Manhack
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| Manhack | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Faction |
Combine |
| Type |
Mechanical |
| Individual information | |
| Health |
25[1] |
| Weapon(s) |
Blades (20)[1] |
| Game information | |
| Entity |
|
- "We have confirmed reports of Manhacks. Repeat: they're filling the underground with Manhacks."
- ― Rebel[src]
The Manhack, referred to as a Viscerator in Combine terminology, and simply Hacks by Citizens and Rebels, is an autonomous aerial weapon used by the Combine.
Contents
Overview[edit]
The Manhack's most prominent feature is its three razor-sharp, high-speed spinning blades for propulsion and as weapons. It also has gyroscopic sensors to steady itself in the air.[1] The blades produce a high-pitched whirring sound when spinning, which indicates a Manhack's proximity. They are powerful enough to cut and break through wooden obstacles, although not through stronger materials such as metal or concrete. Manhacks are programmed with very little concept of self-preservation, careening off walls and through objects in the single-minded pursuit of their target, often damaging themselves upon collision. While attacking a target, they will sometimes open their casing in a claw-like fashion.
Manhacks never travel alone and are usually deployed in groups of four or more; they are sometimes accompanied by other Combine troops. Thanks to their small size, they can enter confined spaces usually inaccessible to other units, such as narrow alleyways, sewers, and small passages, which are especially deadly. Additionally, Combine Ordinals and some Civil Protection officers could carry up to two Manhacks on them, which they could deploy in battle.
Tactics[edit]
Manhacks appear to have some resistance to gunfire and are more easily destroyed when being smashed with a hard object. Attacking a Manhack with a Crowbar or pushing it with the Gravity Gun causes it to become disoriented and lose interest in its target for a few moments as it re-stabilizes itself. During this, the red light on the Manhack turns orange and the machine emits a high-pitched warning signal; a second blow would be lethal to it. Manhacks can also be launched into walls or other Manhacks and enemies using the Gravity Gun, which instantly destroys them and damages the other. Alternatively, while held with the Gravity Gun they can be used as a chainsaw-like weapon.
In Half-Life: Alyx, Manhacks still retain their resilience to gunfire, but they lose control less when shot. They have relatively low health, but make difficult targets due to their small size, so the player needs to keep up a steady fire and aim well to keep them at bay. The burst fire mode on Alyx's gun will kill them in one burst on any difficulty if all three shots land. If they do get close, however, they zig-zag a lot more when attacking, making them even harder to hit. Manhacks will break apart instantly if struck with a good swipe from a weapon, though the player will still take a little bit of damage. This can be done with any weapon and even the Multi-tool, but larger ones like the Shotgun or the SMG are recommended.
Related Achievements[edit]
| Any Half-Life 2 game | |
|---|---|
|
Hack Attack! (5G) |
| Kill five enemies with a Manhack. | |
Behind the scenes[edit]
- Several older Manhack models are known to have been created:
- What may consist of the oldest model is only found as its texture files in the leak, in the model texture folder
obsolete/ManhackOld. It suggests a completely different model partially covered in blood, with at the front a blade symbol and "C17 M5" or "C17 MS" under it.[2]
- What may consist of the oldest model is only found as its texture files in the leak, in the model texture folder
- The Half-Life 2 leak version is similar to the retail version but less detailed.
- In the leak files, a texture named
grenade003.vtfshows a completely yellow model. The model is not available.
- In the leak files, a texture named
- Originally, Manhacks were to be able to be reprogrammed by Alyx Vance and used against Combine forces.[3] A similar concept was used in Episode One, in which Alyx would reprogram the Rollermines.
- A location called the "Manhack Arcade" was planned during development as an entertainment center in City 17. At the Arcade, Citizens would play a video game that consisted of piloting a Manhack to chase down and kill fugitive Citizens, ignorant of the fact that the Manhacks in the games were real, and that people were actually dying.[4][5] The player would have been able to play the game, for which the entity
player_manhackwas to be used.[2][6]
- The Manhack was also planned to be included in Half-Life 2: Survivor's Battle mode as a weapon but was never finished end eventually got scrapped. It can only be obtained on the PC version by using the
debug_equip_weapon 1console command, but it can not be used. The weapon uses the Spark Generator's models, however, its own models are present in the game files; the viewmodel's animations indicate that it would allow the players to deploy team-colored Manhacks which could be remotely detonated. Files related to the weapon were last modified on June 19 and August 2, 2007,[7] suggesting that it might have been added in the 2.0 update.
- At one point in the development of Alyx Manhacks were meant to be usable by the Player. This feature can still be enabled with the Workshop Tools. They are friendly toward the Player, and when thrown, will automatically deploy. The collision model when folded up is not entirely accurate, however.
- Using a Manhack as a crude chainsaw is one of Robin Walker's favorite things to do with the Gravity Gun.[8]
Gallery[edit]
Half-Life 2[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
Top front texture of the "ManhackOld" model.
Blade texture of the "ManhackOld" model, also used when playing in the Manhack Arcade.
weapon_manhackas seen in-game.
Fan-made model of the E3 2003 version.
The Manhack from Half-Life 2 leak.
Ditto, view from behind.
Ditto, folded.
Model preview image of the leak version, showing the E3 2003 version.
The "Grenade003" version.
Citizens queuing in one of the arcades in the Manhack Arcade area.
Early screenshot of Manhacks against Rebels in City 17.
Retail[edit]
The Manhack.
Ditto, view from behind.
Ditto, folded.
Ditto.
Manhacks attempting to cut off Gordon.
A dead Citizen near a destroyed Manhack.
Dispensers at the APC garage holding Manhacks.
Ditto, close-up.
Half-Life 2: Survivor[edit]
The unused model of the cut weapon from Half-Life 2: Survivor, the red team's version.
Ditto, view from behind.
Ditto, folded.
Blue team's version.
Ditto, view from behind.
Ditto, folded.
The unused viewmodel, red team's version.
Ditto, blue team's version.
Half-Life: Alyx[edit]
Model.
A Combine Ordinal preparing to deploy a Manhack.
Other[edit]
Manhack in The Final Hours of Half-Life: Alyx.
List of appearances[edit]
Main games[edit]
- Half-Life 2 (First appearance)
- Half-Life 2: Episode One
- Half-Life 2: Episode Two
- Half-Life: Alyx
Other[edit]
- Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar (Mentioned only) (Non-canonical appearance)
- Source Particle Benchmark (Game files only) (Non-canonical appearance)
- Half-Life 2: Survivor (Non-canonical appearance)
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Half-Life 2 Prima Guide
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Half-Life 2 leak
- ↑ Half-Life 2 files,
npc_manhack.cpp - ↑ WC map pack
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 173
- ↑
"player_manhack" entity test on YouTube
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Survivor game files
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar, page 278
