Black Mesa

 PC
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1219 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,071 out of 1219
  2. Mixed: 101 out of 1219
  3. Negative: 47 out of 1219

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  1. B1gM43t
    Aug 20, 2020
    10
    An absolute masterpiece from start to finish, the sounds are incredible, polishing and lighing is impeccable and the music is an absolute banger, hell I thought at one point I was listening to Mick Gordans soundtracks, Joen Nielsen did an amazing job with the music, I am absolutely bamboozled on how this is only a " Fan-made game ", no this is Art with love and respect from the bottom ofAn absolute masterpiece from start to finish, the sounds are incredible, polishing and lighing is impeccable and the music is an absolute banger, hell I thought at one point I was listening to Mick Gordans soundtracks, Joen Nielsen did an amazing job with the music, I am absolutely bamboozled on how this is only a " Fan-made game ", no this is Art with love and respect from the bottom of the people hearts, Xen was the biggest shock for how they made a 15 minute 4 chapters into a 2-3 hour four chapters, the follow up of the Half-Life story is on point and makes things way more sense with modern technology, highly recommend to people to play this game instead of the original and I am really hoping that Crowbar Collective will make a Half-Life 2 and all its episodes a remake as well.… Expand
  2. Stereonight
    Aug 7, 2020
    8
    some old but many new things. It a decent extension of a masterpiece. I've played original game many times, but fun without boredom.
  3. Nekellor_Met
    Aug 1, 2020
    7
    В сравнении с оригиналом этом просто чудо. Исправили почти все огрехи, за которые я почти ненавижу 1 халву.
  4. Keskin
    Jul 16, 2020
    8
    it is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is goodit is good
  5. DarrenMc
    Jul 6, 2020
    10
    I went to the Steam Summer sale and saw all the aaa discounted games but felt like a kid at the Blockbuster video store,all these games but not many I am interested in,the only one that stood out for me was Black Mesa,I love the hl2 engine,the hl2 game and I was yearning for more single player first person shooter story gaming goodness and I wasn’t let down.

    This game is fantastic,the    I went to the Steam Summer sale and saw all the aaa discounted games but felt like a kid at the Blockbuster video store,all these games but not many I am interested in,the only one that stood out for me was Black Mesa,I love the hl2 engine,the hl2 game and I was yearning for more single player first person shooter story gaming goodness and I wasn’t let down.

    This game is fantastic,the ai are smart,the locales are very atmospheric and pull you in to the game but the sound is incredible,the crispyness of the weapons sounds,the cavernous sounds when you go through tunnels or big underground rooms,the voice acting.

    For me,this is the best game I have played for a long time and actually outdoes the original.

    All who worked on the development should be congratulated.

    And this game does not cost a ransom either,it is a true labour of love,not contrived in any way,just pure perfection.    … Expand
  6. HiNooNDooD1544
    Jul 6, 2020
    10
    I bought this game because I wanted to play a remastered version of the original Half Life. I swear this has to be the best remake/remaster ever. Game of the year.
  7. Voodoo123
    Jul 6, 2020
    9
    +Incredible effort from the mod community in birthing such an ambitious project
    +Excellent upgrade from the 1998 original firmly putting the visuals in line with HL2 and effectively turning a visual upgrade patch into a full blown remaster
    -While most of the new additions are welcome, some added a bit too much 'roam bloat' for my taste I bought this on release and was not    +Incredible effort from the mod community in birthing such an ambitious project
    +Excellent upgrade from the 1998 original firmly putting the visuals in line with HL2 and effectively turning a visual upgrade patch into a full blown remaster
    -While most of the new additions are welcome, some added a bit too much 'roam bloat' for my taste

    I bought this on release and was not disappointed. This project more effectively tells the story of Gordon Freeman and sets up new players for HL2 wonderfully. It is an essential purchase for anyone who is a fan of the fps action adventure genre that Valve started back in 1998. Is it perfect? Most of the original game is intact with additional visual and gameplay upgrades. However IMO some of the pacing feels off towards the end section of the game with some overly long back and forth missions in a vast dull environment.... Overall an absolute joy to see this game finished and pick it up.    … Expand
  8. adamCS
    Jun 25, 2020
    9
    Es hermoso esa banda sonora esos gráficos la jugabilidad sigue como la original le daría 10/10 pero tiene algunos bugs que con el tiempo se puede arreglar además tienen que optimizar un poco mas en las selvas de Xen. Este juego si que esta echo con amor y alma, en resumen es una obra de arte y maestra gracias desarrolladores y editores de Crowbar Collective por hacer este hermoso juego yEs hermoso esa banda sonora esos gráficos la jugabilidad sigue como la original le daría 10/10 pero tiene algunos bugs que con el tiempo se puede arreglar además tienen que optimizar un poco mas en las selvas de Xen. Este juego si que esta echo con amor y alma, en resumen es una obra de arte y maestra gracias desarrolladores y editores de Crowbar Collective por hacer este hermoso juego y esa banda sonora de Xen se re siente hasta me hace llorar de la emoción.… Expand
  9. Baffli
    Jun 21, 2020
    10
    10/10

    Ну што ж, после получения всех достижений и четвертого полного прохождения игры, можно уже, наконец, смело оставить свой отзыв. Познакомился с Black Mesa я совершенно случайно и совсем недавно: года 2 назад. Скачал я пиратку, т.к. денег, чтобы купить в стиме, не было. Зайди в игру, уже тогда у меня почти в буквальном смысле отвалилась челюсть - то было просто невероятно! Уже    10/10

    Ну што ж, после получения всех достижений и четвертого полного прохождения игры, можно уже, наконец, смело оставить свой отзыв.

    Познакомился с Black Mesa я совершенно случайно и совсем недавно: года 2 назад. Скачал я пиратку, т.к. денег, чтобы купить в стиме, не было. Зайди в игру, уже тогда у меня почти в буквальном смысле отвалилась челюсть - то было просто невероятно! Уже начав вторую главу я сразу хотел отправиться в Зен, т.к. я просто обожаю космос и всё, что с ним связано, но решил пройти игру честно.
    Тогда мне очень понравилось то, что главу "На Рельсы" обрезали, т.к. в оригинальной халве я тратил несколько часов на её прохождение. Музыка, анимация стрельбы из оружия... Глюонная пушка вообще вызвала у меня бурю положительных эмоций, и вот я тут - возле телепорта Лямбды. Чуть ли не со слезами крича "ДА!", я уже готов был бросаться в ещё не готовый портал, но всё же решил подождать. И вот, я прыгаю и... Мне пишут что-то вроде "Продолжение следует...". С каменным лицом и сильным напряжением я полез в интернет, т.к. думал, мол, у меня может быть испорченная или старая версия, но мои надежды не оправдались - игра действительно была не доделана. И я забросил её.

