This was the second mod I ever played. I kinda liked this mod. It was nice to see a Combine Soldier’s point of view. I got into the game real good at first, but it started to get boring because of all those Zombies in the mod. Everywhere I turn there is a Fast Zombie somewhere! Fighting nothing but Zombies doesn’t really take much skill. It started to get good when we start fighting Rebels. If you ask me, fighting Rebels isn’t really my cup of hot cocca. All they’re doing is fighting for their world back and I wouldn’t hold it against them. I didn’t bother killing the defenseless civilians hiding behind boxes, or the wounded Rebel in one of the sewer levels. Combines usually travel in groups, and being alone wasn’t all that fun. Only a few times I had some Combine friends with me, and they didn’t last too long, like the Combine after the Antlion Guard battle. There should’ve been more Antlions around. Also you can get stuck in certain parts of the mod. There are also two alternative paths which you can take which is okay, I don’t really like that much. =|

If I have anything positive about the mod, I gotta say it’s nice seeing a Combine’s point of view. Working with the best business in that world (in fact the only legal business left in that world). Using the Combine interfaces are very interesting. The detail and architecture of the mod is pretty good! It was pretty fun at parts and I think you’ll enjoy this mod! Combine Destiny 2 is gonna be alot better, I know it! Lots more Combine friends, new weapons, new types of allies and enemies. I hope it gets released soon, it’s been over 2-3 years already. You guys getting lazy on us? Thanks for making this fantastic mod though!

BTW: There is a hidden .357 Magnum and Crossbow somewhere around the mod. I found the magnum over in a little shack full of boxes around the underground areas, I can’t explain much detail. I haven’t found the Crossbow yet though. Also there is a G-Man appearance when you enter the train tracks, up at a window on the left wall if you’re facing the tracks.

However, this is well-done overall, but there is nothing really unique or transcendantal…
When you put the player as a Combine, I expected something more in the like of Combine Combat (this GREAT project… now dead…), for example.

Play it after you finished other great mods.

Even though the atmosphere is dark mostly, you clearly know your a combine. The messages comfirm, you shall not be left behind at all costs. Also you know what you’re doing. People that have read other comments from me, will quickly realize, this is something I care about a lot!

So, I haven’t been a developer for a week yet, but I already have the feeling everyone here, thinks twice about what the player wants, what the palyer needs. They are modders and gamers both, and that’s what makes them so cool! XD

The one thing was that the amount of ammo you get is very limited. Though i quite enjoyed playing the last couple of maps with just a crowbar.

The Architecture is good, not the best, but in some times the game can be repetitive and buggy. And there’s things that could be placed in this mod to use well the potential of “being a combine”.

If you search for more HL2 games, and you already played the best of them, this is a good alternative.

The Citadel has lost contact with a research facility and thinks it has been overrun by rebels so naturally they shell the nearby town with headcrabs. They miss. Now, as a Combine Squad Leader, it’s up to you to enter the base and take it back.

Combine Destiny opens with the obligatory cinematic sequence which has you flying down a canyon in a drop ship and then you are left at the doors to the base. After a short stroll down a tunnel with your squad you’ll encounter a handful of howler zombies then, and I don’t want to give too much away, something will happen that separates you from your team (give it a moment – it hasn’t crashed).

Every now and then you’ll receive communications from the Citadel in the form of on-screen text messages which offer you hints about what to do next. Many people don’t like these messages, but I found them unobtrusive and would rather have them than suffer terrible voice acting like you get in some mods. There is a little voice work near the end of the mod and in this case, it is very well done.

Playing as Combine, your enemies are the various kinds of zombie, headcrab, antlion and rebel. A few times you will be aided by Combine hardware such as turret guns which makes a refreshing change from having them tear you apart. Also, you will frequently have a squad following you and because the environments here are more open than the tenement buildings of Half-Life 2, it seems to work better. This might be due to the fact that they aren’t constantly getting in your way and nagging you to reload your weapon after every shot.

At one point the Citadel informs you that jumping into the water will take you to the sewer system. If you do jump you will miss a large amount of the mod which includes a labyrinthine section that I actually found quite annoying. However, I recommend taking the long way around at least once because as well as the tedious maze there is a squad based assault on a prison which was quite enjoyable.

A lot of people have complained that some of this mod is too dark. What do they expect when they’re underground and the power’s out? Personally, I found creeping around narrow corridors shining the torch as I went to be a lot of fun to play and thought these sequences were much more entertaining than the similar ones in Doom 3.

Eventually you’ll find yourself weaponless and trapped in a boarded up room. This map (CD12) has a bug which prevents some people from seeing the boards on the windows or the crowbar on the floor and if they do manage to find their way out then they can’t see the enemies outside either. There’s a patch available (see the Basic Details section at the top of this post) which should fix this problem but it’s strange that it wasn’t sorted before release. If the patch doesn’t work for you, try doing a quicksave followed by a quickload.

The mapping and architecture are very good; the textures are well used and there are enough atmospherics to create a convincing game world. The environments range from narrow tunnels dug out of the rock to shiny black Combine metal in the rain to huge concrete caverns. Though there is nothing that we haven’t seen before, it’s varied enough to stop the mod from ever getting boring.

Positives:

– You play as Combine
– Great mapping and architecture
– Parts are dark and atmospheric

Negatives:

– Major bug in map CD12
– Parts are too dark for some players
– Labyrinthine in places

Conclusion:

Playing as Combine is far from unique but in Combine Destiny it is particularly well implemented especially when you have a squad with you.

This mod is of a near professional standard and I found it a lot of fun to play. It easily makes it into my Top 10 list of Half-Life 2 mods. I eagerly await Combine Destiny 2.

My Recommendation:

Design:
The design of the levels in this mod varies depending on who made the map, however it remains average in most of the maps. The structure of each map is quite linear where some maps have many corridors in them. Texturing is average as well with some decent choices and a good set used which keeps a similar colour theme. Lighting is also good but there’s nothing too special about it. Most of the areas in the mod remain medium to large scale, some being very empty with a few props here and there. I did however like the text above the controls which are useable making it more easier to find the needed switch.

Conclusion:
An average modification which has an interesting idea, but sometimes boring and repetitive throughout.

Rating: 74%

No bugs after I upgraded my drivers. Few nice set pieces such as the antlion. Still, it did get quite boring towards the end and my tactic became that of running past the enemies rather than engaging in combat. Why did you get so few frigging grenades… would have come in really handy.