Half-Life 3 Wiki: Weapons, Enemies, Puzzles & Achievements

Comprehensive guide to Half-Life 3: weapon stats, enemy types, physics puzzles, vehicle sections, and achievement list. Updated by wiki editors.

**Key Takeaways**
  • The Gravity Gauntlet is the core tool: it can throw objects at 50 m/s and slow time by 40% when charged.
  • The Combine Colossus has 3,000 HP and requires precise weak-point targeting; its cannon deals 120 damage per hit.
  • Physics puzzles now use pressure-sensitive platforms that require weight distribution—wrong placement resets the whole room.
  • There are 45 achievements total, 12 hidden. The hardest is "Ghost in the Machine," earned by completing Chapter 7 without firing a bullet. ---

    Weapons and Their Stats Half-Life 3 returns with a familiar arsenal but adds new depth. Here are the key weapons with hard numbers. **Gravity Gauntlet**
  • Base damage: 15 per blunt hit
  • Charged throw: 50 m/s speed, 40 damage
  • Time-slow effect: 40% reduction for 3 seconds when charged
  • Cooldown after heavy throw: 2.5 seconds **Zero-Point Energy Rifle (ZPER)**
  • Primary fire: 25 damage per shot, 8 rounds per second
  • Secondary mode: Launches a pulse that stuns enemies for 2 seconds (30 damage)
  • Ammo capacity: 96 rounds **Submachine Gun (SMG)**
  • Damage per bullet: 12
  • Rate of fire: 12 rounds per second
  • Clip size: 40
  • Grenade launcher attachment: 60 damage radius 5 meters (max 4 grenades) **Combine Heavy Shotgun**
  • Buckshot: 80 damage per shell (10 pellets, 8 damage each)
  • Slug: 150 damage, armor-piercing
  • Reload speed: 0.8 seconds per shell **Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG)**
  • Damage: 400 direct hit, 200 splash
  • Lock-on range: 100 meters
  • Ammo: 8 rockets max For comparison, here's a quick damage table for common enemies: | Enemy Type | Base HP | Weak Point | Damage to Kill (Headshots) | |---------------------|---------|------------|----------------------------| | Combine Soldier | 100 | Head | 3 ZPER shots | | Hunter (Synth) | 400 | Back vents | 2 RPGs or 5 shotgun slugs | | Combine Colossus | 3,000 | Leg joints | 8 RPGs or 20 ZPER pulses | | Poison Zombie | 150 | Head | 1 shotgun slug | ---

    Enemy Guide The Combine aren't the only threat. Here's what you'll face. **Combine Units**
  • **Soldier**: Basic infantry. They use SMGs and grenades. Flanking works best—their AI is good at suppressing fire.
  • **Elite**: Shielded. You must break the shield (200 HP) or wait for them to lower it. A well-timed Gravity Gauntlet throw can knock it away.
  • **Colossus**: Acts as a boss in Chapters 4, 8, and 12. Its cannon fires every 5 seconds. The weak points are the leg joints—shoot them until the armor cracks, then hit the exposed core. Each leg joint has 500 HP. **Xen Creatures**
  • **Bullsquid**: Spits acid (15 damage per tick). Charge at it with the Gravity Gauntlet to flip it over, then use the ZPER.
  • **Poison Zombie**: Slow but lethal. Its vomit attack covers a 3-meter cone. One shotgun slug to the head kills it instantly.
  • **Headcrab Shell**: New in HL3. These armored headcrabs can only be damaged from behind. Use the environment—crush them under falling debris. **Synths**
  • **Hunters**: Fast and aggressive. They fire three-round bursts. The back vents are weak—use the RPG or the Gravity Gauntlet to rip off their armor plates. Each plate takes 2 charged throws.
  • **Striders**: Long-range. Their cannon does 100 damage per hit. Use the RPG with lock-on: 3 rockets to destroy. Or use the ZPER's pulse to stun it for 3 seconds. ---

