Which Stalker do you prefer? Beta or HL2? I've had a bunch of comments stating I'm pronouncing "beta" wrong. I'm British and that's how it's pronounced here. The US pronounce it "bey-ta".
My personal head cannon to why they’re still called stalkers: In half life 2 Alyx gives some exposition on the stalkers, before saying to one “God, I hope you don’t remember who you were.” I think that sometimes stalkers will retain some of there memories and “Stalk” people that they can still recognize
The Stalkers were really the first body horror type thing that really scared me as a child. Such a great concept. The only part that does not really work is the moral dilemma for me. Being a Stalker is definetly a fate worse then death, which is why I think the only moral choice is to kill them anyway. A mercy killing.
my young mind wasnt sure what to make of it, i didnt see them as human untill i eventually found out, i didnt believe a human could function looking like that, truely frightening, also if i where to mod beta stalkers back into the game i'd have it so they have metallic and glowing spines that assisted their muscles via electrical stimulation, and they would be split apart once killed from the tension
It's a moral dilemma like any other. It's EXTREMELY easy to say "oh I would just do this in that situation" without ever having been in a situation where you have to make that choice.
Beta looks like a "The Suffering" enemy. The HL2 ones look more like a actual withered body and the broken/blank expression really sells that there is not an ounce of the person left after the transformation.
@@helgenlane Yeah the final version looks like something that could actually be alive, while the beta one makes me want to look for the combine necromancers.
i prefer the final version the beta version just feels out of place in half life most of the beta feels out of place tbh, i never saw half life as a dark game, but more of a grounded science fiction wth a dark background that's why i think the final version is better than the beta, it fits so much better it may not feel dark when you are running around gunning all those combines, but if you just stop for a moment and look around, you will see how dark, empty and sad this world is
I think the most uncomfortable thing about the beta stalker, for me at least, isn't that spinal column but instead the lower arms. They didn't just remove the hand at the wrist, they outright cut the radius and ulna in half. It's just horrific to me to see half of the lower arm. And the way it looks to me also makes it seem like they then adjusted them to make more space between the two bones, allowing them to attach equipment directly to the radius bone. I wouldn't even be surprised if they just bolt the tools on, with the stalker feeling it as the metal goes straight through their weakened bone.
It's really uncomfortable when you look even deeper into it. Your comment has opened my eyes into an even darker side (if that was possible) of the Combine empire.
Remember how the manhacks were originally going to be controlled by children who thought they were playing an arcade game? Beta HL2 was absolutely brutal...
I kind of wish they brought these things back. Don't get me wrong, I love the unknown and eldritch horror half life leans into now, but some elements such as that would have been nice.
Im actually glad they removed that. A lot of stuff from the beta sounds darker in theory, but are actually rather cartoonish and over the top compared to the retail version which is more understated and therefore scarier in my opinion.
@@spacecadetkaito they're cartoony by todays standards, but back then it was a fresh concept and extremely horrifying. The game would have been just as successful imo, but Valve would be a VERY different company today if they hadn't mellowed out and became more light and comical. As much as I'd love a full on horror Half-Life, I love TF2 and the Portal games enough to be more than happy with what we got.
@@spacecadetkaito Perfectly agree. Theres no way you could take half life 2 seriously if it went in its original direction like all children being put to work in factories, air being entirely polluted, rebels being turned into spooky cyber assasins??? Wot the fuck is this warhammer?
Unfinished CGI I think he means within the context of the universe it’s sad what happened to the Stalkers, or because there was so much cool stuff from the beta that really should have made it into the final game. The beta definitely has its problem and various things definitely needed to get cut, but Valve stripped away too much making the retail game feel kind of bland in comparison to the original and after you know about what was cut. Don’t get me wrong I love the game we got. I just think it could have been so much more.
@Skyrionn That will be awesome! Good luck with that. I’m personally in the camp that HL2 was a great game but a bad sequel. My reasoning for that is the enemy/weapon variety is down, it didn’t carry over the dark tones/atmosphere of the original/expansions, the Combine just feel like they’re there as apposed to the beta where EVERYTHING shows the impact of their occupation, and the chapters were more unique. That being said I’m not one of the people who thinks it was flawless because it’s clearly not. There was definitely a fair amount of stuff that needed to be scrapped because it didn’t work, was redundant, and the passing/connection between chapters wasn’t really there. I just think that Valve took away too much leaving the game feel empty in comparison to the original/expansions and when you know about what was scrapped. Luckily there’s beta recreation mods (assuming they ever get completed), but those are showing their cracks due to problems in the beta or the modders making mistakes.
I think that the biggest advantage that beta Stalker has over the one that we got is how much more uncanny they were. Obviously both feed upon body horror and the idea of twisting human form, but Stalkers that we got still look human. They look miserable, sure, but you could imagine someone evil enough doing something like this in the real world. But the beta Stalkers? They look like they should not function anymore, but they still do, and that pushes that uncanny feeling even further. Unnaturally thin spines, dirty skin, animal mask; it doesn't even look like they used good materials to stiches them up. Both look tragic and horrifying, but the beta Stalker looks just more degraded and humiliated, which puts into perspective just how little the guys at the top care about humanity: or, worse yet, how much joy they take out of actively inflicting misery upon sapient life.
I honestly wish they would have stuck with the beta design. The part that gets me the most is the constricted spine with all the leather straps. To me, the beta stalker is the definitive way to show just how messed up the combine really are and their hatred of humanity. I think it just conveys better how much they hate humans by keeping their lives hell 24/7 and not letting them just die, constantly on the brink of life and death, constant suffering. And on top of all that, I'm disappointed that Valve hasn't expanded on HL hardly at all in the 20+ years they've had the IP. It is such an interesting IP with an amazing world and they've done fuck all with it.
@@CheekyChan Second that, I think they could've implemented them still. Just have docile Stalker workers and aggressive Stalker hunters; but yeah, beta Stalkers are a great piece of anti-fascist messaging.
@@jeffumbach Yeah, that's some Clive Barker body horror shit right there but they also have like zero meat on them bones so barely any weight. I think just a smidge more muscle tone would make them perfect.
@CheekyChan Totally agree. HL2 stalkers are just pathetic and pitiable. Beta stalkers are horrifying. That being said theres no way they are moving under their own power, they are too wasted. It would have been cool if they would have kept the look and behavior of the beta model but made them built more like the HL2 version so you brain doesnt go "wait, how is it moving with no muscle?" I also wish they would have used them more and they were more like the beta. It seems to me the combine would have showed them off to humans, instead of keeping them hidden away. Like "dont even think about fighting us. This is what we do to resistors.".
I got this game for Xmas 2004 from my Dad. The game was awesome...but when I saw the production lines with these guys in em, and kinda figured out what they were...I legit cried in my bedroom as a young teen thinking about it. I'm not sure, but I don't think a lot of players fully ignored them, even though they could
Why are they called stalkers still? Because every now and then combine personnel would get the feeling of being watched and followed. They couldn't say for sure but they were sure it was these beings, No matter the task they would fulfill it quietly, efficiently, but it always seemed like they were staring at you the entire time as if the only true freewill they had was the ability to look and observe as others lived a life they were denied, the only defiance against their torturers left to them.
This sounds like a great day in the life detail of combine personnel. I imagine a combine soldier who just wanted to survive but keeps being reminded of the consequences of his actions, portrayed by the stalkers. He passes by some stalkers, look for a bit, and go on. But as he turns and walks away, he hears the stalker move and he quickly turns around to it, and he sees the stalker continue on working. He felt as if the stalker was looking at him; he rushes out, feeling ill, as the horror of it all flashes inside his mind. Something like that... Idk
Like what Alyx said: thank god you don't have any memories. And like what someone else said: They stalk those that they remember and still have memories of.
