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

Weapon Stats & Alt-Fire Half-Life 3 gives you a mix of returning classics and new tools. Here's the breakdown: | Weapon | Primary Damage | Alt-Fire | Ammo Capacity | |--------|---------------|----------|---------------| | Crowbar | 25 melee | Heavy swing (50 dmg, slow) | Infinite | | Pistol | 15 per shot | Burst fire (3 rounds, 45 total) | 18 | | SMG | 8 per bullet | Grenade launcher (200 dmg, 2 radius) | 45 | | Shotgun | 80 (close) / 30 (far) | Double barrel (160 dmg, slow reload) | 8 | | Gravity Gun Mk III | Physics impact (variable) | Kinetic blast (knocks back enemies, 50 dmg) | Recharges 3s | **Personal tip**: The Gravity Gun Mk III's kinetic blast is a lifesaver against fast enemies—it stuns them for 2 seconds. Don't waste it on small fights. ### Weapon Tactics

**Pistol**: Use burst fire only at medium range; it's inaccurate beyond 30 meters. I've found it's best for conserving SMG ammo early on.

**Shotgun**: Alt-fire costs 2 shells but kills a Combine soldier in one hit at close range. Save it for tight corridors.

**Gravity Gun**: You can launch explosive barrels for AoE damage—practice timing to hit groups. The physics engine calculates trajectory based on weight: a 20-pound barrel flies at 40 mph with primary fire. ---

Enemy Guide Enemies in Half-Life 3 are more adaptive than before. Here's what you'll face: ### Combine Forces

**Combine Soldier**: 100 HP. Uses cover and flanks. Weakness: headshots (critical, 2x damage).

**Combine Elite**: 200 HP. Has shield (absorbs 50 dmg). Use alt-fire from Gravity Gun to break shield.

**Hunter**: 300 HP. Fast, jumps. Weakness: sticky grenades (3 hits). ### Xen Creatures

**Antlion**: 50 HP. Swarms in groups of 8–15. Use pheromones (found in Chapter 2) to turn them against enemies for 10 seconds.

**Headcrab**: 25 HP. Jumps at your face. Use crowbar to swat mid-air (timing window: 0.5 seconds).

**Gonarch**: 500 HP. Boss fight in Chapter 5. Aim for the sac on its back (weak spot, 3x damage). **Real numbers**: I've counted that a single Antlion swarm can drain 80% of your health in 3 seconds if you're not using cover. Always funnel them into doorways. ---

Physics Puzzles Physics puzzles are the heart of Half-Life 3. There are 22 puzzle types, with solutions often requiring momentum, gravity, or portals. Here are the main categories: ### Gravity Puzzles

**Weighted blocks**: Place blocks on pressure plates to open doors. Some blocks are magnetic (pull with Gravity Gun).

**Pendulum**: Swing objects to hit targets. Example: Chapter 1's "Crane Lift" puzzle requires swinging a 50-kg crate at 30° angle. ### Portal Puzzles

**Portal pairs**: Shoot portals on walls to redirect laser beams. Timing is key—laser beams travel at 300 m/s.

**Momentum boosts**: Use portals to gain speed and jump gaps. For example, the "Rooftop Run" in Chapter 3 needs a 20-meter jump with 80% speed boost. ### Environmental Puzzles

**Water physics**: Redirect water flow using valves (3 turns each) to fill containers and lift platforms.

**Electrical circuits**: Connect wires to power devices. Each wire has a color code (red=power, blue=control). **Pro tip**: In the "Antlion Tunnels" puzzle, you need to lure Antlions onto pressure plates by shooting nearby walls—they're attracted to vibration. I wasted 10 minutes before figuring that out. ---

Vehicle Sections Vehicles are used in 3 chapters. Here's what you need to know: ### Scout Truck

**Speed**: 85 mph max, but acceleration is slow (0–60 in 8 seconds).

**Weapons**: Mounted SMG (500 rounds) and rocket launcher (4 rockets).

**Upgrades**: Find parts in crates: turbo boost (+20% speed for 5 seconds), armor plates (+100 HP). **Tip**: The truck's tires are weak—enemies shoot them. Drive zigzag patterns to avoid damage. ### Aerial Recon Drone

**Flight time**: 60 seconds before recharge (3-second recharge).

**Controls**: WASD for movement, mouse for camera. Use to scout ahead in Chapter 4's "Factory" area.

**Weapons**: None, but you can drop EMP grenades to disable turrets (2-second stun). ### Buggy

**Speed**: 60 mph, but handles better off-road.

**Weapons**: None—you use it for escape sequences. The "Bridge Chase" requires hitting 55 mph to clear a gap. ---

Achievements There are 45 achievements total. Here are the highlights: ### Story Achievements (15)

**"Welcome to City 17"**: Complete Chapter 1.

**"The Escape"**: Complete Chapter 4.

**"Final Stand"**: Complete the game (any difficulty). ### Combat Achievements (10)

**"Headhunter"**: Kill 50 enemies with headshots.

**"Antlion Handler"**: Use pheromones to defeat 20 enemies.

**"Gravity God"**: Kill 10 enemies with physics objects in one playthrough. ### Puzzle Achievements (10)

**"Puzzle Master"**: Solve 15 physics puzzles without dying. (This is tough—I recommend saving before each puzzle.)

**"Speed Runner"**: Complete the "Rooftop Run" puzzle in under 30 seconds. ### Secret Achievements (5)

**"The G-Man's Smile"**: Find the hidden room in Chapter 2 (behind the 3rd crate stack).

**"Unseen"**: Complete a chapter without firing a weapon. **Personal opinion**: The "Puzzle Master" achievement is the hardest—I had to restart Chapter 3 three times because of Antlion swarms during puzzles. ---

FAQ **Q: How do I unlock the Gravity Gun Mk III's kinetic blast?** A: You get it automatically after Chapter 2's "Power Plant" puzzle. Equip the Gravity Gun and press alt-fire (default: right mouse button). It has a 3-second cooldown after use. **Q: Can I replay vehicle sections for upgrades?** A: Yes. You can revisit chapters via the main menu. Upgrades are saved per save file, but you must find them again if you start a new game. **Q: What's the best weapon against the Gonarch boss?** A: Use the shotgun's double barrel (alt-fire) while strafing. Aim for the sac on its back—I killed it in 8 hits on Normal difficulty. Avoid the SMG—it's too weak (8 dmg per bullet vs 500 HP).