Get quick and convenient access to just the hints you need for Half-Life 2, without staying on our website. Just download a free trial
version of our UHS Reader software and
a copy of these hints. You will get the
same gradual hints you see here -- unlike ordinary cheats or a
walkthrough that can spoil your game.
You can also buy the full version of the UHS Reader
for Windows or macOS. For just $14.95, you get full access to hints for
hundreds of games and 1 year of free updates. You can also search, decode, or print an entire
game's worth of hints at once.
Ask the Author
If you have questions about a puzzle that aren't answered
anywhere in these hints,
you may contact the author.
Half-Life 2 Hints
Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator (Gravity Gun)
Damage: Indirect and variable (from using the gun to throw items at enemies)
First Found: Black Mesa East, Section 2
You may not think much of the gravity gun as a weapon at first, but it can be a very useful tool. It doesn't fire any sort of projectile like regular guns do, but instead manipulates energy fields for the purpose of pulling things in from a distance and either picking them up or throwing them around.
NOTE: The gravity gun shares the #1 weapon slot with the crowbar and can be selected from there, but it's much more convenient to use the "Gravity Gun" key (G on the PC) to switch back and forth between the gravity gun and some other weapon.
To pull in an object from a distance, aim the gravity gun at it and hold down the Secondary Fire key until the item is hovering right in front of you. You can then drop the item gently by pressing Secondary Fire again, or you can throw it hard by pressing the Primary Fire key. Another thing you can do is shove an item hard with the Primary Fire key if it's close to you without having to pick it up. You'll know when the gravity gun is ready to shove or pull in the item it's aimed at because its front end will open up and make a brief humming sound.
This "gun" can be very useful in combat despite its lack of bullets and explosives. You can pick up some fairly heavy things with it and then fire them at an enemy to damage him. If an enemy is hiding behind moveable cover, you can use the gravity gun to remove his cover from a distance. You can hold onto large objects and use them as shields as you move through dangerous territory. You can pick up and throw back enemy grenades (or just knock them away with Primary Fire). Small inorganic foes such as manhacks and scanners can be knocked away or sucked in and then thrown against a nearby wall. (Later on, you'll get an upgrade that allows you to suck in and throw around organic foes, too.)
Non-combat uses include grabbing items (including supplies) that you can't otherwise get to, stacking bigger and better barricades and "staircases" for reaching high-up areas, grabbing and/or deflecting large objects that are coming toward you, etc.