HL2, the beta model looks like it lacks the flesh required to move in a meaningful manner, and the HL2 model demonstrates a more real kind of body horror that leaves the beta model looking like an exaggeration
I thought so too. It looks horrifying but unless there is actual magic involved, the model just could not function in the way it does with that little tissue left on it. There's nothing to hold the spine up, nothing to allow the torso to twist, no connection between the hipbone and the torso, the legs have nothing on them. It's horrific but I am distracted by how absurdly impossible the body looks in an otherwise more or less believable sci fi horror game.
The original stalker is too unrealistic to accept that they could even be alive, the retail stalker is actually easily plausible that the human body could survive like that.
@@hotlinemiami33 but at that point it loses the effect of an uncanny valley of sorts. You jam enough combine tech into a stalker at a certain point players meeting the stalker for the first time wont be as unnerved as they would be if they could recognize "wait, fuck... this thing used to be human, and its on the edge between man and machine against its own will." The beta stalkers look too artificial and geared up to hit that sweet spot of disturbance imo, if that makes sense. Just my take tho, yours is equally valid. Of course the retail stalker's implementation is less than stellar. I wish we coulda gotten something more action-y from them. That way they're less background dressing and actual disturbing worldbuilding
@@hotlinemiami33 we see snyths that would probably be in a similar situation to the beta stalkers so it does make sense in the game. Although i still prefer the ones we got
I prefer the HL2 stalkers. The design is more believable to me with the abdomen still attached but without the stomach. Also with the little amount of muscle mass and lack of legs, they wouldn't realistically serve any fighting function. I think keeping them in the citedal only is more realistic too. It's like they are myths/rumours/ghost stories of how horrible the Combine are. I think if the stalkers were known or openly public to the world, it would work against the Combines long game strategy against humanity.
I'm glad they didn't turn Stalkers into jump scare enemies. The Fast Zombies were more than enough to scare the you-know-what out of me for the entire game. 😬
I think the name in retail comes more from their physical appearance and haunting demeanor than the act of stalking itself. They slowly roam around the halls of Combine controlled areas like zombies with their thin, rigid, stalk-like limbs. It isn't hard to imagine why your average person seeing this would give them such a spooky name. When it comes to if I prefer retail or beta, definitely retail. While the beta stalkers are horrifying, they're just *way* to over the top for me.
Late but you also have to imagine that the resistance probably has either seen or heard rumors about the Stalkers, it's like the Synths from FO4. People disappear and all of a sudden, more of those *things* show up.
I love HL and all its iterations, beta content, books, comics, and everything. It is bar none my favorite series of any media, and I consider myself to be an expert on the topic and its lore. You continually impress me with both how engrossing you are able to make content I already know inside and out, and manage to sprinkle in tidbits from interviews that even I had no idea about. Tenouttaten, glad to be subbed!
It comes from a genuine love of the series! I'm happy to impress you too! This was my first video dive into a complete beta topic. From the reception - I think I'll be doing more.
@@Skyrionn yes please! I never really got into half life, played it a few times as a kid, but your content on the games is really interesting and I'd like to learn more about cut content, it's a cool thing!
My dream was always that many assets and ideas for the beta would be used to tell a story around Adrian Shepard in a US city as it's mini citadel tower loses power at the time of the end of HL2.
I would like to see a video on all the cut enemies and what they might have been used for out of universe, and maybe even some speculation on what lore there might have been in universe, like the cremator or the Combine Assassin
Holy shit the original HL2 really was going to be an endlessly depressing nightmare of a game in terms of atmosphere and lore. I like the ideas of the beta a lot in general but all in all I sort of prefer the final version due to it not being quite as dire and pessimistic.
Also like, alot of the darker lore is just kind of over the top cartoonishly dark in my opinion. I prefer a version of the combine that is yes, fucked up, but not to the extent where it seems like they are doing the most fucked up shit imaginable for no reason. Idk eventually it just makes it feel less like a real alien empire and more like the contents of an edgy 15 year-olds sketchbook
@@bombocrusty4251It kind of makes sense in some way to have the stalkers as they are in the beta for psychological warfare purposes. I do agree though that they struck a good balance of horror elements in the final release without them being so ridiculously over the top. It seems like it could exist as a result of an uncaring alien empire focused on efficiency and not some overlord that enjoys creating horror for its own sake.
I think Valve moving away from it being as grimdark as possible during development was better I feel but the beta stalkers were fascinating A video about the Air Exchange or the Wasteland Depot and how they eventually functionally evolved into Nova Prospekt would be interesting
I never think of half life when i think of sci-fi and alien creatures, because youre just on earth most of the time and most alien creatures you may come across have been modified by the combine so much they just resemble machines instead. But these concepts the game has especially with its body horror aspect makes for some really awesome designs, i think taking half-life into other universes and seeing more of the combine would be amazing.
Ravenholm is my favorite level in HL2 I wish we had more levels like that but with Stalkers at night in city 17. I wish valve released some sort of directors which included that type of cut content.
As far as Im aware, the stalkers in the cannon have essentially the same story. I wish they were explored much more perhaps destroying a smaller facility like Nova Prospekt where its far more apparent whats going on and perhaps with stalker variations. For example, the ones we have now are essentially technicians but maybe theres ones with blades on their arms and stuffed with various exploding things like poisonous gas or just explosives. Perhaps the visor would be closed until theyre needed. Thisd give the combine something to drop from drop pods like the headcrabs but more vicious and demoralizing. Maybe called suiciders or, for a slightly lighter term, berserkers. Theyd definitely fit a setting where the Combine are losing their grip on humanity and need to use slave soldiers instead of willing volunteers. Im thinking theyd run up to you and leap onto you like the fast zombies.
It’s very amazing to know that us humans only require very few things to survive, but it’s terrifying to think how other beings can take advantage of that.
Hey bro, thanks for the video! Half life is one of my all time favorites and it's a tragedy that we never got episode 3 or even a third stand alone installment. Keep up the good work!! The video is on point, as always!
I feel like the moral dilemma part was added into the Headcrab Zombies. Sure, they seem mindless, but they used to be human, and are implied to still be conscious. Considering the pain they're probably in, I usually just put them out of their mercy. Some might not, though.
The combine wouldn't call them stalkers, but it is likely the resistance could've coined the name. Owing to the staggering gait they have, they move as though they're stalking.
The beta ones are really too immersion breaking for me. That kind of body horror might scare kids, and it might have scared me pretty bad when I was a kid (similar to those Zelda zombies), but as an adult with a fairly decent understanding of the human body -- just look at those things. You sneeze on one and it'd fall down and die. It would be highly unlikely that they'd even have the muscle strength to move those arms with any kind of metal bolted onto them. And we're to believe they'd have the agility and endurance to "stalk" anything. I think that's why they put the new versions in the Citidal and just had them being passive. Someone probably looked at them, and did the WTF emote, how do these work? They should barely be able to stand, let alone recognize or attack people. Which is also probably why they got more fleshed out with a more realistic looking body, and not just skin down to the spine. Body horror can be an intense scare, but take it too far into the uncanny, and it becomes a joke. I remember being really annoyed with the way Outlast did some of their body horror too. So many burly and muscular dudes running around when no one is eating right or exercising in the way that bulks up the body like that. Body horror that's half-assed just feels insulting. And there's lots of games that do similar stuff. I think the biggest offenders is when they have withered, rotting, or outright crippled people, and have them behave like Olympian athletes in the games. Like any of ya ever see what the flu does to a person's energy level? And we're to believe that some half-withered dude living in a cave for 20 years has the strength to punch someone? He'd break every bone in his arm if he could apply any reasonable force to it. Usually the best way around these kinds of issues is when games do something like magical zombies, magic can do anything! Or you have some kind of alien/biological influence like the plant-based monsters in The Last of Us. Headcrab zombies are borderline. You can argue that a headcrab can "control" a human body, but that body is still limited to its physical attributes. And if the human host is dead, all of that muscle is essentially rotting and won't be very effective after a few days/weeks. I'm not sure if the headcrabs actually mutate the body and enhance it. I think they mutate claws and stuff, so maybe there's some more biological melding going on. ================== Another big point I just wanted to drop, is that if you actually had stalkers like the beta ones in the game roaming the road. Their immune system would be absolutely shot, and any kind of infection, allergies, or contaminated water/fluid getting into those stitches would basically be a death sentence. Overall, the video is pretty good. I like learning about new game things. And I think games should be creative and try new things. But pseudo realism requires more surgery than butchery to get it right.
