombie and jumped at him. He shot its arm off then grabbed it by the head and crushed it. Blood splattered and gushed out of its head, leaving it motionless. The inside of the headcrab looked like lasagna that was vomited with the fragments of the human skull still stuck to what was left of the corpse.
He ran and detonated the next bomb. Another large explosion caused heavier rocks to fall. Three more bombs awaited detonation. More alien soldiers were killed and it was increasingly difficult for them to keep fighting. Either the 5 bombs detonated, making a way of escape to the surface for C9116 or they would met certain death.
C9116 could not keep fighting the zombies underground although he was very skilled. Sooner or later he would run out of supplies and be torn apart. Death had no mercy for anyone. He swiftly ran to the next bomb.
Meanwhile, the rebels ran through the abandoned buildings of city 12 and into the technologically advanced areas of the combine base. They took out a sonic device from a bag, placed it on the ground, and activated it. A sonic shockwave disabled the combine surveillance. 'Hurry, its only temporary!' communicated a rebel over the radio. The rebels shot down every combine soldier in sight.
'Get the charges set up, we're going to blow this place up' said ethan through the radio. As the rebels kept shooting down an almost powerless combine force. They set charges on the combine the rebels ran away, Ethan then pressed the detonate button and there was a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared, there was not a single scratch on any combine architecture. 'What the?, these bombs were supposed to demolish their buildings!, blast!, hold your ground!' said ethan.
Rpg rockets flew, killing combine forces. 'Team 2, move in!' Ethan shouted. Combine apcs drove in, choppers, and gunships all attacked the rebels. Some managed to use an electric device to open a combine door. Rebels stormed in, firing everywhere. The combine had already lost half of the base, now occupied by rebel forces.
'All units, move in!' ethan exclaimed as more rebels sprinted into the open building. Ethan charged in and set up a charge on consoles. 'All units, take cover!' he shouted then detonated them. He hid inside a hole in the ground. The lights and power systems of the combine failed.
The rebels began their clever plan of taking control of the base. Stalkers were shot down before they could repair the damages. Ethan shot down soldier after soldier with his mp7 submachine gun. He found a control room where the combine communicated with the others. He shot all the stalkers quickly and reconfigured the console with special tools. The rebels had overtaken the base, now ethan cut off the mask of one soldier and reconfigured it.
'Sector 13 report!' said one combine over the radio. Ethan, now wearing a combine mask said 'Sector 13 is stable!' He quickly removed his mask and left the room, closing the door behind him. 'We don't have much time, they'll suspect something wrong any minute now, get in your positions!' Ethan radioed in. 'Overwatch, ready weapons, prepare for assault!' radioed a combine elite soldier.
Apcs drove in at high speeds, firing rockets into the area. Soldiers were deployed from dropships to ground level. 'Now!' Ethan radioed in. The ground exploded, debris flew everywhere, and the front-line of the combine force was destroyed. Grenades were thrown at any combine in the area as gunfire quickly emerged.
Rockets flew at combine aircraft. The rebels took cover while attempting to block the entrance, causing the combine stay outside, while they used the abundant supply of combine weaonry from the base. 'The rest of you, go around, get ready for the ambush!' ordered ethan. His father died during the seven hour war, but passed a legacy to him and he was not going to leave it to waste. He was going to leave his mark on the world before death, one way or another.
Two hunter-choppers fired at Ethan. He dodged then destroyed both of them with rpg missles. Deep in the underground, C9116 was close to reaching his goal. Only one bomb was left for detonation. He raced, dodging each zombie attack and in return, showering them in pulses. There was only one alien combine soldier left.
He was badly wounded, perhaps he would not survive. It was too late to be concerned now, all that stood across from him was the last bomb. There was too much at stake. He sprinted towards it, unaware of the claw which flew at him. It was the fast abnormal zombie fiend.
There was no time to dodge now. No more escaping hits. He was going to be hit and possibly die on the spot then out of nowhere, a hand grabbed the claw and kicked the zombie, sending it flying back. It looked exactly like the being in the video he saw. It jumped forward, dividing the ground between C9116 and the zombie.
Both dove down in a muddy area surrounded by walls of concrete. C9116 grabbed onto a piece of metal before he fell to his death. The being was formerly known as the combine berserker. Afar from it was the abnormal zombie who was already standing. Two beings seemed to be evenly matched, one was a more evolved form of a headcrab, the other a technologically advanced being manufactered by the combine.
Which was superior, natures biological breeds or organism modified by complex technology from the combine? It was once said 'You can't defeat mother nature.' The being didn't plan on defeating her, it planned on destroying her. Who is mother nature to stand up against the universal union? Observe the polluted environments, the barren lands where oceans once dwelt, and the combine empire growing while the earth rots away, the combine have made a living testament, showing that they are more than able to bring her down to her knees.