    Спустя 2 года я совершенно случайно увидел на YouTube видео "Битва с Нихилантом" в Black Mesa. И тут я понял, что если в игре есть Нихилант, то игру уже доделали. Тут я решил уже купить игру в стиме "до этого я копил деньги, чтобы просто были". Прошёл большую часть игры и тут я снова я стою там и передо мной уже готовый портал в Зен. Во мне всё равно были капли сомнения, может, я что-то не так понял и игру так и не доделали? И никакого Зена нету? И я прыгнул... Мои надежды оправдались. И в тот момент я действительно ОХРЕНЕЛ! Зен просто невероятный! А музыкальное сопровождение только умножило моё удовольствие в 300 раз. Мне просто хотелось стоять там и просто смотреть на небо этого прекрасного мира.
    Хоть в игре и есть много багов, но их полностью закрывают красивая графика, чудесное музыкальное сопровождение и всё в этом духе.
    У меня слабая видеокарта, на 1гб видеопамяти и поэтому у меня ФПС был в диапазоне 30-40, а иногда даже до 15 опускался, но, не смотря на это, мне всё равно было очень приятно и интересно играть.
    Низкий поклон и мириады апплодисментов Crowboar Collective за такой шедевр. Я ни капельки не жалею, что потратил столько денег на игру, и я настоятельно рекомендую, хотя бы фанатам вселенной HL, поиграть в это чудо.    … Expand
  10. serpen786
    Jun 8, 2020
    10
    I was glad that the old half life was embodied in a new gameplay, more colorful and expanded. I was happy to complete the game and be amazed at how you can improve the game and think through so many details that expand the playing space. Thanks to the developers of the game and the ones who were "refreshing" it. Its amazing. It feels that it were made with passion of love to remake good games.
  11. hoanns
    Jun 6, 2020
    10
    A well deserved remake for a revolutionary game. Still better than most shooters today. Atmosphere, pacing, variety and gameplay are great. Only the fanmade Xen at the end falls short and does not feel like the great game that came before.
  12. RSH128
    May 30, 2020
    10
    Pure perfection of Half-Life.
    Black Mesa offers slightly different take on Half-Life, while keeping core gameplay and game design aspects ( in some places expanding them ) close to a vanilla game. It's really hard for me to lambaste this game for anything, without sounding too nitpicky, but I'm sure there's some aspects of it some die hard fans had voiced their opinions about.
  13. Chubac
    May 13, 2020
    7
    I'm kinda dissapointed with this remake. Don't get me wrong, it's still one of the better remakes out there but I expected a more balanced and polished game.
  14. fatninja82
    May 1, 2020
    9
    Valio la pena los 16 años que dedicaron a este juego , es la primera vez que juego half life y que mejor manera que con este increible remaster.
  15. TwoEars
    May 1, 2020
    8
    For anyone who wants to understand gaming history I think this is a must play, and it's also a very nice stroll down memory lane for those who played the original.

    I'm however not a huge fan of the overall directing and editing of the new Xen part of the game. The original Xen was pretty short; get in, kill one boss, jump around a bit, explore a bit, kill the final boss. Maybe 1h    For anyone who wants to understand gaming history I think this is a must play, and it's also a very nice stroll down memory lane for those who played the original.

    I'm however not a huge fan of the overall directing and editing of the new Xen part of the game. The original Xen was pretty short; get in, kill one boss, jump around a bit, explore a bit, kill the final boss. Maybe 1h everything included even if you stopped to look around. It was by no means perfect but it was short, intense, memorable and didn't overstay its welcome.

    The Xen remake is much, much longer. Probably 2/3 the length of the original game and it's almost like the crowbar collective stopped paying homage to HL1 and instead started beating themselves over the chest saying "look at us, look at what we can do, look at what we've learnt to design and code!".

    They cut pieces from the original segment "on a rail" because they were deemed too boring and long-winded, and honestly I have no real problem with that, but then they went and added a lot of extra fluff and made Xen at least 50% longer than it really needed to be.

    I also feel like they were trying to do things in Xen which the engine doesn't really support. The source engine was never very precise for jumping, so if you know that why continue adding a lot of jumping puzzles and conveyor belts where a single fall can insta-kill you? It's not fun and I don't think anyone has ever asked for more jumping and conveyor belts in Xen. The source engine is also not Id Tech 7, to put it mildly, so why add such hard boss fights, and boss mechanics, where you have to have millimeter levels of control, great reflexes and side-dash jump while shooting rockets to survive like in a Doom game?

    For me the original Half-Life was primarily a thriller-puzzler game. Half-Life has combat but that was never the focus, not really. With Xen it's almost like they said "let's add all these Quake and Doom inspired very intense fights and that will make it better!". Well, not really. Actually I think it detracts from the overall experience and takes Half-Life in a direction it was never meant to go.

    For me Xen started out great with beautiful views, and what felt like a very well done homage to the original game. But then it deteriorates into a pretty repetitive puzzler with interjections of combat which doesn't really work in a Half-Life game, both stylistically and mechanically.

    So overall Black Mesa and Xen is an impressive achievement, but I would have preferred a "less is more" approach. I can understand that when you're working as a group of fans it's not easy to leave your buddy's work on the cutting room floor, and maybe especially if he's spent a year or more of his spare time working on it.

    But as a pure gaming experience I think Xen could have been improved if another game director/editor had come in at the end and said "we're going to cut this, this, this and streamline this. And don't try to create Doom boss fights in the source engine you dimwits".

    As a nostalgia trip: 9
    As a mod/remake: 9
    As a modern game: 7

    Fair overall score: 8

    ‎-    … Expand
  16. ChesterField
    May 1, 2020
    8
    Incredible what they have done with this kind of half life remake. Required.
  17. TerenaKalir
    Apr 19, 2020
    10
    Like many, I played Half Life 2 first, and while I understood that the original game was groundbreaking for the time, it was a chore trying to go back and play it after playing the sequel. I'm not very good at, or enjoy most first person shooters.

    I LOVED Black Mesa. It recaptured the feeling I had playing Half Life 2 for the first time, I was fascinated with the setting and the story    Like many, I played Half Life 2 first, and while I understood that the original game was groundbreaking for the time, it was a chore trying to go back and play it after playing the sequel. I'm not very good at, or enjoy most first person shooters.

    I LOVED Black Mesa. It recaptured the feeling I had playing Half Life 2 for the first time, I was fascinated with the setting and the story unfolding around me, and my puzzle hungry brain was having a ball with the clever and intuitive environmental puzzles. My husband actually commented that he's never seen me play an FPS so much.

    Even if you're not into action/FPS games, this is absolutely worth a look.    … Expand
  18. NCODER
    Apr 14, 2020
    10
    Great game with awesome soundtrack!
    Adds a lot of juice to the Half-Life experience!
  19. kjwjr
    Apr 13, 2020
    0
    Very buggy. I'm giving it a 0 because after getting to chpt 17, I can no longer load my saves without it crashing. No polished at all, lots of other bugs and issues throughout.
  20. BulgarianCritic
    Apr 12, 2020
    7
    This was a pretty decent remake that added new dialogue which I enjoyed but it also had a lot of buggy parts.Overall pretty great if you want to play the original half-life with better graphics
  21. GatoShinx
    Apr 6, 2020
    10
    Increíble que unos fans hayan hecho esta maravilla, el amor que le han puesto a este remake es algo que no se puede explicar con palabras, la experiencia del primer Half Life mejorada a su 1000000% y sobre todo XEN, que aunque demoró en salir valió totalmente la pena, hermoso en todo sentido, immersivo, divertido, desafiante y un verdadero mundo nuevo
  22. ReubenIsAGod
    Apr 3, 2020
    8
    It's a very good remake of the beloved classic. Xen is still not a very good level, and the platforming within the game gets rather tedious once you hit Xen.

    Overall it's a great remaster...do wish they were able to get the old voice actors back...regardless, it's a solid time. Much recommended.
  23. Solaris123
    Apr 3, 2020
    10
    Best FPS Remake in the world ,half life 1 is just pure games + xen is awesome HL > all new boring fps
  24. BFM
    Mar 28, 2020
    5
    This should have been an easy job - the the good work of someone else who was able to make something creative and clever, give it a new coat of paint, and re-sell it.

    But this developer seemed to have bitten of more than they could chew. They were so occupied with having every room look as different to Half Life as possible on comparison screenshots, they messed up the important    This should have been an easy job - the the good work of someone else who was able to make something creative and clever, give it a new coat of paint, and re-sell it.

    But this developer seemed to have bitten of more than they could chew.

    They were so occupied with having every room look as different to Half Life as possible on comparison screenshots, they messed up the important stuff.

    This re-make, while looking good at first glance, is inferior to the old original Half Life in almost every aspect:

    - clear visuals have been replaces with very blurry rendering, that uses FXAA while offering no MSAA (an incompetent decision to PC game design that almost everyone else got rid of 6-10 years ago)

    - crucial architecture has been altered in it's core layout, changing the timing, feeling and gameplay of the levels as Valve has intended it

    - iconic and perfectly fitting voice and music recordings have been replaced with sub-par amateur creations

    - enemy AI has been altered, not to be better, but just to be differentiate fore the sake to be different, and the result are less fun and less fair fire fights

    - the final chapter XEN was always the weakest part of the original Half Life. This developer delayed the completion of the product that they had already taken money fore (!) by half a decade, to "fix" XEN. Well, they didn't.
    It is still as boring and poorly designed as before. But now it somehow takes twice as long to play through!
    It looks much better, but that will only distract from the chapter being bad for the first five minutes.
    But then it's two hours later, and you are still playing the worst part of the game, that should have been just a 40 minute visit - while nothing really new was added.
    It is baffling.