About Outlast though, those dudes were pretty much mutated by the Morphogenic Engine… which is never really explained, but can be summed as pretty much a vaguely demonic influence with acute mutative properties. I forget how it all ties together, but it basically drives you crazy (if you’re not already), then starts changing you into some demi-human by screwing up your active biological functions. Whether it just makes you a bit uglier or into a hulking beast depends on both how much you were exposed, and random chance.
@@JustinTK416 Huh, I didn't know that. It makes sense! I remember watching a playthrough a long time ago when it came out. I think the machine thing was suppose to be like a spoiler/reveal at the end, so it makes sense that I would have forgotten about it. Now that I think about it. I think The Forest does something similar. ---- Would be nice if RL radiation and mutations could make people super strong instead of super dead, lol!
Stalkers in beta are definitely a really cool design, but the much more subtle final design makes for a more believable piece of body horror imo. Even down to the way that the final design doesn't twitch like the beta but instead does a tiny swing from side to side that personally looks inhuman in such a way that it gets under my skin and creeps me out, but also again sells their believe-ability and the fact that they've truly become a husk of a human.
I like the retail ones. They look more realistic, like a gaunt holocaust survivor. The beta ones look like they should be dead and far too skeletal, which makes it kinda hard to imagine yourself as them, since they come off a bit "generic" imo.
something about the fixed expression of terror on the dried up almost unrecognizable muzzled face in that one piece of concept art is horrifying in a way that feels even too dark for HL2’s early development
13:02 - 13:15 You know how when Gordon enters Nova Prospekt by disabling the external defenses and it easily gets overrun by antlions due to said defenses (the thumpers) being offline. Well I thought maybe since you can hear the Overwatch voice saying sectors are overrun or containment breaches are happening left and right that perhaps the antlions could have breached an area where stalkers are kept and the stalkers wake up without orders or something and as a result have nothing to do except aimlessly wander Nova Prospekt and Gordon randomly encounters them during the level. That could possibly be an explanation plot-wise that could make your idea of encountering them in other levels work.
Always loved the design of the stalkers, Both the Beta and the Release version That said perhaps we will see a shift towards the darker tone going forwards in the next installment of the series, HLA already had some slight hints towards that with certain story elements. As for content I would love to see you cover, I would love to see a video on the beta versions of the various combine creatures that got completly removed from the game.
In the end I feel like getting rid of the air exchange was a good idea. For one, having all of your characters constantly in a mask only works in some storytelling situations. And for two, it really would br depressing to know that we can't even breathe on our own planet anymore.
I think they changed the stalkers to sort of mirror the final stage of the headcrab zombies that you find in ravenholm, two paths to dominate humans, to make them mindless beasts, first by Xen's standards, then by the Combine. Either way, its horrible to look at.
Would be insane to implement but I reckon the first few times we encountered them have the stalkers "recognized" certain npcs and have them try and interact with them before reverting to their mental conditioning and become wild again and leave them relatively ambiguous. Had they not chose to kill Eli have him "go missing" and then Gordon and alyx bump into some and a vaguely "Eli" stalker tries to recognize alyx and then when the pieces fall into place have some emotional story come from that. That way Ted's personal and emotional dilemma he wanted the stalkers to emmit can come true while keeping the visual story telling aspect of hl:2 alive
This comment. That would have been a super dark way to go if Eli or any of the characters we grew close to were turned into a stalker. I see this in a similar line to the Big Daddys in Bioshock.
Part of my process is trying to make the visuals as interesting and as immersive as possible. I could make this whole thing with generic gameplay footage but that would just take the passion out of it for me. Thanks for noticing the effort :) I do appreciate it!
Tbh I'm glad they changed it. thats not a convict-turned-cyborg-laborer, thats a reverent from Doom, straight outta Painkiller. very shooter-game-set-in-hell-y.
While I like the "body horror" aesthetic of the beta stalkers (they are utterly horrifying for sure), I feel as if the retail stalkers are more realistic and lore-accurate. The beta stalkers, although creepy, look so frail and corpse-like, it is a bit hard to imagine how they are able to live, fight or do anything at all. The retail stalkers feel more like what an actual "mutilated slave husk" might look like.
I think the design of the retail Stalkers fits better into Half-Life, but the function of the beta Stalkers does seem like it would have been a lot more fun.
I think Beta stalkers were too edgy, like some sort of BDSM-themed "spooky skeletons" with their hand-stitched bone-tight leather, taken straight from something like Hellraiser or Silent Hill. The stalkers we eventually got reflect the ruthlessly pragmatic nature of the Combine: Process the captured malcompliants with the minimum of effort and put them to work within what could be mere hours.
beta content hype!! now that i know about these beta stalkers i gotta agree; their original concept sounds so much better! i also like well thought out scripted events, makes the world seem more alive.
I think the fact in the retail game they are just basically shoved in the basement to work is darker than a common enemy, but over all the beta is much darker.
I remember playing AirEx and these guys sent chills down my spine I was a little disappointed with the retail version of them not being as scary but I can understand why they changed them, It is a miracle they even kept them in the game and it is good that they expanded upon them in Episode 1 making them have a bigger role for the first few chapters.
I think they behavior as enemies eventually carried out to the fast headcrab zombies The stalker name still doesn't fit but i still like their presence and lore in the game, still find them extremely disturbing, it's tamer than the beta but still very dark and disturbing
Imagine you are combine soldier, commanded to hunt Freeman and fail, while you still breathing. They turn you as stalker, because they doesn't want waste pawn no matter what.
I like to think that the beta stalkers are still out there, Gordon and Alyx just haven't had the misfortune to encounter them. Maybe anyone who has hasn't lived to tell
*Half-Life ? Count me in sir !* 14:23 I'll like to correct you on this. There are happy moments in Half-Life ! I had good times running after Dog & I never had a better feeling than finally arriving in Black Mesa East, plus some good other memories
I honestly prefer the look of the HL2 Stalkers. Sure they're not nearly as extreme, but the problem with the beta version is it's _so_ extreme it's hard to suspend your disbelief for them. It's horrible, but I couldn't imagine myself being turned into one because it wouldn't actually _work._ The HL2 ones are terrifying though, because they look like they could actually exist in real life. Their bodies look like real malnourished people, their skin looks like real illnesses. You can see more of their face and it looks human. When I look at them, I can imagine being turned into one. And that's _terrifying._ Not to mention, in this world where most things are trying to kill you, Stalkers don't. They just keep doing their job without caring about their surroundings. And you realise, when the Combine is defeated, the Stalkers won't become human again. They will keep doing their job until someone has the heart to put them down.
That's why I find the ones we got more terrifying, too. On top of all that, I think the HL2 stalkers probably have to be more intelligent to operate the machinery that they do, and they wouldn't constantly be in some kind of "fight" mode, so they probably have a higher chance of retaining more of who they once were...
