Is it worth it? What benefits does it have over the original that would make someone want to play it over it?
Half-Life: Black Mesa
Gavin Rivera
Tyler Ortiz
It was fun and I'd honestly consider it the definitive version of half life 1 right now
The only thing the original has over BM is the cheesey dialog
Jose Flores
why don't you read the steam reviews, you dumb bitch.
Brayden Butler
I wouldn't call the first game's voice acting cheesy, they're more dramatic readings than in Black Mesa.
Lucas Cox
I already did, but it's nice to get more opinions here honestly.
Would you say the cheesey dialog is more or less essential to the charm of the original?
Joshua Sanders
Gameplay feels different obviously and the guns feel a lot heftier and satisfying, there's some new transitional things that make the facility feel a lot more "proper" for lack of a better term, enemies feel a bit faster and threatening, and it just feels like an all over great remake of HL1. It's obviously not perfect, some of the new filler dialogue feels half-baked, but other than that it's good, especially if you just want to see something different after having played HL1 for so long.
Levi Phillips
NO!
STAPH!
Luis Ramirez
Xen is infinitely better, the graphics are incredible for Source and it has absolute kino music. Ignore any fag that says it's worse than the original, it's objectively better in practically every way (other than On A Rail which was cut down a ton).
Carson Richardson
It definitely adds to the charm of the original but if your going to play the half life series I think Black Mesa feels more natural as a lead up to Half-Life 2
That being said the OG Half-Life is still a hell of a good game.
Ethan Murphy
It's good. It added nice little details in a way that felt natural. Xen felt like an actual place where creatures could live in.
That being said, Xen felt like it would have been better if it were 20% to 30% shorter than it is. Nihilianth fight was pretty cool, much better than in HL1.
Jordan Miller
>post yfw WE'VE GOT HOSTILES
Ryder Ortiz
It's definitely worth a gander, but I don't think anybody should ever play it before touching the original. The tone is a total misfire save for six moments off the top of my head.
Bingo. Black Mesa's dialogue was FAAAAAAAR more fucking cheesy.
>By Schrodinger's cat!
>Aw man, ya cut the pony tail! Sellout...
>You better make like a banana and split
There are moments, those six I mention, where Black Mesa touches upon, very briefly, what it could have really been. The first one was such a cocktease, where the elevator crashes down during Unforeseen Consequences? The scientists in the elevator are terrified, and the woman is very effective with her
>I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!
And then you have the various radio broadcasts detailing what's going on in the outside world. Those were VERY cool and very effective. Easily something that could have existed in the original game. But then you have issues like music, all of it, missing the mark. The sound design too, and jesus christ Xen. It compounds and compounds and ultimately makes for an experience that's just about equal with HL1, but being equal isn't enough to ever replace it.
Liam Young
And the superior soundtrack and voice acting.
Justin Moore
It's literally HL1 recreated in HL2. Gunplay, visuals, controls etc. What's not to understand
I think there's a mod that recreates the original Xen levels with the upgraded visuals, and replaces the Crowbar Collective ones
Daniel Kelly
Wrong. It plays and looks nothing like HL2.
Joshua Adams
>playing a remake before the original
Brody Davis
Don't listen to this retard, it looks like all his "faults" are due to nostalgia since it's not a 1:1 remake. The tone is fine, the music is incredible and so is Xen. There's also literally nothing wrong with the sound design. The orginial is fantastic and a complete classic but it's improved in nearly every aspect.
Ian Edwards
Yes it’s worth it. It’s not only a remake but a soulful upgrade/remix at certain parts and clearly made with lots of love and respect. And the gameplay is the same solid gameplay you know from HL1 combined with crip graphics and physics. Xen is also just an incredible experience in itself.
Justin Jones
>the music misses its mark
nigger i don't know what game you were playing but the first elevator ride to the surface is a example exactly how i want music to be used
Jace Morris
I know Xen catches shit for being too lengthy but long jump is fun as fuck and I'm glad I get some good time with it
Jordan Diaz
>I think there's a mod that recreates the original Xen levels with the upgraded visuals, and replaces the Crowbar Collective ones
There is. Though I can't remember its name for the life of me.
>The tone is fine, the music is incredible
The music IS incredible. But don't tell me this is Half-Life.
youtube.com
NOTHING to do with nostalgia. Get off my dick.
>and so is Xen
Again, it is objectively quite a sight. But it's NOT Half-Life.
youtube.com
Xen
I loved this moment because it's evocative of the new Xen they were going for. Same for the track that plays during the jungle/rainforest portion. Don't tell me about nostalgia. I appreciate BMS for what it is, but it is not
>improved in nearly every aspect
Lucas Baker
They released a new patch few days ago.
Xavier Fisher
Blake Brooks
I hope now that Black Mesa fixed Xen, Half-Life will finally get the recognition it deserves but never got.
Gabriel Diaz
Alexander Gonzalez
OOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAOAOAOAHAHAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
BA BA NA DO DODO NA BA MA AAOAAOoaaaaAAAOAOAOAOAAA NA NA NA BPA BAP BAP
DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN AAAAAAAAAA
Robert Taylor
Half Life did get the recognition it deserved you dumb zoomer. It was a phenomenon when it came out. Also both Xens are good in their own way and HL1 is still worth playing.
Xavier Rodriguez
Not if it's gonna use Black Mesa's soundtrack, which it is.
Jaxson Morris
>Hunt Down the Freeman
>Not the best game in the series.
You just don't get it.
Jaxon Carter
Half Life Alyx is S+
Noah Richardson
My list would go:
Black Mesa=Opposing Force>Half-Life 1=Half-Life 2 Episode 2>Half-Life 2>Blue Shift>Half-Life 2 Episode 1>Decay>Lost Coast
Never played Alyx or multiplayer
Kayden Robinson
i grew up playing the HL games, they were some of the only games i had. I think Black Mesa faithfully kept the spirit of the original and made it more modern.
Elijah Price
>Take three fucking magnum rounds to the gut
>Still trying to weasel his way out
You honestly have to respect the level of commitment
Cameron Scott
One to the spine too. Adam was a man's man.
William Thompson
NuXen was total shit. It did little to improve the lackluster gameplay of the original while completely destroying the unnatural and surreal aesthetic.
Colton Rogers
yeah it's pretty good. I still think it's best to play the original first because it does a few tiny little fun things to subvert expectations here and there.
Brayden Gray
Yeah, it's worth it. It smooths out some of the original's idiosyncrasies and adds a lot of detail retroactively from Half-Life 2. Xen's also completely different, and while kind of flawed in its own way, it's worth playing.
Ethan Baker
I’m not going to play it.
Judging by how long the development cycle was, it’s guaranteed to be another Daikatana or Cyberpunk 2077.
Cooper Reed
You'd be dead wrong. It's totally worth a playthrough. Just don't listen to anyone saying it replaces HL1. Those guys are fools.
Jose Diaz
It's pretty good but I'd recommend playing the original first just for the fact that the expansion haven't been remade yet. You should definitely play at least Opposing Force, and going back to that after Black Mesa might feel a bit weird.
William Green
I can still remember shortly after Half Life: Source came out following the early development of this on moddb. This entire thing has no business actually existing and getting finished even after all this time. I'm glad it did though, flawed as it is.