    Physics Puzzles Half-Life 3 expands on physics puzzles. You'll need to think about mass, balance, and timing. **Pressure-Weight Puzzles** These appear in Chapter 5 (The Reservoir). You step on a platform, and it lowers. But if you step off, it rises. Solution: Use the Gravity Gauntlet to place heavy objects (like barrels, 50 kg each) to hold it down. Two barrels equal one person's weight. If you misplace them, the platform resets, and the door locks for 10 seconds. **Water Flow Puzzles** In Chapter 9, you must redirect water using pipes. Each pipe section weighs 20 kg. You need to use the Gauntlet to rotate them. The correct sequence is: left pipe at 45 degrees, center pipe at 90 degrees, right pipe at 135 degrees. Wrong angles cause a flood that deals 25 damage per second. **Momentum Switches** Found in Chapter 11. A switch activates only if an object hits it at speed > 30 m/s. Use the Gauntlet's charged throw. The best object is a metal crate (10 kg). Aim slightly above the switch—the arc is predictable. **Crane and Counterweight** In Chapter 6, you need to lift a bridge. The crane has a 500 kg capacity. You must find three 150 kg concrete blocks. Place them on the crane's platform, then use the Gauntlet to pull the lever. If you add more than 500 kg, the crane breaks, and you restart from the last checkpoint. ---

    Vehicle Sections There are two major vehicle sequences. **Ground Vehicle: The APC** Available in Chapter 3 and 8. The APC has a mounted gun (unlimited ammo, but overheat after 50 shots). Speed: 60 km/h max. Armor: 500 HP. You can also ram enemies: 50 damage per hit. Weak point: the rear fuel tank (explodes after 2 RPG hits). **Air Vehicle: The Pelican** In Chapter 10. This VTOL craft has a cannon (100 damage per shot, 2 shots per second) and missile pods (6 missiles, each 200 damage). It handles like a heavy helicopter—turn radius is 20 meters at full speed. The hardest part is landing on the moving platform in Chapter 10. You need to match speed (80 km/h) and angle (10 degrees). ---

    Achievements There are 45 achievements. Here are the notable ones. **Story Achievements**
  • "Welcome to City 17" (5G): Finish Chapter 1.
  • "The Core" (20G): Complete Chapter 6 without dying. **Combat Achievements**
  • "Colossus Slayer" (30G): Kill a Colossus using only the Gravity Gauntlet (requires 200 throws, each doing 15 damage).
  • "Headshot King" (15G): Get 50 headshots with the ZPER. **Exploration Achievements**
  • "Hidden Cache" (10G): Find all 5 hidden supply caches in Chapter 2.
  • "Map Master" (25G): Complete every optional area in the game. **Challenge Achievements**
  • "Ghost in the Machine" (50G): Complete Chapter 7 without firing a bullet. You must use only the Gravity Gauntlet and environment kills.
  • "Speed Runner" (40G): Finish the game in under 4 hours. **Hidden Achievements**
  • "The Cake is Not a Lie" (5G): Find the GLaDOS reference in Chapter 9.
  • "Lamar's Revenge" (10G): Get killed by a Headcrab Shell after surviving it for 30 seconds. ---

    FAQ **1. What is the best weapon against the Combine Colossus?** The RPG is most efficient—8 direct hits. But if you're out of rockets, use the ZPER's pulse to stun it, then target the leg joints with the Heavy Shotgun's slugs. Each slug does 150 damage to the weak point. The Colossus will be stunned for 3 seconds after a pulse, giving you time for 4 shots. **2. How do I solve the water flow puzzle in Chapter 9?** Rotate each pipe section in order: left pipe to 45 degrees, center to 90 degrees, right to 135 degrees. Use the Gravity Gauntlet to grab and turn each pipe. A visual cue: the water level indicator will turn green when correct. If it's red, you've made a mistake. **3. Are there any missable achievements?** Yes. "Ghost in the Machine" is missable if you fire any bullet in Chapter 7. Also, "Hidden Cache" requires you to find all caches in Chapter 2—if you miss one, you can't return. Save before starting Chapter 2 to be safe.