    Let's hope they stay away from other classics,
    because while they know how to bait and bribe players with eye candy,
    they do not understand how games are designed or what makes them great.

    Oh, and please: Have some MSAA, not FXAA. It's a PC game in 2020.
    Not a bad console port in 2009. Deferred Rendering ads nothing of value and just makes you a lazy developer.    … Expand
  25. Patuzzoz
    Mar 28, 2020
    10
    This games is for everyone who has or hasn't played the original Half Life. Remake aspect of the game feels and looks phenomenal and perfectly fills in the gameplay and visual gaps I had with the original without ruining the immersion.
    Best part about this remake is the complete overhaul of XEN. Making it more lengthy, interesting and most importantly stunning to look at.
    The music kicks    This games is for everyone who has or hasn't played the original Half Life. Remake aspect of the game feels and looks phenomenal and perfectly fills in the gameplay and visual gaps I had with the original without ruining the immersion.
    Best part about this remake is the complete overhaul of XEN. Making it more lengthy, interesting and most importantly stunning to look at.
    The music kicks in at perfect times and enhances the experience immensely. As a remake, this game is 10/10 for me. But as a standalone game, it still falls short as its predecessor. Mundane story, repetitive enemies and poor engine mechanics keep the game from a perfect 10. But based on the remake, it's a 10 for me.    … Expand
  26. Elboros
    Mar 27, 2020
    10
    Even though i haven't played the original Half-life, this remake made me feel crazy about it! Xen world has blown my mind! I hope this studio will be bought by Valve soon to develop Episode 3.
  27. AstiX
    Mar 26, 2020
    10
    Possibly the best remake ever made! So much love and years of effort was put into this and it's apparent in the abundance of amazing detail I experienced throughout the game.

    I was blown away when I reached Xen. I had not realized how much they changed and added to it over the original Half-Life and it had me in disbelief and amazement.

    Immensely enjoyable. Amazing game.
  28. xaro
    Mar 21, 2020
    10
    Black Mesa is a Cinematic Experience you cannot miss out on if you want to revisit Half Life with newer Tech solutions and a new perspective to the story. 10/10, this game gave me goosebumps!
  29. Makarov20
    Mar 16, 2020
    10
    This game is amazing. In fact it is SO good that you can almost hear Gordon Freeman's voice
  30. snowman27
    Mar 15, 2020
    8
    Black Mesa has a wonderful story, great gameplay, tons of puzzles, and a nice mix of enemies. This team did a great job bringing this remake to life. The graphics are a bit dated, but it was still incredible to play this game with the attention to detail that the development team put into it. Well done!
  31. Jenia
    Mar 14, 2020
    8
    A solid remake - very few bugs, AI and NPC's are much better, gameplay is smooth and GoldSrc-like.
    i played all HL games and expansions a couple of times, and i really enjoyed this time as well. i didnt know about Xen having extra original content, and i felt like the level design was top notch.
    Also, the soundtrack is epic, and is tailored very well to each scenario. The only gripe i    A solid remake - very few bugs, AI and NPC's are much better, gameplay is smooth and GoldSrc-like.
    i played all HL games and expansions a couple of times, and i really enjoyed this time as well. i didnt know about Xen having extra original content, and i felt like the level design was top notch.
    Also, the soundtrack is epic, and is tailored very well to each scenario.
    The only gripe i have is the overuse of secret entrance/puzzle solve to get through, it was too easy most of the time and i was feeling like it's just there to fill content.

    job well done.    … Expand
  32. Mxmz
    Mar 13, 2020
    10
    A masterpiece. You can see the amount of love put into this game. And Xen was improved in a way that is almost not recognizable anymore, in a good way.
  33. Babutto
    Mar 11, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I rarely leave any comment. However, this is the case.

    We can discuss for long how far the development went, how it started back then, why it took so long, etc. But it's done. I don't mean game play or game design, but more like level design. Black Mesa back then in 1998 was a new thing in the genre, making the gamer the actor in the show not just killing machine like before. You were part of the movie. No surprise Valve Software invested in VR and Alyx will be using the new tech. It's their chance to put their narrative on a brand new level as well as to secure their share of the new world tech.
    However, now... The soldiers storming the base without a decent plan? Where all those trucks and crates came from? And how? How for the God sake all those grenades and ammo appear in random places? The whole Black Mesa seems not functional at all. And it's the problem of the original game.
    With Xen it's more simple - the border world is not the Earth, the logic we are used to may not be applicable to Xen.

    To make Black Mesa more logical and functional it will require huge budget, a solid team of scriptwriters, military, science advisers to actually "build" the base on the paper and then "build" it in the game with massive interactive capabilities like screens, buttons, crates (that may conceal the supplies and ammo), science teams, science team rescue achievements, possible unpredictable outcomes and so on. Not RPG, but very deep interactive level of the action game that is modern but still hard to make.

    What's more important the engine itself is outdated. It cannot compete with UE. Texture problems, physics, body explosions after shotgun shot, etc.

    All these is NOT the problem of the Crowbar developers and ALL involved in the development and release. Because what they've done is tremendous, marvelous. You actually feel passion, will to make the game better, influence of their individualities (like in Xen, obviously influenced by System Shock 2). This kind of feeling now is a rarity, barely recognizable with world known brand companies. But it was actually in almost any game in '90s.

    Moreover, Crowbar and the end of the development will be a HUGE deal for others who work at fan remastered versions of other games (or remakes). For example, Guard Duty, Operation Black Mesa, System Shock remake, Tomb Raider 2, etc.

    I want to thank the team, all the fans, who bought the game (I bought it looong time ago) and, of course, Valve, Steam, who did not stop the development (like some other companies with fan products), supported and made it possible. If you do not want to develop the franchise, help fans to preserve its heritage.

    Thank you guys.

    P.S.: yes, there are issues, glitches, bugs, mistakes. But I will support fans with the top score. The result is great. 16 hours of being like in 1999 when I first played HL. And personal thanks for cutting "on a rail".    … Expand
  34. Prime_Clarity
    Mar 10, 2020
    10
    Takes what the original did well and improves upon it in multiple places. Certain sections of the levels on Earth may not be nearly as good but Xen ends up being the pinnacle of what was the weakest part of the original game. It's come a long way since the beginning and I don't think people give Crossbar enough credit for what they were able to pull off.
  35. TomasLacerda
    Mar 8, 2020
    10
    I feel a lot of respect for these guys, the story is really interesting, great to see the effort and the fine tuning given to this classic. Visually, looks good, great immersion and great realism given to the voice acting, the script itself and the scripted events. Really, really pleased with the game.
    Definitely worth a buy.
  36. AmirCrysis
    Mar 7, 2020
    10
    in few days ago i played hl1 and today i finished this game and black mesa is best fan remake in all of time
  37. thygpig
    Feb 4, 2020
    10
    this is a amazing remake and very impressive for being a indie team. this is one of my al time favorite games and can't wait for it to be finished. i hope they remake the expansions for the original as well!
  38. Xmariokiler
    Jan 29, 2020
    9
    I very good half life remake but it'9 becouse fight with helicopter suck Hhjjjjjhgdt
  39. crackajaxx
    Jan 5, 2020
    8
    Black Mesa is an amazing game. A true and faithful recreation of one of the most, if not THE most legendary PC game of all time: Half-Life. What it seeks out to accomplish it does so while remaining faithful (for the most part) to the original vision.

    The introduction, Anomylous Materials has been lovingly remade and is absolutely gorgeous, just like most of everything is in this game.    Black Mesa is an amazing game. A true and faithful recreation of one of the most, if not THE most legendary PC game of all time: Half-Life. What it seeks out to accomplish it does so while remaining faithful (for the most part) to the original vision.

