(namely Xen, Gonarch's Lair, Interloper, and Nihilanth) and transforming them into what is arguably the best part of the game. Black Mesa offers a steadfast response to this with Xen, taking Half-Life's comparatively poor closing levels. But the foundations Black Mesa builds on here were rock-solid to start with, and it's often hard to know whether the brilliance you're experiencing is that of Crowbar Collective, or that of Valve. The Marines still feel dangerous, but are no longer robotically accurate in their shooting.Īll of this holds up well for what is now an eight-year-old game. One big difference between Black Mesa now and in 2012 is it is less punishingly difficult by default. With the arrival of the Marines in We've Got Hostiles, Black Mesa kicks into high gear, offering taut and thrilling combat that Crowbar Collective has been tweaking right up to release, adjusting the Marine's AI so they flank and evade you in the right ways. The opening chapters, Unforeseen Consequences and Office Complex, are pure survival-horror, limiting the player's weapon roster as they dodge leaping headcrabs and evade the claws of zombies. Meanwhile, there's brand new dialogue and voiceovers intended to add greater context to the plot, and better link the story of Half-Life to its sequel.Īll the while, Black Mesa never loses sight of the spirit of the game it's recreating. Black Mesa also adds completely new elements too, like a greater range of scientists (including female scientists).
Certain chapters such as On A Rail have been edited down, cutting out the tedious bits, while other chapters have had elements removed, such as Surface Tension's rogue tentacle monster. It's surprising how bold Black Mesa is in the latter regard. The low-key survival horror of Office Complex makes it my favourite level.
To refine what works and, crucially, remove what doesn't. The willingness not just to replicate, but to attempt to improve upon the core experience of Half-Life. This, ultimately, is what defines Black Mesa. We're not messing around, nor are we slaves to every pixel of Valve's game. The carriage's welcome message now sounds like it's emanating from a speaker, while a whole new soundtrack plays its opening notes out as a 27-year-old MIT graduate begins his worst day at work. It isn't merely visual stuff that's changed either. It gives you more time to notice the extra details they've added into the introduction.īlack Mesa is more populous than in Valve's original vision, with scientists loitering around the newly introduced railway station, and guards manning security checkpoints that didn't exist in the original. Extending it is a deliberate move on Crowbar Collective's part. It's odd to think such an iconic moment in FPS history was one of the less-liked aspects of Half-Life on launch. The introductory train ride is now longer, with many additional details.īlack Mesa starts with a ballsy opening gambit, an introductory tram ride that's longer than the one in the original Half-Life. But it's worth going over the work the studio did converting the Black Mesa facility itself into the Source engine, not least because they've made some further tweaks since 2012. Why bother?Ĭrowbar Collective has their own answer to that, which I'll get to in due course. Besides, who cares about Xen? It was always rubbish. Many such enthusiast projects never see the light of day, so to get even a partly complete remake of Half-Life felt like a minor miracle. For a lot of Half-Life fans, this was enough. The Black Mesa bit of Black Mesa has been available to play since 2012, while the whole game made its transition from amateur mod project to paid-for Steam Early Access title back in 2015. Black Mesa doesn't just make Half-Life better-looking. As remakes go, it's about as good as you could hope for. "Is Black Mesa really a Half-Life game? Can a remake by a bunch of online enthusiasts that's taken fourteen years to finish possibly live up to one of the most influential games ever made?" Well let me tell you, Black Mesa is one Half-Life-ass game. Black Mesa, the long-in development remake of Half-Life, is done. Yet while everyone's eagerly setting up their VR headsets in preparation, another little chapter of gaming history has just written its final page. Typical, isn't it? You wait half your life for a new Half-Life game, then two come along at once.Īll eyes may be swivelled in the direction of Half-Life: Alyx landing like a gravity-propelled toilet later this month. Finally complete after fourteen years, Crowbar Collective's remake is more than faithful to Valve's masterpiece.
0 kommentar(er)
