Energy Ball
This article is about the Combine ball. For the Aperture Science energy ball, see Aperture Science High Energy Pellet. |
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| Energy Ball | |
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| General information | |
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| Usage | |
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| Game information | |
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prop_combine_ball |
The Combine Energy Ball,[1] also known as the Energy Orb,[1] is a concentrated sphere of energy used in the Citadel and other locations to power various equipment such as elevators and energy bridges. The Energy ball is also the secondary fire for the Pulse Rifle when used by both the player and Combine Elite soldiers.
Contents
Overview
Energy Balls are destructively potent objects. They are often seen bouncing back and forth inside Combine power generators, such as in the square in Anticitizen One. They can also be produced by or are stowed within the secondary ammo item for the Pulse Rifle.
They display extremely elastic behavior, bouncing off of every surface they hit. Outside of controlled conditions (such as inside the Combine generators), the balls can exist for a limited time before detonating with a small shockwave. Upon hitting organic enemies, the ball bounces off while the enemy becomes weightless and disintegrates (with the exception of some of the strongest enemies, such as the Antlion Guard).
The Gravity Gun can be used to punt Energy Balls out of their receptacles in locations like the Overwatch Nexus. When Gordon Freeman enters the Citadel's Confiscation Field, the Gravity Gun becomes supercharged and is able to pick up Energy Balls fired from soldiers or from Combine energy channels. Pulse Rifle-fired Energy Balls that are caught this way can fired back at their source. Doing this will earn the "Think Fast!" Achievement.
Energy Balls fired with the player's Pulse Rifle correct their trajectory towards targets when they bounce off surfaces. The angle of deviation appears to be less than 10°.
They're used towards the end of Half-Life 2 to power Combine Force Fields and ground turrets in the Overwatch Nexus. The player is required to use the Gravity Gun to force the orbs from Combine power generators and thus disable the connected Force Fields to proceed. In Episode One, Stalkers can be seen using their lasers to remove Energy Balls from their sockets.
Related Achievements
| Any Half-Life 2 game | |
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Conservationist (5G) |
| Kill five enemies with the same Energy Ball. | |
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Think Fast! (10G) |
| Kill an Elite Soldier with his own Energy Ball. | |
Behind the scenes
The Energy Ball was first prototyped using a watermelon that weighed hundreds of pounds in the game's physics simulation. Initially meant just as a means to let the player feel powerful using the supercharged Gravity Gun, the developers realized the Energy Ball had the potential as well for puzzle solving elements involving powering up and down various equipment. Later during development, with the team not liking the Pulse Rifle's alternate fire function at the time, they ended up incorporating the Energy Ball directly into it.[2]
In Portal, the "Aperture Science High Energy Pellet" bears a remarkable resemblance to the Energy Ball. This is likely because, for much of the game's development as well as the release, many assets were reused from Half-Life 2.
Gallery
An animation of the Energy Ball.
An Energy Ball being held by the Gravity Gun.
An enemy being disintegrated by an Energy Ball.
List of appearances
Main games
- Half-Life 2 (First appearance)
- Half-Life 2: Episode One
- Half-Life 2: Episode Two
Other
- Half-Life 2: Deathmatch (Non-canonical appearance)
- Half-Life 2: Lost Coast (Non-canonical appearance)
- Source Particle Benchmark (Game files only) (Non-canonical appearance)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Half-Life 2 Prima Guide, page 19
- ↑ Half-Life 2 commentary