    The introduction, Anomylous Materials has been lovingly remade and is absolutely gorgeous, just like most of everything is in this game. You will creep down dark corridors, bashing crates and headcrabs alike with your trusty crowbar. You will battle faithful recreations of Xen's inhabitants, some with all new abilities and others with familiar ones. The weapons look beautiful and have their very own introductory animations, as well as fantastic audio design. Black Mesa absolutely oozes atmosphere that will make even the most cynical, jaded gamers from t he 1990's giddy with excitement. Overall, Black Mesa is looking better than ever, and apart from some changed sound effects that should have remained, its the best Half-Life has looked and played yet.

    Things however are not all perfect (uh oh, this is where we get negative). The HECU marines I feel had far too many liberties taken with their design and art direction. Rather than a team of merciless killing machines they were originally portrayed as, they are instead portrayed as amateurish, green-as-grass, run of the mill soldiers straight out of the latest Call of Duty title and in over their heads and hopelessly outmatched by the Freeman. Where once their robotic, cold, creepy voices could be overheard via vox radio, they now sound like newbies panicking in the midst of a firefight, which is a massive disservice to the original vision for the Hazardous Environment Combat Unit. Their AI has also suffered an impact. They are able to fire on the move, are far too aggressive for their own good and regularly cheese the player into cheap deaths rather than provide the fun challenge they used to. While the rest of Black Mesa has been faithfully and lovingly recreated, the HECU took a different direction entirely, one I feel they have only suffered from as a type of enemy in Black Mesa.

    The Xen part of the game has finally been completed, and holy moly is it a massive, massive improvement over its original. Xen had many liberties taken with it as well but these are actually improvements over its original design. Absolutely gorgeous vistas, atmosphere, and a shockingly beautiful soundtrack that brought me to the brink of tears are what greeted me upon reaching Half-Life's final chapter. The Gonarch boss fight has been completely overhauled, and feels like a cat and mouse chase across alien landscapes and foreboding, eldritch tunnels. Unfortunately, like the HECU from the earthbound section of the game, the chapter Interloper is where things start to fall apart. Not only does it seem to lack the graphical prowess of previous chapters, it merciless pelts you with fast moving, annoying enemies that are too difficult to hit, do far too much damage and has a confusing unfocused level design. In fact I would argue that interloper is the worst part of the game, although it "only" took about an hour and a half to meander my way through it, it felt like a lifetime while I was lost in dank, dark tunnels that all looked the same. Fortunately it all pulls together in the end with the Nihilanth boss fight. Wow, wow wow, now THAT is how you do a boss fight in an FPS. one of the best I have seen in recent memory.

    To summarize, Black Mesa is an excellent addition to the Half-Life mythos and is absolutely worth a play through. If you are a Half-Life fan its an absolute must play. Hopefully issued can be resolved before final release, and the game is heavily moddable, naturally so due to the Source engine. A fantastic game.    … Expand
  40. RomanGor
    Nov 7, 2019
    8
    Ну хоть кто-то что-то делает для развития серии халвы. От валвов зимой снега не допросишься...
  41. COTOR
    Jul 24, 2019
    10
    One of the best remake of all time for the best game of all time
    Waiting for Xen :)))
  42. Vanco
    Jun 4, 2019
    6
    Great remake of Half Life. Also, the earlier versions are free. What are you waiting for?
  43. CrowbarKill
    Dec 19, 2018
    10
    Black Mesa is a awesome game, good gameplay, badass soundtracks and best Al of the game, the vegetation and the graphics are very ultra beautiful.
  44. chaotic_mayhem
    Nov 24, 2018
    10
    This game captures the imagination, and awe that was the original Half Life with updated visuals, sound, and gameplay.

    You know the story: You're a scientist named Gordon Freeman. Accident happens. Xen aliens run amok throughout the facility. Survive and fix the mess you caused. While Xen has been teased for a 2019 release date. This game does an excellent job at recapturing almost    This game captures the imagination, and awe that was the original Half Life with updated visuals, sound, and gameplay.

    You know the story: You're a scientist named Gordon Freeman. Accident happens. Xen aliens run amok throughout the facility. Survive and fix the mess you caused.

    While Xen has been teased for a 2019 release date. This game does an excellent job at recapturing almost everything that players had to go through the first time. While also offering some interesting spins.

    Multiplayer is in this game
    Controller use is in this game.

    This isn't a mod. This is in my opinion a well-done remaster of the original Half Life game. If players are seeking to play the Half Life series; i must say it's best to start here because the original does have some clunky mechanics, etc. That here in 'Black Mesa' the team was able to polish and update to give a smooth experience.

    I recommend it    … Expand
  45. POstAL_QueeN
    Nov 23, 2018
    9
    Спустя много лет ты заходишь и понимаешь, что: «Да, черт возьми». Ну и конечно это чувство, куда без него. Мое знакомство с игровой индустрией в плане компьютерных игр началось как раз с Half-Life. Я помню как все мои друзья говорили только про Сталкер, и бесконечно о нем. Я же наслаждался игрой в это прекрасное произведение и мне было крайне весело следить за похождениями Гордона Фримена.Спустя много лет ты заходишь и понимаешь, что: «Да, черт возьми». Ну и конечно это чувство, куда без него. Мое знакомство с игровой индустрией в плане компьютерных игр началось как раз с Half-Life. Я помню как все мои друзья говорили только про Сталкер, и бесконечно о нем. Я же наслаждался игрой в это прекрасное произведение и мне было крайне весело следить за похождениями Гордона Фримена.

    Об игре говорить в общем то и нечего, кроме того что ее перенесли на движок от Half-Life 2. Это если масштабно, то да, вся концепция, геймплей, графика и т.д. перекочевали на другой (более плавный как его называют, в игре можно в сразу понять о чем идет речь) движок. Плюс к этому изменили концовку. Опять же, если вкратце то после телепортации не чего ни происходит. То есть по сути не изменили, а убрали вовсе. Не знаю с чем это связано, не интересовался. Но может быть это как некая дань уважения разработчикам оригинальной Half-Life, чтобы у Black Mesa все было ни как там, но при этом не добавлять своего сюжета, ибо это коверканье шедевра. Это мои догадки.

    Игру конечно же обязательно к прохождению, в особенности тем кто прошел оригинал. Так сказать заново прочувствовать атмосферу.    … Expand
  46. gamecorner
    Sep 8, 2018
    9
    Black Mesa is a great remake of the original Half-Life. The graphics are really nice and I'm glad that they included the new physics engine. It doesn't acquire a gaming pc, it runs perfectly even on low budget laptops around 60 fps. The AI can be fixed a little bit, but it does the job. I give Black Mesa a 9 out of 10.
  47. LetMePickThat
    Aug 7, 2018
    9
    While we are still waiting for Xen to be released, Black Mesa is already a great game by every aspect. Despite the use of an outdated engine, the graphics are great, and the atmosphere is really cool. For those who did not play the original Half-Life or who want to revisit the Black Mesa complex, this game is a must have.
    Black mesa runs flawlessly, with no bugs what so ever and a very    While we are still waiting for Xen to be released, Black Mesa is already a great game by every aspect. Despite the use of an outdated engine, the graphics are great, and the atmosphere is really cool. For those who did not play the original Half-Life or who want to revisit the Black Mesa complex, this game is a must have.
    Black mesa runs flawlessly, with no bugs what so ever and a very nice framerate, even on low-end systems.    … Expand
  48. evansgc55
    Jan 2, 2018
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not the same game. It is a more arcade-like, smaller, shorter game with better graphics and much better accuracy systems. Overall, very disappointing. Unrealistic military movements and attacks, aliens were much easier and giant aliens were overpowered with weapons, this game had better smaller details but the original was much more realistic and interesting. STILL UNFINISHED (15+% Unfinished).… Expand
  49. kizakmaccazak
    Nov 30, 2017
    9
    The music queuing needs a bit of work - Questionable Ethics 1 works really well during its moment. Surface Tension 2 could've been used a lot more wisely, IMO, despite aligning with Hazardous Environments. Also I'm measuring this game against the original franchise, not as a fan project, because this game is actually great, so it deserves to be rated as a "real" game - welcome to theThe music queuing needs a bit of work - Questionable Ethics 1 works really well during its moment. Surface Tension 2 could've been used a lot more wisely, IMO, despite aligning with Hazardous Environments. Also I'm measuring this game against the original franchise, not as a fan project, because this game is actually great, so it deserves to be rated as a "real" game - welcome to the major leagues, Crowbar Collective. 9/10.… Expand
  50. Jdankens
    Nov 29, 2017
    7
    Great game but kind of the butt-end of jokes when it comes to "it's finished when it's finished"