It stood, looking at the zombie through its three dark blue lens. It wore a mask and had long arms and legs like a hunters. Its body was protected by a thick blue armor. It raised its three claws up then stampded at superhuman speed, striking first with its middle claw at full speed into the headcrab infested face of the zombie. The zombie moved to the side and attempted strike it in the face.
Too quickly, the being flipped up and with the claws on its feet, one claw piercing the zombie arm and the other going into its chest. Green blood spewed down on the floor. The being jumped back, taking pieces of decayed flesh with it. The zombie's claw thrust through the beings hand, but it was stopped from doing further damage by thick black cables attached to the beings arms. Blood poured down from its hand as both looked at each other face to face.
Half-life 2 Combine Buildings
The being shoved its knee into the zombies torso, in defense, the zombie had a third retractable arm and tried to cut the being in half. It grabbed it with one claw then violently tore the limb off with one stomp of its foot. It raced back, this time calculating its moves. It was going to tear it apart limb from limb before delivering a killing blow. The abnormal zombie charged in first, unleashing a barrage of blows.
The being blocked every hit then thrust his claws forward at the zombies face. It moved out of the way with agility, allowing an opening for attack in the side of the being. The being's bones cracked as the claw went into flesh and tendons. It quickly broke the zombies arm and moved back from the zombie with its arm now dangling and dripping with blood. Green acid flew at the being from the glands of the zombie.
The being jumped over it like a shark that torpedoes out of the ocean. He landed on the ground now, charging at the zombie. It dodged the green goo and shoved its claw into the zombies gland. The being fiercely ripped out its gland as green blood mixed with reddish and dark brownish flesh. The being quickly dodged its hits until both of their arms clashed against each other.
Cables grabbed a hold of the zombies arm as its other hand dug into its stomach,tearing through organs. Impulsively, the zombie grabbed its arm, now trying to reach for its stomach. It tore out the cables which held captive its arm. The zombie was too late in trying to counterattack. Its hand was already being crushed by the superhuman strength of the being.
Its hand now grabbed a firm hold of the zombies stomach. The zombie viciously slashed through its arms, exposing muscle tissue and weakening the grip of the being. The zombie jumps back then swipes its arms at the being, causing him to fly in the air. It landed on all fours when it landed on the ground. It grabbed a metal stick and threw it like a spear at the zombies chest.
It penetrated into it. The being, already at its face, thrust it deeper. Furiously, it tore through its arm, cutting into pieces. The zombies claw attempted to tear out its mask. C9116 climbed over the broken bridge-like structure to a higher level.
As its mask was being crushed, it kept hitting its arm, almost breaking it until finally the zombie let go. The being leaped into the air and tore out chunks of its back out. Suddenly, the zombies face began to convulse violently. Its body grew more until large alien bags covered it. It was about to explode, taking the being with it.
It stampeded through the muddy land to the being. The being rushed towards it and grabbed it by the face. It began viciously tearing out the headcrabs from its face. Severed legs fell to the ground as headcrab underbellies were torn open.
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From United StatesThe Orange Box PC - 2 Discs - Half Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, Portal
New (Other)
From Australia
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Half-Life (Sony PlayStation 2, 2001)
Pre-Owned
Time left41m 5s left
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From CanadaPC Game Lot Half Life 2 Flight Simulator 2004 Civilization IV
New (Other)
From Canada
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Half-Life 2 - PC Complete
Pre-Owned · PC
From Australia
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Half-Life 2: Game of the Year Edition (PC, 2005) Complete with 5 Discs & Key
Pre-Owned · PC · Half-Life 2
Top Rated Plus
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From United StatesThe Orange Box (Xbox 360)(Half Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Portal) Complete.
Pre-Owned · Microsoft Xbox 360 · Half-Life 2: Orange Box
From United States
Trending at $13.29
Customs services and international tracking provided+$21.49 shipping
Half-Life 2 (PC, 2004) Alyx Vance Box Variant CIB, PC Big Box, Great Condition
Pre-Owned
From Canada
or Best Offer
PC CD-ROM Half-Life 2 Game of the Year Edition in case
Pre-Owned
From United States
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SHIPS SAME DAY Half-Life 2 (PC, 2004) Alyx Vance box variant video game CIB
Pre-Owned · PC · Half-Life 2
From United States
or Best Offer
Lot of 10 Original Xbox Games - Half Life 2 - Brute Force - Fuzion Frenzy
Pre-Owned
From Canada
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Half-Life 2 (Xbox)
Pre-Owned · Microsoft Xbox · Half-Life 2
From United States
Was: Previous Price$9.95
+$15.75 shipping
Half-Life 1 Anthology First Print (PC/Windows 10/8) i 2 3 brand new SEALED
Brand New · PC
From United States
or Best Offer
Customs services and international tracking providedBenefits charity