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. Kiwgista
    Apr 1, 2013
    9
    How to make a better game out of a game that was already great. Well, just play Black Mesa an see for yourself how that can be possible. It's an improvment in every way.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. COTOR
    Jul 24, 2019
    10
    One of the best remake of all time for the best game of all time
    Waiting for Xen :)))
  5. RobiePax
    Sep 22, 2012
    10
    Truly amazing re-work. It turned out to be a lot better than I expected to. I'm also glad that Valve approved Greenlight for this mod, we need more worthy mods on Steam than crap like Revelations 2012 which is an Alpha stage non-free mod...
  6. sherbz
    Sep 23, 2012
    10
    There are some things in life that are not really recognised for how important they really are until perhaps years after they actually happen. Black Mesa fits in to that category. For a group of fans to create something so professional, so polished, and so good is truly an extraordinary thing in itself. But the sheer scale, scope and length of time devoted to Black Mesa demonstratesThere are some things in life that are not really recognised for how important they really are until perhaps years after they actually happen. Black Mesa fits in to that category. For a group of fans to create something so professional, so polished, and so good is truly an extraordinary thing in itself. But the sheer scale, scope and length of time devoted to Black Mesa demonstrates what fans can actually achieve when they work together. The developers managed to create a game that can easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the titles you go out and buy, but they did it for free, which i think is a beautiful and quite remarkable thing. Black mesa, like half life itself, is the new yard stick to compare fan created games, and will be for years to come.… Expand
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. Kingmannie
    Oct 2, 2012
    10
    Wow. The amount of memories that come flooding back to me was incredible. This project puts a lot of professional projects to shame. From a technical perspective the voice acting is a bit strange but the atmosphere that's obviously been a labor of love for the devs - smashes any negativity. Surprising, tense and thrilling are some of the feelings you will get if you play this for theWow. The amount of memories that come flooding back to me was incredible. This project puts a lot of professional projects to shame. From a technical perspective the voice acting is a bit strange but the atmosphere that's obviously been a labor of love for the devs - smashes any negativity. Surprising, tense and thrilling are some of the feelings you will get if you play this for the first time. A sincere feeling of nostalgia is what you will get if you played the original like me. For free this is 100% worth your time.… Expand
  10. bethegame
    Sep 23, 2012
    10
    When I first played the Half Life games, I thought to myself, these games can't get any better than they already are. Shows you what I know. This game is perfect. No doubt about it. A ten all the way. In every aspect that Half Life was perfect in, Black Mesa perfected the perfection. The graphics are great for this game are much better than the first Half Life, (it did come out in 1998,When I first played the Half Life games, I thought to myself, these games can't get any better than they already are. Shows you what I know. This game is perfect. No doubt about it. A ten all the way. In every aspect that Half Life was perfect in, Black Mesa perfected the perfection. The graphics are great for this game are much better than the first Half Life, (it did come out in 1998, great graphics for then) the plot is almost the same so far, (some levels are different) and it is easy to tell how much these developers really love the game. They put all there passion into it. I am glad that now not every scientist is identical. I would say this game gets 98 out of 100 or above. Now, about Half Life 3...… Expand
  11. ConsumedKangi
    Sep 23, 2012
    10
    I've been looking forward to this for the whole of this year. Half life introduced me to awesome first person shooters by Valve. Then once I heard of Black Mesa I expected the best thing ever. It did not fail my expectations. Flawless design. Everything has been rebuilt very accurately with extra additions of perfection to top it off. There's been no bugs at all and I just can't seem toI've been looking forward to this for the whole of this year. Half life introduced me to awesome first person shooters by Valve. Then once I heard of Black Mesa I expected the best thing ever. It did not fail my expectations. Flawless design. Everything has been rebuilt very accurately with extra additions of perfection to top it off. There's been no bugs at all and I just can't seem to point out anything wrong. This is a mod of Gods!… Expand
  12. The_Doc
    Oct 29, 2012
    8
    It's quite good, especially for a fan made mod. Seeing the whole BM facility rebuilt really presses the right buttons. Now it looks a lot less like a game level and more like an actual place where people work. I only found 3 things I didn't like about this mod: they changed the ammo carrying capacity to HL2 standards (ie: too low), the enemy soldiers have godly accuracy and perfectIt's quite good, especially for a fan made mod. Seeing the whole BM facility rebuilt really presses the right buttons. Now it looks a lot less like a game level and more like an actual place where people work. I only found 3 things I didn't like about this mod: they changed the ammo carrying capacity to HL2 standards (ie: too low), the enemy soldiers have godly accuracy and perfect reflexes, and they changed the sound and firemode of the SMG. Other than that I loved every second of it.… Expand