    It was fine when the game was free but now with some incoming cash-flow they have some responsibility to their customers to release the full product sometime within the next century.
  51. hl2episode2
    Nov 25, 2017
    10
    This is an awesome looking remake of one of the best games of all time. It is worth more than 20 dollars. It does everything half life has and better, and the little bits in chapters like on a rail that dragged are tweaked. They got rid of the few flaws half life had and generally made improvements everywhere in the game. This is the definition of a perfect remaster
  52. jelikey
    Oct 11, 2017
    9
    Firstly it's free! Anyone caught whining needs to be shot in the face. It is a update to a classic from passionate and dedicated fans, who happily gave up their time to give a facelift to one of histories best FPS games. It feels as good as it did all those years ago, the improved graphics help it feel modern. If you haven't already played the original (or wanna get back into the boots of
  53. albertoxd987
    Aug 11, 2017
    10
    espectacular, digno de su compra.

    Me ha gustado muchisímo, de hecho estoy ansioso de que saquen la versión de oposing force y blue sift, si se le puede poner alguna pega al juego es que el audio solo está disponible en inglés pero tampoco es algo que me moleste demasiado... el juego es una obra maestra, si eres fan de la saga half-life tienes que juagarlo sí o sí, para mí el juego es    espectacular, digno de su compra.

    Me ha gustado muchisímo, de hecho estoy ansioso de que saquen la versión de oposing force y blue sift, si se le puede poner alguna pega al juego es que el audio solo está disponible en inglés pero tampoco es algo que me moleste demasiado... el juego es una obra maestra, si eres fan de la saga half-life tienes que juagarlo sí o sí, para mí el juego es 10/10    … Expand
  54. Termin8ter
    Jun 12, 2017
    8
    Black Mesa is a faithful and excellent remake of Valve's 1998 masterpiece, Half-Life. You will get to revisit Black Mesa, walk in Gordon Freeman's shoes once more, and re-experience a refined and polished version of the game that put Valve on the map. Even though Valve may never conclude the Half-Life Saga, this is still a worthwhile remake for any Half-Life fan.
  55. vuckoland
    Mar 16, 2017
    10
    Excelent remaster of one of the best single player shooter of all time. Half Life epic story and campaign is must play for everyone! If only todays shooter are half as good as this one... they will be considered a masterpiece
  56. MonrealProSinon
    Feb 21, 2017
    9
    great remake of one of the best games ever but it have some glitches an fps drops here and there am playing it with gtx 1080 and i7 6700k and 16gb of ram and have this issues
  57. npc_barney
    Oct 18, 2016
    10
    A stunningly great recreation of the original Half-Life. Very well made, maybe even better then the original game. Simply the best remake I've ever seen in my life.
  58. Powerelsa
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    Lovely game, The only reason I didn't want to give it a rating of 10 at first instance was because of the missing zen chapter. But that would be a bit unfair as it is the best game i have ever played
  59. HorrHeyy
    May 28, 2016
    10
    Black Mesa is an homage to the greatest FPS game of all time (minus the few perplexing end levels). Didn't think Half Life 1 could get any better? Well it just did.
  60. mangonebula
    May 13, 2016
    0
    They really molested the original with this one.

    Half Life was a sci-fi puzzle thriller and they somehow managed to strip out all of those elements to turn it into Call of Duty LXXXVIII: Alien Ops. Way too much attention was paid to the graphics and shooter aspect and not enough to the design and gameplay. ABSOLUTELY NO CREATIVITY. There are stretches of the game that are just laughably    They really molested the original with this one.

    Half Life was a sci-fi puzzle thriller and they somehow managed to strip out all of those elements to turn it into Call of Duty LXXXVIII: Alien Ops. Way too much attention was paid to the graphics and shooter aspect and not enough to the design and gameplay. ABSOLUTELY NO CREATIVITY. There are stretches of the game that are just laughably easy or where nothing happens at all. The character has to walk for an extended period of time, I assume looking around and gasping at the graphical mastery. On that note, the graphics are not even that great. There are obvious glitches, such as the scientist's ties that flop around everywhere before disappearing. Then, when you finally get to SOMETHING that happens, it's multiple obstacles all at once: 20 soldiers to kill, 10 headcrabs, and an annoying jumping trap. So you end up doing nothing, with not much of the background to interact with and no items to collect, and then dying 50 times in order to get to the next part where nothing happens.

    In terms of the FPS gameplay, it is sadly lacking as well. For some reason, they couldn't figure out how to evenly distribute the health and ammo throughout the levels, so there are times when you're desperate for bullets and run into two clusterf*cks in a row and other times where there's items everywhere but you don't need them and can't take them with you. The logic behind the damage makes no sense either. You can shoot soldiers in the face with a laser gun, A LASER GUN, and it takes three hits to kill them. Yet, somehow their stray bullets from miles away end up directly in your head. And the soundtrack if abysmal, as the music comes in at completely random times with wailing guitar solos designed to make high schoolers spray slim jim particles and mountain dew from their mouths in awe, all over their Metallica t-shirts.

    The original Half Life was a clever, nuanced game that was as much about exploring as it was about click and shoot. It's a tragedy for that type of gameplay to be steamrolled and replaced with boring, trite, overdone, mindless shooting to pander to gamer drones. Thank god the legacy is actually left to Valve with people employed that can come up more creative things like Portal.    … Expand
  61. Crispy_
    Apr 22, 2016
    10
    A brilliantly crafted remake of the original Half-Life. The design was handled by experts, and even rivals much of Valve's work. The developers really knew what they were doing when bringing the world of Half-Life into modern standards. Even if you know Half-Life from top to bottom, you should still play this game. It's a whole new experience and contains many new and heavily touched upA brilliantly crafted remake of the original Half-Life. The design was handled by experts, and even rivals much of Valve's work. The developers really knew what they were doing when bringing the world of Half-Life into modern standards. Even if you know Half-Life from top to bottom, you should still play this game. It's a whole new experience and contains many new and heavily touched up areas.

    It might be more taxing on your hardware than Half-Life 2: Episode 2, but it's very understandable. They've done changes to the engine itself to bring you new graphical effects and many assets were designed for a 4k resolution. They're pushing the source engine beyond its limits.    … Expand
  62. Beanz
    Apr 3, 2016
    9
    A great remake of the original half-life. It keeps the feel of the level design and story while adding beautiful graphics, smoother game play, polished animations, and soo much more. The multiplayer is also very enjoyable (If you can find a game that is).
  63. multiverseAE
    Feb 27, 2016
    9
    Black Mesa sets the bar for single player mods. Black Mesa also sets the bar for HD remakes of classic games by which I will be judging all others.

    Right of the bat, developers Crowbar Collective had some big shoes to fill, creating a fully modernized version of one of the most beloved and influential first person shooters of all time is no small task. The half-life community eagerly    Black Mesa sets the bar for single player mods. Black Mesa also sets the bar for HD remakes of classic games by which I will be judging all others.

    Right of the bat, developers Crowbar Collective had some big shoes to fill, creating a fully modernized version of one of the most beloved and influential first person shooters of all time is no small task. The half-life community eagerly awaited the finished mod for years, and hardly anyone was disappointed with what we got.

