Theory about Combine soldiers *spoilers*

[Kanehdian]

I think that the Combine soldiers are not the inter-dimensional aliens themselves, but actually mutated humans augmented with machines. In the Citadel, you witness some of these mutant humans working on a machine next to a Combine soldier. Maybe Nova Prospekt is some kind of recruiting center for the Combine?
This could mean the real Combine aliens are the dropships, gunships, and striders. The Combine "leader" is seen talking to Dr.Breen a couple of times in the game and it does not have a humanoid face.
Maybe the Combine were going to assimilate every human and use them as soldiers in other dimensions?
Want picture proof? Here it is:

 

[Asknoone]

The combine are an alien race and from another dimension, but currently on earth all thats there is their technology and tehyre using that to augment humans and such

 

[PrivateerLunatic]

Actually, you're totally right.

In Nova Prospekt, Dr. Breen speaks to the Combine soldiers stationed there, and if you listen to the whole speech he flat out says in so many words that the Combine soldiers are advanced, either modified or engineered transhumans.

I also got the impression just from gameplay and from looking at them after they went down that the airships and the striders are unmanned. Also, inside the Citadel you see the airships being built and launched and there's no indication that they're manned at all.

I seriously don't think that you actually kill one single true Combine entity during the course of the entire game. You only sever off Earth's connection with their influence in the end.

The only thing that perplexes me: who or what the hell were the white creatures similar to humanoids doing menial labor in the citadel under watch by the transhuman soldiers? Was I the only person who noticed them? I haven't seen anyone else mention them. Their heads look kind of like they would fit the transhuman soldier suits, so maybe those were the soldiers outside of their suits?

 

[Asknoone]

Theyre called stalkers, augmented humans used to do menial tasks and no...we dotn fight a single combine in the entire game

 

[PrivateerLunatic]

Theyre called stalkers, augmented humans used to do menial tasks and no...we dotn fight a single combine in the entire game

What's your source on that info?

 

[Asknoone]

What's your source on that info?

Prima Guide...raising the bar book and (whisper it) the beta. Although in the beta they looked different and actually attacked you.

 

[jasonh1234]

where is that screenshot taken?

 

[Asknoone]

I think theres loads all voer the place....i found one in "water hazard"

 

[Cabb]

Oh really, cos one of teh resistance fighters goes to me "ain't gonna make a stalker out of me!" I thought maybe it was a joke about the similarities in infrastructure of HL2 and stalker, shadow of chernobyl.

 

[jasonh1234]

I thought maybe it was a joke about the similarities in infrastructure of HL2 and stalker, shadow of chernobyl.

That's what I first thought too.

 

[pyroCow]

Breen does say that they are trans-human soldiers, so they are modified humans. The alien on the screen is a real combine alien. Breen is trying to get the Combine not to wipe out the humans, so he does things like turning people into combine soldiers to make humans seem useful.