  13. 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.
  14. 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
  15. bazkie
    Sep 24, 2012
    10
    black mesa is probably the best halflife 1 remake possible. there's clearly been a lot of attention to details, and the atmosphere is very similar to the original - in my eyes an important trait for a remake of any game. i was expecting much from black mesa, after all these years of waiting, but it delivered, at least for me!
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. Bax21
    Sep 23, 2012
    10
    So much waiting, and now after 8 long years im completly overwhelmed by Black Mesa. It's really stupid to call this masterpiece a "modification" for HL2. It's f***** more than that! Its deserves to be an absolutely great remake of legendary Half Life. Many thanks for creators of this new,fine version, whoever u are!
  19. Stickheadz32
    Feb 19, 2013
    10
    I have to say right out that this is the best mod ever created. Really smooth gameplay with the Source engine, level design is really complex, enemies in the game are worth the challenge, great AI with humans, HECU soldiers and aliens. Again, there's lots of freedom you can have in the maps, even though some of them may be linear, it leaves a great space of open field, so we won't careI have to say right out that this is the best mod ever created. Really smooth gameplay with the Source engine, level design is really complex, enemies in the game are worth the challenge, great AI with humans, HECU soldiers and aliens. Again, there's lots of freedom you can have in the maps, even though some of them may be linear, it leaves a great space of open field, so we won't care about linearity at all. Amazing re-recorded monologues and dialogues and even the new ones. Everything else is also very awesome. The graphics at high and very high levels are stunningly beautiful in everything. At that preset when I turned around after fleeing from the Tentacles when I watched them, the framerate dropped down to 40 on my GTX660Ti. The soundtrack is also really good and it's a mix of atmospheric and action tracks. As i played it in almost 5-6 days and completed the game I feel satisfied and amazed about the game. It's free, it's a mod, you do need Source SDK Base 2007 to run it, but by all words, this is an immersion.… Expand
  20. Jacer200
    Mar 10, 2013
    9
    This is one of the best re texturing and full modding of any pc game I have ever played. The sound is awesome and plays well with most modern gpus. The game has a few glitches here and there but the fact that it is free I can look past it. With the game set to hard you will have a great experience. This game is one of the holy trinity of first person shooters that set the game industryThis is one of the best re texturing and full modding of any pc game I have ever played. The sound is awesome and plays well with most modern gpus. The game has a few glitches here and there but the fact that it is free I can look past it. With the game set to hard you will have a great experience. This game is one of the holy trinity of first person shooters that set the game industry standards. Wolfenstien, Doom, Half Life.… Expand
  21. Lazy_Ninja
    Jan 2, 2013
    9
    This is a masterpiece of work for 40 volunteers. They have not really created a mod, but a full game that does a very good job recreating the good moments of the long timed Half Life, released in 1998. And obviously, it rocks HL Source very easily, both on graphics and gameplay. Unlike some say: It is not required a top GPU to run the game. It runs well on a GT 240 128 bit DDR3, but exceptThis is a masterpiece of work for 40 volunteers. They have not really created a mod, but a full game that does a very good job recreating the good moments of the long timed Half Life, released in 1998. And obviously, it rocks HL Source very easily, both on graphics and gameplay. Unlike some say: It is not required a top GPU to run the game. It runs well on a GT 240 128 bit DDR3, but except some lag in graphically intensive moments. Summarizing: It does a fantastic job to recreate HL, and I think this is not really a mod, but a new game with a very similar story to the original HL, with some ambients completely recreated. It brings back to life the long forgotten HL, now replaced by some mods, being only a shadow of the original HL, namely: Counter Strike, Day of Defeat or Team Fortress(the former i liked it pretty much). But it also haves it some con aspects. While it does not require a top Graphics Card to run, do not except to run this game, even on medium details, with a 8400GS or a 8500GT. And also, there are some FPS issues on some parts, namely after the first chapter of the game, on the exploded power reactor. Other than that, i would give it 9.7/10 easily.… Expand
  22. 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
  23. 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.
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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.
  28. 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.
  29. 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.
  30. 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!
  31. PoWn3d_0704
    Oct 24, 2012
    10
    Waited a long time for this mod, and it exceeded all my expectations.