Hey @Skyrionn! Will you be doing more Half Life 2 beta creatures, weapons, and concepts? I think it would be interesting for you to give out the planned behaviors of npcs, how they would attack, and also even what they sounded like.
In my AU, The “Stalker”s plays a role as Guard Dogs for the Civil Protection. Not sure about their abilities, but they look almost similar to the Beta Variant of the Stalkers.
I feel the retail stalkers are better overall, they look more human, and thus more disturbing. The beta ones look more like a robot than a person. The retail ones have more natural looking skin and the animations on the retail ones are way more fitting. No one in that state would have the energy to act like the beta ones.
I do prefer the crude, rusted faceplates with numerous holes, as well as the tooth bars, implying they've gone feral with time and need to be controlled in that regard. But I agree, the retail stalkers are better.
I think it's pretty clear that the Retail stalkers are much better designed, the retooling did a lot for them. The beta ones look way too "half-life 1" while the retail stalkers are actually more clearly "ruined humans"
I think the retail version of the stalkers look more realistic in terms of implementation. The beta versions look more like skeleton monsters while in retail they retain an uncanny resemblance to humans, making it more disturbing to me
It would have been a neat rng gimmick where instead of seeing them in one mission they can be anywhere or nowhere. Like when your doing the puzzles for so many times and you think nothing will happen a stalker would lunge at you or when you died by one and is expecting it to appear again just for it to be gone and never appear for the rest of the play through
I can diffidently imagine or guess the beta stalkers that attacked the player evolved into the Fast Zombies we got in Ravenholm since thinking on it now eerily fits the description of the beta stalkers pretty closely, so maybe they were still planned into Half Life 2 but would've been more fitting as the zombies however seemingly going against what Ted wanted/visualized
The beta stalkers remind me of the slayer from The suffering. In future half life games it would be cool if they bring back the beta stalker but rename it the predator stalker. As always good video skyrionn.
Dude videos like this remind me how much I love the world of Half life. Its to the point where I don't even care about a 3rd game anymore, I just want more of the world explored in more games. Like If valve released a Half life game that took place in a completely different city with new characters I would be ALL OVER that
Half-Life is truly a goldmine for Valve. It would be great for them to explore the rest of the wasteland. I'm always happy to explore more of HL and the games surrounding it.
God you know this is a great design when it's genuinely uncomfortable just to look at (in a good way I should stress). Like even some necromorphs don't look this horrifying.
Beta always strikes me as a game that seems to from a completely different series than Half-Life. HL1 is a big departure from HL in style and presentation, with headcrabs and zombies being the main thing they have in common. But the Beta seems like something else entirely. Something that would still be really fascinating to see getting explored as a full game concept by someone.
I prefer the HL2 Beta models, for the opposite reason as alot of other comments, it makes me think "oml...what did they have to do to even get these things moving? They literally cared so little about human bodies, they just did the bare minimum and were disposable yet great for wanted the most amount of mental warfare/fear Ide certainly be more afraid of being turned into these literal monsters than the different kind of "used for maintenence" victims in the release of HL2 Theres track runners irl with limbs like the STALKERS use, specifically for the legs, I've never seen limbs irl like the beta of STALKERS, its like the combine barely cared and focused again on mental damage to rebels that would be outside places that rebels would pretty much no hope of getting to due to their maintenance role
The stalkers in HL2 are dark and depressing. The stalkers in the beta are just an enemy because they barely even look human anymore and you barely really even get the chance to look at them before they attack you, so you kill them before you can even think about them.
Something I thought the other day is that the stalkers are just as transformed as the other combine synths, maybe even less. If an alien on a distant world encountered a stalker, they'd probably think it was another strange animal the combine modified. Then I look at a hunter or a dropship and realize I am that alien seeing a strange animal the combine modified. Maybe the striders were a rebel once too.
with the way the Half Life 2: Update dramatically altered the lighting in the game, including shadowy areas, I can't imagine how frightening encountering the Stalker would have been
Which Stalker do you prefer?
Beta or HL2?
I've had a bunch of comments stating I'm pronouncing "beta" wrong. I'm British and that's how it's pronounced here. The US pronounce it "bey-ta".
Both
beta
HL2
Beta
Beta 💀
My personal head cannon to why they’re still called stalkers: In half life 2 Alyx gives some exposition on the stalkers, before saying to one “God, I hope you don’t remember who you were.” I think that sometimes stalkers will retain some of there memories and “Stalk” people that they can still recognize
Heartbreaking... Free The Stalkers!!
hauntingly excellent, could probably make a horror mod based around that.
It's from episode 1 to be specific. Played through it yesterday!
I thouvht it was because of the way they walk, a little rickety, very slow and unsure of their movements
Canon is spelt with only one N. Cannon with two Ns is for when you're referring to those big naval guns you see on pirate ships.
The Stalkers were really the first body horror type thing that really scared me as a child. Such a great concept. The only part that does not really work is the moral dilemma for me. Being a Stalker is definetly a fate worse then death, which is why I think the only moral choice is to kill them anyway. A mercy killing.
my young mind wasnt sure what to make of it, i didnt see them as human untill i eventually found out, i didnt believe a human could function looking like that, truely frightening, also if i where to mod beta stalkers back into the game i'd have it so they have metallic and glowing spines that assisted their muscles via electrical stimulation, and they would be split apart once killed from the tension
I'm confused why they don't suicide
take out your misericordes
💀 HUGE “nothing personnel, kid” vibes
It's a moral dilemma like any other. It's EXTREMELY easy to say "oh I would just do this in that situation" without ever having been in a situation where you have to make that choice.
Beta looks like a "The Suffering" enemy. The HL2 ones look more like a actual withered body and the broken/blank expression really sells that there is not an ounce of the person left after the transformation.
Also, the final version looks like something that could potentially exist in real life, while beta ones look like some creepypasta or scp character.
@@helgenlane Yeah the final version looks like something that could actually be alive, while the beta one makes me want to look for the combine necromancers.
Same. I find the final version scarier because it’s more believable
i prefer the final version
the beta version just feels out of place in half life
most of the beta feels out of place tbh, i never saw half life as a dark game, but more of a grounded science fiction wth a dark background
that's why i think the final version is better than the beta, it fits so much better
it may not feel dark when you are running around gunning all those combines, but if you just stop for a moment and look around, you will see how dark, empty and sad this world is
reminds me of the zombies
I think the most uncomfortable thing about the beta stalker, for me at least, isn't that spinal column but instead the lower arms. They didn't just remove the hand at the wrist, they outright cut the radius and ulna in half. It's just horrific to me to see half of the lower arm. And the way it looks to me also makes it seem like they then adjusted them to make more space between the two bones, allowing them to attach equipment directly to the radius bone. I wouldn't even be surprised if they just bolt the tools on, with the stalker feeling it as the metal goes straight through their weakened bone.
It's really uncomfortable when you look even deeper into it. Your comment has opened my eyes into an even darker side (if that was possible) of the Combine empire.
Jesus
sounds like an implant procedure (metal bolt applied into mouth, jaw bone.)
Jesus that looks like it would all day every day
Remember how the manhacks were originally going to be controlled by children who thought they were playing an arcade game? Beta HL2 was absolutely brutal...
That was super dark!
I kind of wish they brought these things back. Don't get me wrong, I love the unknown and eldritch horror half life leans into now, but some elements such as that would have been nice.
Im actually glad they removed that. A lot of stuff from the beta sounds darker in theory, but are actually rather cartoonish and over the top compared to the retail version which is more understated and therefore scarier in my opinion.
@@spacecadetkaito they're cartoony by todays standards, but back then it was a fresh concept and extremely horrifying. The game would have been just as successful imo, but Valve would be a VERY different company today if they hadn't mellowed out and became more light and comical. As much as I'd love a full on horror Half-Life, I love TF2 and the Portal games enough to be more than happy with what we got.
