The Octababy is an enemy in Duke Nukem Forever.
Description
The Octababy is an Octabrain in infant form. It cannot fly or deploy the psychic energy attack associated with its adult counterpart. It is limited only to melee attacks that involve jumping at the player. Like the Octabrain, the Octababy can swim underwater and is frequently encountered in groups on water-based levels. It is also sometimes seen emerging from air ducts on land.
Female hosts
The Octababies are born three at a time, exploding violently from the bodies of human women. These women are being held captive by slimy green tentacles that envelop the women's bodies. It is implied the women may have been impregnated by the Pregnator. This birthing process can be interrupted by shooting the woman, preventing it from happening.
Combat analysis
The Octababy has very little health and deals minimal damage. It can be stomped on like a shrunk opponent if the player gets the right angle on them. On-land it is fairly slow, only picking up speed by occasionally leaping across the room. While in water, it becomes a lot more agile, making it more difficult to hit.
Hitting an Octababy with a Shrink Ray pulse will cause it to shrink even smaller. It will still try to attack Duke, but it will likely miss and will end up killing itself if it hits a hard surface on the way up (like a ceiling). The Shrink Ray can still work on an Octababy while Duke is shrunk, but it appears to take (at least) 3 shots to have the same effect and the player cannot stomp on them. Hitting one with an Expander will cause it to explode.
The Shrunk Machine: Part 2
Octababies appear to be much faster than Duke, given the player is shrunk by this point in the game. Duke must deal 32 health worth of damage to each Octababy to kill them. The situation is tricky enough with the shear number of them, but is further compounded by the fact that ammunition is not 'that' plentiful in this room and there is a boss encounter following the Octababies ambush that can leave the player in a bit of a pinch. The more the player stocked up beforehand, the better a situation they will be in. A full lineup of Pipe Bombs will help in dealing with them. Spam the use of a Pistol, Ripper or Shotgun if possible. The Freeze Ray is not recommended since they can easily get the surround on the player; this weapon will freeze, but not kill them.
Underground: Part 2
Octababies are at their deadliest on this map. There are 16 of them and when one is alerted, they will all start chasing after Duke. They can match Duke's speed underwater, if not outswim him, easily surround and pick at him until he's dead. This is further compounded by how far they are from any oxygen source when encountered.
There are a couple strategies in dealing with them:
- Try to edge as close as possible to seeing just one and start spamming all your available Pipe Bombs
- Upon seeing the first one, retreat and swim around the turbine until you are by the great near the door the player had to open to access the turbine. If they player is lucky, most of them will get stuck there, allowing them to pick off the Octababies, easily.