    I feel like many of the people who give this mod bad ratings don't know anything about the Half-Life series. And that is fine, same as the people throwing tens around (Guilty) are neck deep in nostalgia. The movement (saw some complaints) is true to the Original Half-Life. Fast paced and really good for the style    Waited a long time for this mod, and it exceeded all my expectations.

    I feel like many of the people who give this mod bad ratings don't know anything about the Half-Life series. And that is fine, same as the people throwing tens around (Guilty) are neck deep in nostalgia.

    The movement (saw some complaints) is true to the Original Half-Life. Fast paced and really good for the style of play. Takes a second to get used to, if you never have played Half-Life or quake or anything before. Trust me, that movement is the reason the Multiplayer is going to be so good.

    As for FPS dips, it happens only on AMD based systems. My upgrade from an AMD 1090t to an Intel 3570k stopped all of those issues. Just something you'll have to wait for a patch to be fixed.

    Overall, this mod is FREE, looks amazing, and brings back that good old Half-Life nostalgia. What isn't to love?    … Expand
  32. camycamera
    Oct 26, 2012
    10
    the one of the greatest remakes of one of the greatest games of all time. This is Half-Life, but better. If you have never played Half-Life and wonder what all the fuss was all about, this is a great opportunity to try it out.... for free!
  33. Vorfeed
    Nov 10, 2012
    10
    Surprisingly this project did not turn into Vaporware. This is by far the best remake of a game I've ever played, down to the very last detail of that lonely vulnerable feel you got when you first fired up Half Life years ago. I loved every minute of this FREE game that puts this year's triple A titles to shame.
  34. 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
  35. eva3si0n
    Jan 8, 2021
    10
    Black Mesa is a great game that is so important to modern game dev. First of all, this is a remake of cult classics, which many did not find. Personally, I did not play the original Half-Life, and Half-Life Source did not go through until the end. Secondly, it is just a very high-quality game with its view of the game world, recreated by Valve. In 2020, the game was finally finished afterBlack Mesa is a great game that is so important to modern game dev. First of all, this is a remake of cult classics, which many did not find. Personally, I did not play the original Half-Life, and Half-Life Source did not go through until the end. Secondly, it is just a very high-quality game with its view of the game world, recreated by Valve. In 2020, the game was finally finished after 16 years and you can get full gaming experience from it. Everything is done perfectly, such adventure shooters have not been done for a long time, the heads are elementary simple, but they are not limited to 4 buttons that need to be pressed in a certain sequence. The only thing that failed in Black Mesa is the tightness of Xen episodes. They are excellent, but it takes almost 1/3 of the game, because of this, the dynamics of the game and the plot subsides.
    Cult remake that everyone should meet.    … Expand
  36. 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
  37. 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
  38. 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.
  39. 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
  40. 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
  41. 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.
  42. slat3r
    Apr 27, 2021
    10
    Downloaded the original Half-Life for free during the two weeks leading up to the release of half-life Alyx. I couldn't get myself through the dated graphics and mechanics that had aged like milk. When I bought Black Mesa, I simply came for the story but left with much more than I ever could have dreamed of. The game shows its date in the beginning but the closer you get to the ending, theDownloaded the original Half-Life for free during the two weeks leading up to the release of half-life Alyx. I couldn't get myself through the dated graphics and mechanics that had aged like milk. When I bought Black Mesa, I simply came for the story but left with much more than I ever could have dreamed of. The game shows its date in the beginning but the closer you get to the ending, the better it becomes. Do I recommend it? If you are tired of dated games but still want to experience them then this is the one!… Expand
  43. Mikimax
    Sep 30, 2012
    10
    This game is fantastic. Perfect remake made by gamers for gamers with passion and devotion to the finest details. I could not have asked for more then this.