@@spacecadetkaito Perfectly agree. Theres no way you could take half life 2 seriously if it went in its original direction like all children being put to work in factories, air being entirely polluted, rebels being turned into spooky cyber assasins??? Wot the fuck is this warhammer?
I love how you’re covering the beta lore. It’s really interesting thinking about what could have been.
It's interesting but sad at the same time. I'll be doing more beta stuff
@@Skyrionn Why is it sad? Every game has to cut stuff.
Definitely wish we got to see a lot of what was in the beta, conscripts etc
Unfinished CGI I think he means within the context of the universe it’s sad what happened to the Stalkers, or because there was so much cool stuff from the beta that really should have made it into the final game. The beta definitely has its problem and various things definitely needed to get cut, but Valve stripped away too much making the retail game feel kind of bland in comparison to the original and after you know about what was cut. Don’t get me wrong I love the game we got. I just think it could have been so much more.
@Skyrionn That will be awesome! Good luck with that.
I’m personally in the camp that HL2 was a great game but a bad sequel. My reasoning for that is the enemy/weapon variety is down, it didn’t carry over the dark tones/atmosphere of the original/expansions, the Combine just feel like they’re there as apposed to the beta where EVERYTHING shows the impact of their occupation, and the chapters were more unique. That being said I’m not one of the people who thinks it was flawless because it’s clearly not. There was definitely a fair amount of stuff that needed to be scrapped because it didn’t work, was redundant, and the passing/connection between chapters wasn’t really there. I just think that Valve took away too much leaving the game feel empty in comparison to the original/expansions and when you know about what was scrapped. Luckily there’s beta recreation mods (assuming they ever get completed), but those are showing their cracks due to problems in the beta or the modders making mistakes.
I think that the biggest advantage that beta Stalker has over the one that we got is how much more uncanny they were. Obviously both feed upon body horror and the idea of twisting human form, but Stalkers that we got still look human. They look miserable, sure, but you could imagine someone evil enough doing something like this in the real world. But the beta Stalkers? They look like they should not function anymore, but they still do, and that pushes that uncanny feeling even further. Unnaturally thin spines, dirty skin, animal mask; it doesn't even look like they used good materials to stiches them up. Both look tragic and horrifying, but the beta Stalker looks just more degraded and humiliated, which puts into perspective just how little the guys at the top care about humanity: or, worse yet, how much joy they take out of actively inflicting misery upon sapient life.
I honestly wish they would have stuck with the beta design. The part that gets me the most is the constricted spine with all the leather straps. To me, the beta stalker is the definitive way to show just how messed up the combine really are and their hatred of humanity. I think it just conveys better how much they hate humans by keeping their lives hell 24/7 and not letting them just die, constantly on the brink of life and death, constant suffering. And on top of all that, I'm disappointed that Valve hasn't expanded on HL hardly at all in the 20+ years they've had the IP. It is such an interesting IP with an amazing world and they've done fuck all with it.
Only thing is the beta version is too gaunt, it looks like it doesn't have enough muscle to even sit up much less stand.
@@CheekyChan Second that, I think they could've implemented them still. Just have docile Stalker workers and aggressive Stalker hunters; but yeah, beta Stalkers are a great piece of anti-fascist messaging.
@@jeffumbach Yeah, that's some Clive Barker body horror shit right there but they also have like zero meat on them bones so barely any weight. I think just a smidge more muscle tone would make them perfect.
@CheekyChan
Totally agree. HL2 stalkers are just pathetic and pitiable. Beta stalkers are horrifying.
That being said theres no way they are moving under their own power, they are too wasted. It would have been cool if they would have kept the look and behavior of the beta model but made them built more like the HL2 version so you brain doesnt go "wait, how is it moving with no muscle?"
I also wish they would have used them more and they were more like the beta. It seems to me the combine would have showed them off to humans, instead of keeping them hidden away. Like "dont even think about fighting us. This is what we do to resistors.".
I think the stalkers in the final release are far creepier because they look somewhat like they could exist in real life unlike the beta stalkers.
Their appearance stalks you, and so does the fact that you can become one.
@@denifnaf5874bro is NOT philosophical 💀💀💀
@@denifnaf5874Socrates ah mf
@@denifnaf5874 Bro thinks he’s socrates
You guys killed him. Lol
I got this game for Xmas 2004 from my Dad. The game was awesome...but when I saw the production lines with these guys in em, and kinda figured out what they were...I legit cried in my bedroom as a young teen thinking about it.
I'm not sure, but I don't think a lot of players fully ignored them, even though they could
Why are they called stalkers still?
Because every now and then combine personnel would get the feeling of being watched and followed. They couldn't say for sure but they were sure it was these beings, No matter the task they would fulfill it quietly, efficiently, but it always seemed like they were staring at you the entire time as if the only true freewill they had was the ability to look and observe as others lived a life they were denied, the only defiance against their torturers left to them.
This sounds like a great day in the life detail of combine personnel. I imagine a combine soldier who just wanted to survive but keeps being reminded of the consequences of his actions, portrayed by the stalkers.
He passes by some stalkers, look for a bit, and go on. But as he turns and walks away, he hears the stalker move and he quickly turns around to it, and he sees the stalker continue on working. He felt as if the stalker was looking at him; he rushes out, feeling ill, as the horror of it all flashes inside his mind.
Something like that... Idk
Like what Alyx said: thank god you don't have any memories.
And like what someone else said:
They stalk those that they remember and still have memories of.
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
HL2, the beta model looks like it lacks the flesh required to move in a meaningful manner, and the HL2 model demonstrates a more real kind of body horror that leaves the beta model looking like an exaggeration
That's a good point - maybe it would have been great to see somewhere between the two.
I thought so too. It looks horrifying but unless there is actual magic involved, the model just could not function in the way it does with that little tissue left on it. There's nothing to hold the spine up, nothing to allow the torso to twist, no connection between the hipbone and the torso, the legs have nothing on them. It's horrific but I am distracted by how absurdly impossible the body looks in an otherwise more or less believable sci fi horror game.
The original stalker is too unrealistic to accept that they could even be alive, the retail stalker is actually easily plausible that the human body could survive like that.
i think that with the technology the combine possess and the knowledge they could push it to that point
you know tbh in the citadel can’t the stalkers just jump off and die cause that’s not a good fate
@@stanleybochenek1862 the stalkers have been pretty much programmed to do what they do, they are practically robots at this point
@@hotlinemiami33 but at that point it loses the effect of an uncanny valley of sorts. You jam enough combine tech into a stalker at a certain point players meeting the stalker for the first time wont be as unnerved as they would be if they could recognize "wait, fuck... this thing used to be human, and its on the edge between man and machine against its own will." The beta stalkers look too artificial and geared up to hit that sweet spot of disturbance imo, if that makes sense.
Just my take tho, yours is equally valid.
Of course the retail stalker's implementation is less than stellar. I wish we coulda gotten something more action-y from them. That way they're less background dressing and actual disturbing worldbuilding
@@hotlinemiami33 we see snyths that would probably be in a similar situation to the beta stalkers so it does make sense in the game. Although i still prefer the ones we got
I prefer the HL2 stalkers. The design is more believable to me with the abdomen still attached but without the stomach. Also with the little amount of muscle mass and lack of legs, they wouldn't realistically serve any fighting function.
I think keeping them in the citedal only is more realistic too. It's like they are myths/rumours/ghost stories of how horrible the Combine are. I think if the stalkers were known or openly public to the world, it would work against the Combines long game strategy against humanity.
Excellent point.
I'm glad they didn't turn Stalkers into jump scare enemies. The Fast Zombies were more than enough to scare the you-know-what out of me for the entire game. 😬
The fast zombies were pretty terrifying!
