After Gordon causes the core to be on the verge of destroying the city, Stalkers are then encountered alone (as the Combine were mostly scrambling to evacuate) and they do not react to the deteriorating situation. In Half-Life 2, before the destabilization of the Citadel core, Stalkers were usually overseen by Combine soldiers. Opening the plates apparently activates them again, as seen in the train crash in Half-Life 2: Episode One. They have small plates on hinges next to their 'eyes', which can be closed during periods of inactivity. Their facial features have been replaced by a metal plate, their 'eyes' are mere pinholes, and all signs of their reproductive organs have been surgically removed. Stalker bodies are extremely atrophied and skeletal, with very little muscle or fat tissue remaining. Apparently unable to talk, they utter only roars and groans, probably as a result of the removal of their vocal cords or severe larynx and mental alteration.įor ease of maintenance and to ensure dependence on the Combine, the Stalkers' digestive tracts have been pulled out, resulting in them surviving solely on a nutrient solution administered via the gastric port in their sides. A Stalker's limb extremities (hands and lower legs) have been removed and replaced with bolted-on metallic augmentations, which offer reduced agility and result in a slow, zombie-like gait.
Barely recognizable as human, Stalkers have undergone drastic surgical procedures and synthetic implantation.