    What we got was an insanely polished, technically solid, beautifully updated and crazy fun game which boasts just as much fun as the 1999 classic. Upon my first playthrough, I was absolutely assured that not a second of the 8 years it took to make this mod was not wasted. The nostalgic moments are redone with delicate care and a real attention to detail, and the levels are tweaked just enough to keep the game fresh for even the most seasoned half-life veteran.

    A must play for any FPS fan.    … Expand
  64. gimus
    Feb 12, 2016
    10
    Perfect game! But, do not think it is Half-Life, do not expect the same game experience. Enjoy new game! ;-) I recommend it to everybody, who likes good old Half-Life and wants to taste something new...
  65. Sheip
    Dec 28, 2015
    10
    Bom para quem jogou half life, e ama a saga, black mesa foi um mod que refez o primeiro jogo na source engine, e com o tempo ganhou apoio da própria valve lançando o game na ultima versão da Source Engine. Muito bem feito em todos os aspectos vale apena você compra, se você pega pirata você e um cuzão!
  66. Andre19926
    Dec 24, 2015
    10
    I've played this game before when it was a free mod to be downloaded on the Black Mesa homepage.
    I liked the game and I also still like it. Great adaption of a great game!
    You haven't played it yet? What are you waiting for??? Go get it!
  67. Urby
    Oct 16, 2015
    8
    When you consider that this was initially created for FREE as a mod, by a team of developers all over the world, you can't help but be impressed. That said, I don't really understand why they chose to go retail when the game is still incomplete. Sure they added multiplayer, but it's not really that good. The movement in Black Mesa is based on the Source model, whereas Goldsource is farWhen you consider that this was initially created for FREE as a mod, by a team of developers all over the world, you can't help but be impressed. That said, I don't really understand why they chose to go retail when the game is still incomplete. Sure they added multiplayer, but it's not really that good. The movement in Black Mesa is based on the Source model, whereas Goldsource is far more fast paced and very much suited to Deathmatch antics. Source is fine for the slower paced tactical approach offered by Counter Strike, but when it trys to match the pace of the original deathmatch it feels clumsy and heavy.

    Having said that, this is still a faithful and passionate recreation of the Half-Life campaign and I would gladly play it over and over again even with the final four chapters missing. Perhaps this review will be worth revisiting when they finally get around to actually winding up the campaign, but it is certainly looking good so far...    … Expand
  68. Obomrapaz
    Sep 30, 2015
    9
    Eu dou meus parabéns aos produtores do game(que eu sei que não é Valve), melhorar algo que já era incrível com tão poucos erros. Agora, Valve faz trilogia, fala sério!
  69. SarudeDankstorm
    Aug 18, 2015
    10
    It's literally a remastered Half Life 1. What's not to like? Both the story and the multiplayer seem just a good as they were back then, if not better.
  70. B1ackGuard
    Jul 14, 2015
    9
    Eleven years ago, when I had a personal computer, Half-Life was the first first-person shooter in which I fully played. Then I do not know how to play the game of this genre. The game seemed to me difficult, could not even aim properly, let down coordination. But the game was so interesting that it took probably twenty times. Now remember with a smile. For its time, Half-Life was anEleven years ago, when I had a personal computer, Half-Life was the first first-person shooter in which I fully played. Then I do not know how to play the game of this genre. The game seemed to me difficult, could not even aim properly, let down coordination. But the game was so interesting that it took probably twenty times. Now remember with a smile. For its time, Half-Life was an important milestone in the development FPS, innovative gameplay, interactive environment, unusual story etc. Without Half-Life would not have games like F.E.A.R, Crysis etc. And now, after eleven years is a remake Black Mesa. How's great to play in the good old Half-Life in a new way with nice graphics, advanced physics... one word... nostalgia… Expand
  71. NatT96
    Jun 14, 2015
    9
    The best game remaster I have seen in years! This is a great re-invitation to Half-Life's beginning. The games visuals with be sure to take you on a pc nostalgic thrill ride that won't disappoint....well except the loading portions of the game, they drive me nuts, like I have more than enough power in my PC, unnecessary loading pauses is something I hated about the original.
  72. Jason312
    Jun 12, 2015
    10
    Black Mesa is now available to purchase and download on Steam and is currently on early access. It costs £14.99 on Steam UK and it's well worth it. It's impressive what the Crowbar Collective have done by taking the seminal and classic Half Life and re-mastering the game using Valve Software's Source engine. So visually it's much improved over the original Half Life and if you ever playedBlack Mesa is now available to purchase and download on Steam and is currently on early access. It costs £14.99 on Steam UK and it's well worth it. It's impressive what the Crowbar Collective have done by taking the seminal and classic Half Life and re-mastering the game using Valve Software's Source engine. So visually it's much improved over the original Half Life and if you ever played Half Life then you should enjoy Black Mesa.… Expand
  73. shayneoneill
    Jun 7, 2015
    9
    Lets be clear about one thing, this isn't a mod. Its a complete game written from the ground up on the latest iiteration of the source engine and it shows. Its still half life, it feels like half life, its got half lifes sense of humor along with the sort of menacing claustrophobia that reminds us why "corridor shooters" where so dominant in the 90s. But like half life, its more than aLets be clear about one thing, this isn't a mod. Its a complete game written from the ground up on the latest iiteration of the source engine and it shows. Its still half life, it feels like half life, its got half lifes sense of humor along with the sort of menacing claustrophobia that reminds us why "corridor shooters" where so dominant in the 90s. But like half life, its more than a corridor, its a game with brains. Whilst your still expected to mow down everything that isnt a scientist or security guard, some seemingly intractivle sections can be defeated by other methods. If I have any criticisms , its that jumping puzzles really arent that fun, and theres a few of them in here. But thats a fault of the original game too, and was endemic to 90s shooters. But honestly, they arent that back and provide a bit of a break from the gun play anyway.

    I strongly recomend this to both Gen Xers that loved the original half life, but also to young folks who wonder what all the fuss was about. This really IS that good a game. Don't play it for nostalgia. Play it because its actually a damn fine game.    … Expand
  74. Klewer
    Jun 6, 2015
    8
    A fantastic recreation of one of gaming's classics. Does a great job creating the atmosphere and action that made this great while giving it a face lift. Only slight disappointment that lowers the score is still no Xen after this long which should be present now this is paid for.
  75. MadJaples
    May 23, 2015
    10
    I rate this 10 purely on it's aesthetics. That is ALL.
    Some twenty odd years after having played the original Half Life, I was impressed with the improvements that were made to some degree. For whatever reason the torch was, I find, a bit too dim to be user friendly.
    If it were the original game, I would rate it 6 based on the renewed frustrations of the years gone by, whilst trying to    I rate this 10 purely on it's aesthetics. That is ALL.
    Some twenty odd years after having played the original Half Life, I was impressed with the improvements that were made to some degree. For whatever reason the torch was, I find, a bit too dim to be user friendly.
    If it were the original game, I would rate it 6 based on the renewed frustrations of the years gone by, whilst trying to traverse conveyor belts MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY goddamn times over.
    Good job.    … Expand
  76. pesho_one
    Mar 15, 2015
    8
    I wasn't able to actually finish it, as I was stuck at the last chapter due to game breaking bug. Otherwise it is very enjoyable old school FPS, which can be rough around the edges at times.
  77. Dune_Jumper
    Mar 12, 2015
    9
    Black Mesa is the Source remake of Half-Life we've always wanted. It (almost) has the same amount of polish an official Valve game would have. The only reason I don't give it a perfect 10/10 is because the AI is pretty bad. The soldier AI is especially horrible. However, this will likely be fixed in the full Steam release. So I'll raise my score when that comes out.
    Sadly, Xen is missing    Black Mesa is the Source remake of Half-Life we've always wanted. It (almost) has the same amount of polish an official Valve game would have. The only reason I don't give it a perfect 10/10 is because the AI is pretty bad. The soldier AI is especially horrible. However, this will likely be fixed in the full Steam release. So I'll raise my score when that comes out.
    Sadly, Xen is missing entirely. We'll just have to be patient, and wait for the full release on Steam. The developers are also working on multiplayer, which is awesome.    … Expand
  78. derek10
    Mar 1, 2015
    10
    Whether you already played Half Life or not, Black Mesa is worth a try, excellent level design based on HL but way bigger and detailed (because it uses a more modern engine), excellent graphics, sounds, voice and levels that makes it a very professionally made game. It's a very good way to replay Half-Life with updated visuals and resembling more Half-Life 2.