@@Skyrionn ah yes. high pitched Wilhelm scream. truly the scariest thing ever
tf is that profile picture
@@Pashaok. watch out you might cut someone with all that edge you have
@@cr1tikal_arc You can't go talking 'bout edginess when you have a Family Guy profile picture.
Beta HL2 just had a way of being so uncomfortably dark in a great way
It really was!
Yeah
It feels like some Hellraiser or Event Horizon kind of game rather than a sequel to Half-Life.
I think the name in retail comes more from their physical appearance and haunting demeanor than the act of stalking itself. They slowly roam around the halls of Combine controlled areas like zombies with their thin, rigid, stalk-like limbs. It isn't hard to imagine why your average person seeing this would give them such a spooky name.
When it comes to if I prefer retail or beta, definitely retail. While the beta stalkers are horrifying, they're just *way* to over the top for me.
Late but you also have to imagine that the resistance probably has either seen or heard rumors about the Stalkers, it's like the Synths from FO4. People disappear and all of a sudden, more of those *things* show up.
FO4?
Man I love Skyrionn’s content. It’s very amazing and has a lot of live put into it
It comes from a genuine love of the series! Thanks for watching!
I love HL and all its iterations, beta content, books, comics, and everything. It is bar none my favorite series of any media, and I consider myself to be an expert on the topic and its lore.
You continually impress me with both how engrossing you are able to make content I already know inside and out, and manage to sprinkle in tidbits from interviews that even I had no idea about.
Tenouttaten, glad to be subbed!
It comes from a genuine love of the series! I'm happy to impress you too! This was my first video dive into a complete beta topic. From the reception - I think I'll be doing more.
@@Skyrionn yes please! I never really got into half life, played it a few times as a kid, but your content on the games is really interesting and I'd like to learn more about cut content, it's a cool thing!
My dream was always that many assets and ideas for the beta would be used to tell a story around Adrian Shepard in a US city as it's mini citadel tower loses power at the time of the end of HL2.
I would kill for an Adrian game or story.
@@Skyrionn So would Shepard!
I love coming back to old games and then still see a very much alive and active community. Keep on with all this amazing content!
Thanks, will do!
Bruh ofc half life is going to have an active community 💀 it is arguably the most important game ever made
@@lucre113 All things fade with time. It is only a matter of how long.
@@HonestGhost21 give it a couple more decades
Cheers from the Oblivion and Morrowind communities. Still going strong.
being a stalker is the worst existence ever... Warhammer 40K: *hold my bolter*
I dunno, even for 40k this is pretty awful. They're basically servitors.
I would like to see a video on all the cut enemies and what they might have been used for out of universe, and maybe even some speculation on what lore there might have been in universe, like the cremator or the Combine Assassin
That's a great idea. For the meatier topics, they'll get their own video :D
Holy shit the original HL2 really was going to be an endlessly depressing nightmare of a game in terms of atmosphere and lore. I like the ideas of the beta a lot in general but all in all I sort of prefer the final version due to it not being quite as dire and pessimistic.
Also like, alot of the darker lore is just kind of over the top cartoonishly dark in my opinion. I prefer a version of the combine that is yes, fucked up, but not to the extent where it seems like they are doing the most fucked up shit imaginable for no reason. Idk eventually it just makes it feel less like a real alien empire and more like the contents of an edgy 15 year-olds sketchbook
@@bombocrusty4251It kind of makes sense in some way to have the stalkers as they are in the beta for psychological warfare purposes. I do agree though that they struck a good balance of horror elements in the final release without them being so ridiculously over the top. It seems like it could exist as a result of an uncaring alien empire focused on efficiency and not some overlord that enjoys creating horror for its own sake.
I think Valve moving away from it being as grimdark as possible during development was better I feel but the beta stalkers were fascinating
A video about the Air Exchange or the Wasteland Depot and how they eventually functionally evolved into Nova Prospekt would be interesting
I'll add that to my list of video topics for the future :) Thanks for watching!
@@Skyrionn no problem! the 700+ maps of the leak tell us a really interesting story of how development had progressed up to September 2003
I never think of half life when i think of sci-fi and alien creatures, because youre just on earth most of the time and most alien creatures you may come across have been modified by the combine so much they just resemble machines instead.
But these concepts the game has especially with its body horror aspect makes for some really awesome designs, i think taking half-life into other universes and seeing more of the combine would be amazing.
I think that is the hope for a possible next instalment of the Half-Life series - a greater insight into The Combine Empire.
Ravenholm is my favorite level in HL2 I wish we had more levels like that but with Stalkers at night in city 17. I wish valve released some sort of directors which included that type of cut content.
I'd be down for that too!
I love seeing stuff like this talking about beta/cut content. Really intriguing ideas.
Oh there's a lot more to come!
As far as Im aware, the stalkers in the cannon have essentially the same story. I wish they were explored much more perhaps destroying a smaller facility like Nova Prospekt where its far more apparent whats going on and perhaps with stalker variations. For example, the ones we have now are essentially technicians but maybe theres ones with blades on their arms and stuffed with various exploding things like poisonous gas or just explosives. Perhaps the visor would be closed until theyre needed. Thisd give the combine something to drop from drop pods like the headcrabs but more vicious and demoralizing. Maybe called suiciders or, for a slightly lighter term, berserkers. Theyd definitely fit a setting where the Combine are losing their grip on humanity and need to use slave soldiers instead of willing volunteers. Im thinking theyd run up to you and leap onto you like the fast zombies.
It’s very amazing to know that us humans only require very few things to survive, but it’s terrifying to think how other beings can take advantage of that.
Been loving these lore videos lately! Really hoping we get some sort of continuation of the HL/Portal story following the success of Alyx.
There's more to come! I am loving the topics I'm covering more too! Beta content seems like a great way forward too!
Um, what? Hl/portal?!
Ted Backman designed a lot of half life's enemies he even made Mr.Friendly when he was only 15 years old
In an infinite universe, such as ours, the Combine actually exists…
It's a scary thought
I like to call them 1940s german scientist
Hey bro, thanks for the video! Half life is one of my all time favorites and it's a tragedy that we never got episode 3 or even a third stand alone installment. Keep up the good work!! The video is on point, as always!
I feel like the moral dilemma part was added into the Headcrab Zombies. Sure, they seem mindless, but they used to be human, and are implied to still be conscious. Considering the pain they're probably in, I usually just put them out of their mercy. Some might not, though.
I would do the same. It would be an act of mercy.
The combine wouldn't call them stalkers, but it is likely the resistance could've coined the name. Owing to the staggering gait they have, they move as though they're stalking.
As soon as he said "beeta" instead of "beta" I knew I was in for an experience
7:54
There is no moral dilemma for me. Being a stalker is a fate worse than death, which means it's better to put them out of their misery.
I agree. It's a mercy killing.
Would enjoy videos on other cut beta combine forces, like the super soldier, assassin, etc.
So many topics to come!
The half life beta was Dark and gritty.
The beta ones are really too immersion breaking for me.
That kind of body horror might scare kids, and it might have scared me pretty bad when I was a kid (similar to those Zelda zombies), but as an adult with a fairly decent understanding of the human body -- just look at those things. You sneeze on one and it'd fall down and die. It would be highly unlikely that they'd even have the muscle strength to move those arms with any kind of metal bolted onto them. And we're to believe they'd have the agility and endurance to "stalk" anything.
I think that's why they put the new versions in the Citidal and just had them being passive. Someone probably looked at them, and did the WTF emote, how do these work? They should barely be able to stand, let alone recognize or attack people. Which is also probably why they got more fleshed out with a more realistic looking body, and not just skin down to the spine. Body horror can be an intense scare, but take it too far into the uncanny, and it becomes a joke.
