Overview
A guide on Half Life’s Headcrabed population and how to defeat them, know them, and take advantage of their faults.
Zombies, The Classic Monster.
The Story Behind the Zombies.
Headcrabs are the start and cause of infection. They came to Earth through the portals opened accidentally by Gordan Freeman with the help of Gman. They then sought out hosts to latch on to and procede through the facility in search of food. When a Headcrab latches on to a new host it will couple with their head and begin to take over their bodily functions and control the host. Not being completely attached to the host, it will detach itself if the host takes critical injury, and will seek out a new one. In Half Life 1, there was only the one Zombie and Headcrab. Now there are 3 different Zombies with their own Headcrabs. I would assume they came to Earth after the Combine took over, or were brought with the Combine. So, now that you know a little story, lets get down to buisness.
Zombie Type 1: Classic Zombie
The first type of Zombie you’ll meet is the Classic Zombie. This standard, run-of-the-mill enemy is one of the most frequently fought enemies in the game (next to Combine). They have a standard melee attack, so they are easily dispatched with explosives, props, and guns. Sometimes, they can lose their legs and still crawl toward you. Also, killing them by shooting them in the chest will cause the Headcrab to come off and attack you.
They do have a weakness when it comes to heavy props or explosives. A cinderblock thrown with the Gravity Gun will kill one quickly, an explosive like a grenade or barrel will kill one too. Dispite being weak to these hits, they do pose a threat when in groups or in tight corridors. Overall, they are not much of a threat with the right tools.
Zombie Type 2: Fast Zombie
These Zombies are introduced in Ravenholm along with the Poison Zombie. Though, the Headcrab that goes with this Zombie is seen in the Vorticough achievement earlier in the game. Unlike regular Zombies, these Zombies have a speed boost, at the cost of health. They are too, easily killed with props and explosives, but can not be torn in half. They do have their own Headcrab that shares the same traits, and will detach the same way a regular Headcrab does.
These Zombies have a feature that can prove difficult to counter. They can leap at enemies and can dodge most attacks, as well as parkour up buildings and objects. They are weaker, and can be killed easily if you can hit them. I advise caution on rooftops, for they can knock you off with ease.
Zombie Type 3: Poison Zombie
This type of Zombie apears with the Fast Zombie in Ravenholm. Unlike its brothers, it is tougher to take down, and is extremely slow. The one difining feature is that it has multiple Poison Headcrabs on its back. It can throw up to 3 of them into hard-to-reach places you might be at. Also, this Zombie’s Headcrabs have a Nerotoxic effect. They cause the player to go down to 1 HP, but the HEV suit will administrate an antidote that will regain back the health you had at the cost of a couple HP points. They can be difficult to take down, and are mostly put in small rooms to increase difficulty.
The Headcrabs that this Zombie has are also used by themselves throughout the game. They’re placed next to supplies, behind boxes, or in the ceiling waiting for you to come around. Not dangerous alone, but with 1 temporary HP, they can get you in bad position you will most likely die from another enemy. The Poison Zombie also can withstand a couple thrown props, as well as most blasts from explosives. Be careful when here moaning or heavy breathing.
In Conclusion
Now that know some things about the Zombies, now it’s time head on out and kick some rotten butt! Good luck out there, and in the wise words of Father Grigori, “Aim for the Head, Brother”. Special thanks to NerdyHobo for helping me with spell checks.
