Combine Alien Assassin

The Alien Assassin, also known as the Combine Alien Assassin, the Breeder and the Shock Trooper, is a transhuman enemy cut from Half-Life 2. It is the original form of the Fast Zombie.

Overview

 * The Alien Assassin has long claws used for slashing targets, red spikes on the top of its head, a breathing mask and pipes in its eye orbits, and apparently only two toes.


 * Like the Combine Assassin, it is likely that it was to be a quick and resourceful enemy, moving swiftly and performing flips, rolls, and other movements. It was also to fire smoke to conceal its movements, throw Hopwire Grenades and knives stored on its back, and quickly pounce the player.


 * It was also to have a Zombie version, but it was never completed. It appears as even more transformed than the Standard Zombie, the Headcrab's rear left leg going inside the Assassin's back even further than in Standard Zombies, to reappear near the Assassin's right shoulder. The hands and feet have turned a bright red, and the bones of the forearms have become visible. The blending between the limbs and chest/waist texture files are also not well finished. When shot at, it sounds like it is metal.


 * Both the Alien Assassin and the Cremator bear some similarities. They have an identical orange sphere on the back of one hand, looking like some sort of lid (the right hand for the Alien Assassin, in lower resolution, the left for the Cremator), similar arms and hands (except that the Cremator has only four fingers), and also lines on the hands (although the Cremator has them on its gloves instead of the skin like Alien Assassin). This suggests they were to be related in some way.

Trivia

 * A related sound file, "ball_zap1.wav", can still be found in the Half-Life 2 files, in the folder "/sound/npc/assassin/". Similar to a Stun Baton sound, it was likely related to the Assassin's Hopwire Grenades.


 * The sound file "tattle1.wav" located in the sound folder for the Alien Assassin in the playable Half-Life 2 Beta files indicates the Assassin was at some point to taunt the player. However the record seems to be temporary as it is made in a childish way, with a falsetto/Muppet-like voice.


 * Players often refer to it as "Prowler", although the term is not in any official source.