Reviews - Combine Combat mod for Half-Life 2

Very rarely do you play from another POV, such as the combine. And very rarely is such a mod done with great attention to detail.

And that is what makes it all the more tragic that the mod is now dead D:

Combine Combat is much like Combine Destiny, as much of the fighting is between you and zombies, but Combine Combat offers far more interesting fights with the rebels.

A few extra weapons and even a new car liven up the action, a new geiger counter makes ventures into radiated zones a deadly adventure and the level design is also quite a treat to the eyes.

Give Combine Combat a go, it is very much worth your time :)

This is a great Combine mod, with the player as simply N0.42, (Now that is an important number!), on a mission to kill the peoples champion, G. Freeman.
The start is nicely epic, (a Combine theme ride for the kids at Disney?), as we see number 42 processed.
His combat suit is not like the other units, so we know he is a special Combine agent.
Base layout and combat is great fun and a bit of a challenge at times, especially when the familiar rebels shout, “Combine!” and I realise that’s me!
Having to fight your way out of your own Citadel is a bit rich but there was a pleasant airboat ride in those lovely, zombie infested sewers to follow! I chose slow and gunning the second time around as my health suffered in a couple of them dark room puzzles if I was fast and reckless!
A disguised Combine chopper in enemy hands was at the start of a frustrating jump, which I failed to make continuously the first time around. The later attempt was successful at the third try!
A quick bit of “Ravenholm” style trouble led to a new, but decrepit, jeep to drive and a shiny sniper rifle. The highlight of this game was this driving and sniping road trip in a very effective storm. Great sound and visuals made it very atmospheric and the sniper scopes view was just right for taking out those pesky rebels.
Ending at the seaside the next day, because it was now sunny, I let loose some manhacks and had a ball with that Combine gun emplacement. Rebels blowing up and flying all over the place!
Then I was shelved by the G-man!
A mod of good length and great fun, I’d play just for the storm section!

Entertaining gameplay and nice level design. Some annoyances here and there that are hard to describe.

first time to be a combine and I LOVED IT.

i finally get to bash some rebble skulls! HA

I'm so sick this great mod is left at a beta state and is now DEAD.. What I played was so promising, the HUD was good, and the story "kill gordon freeman" could have been so cool. Ah, crap.
**** you, teams who have so ambitious mods and can't make it in the end.

I was expecting that since this was unfinished and from what I have heard not very good, but aside from the beginning being pretty long and some plot stuff, it is actually pretty decent, and does some cool and different stuff.

Huh, don't think I've ever seen a mod with fast zombies running up pipes like in Ravenholm. Good on you, Combine Combat.

Genuinely challenging zombie combat, especially with the fast zombies in open areas that feel like close quarters. Never felt unfair and every time I got ambushed, I felt I could personally do better and that this is the perfect difficulty level.

Excellent variety of environments. Every area felt fresh, but also familiar. Great use of lighting to accentuate map transitions and evoke the mood of each scene.

Unparalleled forward progression. Always felt like the next big thing was around the corner. Every turn had me wanting to continue playing.

Atmosphere was top notch. Spooky horror elements and well-scripted sound effects. Gorgeous vistas and dreary sewers. Return to Ravenholm felt genuine and nostalgic.

The exploding laser turrent was a nice touch and boy was it fun to launch rebels, but the arena could've been better. Hated how the enemies just streamed out of an alley one-by-one to their death. Too easy to cheese by nuking the entrance repeatedly as they die like cattle to the slaughter. Made even worse that this is the final battle. Combat in general was a little rough and floody, but challenging all the same.

The task system and plot were a little janky at times and definitely felt unfinished. Might be better in the scope of a larger game, but fell flat here.

Overall an outstanding mod that never overstayed its welcome. New gameplay elements (even if they needed fleshing out) are only part of the incredible amount of content jammed into this one little demo. Tons of fun, and lest we forget, that's the most important part. I had a blast.

a true classic

This was so much fun! While it is true some of the maps are not very detail, others are pretty good! I also enjoyed the first "tram" introduction thingy a lot, it was really cool. The new weapons were GREAT although the mod is short so there isn't much time to really play with them... But still amazing mod. The only thing I'm sad about is that I didn't get to even see Gordon Freeman even just running far away or something... Just a hint that he exists... I NEED TO KILL GORDON FREEMAN DAMN IT!! XD

A very solid mod that clearly cares about being good and cares about making sense in the universe.

This mod starts off with a really cool citadel sequence that gripped me immediately and that level of quality stayed through the whole experience. The visuals are good, not impressive, but nothing felt particularly off to me and there wasn't a single room that was ugly. The level design was solid, I always knew where I was going and the combat was well planned with some nice challenges and interesting sequences. I never got bored or tired out playing this mod which says a lot. I also liked the story, I think the POV of a combine was used pretty effectively and the custom content did a good job of feeling well-placed and in-universe.

Overall a mod with great design sensibilities and its largest flaw is that there isn't more of it.