Half Life 2 Synth Speculations

[V4sh]

I have some speculations about the various combine synths seen in Half Life 2.

"Crab synth"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/HL2Synth.jpg
This guy shares many characteristics with the "Bullsquid" from Half Life. Both of them have two huge hind legs, a short fat body, a tail, and long tentacles coming out of the head. However, the tail and tentacles on the synth are metal. If you watch closely in Half life 2, these synth actually waddle closely to how the Bullsquid walk. One main difference is that the synth has four legs, while the bullsquid has two. Obviously this could have been engineered by the combine to help with stability, among other things.

"Gunship"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/HL2Gunship.jpg
This one might be a stretch, but I have a slight feeling that the Gunship is a modified Ichthyosaur. The body structure of the gunship looks and acts like something that would be swimming, as well as it has fins that fold in almost the same way as a Ichthyosaur. They also share the same markings.

"Hunter"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Hl2ep2teaser_ministrider3.jpg
Although not my idea originally (while the other two are straight from me) I read numorous rumors that the hunter could possibly be a houndeye, so I'd like to include it. The houndeye and the hunter both gallop the same way, have the same number of legs, same body style, same kind of feet, and even both travel in packs. Also, the hunters will do a body shake that is very similar to a houndeye's shake.

"Mortar Synth"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/Mortarsynth.jpg
These are quite similar to a creature you see while in Xen. I'm unsure of the name, but they are the same shape, while not the same size. That's all I can say about this synth.

Please post comments, or even add your own ideas!

 

[bbson john]

I wonder whether Crab synth and Mortar Synth will come back in EP:2 'cos I really want to see them fight. I hope they aren't cut out.

The "Hunter" is a good Speculation. However, it is more likely that it is a young Strider.

 

[Flyingdebris]

I don't think any of the synths were based off of xen creatures. It said in RTB that the synths were each their own race of self replicating biological robots. the only assimilation of wildlife by the combine in hl2 was the use of headcrabs in those pods.

besides, the gunship goesn't look anyting like the icthy, at all, not even if you squint

 

[bbson john]

Will Crab synth and Mortar Synth come back, anyway? It is a pity if they are cut out. They look really cool.

 

[MorganFreeman911]

They do.

 

[[RTM]Mobius]

I would link the gunship to the combine escape pods, thus those are a combine technology, where the helicopter you fight is a human - gunship mix.

If the gunship is combine, then all the other stuff must be combine. Now all the combine tech is taken from somewhere and if they do asorb technology then the tank, hunter, strider, mortor tank might have looked different once.

But to say that the gunship or strider are organic is unfounded, no blood or fleshy bits and the wreakage all say mechanical

 

[Darkside55]

Gunship and strider ARE partially organic...every synth is. The Combine have simply forced their original forms to evolve into self-replicating techno-organic machines that blur the line between mechanical and biological.

Also...none of the Combine's synths are related to Xenian creatures. The synths themselves have also probably all come from different planets; maybe one or two species might share a common world, but we really can't tell because the Combine have warped them all into a common aesthetic.

 

[Lightice]

But to say that the gunship or strider are organic is unfounded, no blood or fleshy bits and the wreakage all say mechanical

Have you actually seen those things crashed? There is a very organic feel in both of them. Gunships have very obvious fins and insect-like eyes and both gunships and striders have very insect-like exoskeletons. You're thinking "mammalian", not "organic".

 

[99.vikram]

But to say that the gunship or strider are organic is unfounded, no blood or fleshy bits and the wreakage all say mechanical

They have compound eyes, like a fly. They have a vestigial fin. They are flexible, and moan when hurt. What more proof is needed?

 

[Ludah]

The only link I grant any credence to is the Hunter/Houndeye pairing, but even that's a lot of wishful thinking.

All the others bear no resemblance to their supposed Xen counterparts and are undoubtedly iterations of species enslaved on other dimensions/planets, whose originals will probably never be seen.

 

[ríomhaire]

lol at the first post, just lol.