    Waiting for the Xen part!
  79. azeitona
    Dec 6, 2014
    9
    A free mod worth more than many triple-A games. Half Life is my favorite game of all times, and Black Mesa puts on a superb job recreating the atmosphere. The Source engine is really showing its age, but the level design, the pacing and the fast gunplay, trademarks of the Half Life series, are all here. A modern take on a classic that does not disappoint. Actually, if you never played theA free mod worth more than many triple-A games. Half Life is my favorite game of all times, and Black Mesa puts on a superb job recreating the atmosphere. The Source engine is really showing its age, but the level design, the pacing and the fast gunplay, trademarks of the Half Life series, are all here. A modern take on a classic that does not disappoint. Actually, if you never played the original, go ahead and play Black Mesa. It is THAT good. The bugs and the enemy AI can be frustrating, but it is a superb experience. And Valve is involved with the project now, and they are planning a retail release, with everything fixed, better visuals and an input from Valve. Can't wait for it to come out!… Expand
  80. FrenchToast
    Nov 9, 2014
    10
    Absolutely fantastic remake of an incredible game. I recommend downloading it from Desura instead of other websites. Controls are spot on, visuals are great, and the sound is better than ever. It's free, get it now!
  81. Epicfury
    Sep 16, 2014
    10
    I very polished and refined experience. This remake of Half-life is superb in every way. Despite not having xen, Black Mesa has familiar maps and weapons from the original Half-life but if a few tweaks to balance out the gameplay.
  82. pigsy2400
    May 23, 2014
    10
    I can remember buying the original and my jaw hitting the floor at such a revolutionary game back in 1999. My jaw similarly hit the floor 14 years later with Black Mesa, the attention to detail in some of the areas is fantastic!

    I was an avid modder when the original Half-life 1 SDK was released and the same with Half-life 2, some of the corridors that take seconds to walk down would    I can remember buying the original and my jaw hitting the floor at such a revolutionary game back in 1999. My jaw similarly hit the floor 14 years later with Black Mesa, the attention to detail in some of the areas is fantastic!

    I was an avid modder when the original Half-life 1 SDK was released and the same with Half-life 2, some of the corridors that take seconds to walk down would have taken months to create.

    Don't play this expecting anything groundbreaking, just sit back and enjoy the ride and appreciate it for what it is -;

    A faithful recreation of a masterpiece!    … Expand
  83. Catric
    May 22, 2014
    10
    El nuevo sistema de manchas en las armas y el motor source hicieron un buen trabajo. Nos dieron un mejor punto de vista al accidente de black mesa. AQUÍ VIENEN LAS DESVENTAJAS, los BUGS... Pero aun así le daría un 9.8
  84. djbarker
    Apr 16, 2014
    3
    Oh dear. It looks so much better than the original, but the gameplay has gone horribly wrong. I always play FPS on hard, but on this, it's not fun. Enemies can't miss you. So you have to save before a gunfight. Have a look and get killed, but memorise the positions of the baddies, then load up your save, get the crosshairs into position, strafe, fire and hope. On medium, it's a cake walk.Oh dear. It looks so much better than the original, but the gameplay has gone horribly wrong. I always play FPS on hard, but on this, it's not fun. Enemies can't miss you. So you have to save before a gunfight. Have a look and get killed, but memorise the positions of the baddies, then load up your save, get the crosshairs into position, strafe, fire and hope. On medium, it's a cake walk. Such a shame because I love the original.… Expand
  85. XhAPPYSLApX
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    Simply one of the best tributes to anything ever... This is the Half Life: Source we should have gotten. Great graphics for a 10 year old engine, fantastic gameplay, great story. And just near perfect all round in my opinion, I hope Valve hires these people to make Half Life 3, that is how good they did in my opinion.
  86. Mert032
    Mar 5, 2014
    1
    Sorry, but this game has bugs that makes this game unplayable. Somehow in the middle of the game all of my weapons disappeared except crowbar and my pistol. After dying everything was gone. If you figure to get a weapon however; while shooting the game will close itself.
  87. MichMart
    Mar 1, 2014
    10
    This is one of the largest and best mods ever made! It was in development for 8 years and it was really worth the wait. Some of the "worst" parts of Half-Life are deleted and some parts are even more impressive now, which makes Black Mesa an even better game than the original one!
    It can't of course revolutionize the FPS and the graphics are not top notch for today's standards, but for a    This is one of the largest and best mods ever made! It was in development for 8 years and it was really worth the wait. Some of the "worst" parts of Half-Life are deleted and some parts are even more impressive now, which makes Black Mesa an even better game than the original one!
    It can't of course revolutionize the FPS and the graphics are not top notch for today's standards, but for a mod it's a masterpiece for sure. Now we have to wait a bit for xen...    … Expand
  88. Mariogamer1231
    Jan 13, 2014
    10
    Black Mesa basically, improved the original Half Life. Though it's not completely done, it still improved the graphics using the source engine. I would give a 10 to the developers.
  89. DeadpoolDash
    Jan 3, 2014
    10
    This is an excellent remake, it has new voice acting and a new soundtrack which fit perfectly with the original game. The plans to remake the latter stages of the game will be interesting to see but since there is no info on that I cannot comment about it, the same goes for the upcoming multiplayer.
  90. blaow
    Dec 6, 2013
    8
    Black Mesa is an overwhelmingly successful remake of Half-Life. For anyone that has never played the original half life, this is a must-play. The graphics are great, the gameplay is faithful and it is just plain fun all around. It is not perfect though, I only have a few complaints:

    1. It's not complete yet. Honestly, I don't care much that Xen isn't included, it was the worst part    Black Mesa is an overwhelmingly successful remake of Half-Life. For anyone that has never played the original half life, this is a must-play. The graphics are great, the gameplay is faithful and it is just plain fun all around. It is not perfect though, I only have a few complaints:

    1. It's not complete yet. Honestly, I don't care much that Xen isn't included, it was the worst part of the original. But still, it will be nice when it is added in.
    2. In my play through I had 5-6 crashes and a few extreme slowdowns.
    3. The ladders were even more annoying than they were in the original half life. It seemed to get worse later in the game, where several times I had big problems getting on or off ladders.
    4. My biggest complaint is that the crouch jump is less forgiving than in the original game. Especially during the teleportation section near the end with the rotating platforms, I missed crouch jump after crouch jump that definitely should have counted and I almost threw my mouse in frustration.

    Don't get me wrong, these are very minor complaints when you consider how hard this development team must have worked on this amazing mod. It is a huge success and I am so happy it finally exists. PLAY IT!    … Expand
  91. Outlander999
    Nov 17, 2013
    9
    Black Mesa is a great, very polished and totally free remake of the classic Half Life. What ask for more? If you loved the original, you MUST play this game. VIRTUALINN.IT
  92. GrujaHD
    Oct 19, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Simply amazing... One of the best mods out there. It is definitely mod of the year. It has some new puzzles that weren't in half life 1 and because of some limitations i think they removed some stuff but as a result they also added a lot of new puzzles. But its not perfect the platforming is not good at all but its not impossible, platforming in FPS games is a bad idea but they couldn't just remove that because of half life 1 had a lot of platforming sections. Its not perfect but for a free mod its good and i would even say its harder then the original half life 1 the AI is also good. The Black Mesa team did a great job and i cant wait to see the Xen levels. Like i said its not perfect but for a free mod its great.… Expand
  93. Ceully
    Oct 14, 2013
    10
    What do you get when you mix one of the greatest FPS ever made and a fresh new engine Black Mesa. This mod is truly excellent, as a fan of Half-Life, playing the story with the HL2 graphics was very pleasant, you feel like playing a new game... but with familiar sensations, very cool.
    Everyone who enjoyed the original should give this mod a try, you won't be disappointed
  94. 0m3g4z3r0
    Oct 8, 2013
    9
    i loved this game to the max just as good as the original the only problem is well it ends where BLACK MESA ends no XEN but still an incredible experience i would totally have paid for this
  95. xxdiyxx2
    Jul 3, 2013
    10
    Taking into account that the game is free, you can say that this is a masterpiece from the team of fan developers. there were some flaws in artificial intelligence, but again, the game is free. Done a lot of work on the subject, it became more interesting, without disturbing the original. The music in the game is good. Graphics to the limit game engine in 2006, very good.
  96. HipsterMonster
    Jun 9, 2013
    10
    I am going to write my review in Spanish because I do not want to write anything wrong for the review of this game.

