It's a proper remake alright and Xen part is a complete reimagining of the original levels. Xen does drag on a bit longer than I'd like but I can't really hold that against the game.
this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2023
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I'm a big fan of Crowbar Collective's vision of Xen, and while yeah its pretty long, it does make it more memorable than the original Xen imo
I got way more story from CC's Xen, had a way clearer idea of what was actually happening and what history Black Mesa had with the place. It was definitely long, and the finale vs. Nihilanth was somehow even more confusing than the original, but I at least had a much better idea of what I was actually doing there.
I only just started playing it, so I'm still quite early in the game, just got the shotgun. But so far I agree, it's a very worthy remake. Its very faithful to the original so far, while having modern QOL upgrades
I personally absolutely adore Black Mesa's interpretation of Xen
Absolutely. The original will forever remain a classic that I will always cherish, but BM honestly improves upon it in so many ways, imo. Crowbar Collective really did an excellent job.
Definitely. I kinda wish they decided to also do Opposing Force and Blue Shift, but there are other teams working on that
Oh man, a CC developed OpFor / Blue Shift would be like something out of a dream.
It is a very worthy remake. I think the consensus will approve of it.
I will list as a negative that I find the HECU both less visually and mechanically interesting than in the original however.
Visually, their design is much less striking. The changes to designs and colors on the armor and webbing make them look like generic military guys, and this is a shame. Overall I find the modern tacticool changes like the high cut helmets to be jarring.
Mechanically, the original HECU had a few AI tricks like being quite mobile but also unable to move and shoot at the same time. This made them appear quite aggressive but also gave the player openings to shoot. Combined with the distinct chatter that telegraphed their actions, the HECU were a unique enemy to fight. In Black Mesa they seem to act like any other modern military shooter enemy.
But that is, overall a minor complaint in a game that makes the HL1 experience accessible to people who just can’t get past the graphics of the original, and is a good change up for people who are fans.
Valve liked it, they made a point of letting Crowbar Collective sell it.
I think it's pretty exceptional, given that it's a fan-made project. The soundtrack is something I've gone back to again and again.
Well it's a great reimagining, but i don't consider it as replacement of first Half-Life. While soundtrack is superb, it also feels more epic than og and changes atmosphere of the game. Also i prefer og gameplay. It's a great game to relive Half-Life from another perspective.
It does what it says on a tin: A remake that harnesses the Source engine to its limit. Fundamentally, though, Half-Life is a product of the goldsrc engine. If you want the authentic experience, you gotta do it on goldsrc.
Imo the execution of BM has issues. The HECU feels different, the shotgun sounds are recorded in an indoor shooting range that echoes a lot and is jarring to hear when you're outdoors.
But most damning are the scripted animations that has zero weight. Large things have weight. They have momentum, inertia. They don't go 50 to 0 at a snap of a finger, which happens in all scripted sequences in this game e.g. the tentacle encounter in Blast Pit and the agrunt tackle in Surface Tension. These took me away from my immersion the most.
...and now, let the downvotes against the contrarian commence.