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The Foes … and a Couple Friends
Enemies
come in many shapes and forms in Half-Life - some not so obvious
as you might immediately think. Some may not be enemies at all.
Nonetheless, it will help to put them all in perspective.
Alien Grunt
The
backbone of the intelligence alien forces, the Alien Grunts typically
act individually, are well armored, and are adept with the Hornet
Gun and claw-to-claw combat. Alien Grunts will often be encountered
roughly halfway into the game and are very prevalent.
Alien Grunts can absorb
a lot of bullets, so try explosives or energy weapons instead
(the Hornet Gun works well too).
Alien Slave
Mainly
fodder controlled and used by the aliens, Alien Slaves aren't too
bright, but what they lack in intelligence they make up for in their
ability to deal damage. The Alien Slave's primary attack comes in
a tell-tale crackle of electricity - a charging phase that takes
several seconds before a bolt of electricity is discharged towards
the target.
Unarmored slaves are
highly vulnerable to almost any kind of attack - two shotgun blasts
or a few 9mm bullets will put it down for good.
Barnacle
These
nasty critters hang like stalactites from the ceiling, with a wispy,
gray tentacle reaching down from its mouth to the floor. The Barnacle
catches its prey with this tentacle and pulls it upward into its
giant mouth. Barnacles can be generally avoided, if you're careful.
One or two blasts of
the shotgun at the Barnacle's base should take care of it.
Barney
Barney
is the Half-Life nickname for the facilities' security guards, of
whom you as the player should always employ as much as possible.
Barneys never run out of ammunition, are quite enthusiastic in shooting
aliens, and even if they die you can pick up their fallen 9mm ammunition,
since they won't be needing it. Unfortunately, Barney is not too
bright and tends to rush towards the enemy. He can also put a stray
round or two into a friendly by mistake. However, use Barney whenever
you can.
Bullsquid
This
creature, encountered early in the game, can subsist on land or
in the water, and it is equally deadly in both. The Bullsquid emits
a long-range yellowish projectile from its mouth that eats away
at armor and skin. Up close the Bullsquid is just as dangerous,
jumping at its prey and biting with its enormous mouth.
Kill it at a distance,
where it and its projectiles can be avoided, with the MP5.
Flyers
Flyers are an advanced alien species
encountered in the later portions of the game that can hover and
fire energy weapons at you. Since they have a wider range of movement,
they are harder to hit; though they don't move that fast. Take
them out as fast as possible.
Energy weapons will
work best against them.
Gargantua
This
massive, armored creature spews jet-like flames from its arms and
has a nasty energy-based stomping attack. The Gargantua is virtually
invulnerable to conventional weaponry, so don't even think about
shooting at it.
A more unconventional
approach is required to take the Gargantua down; try luring him
into the power generator area and hitting the juice. The good
news is that it isn't too fast, but it will definitely follow
you around.
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