*spoiler* Xel'Naga units?

[Eligor]

Why the hell woudl the hybrids be creepy and evil? They are meant to be the ultimate being that protoss and zerg will create when they become 1 and be known aas the new Xel'Naga

This race is suppose to be badass.

Those are the hybrids artificially created by Duran we're talking about, not the Xel'Naga proper.

Zeratul's reaction upon beholding one should be clue enough.

Also Jake Ramsey's feeling about the creatures in Ulreszaj's vats which were "soft, sinous... and unspeakably wrong".

Zamara sees them as a "monstrous perversion".

Besides, there are plenty of "badass" things in StarCraft and sci-fi games in general, the hybrids were genuinely mysterious, exciting and creepy (which is far more interesting than anything simply "badass"), Blizzard could've tried better to make them live up to all the build up that led to them.

[Visions of Khas]

I'm not opposed to some of the Hybrids looking like this. Duran and his mercenaries have undoubtedly churned out hybrids whose physiology vary from one to another, each a prototype in its own right.

It's obvious there will be a variety of them... but I'd like a "Proper" Hybrid race to emerge, one that has been "perfected" -- or imperfected, depending on your perspective.

[newcomplex]

Which is a really disappointing interpretation considering that they could've gone for something truly creepy and unsettling... Such as this:

Which (equally disappointingly) is just an unusually creepy rendering of a Hydralisk (but it sure fits the role of a twisted abomination better).

Surprisingly enough, high rez hand drawn concept arts are more creepy and unsettling then a 64x64 unicolor datamined wireframe.

:/

Am I the only one who finds these hybrids less than impressive? Very disappointed.

Of course the hybrids are disappointing, your only exposure to them after twelve years of speculation comes in the form of 256x256 to 64x64 datamined wireframes and portraits instead of an in game dramatized reveal.

[Noctis]

The thing is, how do we know the natural hybrids will look any different? Sure Duran is splicing or w/e but...does ANYONE know what the real hybrids are suppose to be like?
The Zerg look ugly and evil but they have purity of Essence. I'm not saying that it's ok to be making them, im just saying that what Duran said is true - it's too late they are a legitimate species now, only the Xel'Naga could realistically exterminate them.

[newcomplex]

The thing is, how do we know the natural hybrids will look any different? Sure Duran is splicing or w/e but...does ANYONE know what the real hybrids are suppose to be like?
The Zerg look ugly and evil but they have purity of Essence. I'm not saying that it's ok to be making them, im just saying that what Duran said is true - it's too late they are a legitimate species now, only the Xel'Naga could realistically exterminate them.

Their is no natural hybrid. This is how it works. Zerg and Protoss naturally assimilate into each other over a thousand years with the process carefully controlled by the previous general of Xel Naga. =New Generation of Xel Naga

Engineering the two races together artificially in a short time span=Hybrid. I think an analogy would be a deformed, cloned, fetus compared to a naturally born child.

perversion" of what was to be (as they have nothing of the natural cycle of the xel'naga in them), and if his attempts to "unify" the species become successful, it will result in "a monstrous and powerful perversion of both protoss and zerg will be set loose upon the universe, and all that [the protoss and terran] know and cherish will fall in their wake

-Zamara


In fact, "Hybrid" I think is a fan term that is never directly referred in the game or lore, only later made canon by blizzard.

[Alex06]

In fact, "Hybrid" I think is a fan term that is never directly referred in the game or lore, only later made canon by blizzard.

"You can destroy all of the specimens here. It will do you no good. For I have seeded the Hybrid on many, many worlds. You will never find them all before they awaken... And when they do... your universe will be changed... forever."
- Duran, in Dark Origin.

"Test Subject 29, classified: Protoss/Zerg Hybrid, in perfect cryo-hibernation. Psionic emanations minimal."
- Terran Adjutant, in Dark Origin.

"Have you any conception of what you've created here? Do you have any idea what this... this Hybrid is capable of?"
- Zeratul, also in Dark Origin.

"Left with the unsettling knowledge of the Hybrid, Zeratul returned to his ship and left the dark moon behind. Unable to explain his numbing discovery to his companions, he could only sit and fear for the future of the universe..."
- Dark Origin epilogue

[Eligor]

Surprisingly enough, high rez hand drawn concept arts are more creepy and unsettling then a 64x64 unicolor datamined wireframe.

:/



Of course the hybrids are disappointing, your only exposure to them after twelve years of speculation comes in the form of 256x256 to 64x64 datamined wireframes and portraits instead of an in game dramatized reveal.

Actually, we do know what it looks like in a detailed high res image, it's the unit portrait to the right of the Archon:


And no, it doesn't hold up.

Besides, a strong concept should equally be apparent as such both as a wireframe and a photorealistic rendering.

[Dragoonx]

Eh. I think they look awesome. Really looks like some nasty hybrid not meant to be.

[deadlyhazard]

I don't think we should judge until we see how it animates in-game. I've seen terrible looking screen shots for models on Blizzard games but when I'm actually in-game, it's rendered so well it looks good. I think the hybrids in SC2 will look cool.

[mikill]

Hybrids look awesome but can wait to see them in game, just to find out!