    Cuando jugué esta mod por primera vez, realmente me pregunté ¿Es esto una mod?, Porque resulta que lo es. Ademas lo bastante bien hecha como para superar al original Half Life o el Propio juego modificado, Half Life 2. Es sencillamente una obra maestra que no debería    I am going to write my review in Spanish because I do not want to write anything wrong for the review of this game.

    Cuando jugué esta mod por primera vez, realmente me pregunté ¿Es esto una mod?, Porque resulta que lo es. Ademas lo bastante bien hecha como para superar al original Half Life o el Propio juego modificado, Half Life 2. Es sencillamente una obra maestra que no debería recibir criticas tan bajas por parte de las webs de criticos. Se nota cuando algo esta hecho por una empresa sin ánimo de lucro y de un juego gratuito.    … Expand
  97. Bestpony
    Jun 3, 2013
    6
    I have the same problem with Black Mesa that I did with the original Half-Life. The first few chapters are an amazing horror experience where you make your way through a destroyed facility, just trying to get out alive, and if you play it on Hard, it's a challenging and rewarding experience. However, once the soldiers enter the mix, all the atmosphere disappears (it does come back later)I have the same problem with Black Mesa that I did with the original Half-Life. The first few chapters are an amazing horror experience where you make your way through a destroyed facility, just trying to get out alive, and if you play it on Hard, it's a challenging and rewarding experience. However, once the soldiers enter the mix, all the atmosphere disappears (it does come back later) and the game becomes a fairly boring shooter with frustratingly precise enemies. I'm not a shooter fan so the whole "shoot some guys, take some damage, find some health, repeat" thing wasn't all that interesting. Still, it's free, it's a classic, and you really owe it to yourself to check it out.… Expand
  98. MasteRR
    May 15, 2013
    10
    Black Mesa is a total Source conversion of the original critical acclaimed game Half-Life.

    For a mod, it does everything very well. The level design looks both similar to the original game, with Hi-Res props, much improved physics new animations and improved scripted events. The gameplay however feels even more linear, by unfortunately cutting a lot from On a Rail chapter, which    Black Mesa is a total Source conversion of the original critical acclaimed game Half-Life.

    For a mod, it does everything very well.

    The level design looks both similar to the original game, with Hi-Res props, much improved physics new animations and improved scripted events.

    The gameplay however feels even more linear, by unfortunately cutting a lot from On a Rail chapter, which in the original game it was far bigger, and more like a maze, now just activate this, enable this, and keep going. In original game the chapter took a lot to be completed, even after many times playing.

    However, the gameplay certainly feels a lot more intense, the new sounds, enemy design an AI makes everything feel both intense and realistic, but also more brutal sometimes. For instance, now when you kill a HECU soldier you get an exaggerated blood around him.

    In gameplay terms the mod brings some things not seen in any Half-Life game, the Gibing System. Basically it seems to have certain models, and works for certain kills, like when killing enemies with explosive barrels, grenades, RPGs, mines, and even headshots, which is a welcome and great addition.

    About the animations, both for weapons and NPCs is nice, with very good lip syncing and detail. Unfortunately, the dying animation in certain situations look ridiculous. For instance, the dying scientist in the beginning of Blast Pit has an exaggerated death animation, being too convulsive.

    Also the mods features another new system, which adds blood/acid and others on player's hand, which is a lot more realistic, but could've been better, on some guns, the blood doesn't go in a precise mode, like on the Glock, when a half of the hands have blood on certain parts, and on the other one on other parts, which isn't realistic and very good.

    The levels like said before, are very similar, but some are different, such as On a Rail which is a lot shorter, which is a bit disappointing, but it eventually fits better.

    The weapons, compared to original game are well made, sound realistic, look HD and behave realistic, but some of them, if carefully watched, behave weird, for instance the Magnum sounds very powerful, but if not shot in the head, it can even take to up to 3 hits to kill an enemy.

    The shotgun also feels very light but it really powerful in fact.

    The voice acting is great, but not for everyone. Eli's voice doesn't really fit, sound like a child with a sore throat, rather than an adult.

    The addition of the female scientist is also a good thing, and their voices fits perfectly.

    This is mod's quality in gameplay terms, now let's see the graphics and the performance.

    The graphics can't be described very detailed, there are dynamic lights, very sweet particle effects and realistic physics, with some demos right after the Test Chamber explosion at the beginning, and also in Apprehension, right after Gordon is caught by the HECUs and placed in a room to be squished.

    The performance however isn't really good. After playing aprox. 1-2hours you might get the ,,Failed to allocate the required Memory,, error.

    Also the mod has a severe lack of optimization in some areas which really don't look to be so hardware demanding, such as the Resonance Cascade scene, the beginning of apprehension, when a part of the Hydro Electric Dam in Surface Tension, some areas in Office Complex, Blast Pit, and the fighting scene before jumping into the portal at the end of Lambda Core, which is quite disappointing for a game that was in development for more than 8 years, but this is how's happening when a game if not fully ready, the mod is missing the Xen chapters, but even so, it provides a great experience until then, and you can't be very curious to see the revamped Xen, which has the biggest potential to be vast with great graphics, effects, physics, and other great stuff.

    The mod has as well several bugs, such as non-matching textures, like Scientists and Zombie Scientist, Barney and Barney Gibs, and Sniper Bullet, which wasn't replaced at all, being exactly the same from Half-Life 2. Another not super great thing is that the portal to Xen looks very similar to City 17's Citadel Core, but even so, again, it fits well.

    The soundtrack is a brand new addition, instead of re-used songs from the original one, but is very well made, gives suspense, fits with the action and environment, especially with the combat.

    The brand new achievements are well made, but could've been a bit better, like, well... ,,Drown in he Lambda Core Coolant,,?

    So, final verdict. Black Mesa is a masterpiece for a mod, which is also absolutely FREE which is a very great thing, as it's a mod. And it's stopped from being rated with a 10/10 ONLY because of the few bugs and glitches, some exaggerated death animations, and the lack of optimization in some chapters, and some unbalanced weapons.

    But overall, it certainly deserves the Mod of The Year award and can't wait to see what will bring Xen and BM:DM.    … Expand
  99. earthprime163
    Apr 30, 2013
    10
    Anyone who just 'doesn't get it' is from the new generation of gamers and wasn't there in the beginning (1998) when Half Life changed the industry. This MOD is a gem a love letter to the Half Life series and it's free!! CrazyGoat's review is spot-on that the amount of dedication by the MOD's creators is unsurpassed.
  100. polyakoviv
    Apr 7, 2013
    9
    just play it- you'll love it. And it is free, so yay! I played the original HL1 back in the days and revisiting it with Black Mesa was a great experience.
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Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best PC Game of 2012
30
#30 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
25
#25 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. GameGrin
    Feb 8, 2021
    70
    Black Mesa remains true to the original Half-Life with updated graphics, improved sounds and redesigned levels. However, the graphics still look old for a “modern” game and loading screens are still a pain as it freezes the game for a few seconds.
    Read full review
  2. Washington Post
    Mar 31, 2020
    80
    Those with a taste for retro-gaming or lighthearted sci-fi shooters, take note: few games with a foot in the nineties hold up this well.
    Read full review
  3. GameStar
    Mar 23, 2020
    87
    Reasonable innovations and a completely new Xen complement the authentic Half-Life atmosphere: This is what a remake should look like.
    Read full review
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