I remember being really annoyed with the way Outlast did some of their body horror too. So many burly and muscular dudes running around when no one is eating right or exercising in the way that bulks up the body like that. Body horror that's half-assed just feels insulting. And there's lots of games that do similar stuff. I think the biggest offenders is when they have withered, rotting, or outright crippled people, and have them behave like Olympian athletes in the games. Like any of ya ever see what the flu does to a person's energy level? And we're to believe that some half-withered dude living in a cave for 20 years has the strength to punch someone? He'd break every bone in his arm if he could apply any reasonable force to it.
Usually the best way around these kinds of issues is when games do something like magical zombies, magic can do anything! Or you have some kind of alien/biological influence like the plant-based monsters in The Last of Us. Headcrab zombies are borderline. You can argue that a headcrab can "control" a human body, but that body is still limited to its physical attributes. And if the human host is dead, all of that muscle is essentially rotting and won't be very effective after a few days/weeks. I'm not sure if the headcrabs actually mutate the body and enhance it. I think they mutate claws and stuff, so maybe there's some more biological melding going on.
==================
Another big point I just wanted to drop, is that if you actually had stalkers like the beta ones in the game roaming the road. Their immune system would be absolutely shot, and any kind of infection, allergies, or contaminated water/fluid getting into those stitches would basically be a death sentence.
Overall, the video is pretty good. I like learning about new game things. And I think games should be creative and try new things. But pseudo realism requires more surgery than butchery to get it right.
About Outlast though, those dudes were pretty much mutated by the Morphogenic Engine… which is never really explained, but can be summed as pretty much a vaguely demonic influence with acute mutative properties.
I forget how it all ties together, but it basically drives you crazy (if you’re not already), then starts changing you into some demi-human by screwing up your active biological functions.
Whether it just makes you a bit uglier or into a hulking beast depends on both how much you were exposed, and random chance.
@@JustinTK416 Huh, I didn't know that. It makes sense!
I remember watching a playthrough a long time ago when it came out. I think the machine thing was suppose to be like a spoiler/reveal at the end, so it makes sense that I would have forgotten about it.
Now that I think about it. I think The Forest does something similar.
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Would be nice if RL radiation and mutations could make people super strong instead of super dead, lol!
Headcrab zombies aren't really rotting, I'm pretty sure that the human host is alive since it can talk.
Stalkers in beta are definitely a really cool design, but the much more subtle final design makes for a more believable piece of body horror imo. Even down to the way that the final design doesn't twitch like the beta but instead does a tiny swing from side to side that personally looks inhuman in such a way that it gets under my skin and creeps me out, but also again sells their believe-ability and the fact that they've truly become a husk of a human.
I like the retail ones. They look more realistic, like a gaunt holocaust survivor. The beta ones look like they should be dead and far too skeletal, which makes it kinda hard to imagine yourself as them, since they come off a bit "generic" imo.
something about the fixed expression of terror on the dried up almost unrecognizable muzzled face in that one piece of concept art is horrifying in a way that feels even too dark for HL2’s early development
13:02 - 13:15 You know how when Gordon enters Nova Prospekt by disabling the external defenses and it easily gets overrun by antlions due to said defenses (the thumpers) being offline. Well I thought maybe since you can hear the Overwatch voice saying sectors are overrun or containment breaches are happening left and right that perhaps the antlions could have breached an area where stalkers are kept and the stalkers wake up without orders or something and as a result have nothing to do except aimlessly wander Nova Prospekt and Gordon randomly encounters them during the level. That could possibly be an explanation plot-wise that could make your idea of encountering them in other levels work.
That's a great idea tbh - it would have really been great if that was the case.
Always loved the design of the stalkers, Both the Beta and the Release version That said perhaps we will see a shift towards the darker tone going forwards in the next installment of the series, HLA already had some slight hints towards that with certain story elements. As for content I would love to see you cover, I would love to see a video on the beta versions of the various combine creatures that got completly removed from the game.
I pretty much agree with your whole comment. I'm excited to see what a potential future instalment would bring!
In the end I feel like getting rid of the air exchange was a good idea. For one, having all of your characters constantly in a mask only works in some storytelling situations. And for two, it really would br depressing to know that we can't even breathe on our own planet anymore.
I think they changed the stalkers to sort of mirror the final stage of the headcrab zombies that you find in ravenholm, two paths to dominate humans, to make them mindless beasts, first by Xen's standards, then by the Combine. Either way, its horrible to look at.
Imagine having to put the video speed to 1.5 to make it sound like its normal speed, gotta love this time stretching to increase ad money.
So close!
Would be insane to implement but I reckon the first few times we encountered them have the stalkers "recognized" certain npcs and have them try and interact with them before reverting to their mental conditioning and become wild again and leave them relatively ambiguous. Had they not chose to kill Eli have him "go missing" and then Gordon and alyx bump into some and a vaguely "Eli" stalker tries to recognize alyx and then when the pieces fall into place have some emotional story come from that. That way Ted's personal and emotional dilemma he wanted the stalkers to emmit can come true while keeping the visual story telling aspect of hl:2 alive
This comment.
That would have been a super dark way to go if Eli or any of the characters we grew close to were turned into a stalker. I see this in a similar line to the Big Daddys in Bioshock.
Bro if eli became a stalker in a hl game in the future i would uninstall the game and sit in a hot shower for 5 hours
@@ackthegreat6697 Raising the bar: no wait that's horrifying lower it a little
I think what makes your channel special is the little set pieces you make, those camera angles. It is inspiring stuff.
Part of my process is trying to make the visuals as interesting and as immersive as possible. I could make this whole thing with generic gameplay footage but that would just take the passion out of it for me. Thanks for noticing the effort :) I do appreciate it!
I enjoy so much this HL2 videos, since I replayed all the games these weeks.
Tbh I'm glad they changed it. thats not a convict-turned-cyborg-laborer, thats a reverent from Doom, straight outta Painkiller. very shooter-game-set-in-hell-y.
While I like the "body horror" aesthetic of the beta stalkers (they are utterly horrifying for sure), I feel as if the retail stalkers are more realistic and lore-accurate. The beta stalkers, although creepy, look so frail and corpse-like, it is a bit hard to imagine how they are able to live, fight or do anything at all. The retail stalkers feel more like what an actual "mutilated slave husk" might look like.
7:12 why is Lenin there? XD
I think the design of the retail Stalkers fits better into Half-Life, but the function of the beta Stalkers does seem like it would have been a lot more fun.
11:18 the retail stalker still has abdominal muscles to hold up its upper half. They might've erred on the side of realism for anatomy.
I think Beta stalkers were too edgy, like some sort of BDSM-themed "spooky skeletons" with their hand-stitched bone-tight leather, taken straight from something like Hellraiser or Silent Hill.
The stalkers we eventually got reflect the ruthlessly pragmatic nature of the Combine: Process the captured malcompliants with the minimum of effort and put them to work within what could be mere hours.
I've seen quite a few Silent Hill comparisons since posting this. I see it too!
The belts around the emaciated spine really gets to me. Super grim.
beta content hype!! now that i know about these beta stalkers i gotta agree; their original concept sounds so much better! i also like well thought out scripted events, makes the world seem more alive.
I agree with you. Looks like I'll also be doing more beta content!
I think the fact in the retail game they are just basically shoved in the basement to work is darker than a common enemy, but over all the beta is much darker.
More half life 2 beta videos would be awesome!
It seems to be wanted! I'll make more ☺
I remember playing AirEx and these guys sent chills down my spine I was a little disappointed with the retail version of them not being as scary but I can understand why they changed them, It is a miracle they even kept them in the game and it is good that they expanded upon them in Episode 1 making them have a bigger role for the first few chapters.
