The citizens themselves are all clad in blue uniforms and live in designated apartment blocks. The military Overwatch forces of the Combine are shown attacking human resistance bases in an effort to further solidify their control. 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 Combine occupation of Earth, however, is shown to be a brutal police state. 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. Singleton Jr., Jason Vande Brake, Michael Schwalbe, Rajia Baroudi, and Rick Zieff. Combine soldiers in Half-Life: Alyx are voiced by multiple actors including Rich Sommer, Isaac C.

Īctress Ellen McLain provides the voice for the Combine Overwatch announcer and dispatcher in Half-Life 2 and its episodic expansions and their virtual reality prequel Half-Life: Alyx. 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. 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. 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. 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. ĭuring Half-Life 2 's development, various concepts for Combine non-player characters were cut.

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. Wells novel The War of the Worlds, where said Martians invade Victorian England, using the tripods as their main 'weapon'. The towering Striders seen throughout Half-Life 2 and its subsequent episodes are based directly on the Martian tripods of the H.G. Some elements of the Combine's appearance, such as that of the Advisor, are inspired by the works of Frank Herbert. 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. Throughout the games, the player primarily battles transformed humans as well as synthetic and mechanical enemies that are the product of Combine technology. The Combine are frequently shown as cruel rulers over the citizens of Earth, suppressing dissent with brutality, policing using violence and using invasive surgery to transform humans into soldiers or slaves. They are encountered throughout Half-Life 2 and its episodic sequels, as well as Half-Life: Alyx, as hostile non-player characters as the player progresses through the games in an effort to overthrow the Combine occupation of Earth. The Combine consist of organic, synthetic, and heavily mechanized elements. The Combine ( / ˈ k ɒ m b aɪ n/ KOM-byne) is a multidimensional empire which serves as the primary antagonistic force in the 2004 video game Half-Life 2, and the subsequent episodes developed by Valve. Our Benefactors, CMB, The Universal Union The Combine 'clamp' symbol, seen in propaganda throughout Half-Life: Alyx and Half-Life 2.Įllen McLain (Overwatch announcer)

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