I think they behavior as enemies eventually carried out to the fast headcrab zombies
The stalker name still doesn't fit but i still like their presence and lore in the game, still find them extremely disturbing, it's tamer than the beta but still very dark and disturbing
Imagine you are combine soldier, commanded to hunt Freeman and fail, while you still breathing. They turn you as stalker, because they doesn't want waste pawn no matter what.
I like to think that the beta stalkers are still out there, Gordon and Alyx just haven't had the misfortune to encounter them. Maybe anyone who has hasn't lived to tell
*Half-Life ? Count me in sir !*
14:23 I'll like to correct you on this. There are happy moments in Half-Life ! I had good times running after Dog & I never had a better feeling than finally arriving in Black Mesa East, plus some good other memories
I honestly prefer the look of the HL2 Stalkers. Sure they're not nearly as extreme, but the problem with the beta version is it's _so_ extreme it's hard to suspend your disbelief for them. It's horrible, but I couldn't imagine myself being turned into one because it wouldn't actually _work._
The HL2 ones are terrifying though, because they look like they could actually exist in real life. Their bodies look like real malnourished people, their skin looks like real illnesses. You can see more of their face and it looks human. When I look at them, I can imagine being turned into one. And that's _terrifying._
Not to mention, in this world where most things are trying to kill you, Stalkers don't. They just keep doing their job without caring about their surroundings. And you realise, when the Combine is defeated, the Stalkers won't become human again. They will keep doing their job until someone has the heart to put them down.
That someone was us hopefully.
That's why I find the ones we got more terrifying, too. On top of all that, I think the HL2 stalkers probably have to be more intelligent to operate the machinery that they do, and they wouldn't constantly be in some kind of "fight" mode, so they probably have a higher chance of retaining more of who they once were...
This is the type of videos i love to watch before sleep
Hey @Skyrionn! Will you be doing more Half Life 2 beta creatures, weapons, and concepts? I think it would be interesting for you to give out the planned behaviors of npcs, how they would attack, and also even what they sounded like.
It's currently the plan! There's more beta stuff to come :D
In my AU, The “Stalker”s plays a role as Guard Dogs for the Civil Protection. Not sure about their abilities, but they look almost similar to the Beta Variant of the Stalkers.
I feel the retail stalkers are better overall, they look more human, and thus more disturbing. The beta ones look more like a robot than a person. The retail ones have more natural looking skin and the animations on the retail ones are way more fitting. No one in that state would have the energy to act like the beta ones.
I do prefer the crude, rusted faceplates with numerous holes, as well as the tooth bars, implying they've gone feral with time and need to be controlled in that regard. But I agree, the retail stalkers are better.
I love half life's early concepts and cut content its always very cool getting a behind the scenes of your favorite media
Please do more beta stuff, its something unique imo!
This is the response I wanted tbh! More beta content to come!
Great vid! Stalkers were already a sad existence but this Beater variant manages to be even worst. So rusty and soulless husks. Creepy AF.
They're honestly so sad to look at
THE BEATA
1:19 Likely the basis for skellies from They Hunger.
I think it's pretty clear that the Retail stalkers are much better designed, the retooling did a lot for them. The beta ones look way too "half-life 1" while the retail stalkers are actually more clearly "ruined humans"
I can understand your point there!
I think they should've mixed the models, like keeping the body shape of the retail stalker, but having it wear the accessories of the beta stalker
I think the retail version of the stalkers look more realistic in terms of implementation. The beta versions look more like skeleton monsters while in retail they retain an uncanny resemblance to humans, making it more disturbing to me
The resemblance to humanity may make them appear more haunting I guess! I can see that viewpoint!
It would have been a neat rng gimmick where instead of seeing them in one mission they can be anywhere or nowhere. Like when your doing the puzzles for so many times and you think nothing will happen a stalker would lunge at you or when you died by one and is expecting it to appear again just for it to be gone and never appear for the rest of the play through
🤓🤓🤓0:17 aaamm You see accrully thats a gun ship🤓🤓🤓
Whoops 😂
I can diffidently imagine or guess the beta stalkers that attacked the player evolved into the Fast Zombies we got in Ravenholm since thinking on it now eerily fits the description of the beta stalkers pretty closely, so maybe they were still planned into Half Life 2 but would've been more fitting as the zombies however seemingly going against what Ted wanted/visualized
The beta stalkers remind me of the slayer from The suffering. In future half life games it would be cool if they bring back the beta stalker but rename it the predator stalker. As always good video skyrionn.
I'll have to look into The Suffering.
Always great to see your name pop up Hyperion!
Dude videos like this remind me how much I love the world of Half life. Its to the point where I don't even care about a 3rd game anymore, I just want more of the world explored in more games. Like If valve released a Half life game that took place in a completely different city with new characters I would be ALL OVER that
Half-Life is truly a goldmine for Valve. It would be great for them to explore the rest of the wasteland. I'm always happy to explore more of HL and the games surrounding it.
God you know this is a great design when it's genuinely uncomfortable just to look at (in a good way I should stress). Like even some necromorphs don't look this horrifying.
found you from the portal halflife lore video
respect and props to you man and i think ill be sticking around :D
Thanks for sticking around!
Beta stalkers? They made twitter users a real thing!
Beta always strikes me as a game that seems to from a completely different series than Half-Life.
HL1 is a big departure from HL in style and presentation, with headcrabs and zombies being the main thing they have in common. But the Beta seems like something else entirely.
Something that would still be really fascinating to see getting explored as a full game concept by someone.
you mean beeta
too dark, too gritty!
make me hit the dark n' griddy
woppa ganga style
wop wop wop wop woppa ganga style
I love to add the beta stalkers to those places you mention I wonder if anyone can make a mod for that
I actually think the retail versions look a lot creepier.
The ones in the beta are too cartoonish.
This is terrifying, but nothing beats the final release hl2 stalker because of its iconic scream.
Third comment! Let's goooo
5th, actually
I know
You tried 😂 😂 thanks for the comment!
Ty
I prefer the HL2 Beta models, for the opposite reason as alot of other comments, it makes me think "oml...what did they have to do to even get these things moving? They literally cared so little about human bodies, they just did the bare minimum and were disposable yet great for wanted the most amount of mental warfare/fear
Ide certainly be more afraid of being turned into these literal monsters than the different kind of "used for maintenence" victims in the release of HL2
Theres track runners irl with limbs like the STALKERS use, specifically for the legs, I've never seen limbs irl like the beta of STALKERS, its like the combine barely cared and focused again on mental damage to rebels that would be outside places that rebels would pretty much no hope of getting to due to their maintenance role
bro really said bita and not beta
skyrionn casually telling us to join the resistance in a video about stalkers
half life 2 beta was better
some parts but not all
nah, fits less with hl2 and too dark for most players to enjoy, also a lot of parts were scuffed and hard to find the right path
How do you even know it was never released.
@@hazzmati ?????
@@hazzmati It was leaked, some German hacker posted it online in 2003.
The stalkers in HL2 are dark and depressing. The stalkers in the beta are just an enemy because they barely even look human anymore and you barely really even get the chance to look at them before they attack you, so you kill them before you can even think about them.
Something I thought the other day is that the stalkers are just as transformed as the other combine synths, maybe even less. If an alien on a distant world encountered a stalker, they'd probably think it was another strange animal the combine modified.
Then I look at a hunter or a dropship and realize I am that alien seeing a strange animal the combine modified.
Maybe the striders were a rebel once too.
I would love to know what the strider were before the combine broke them. It's almost heartbreaking to think about all of the pain they went through.
with the way the Half Life 2: Update dramatically altered the lighting in the game, including shadowy areas, I can't imagine how frightening encountering the Stalker would have been