    THANK YOU!
  44. oso
    Oct 1, 2012
    10
    Incredible Remake! Can't believe this is for free, i'd even pay a Full Price for this Masterpiece. There is absolutely nothing they could have done better. By far the best fps i've played in a dam' long time.
  45. silentshade
    Oct 8, 2012
    10
    If a mod actually receives reviews from critics then you know its going to be good. This mod truly brings Half life 1 back in the best way possible.
    Best mod ever!
    Period.
  46. TheBunnyKicker
    Sep 28, 2012
    9
    Probably the best mod out there. Free to play and entirely worth your time. Half life fans new and old should thoroughly enjoy this game, as well as folks who haven't tried the series before.

    If you enjoy first person shooters and games with a gripping plot; you won't want to miss this game
  47. 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.
  48. 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
  49. LD9000
    Nov 26, 2012
    10
    A perfect remake. Action packed survival, and I really enjoyed how the secrets of black mesa are brought to life with voice acting and in-game whiteboards. Playing this game after so many years, some of the levels seem small, especially if you know what's coming. Other than that, a fantastic remake, and it's free!
  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. somethingguy912
    Sep 25, 2012
    10
    the black mesa production team has done a wonderful job of revisiting Half-Life into the Half Life 2 engine in not only the source engine but also of the time and effort they took to remodeling all the NPCs, improving the dialogue quality while providing new voice actors, and providing much more attention to detail with the environment of the black mesa research facility. I was glad thatthe black mesa production team has done a wonderful job of revisiting Half-Life into the Half Life 2 engine in not only the source engine but also of the time and effort they took to remodeling all the NPCs, improving the dialogue quality while providing new voice actors, and providing much more attention to detail with the environment of the black mesa research facility. I was glad that they did get rid of parts of the game that seemed to go on for decades (going through ventilation shafts for an eternity, that is), and they also put more complexity and more realism to the facility area, like the crate smashing room (in Half Life it almost seemed like they deliberately made it for you to jump that way). Also, I was quite surprised at how they added a new feature to the game: gore on your weapons. It's a nice emphatic touch to the ventures that Freeman must go through to reach to the Lambda core. The AI also has been improved as well, especially with the soldiers (although, sometimes the enemies will just stand there if they can't reach you from range, and this is frequent with the Slaves, e.g. vortigaunts). Also, there are some subtly hilarious parts in the game that you will encounter (like when you acquire the hive-hand, and Freeman reluctantly sticks his hand into what appears to be it's ass, or when the scientists foolishly go inside a ventilation shaft filled with monsters and the scientist who tries to get him out brakes his neck from falling from under the ladder). Everything that made the first half-life great can still be found in the effortless commitment that the black mesa production team had put into revamping the game, and seriously, all of this for free? You can't get a better deal than that! If you've been painfully impatient about the release of half life 3 (or episode 3), this game will give you the same feeling of nostalgia from both Half Life releases for a very long time!… Expand
  52. 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
  53. 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
  54. 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
  55. 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
  56. 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
  57. 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
  58. 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
  59. Ordish
    Nov 5, 2012
    6
    It is the same game that it was when it was released a hundred years ago, but this time with shiny new graphics and better audio. It was a fun game in the original and while my memories of the original were very fond, it is like watching a movie you originally watched on VHS, on BlueRay. Looks better but feels the same. Good work on the mod, but it is essentially the same as it always was.
  60. 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
  61. Osedax
    Sep 29, 2012
    8
    This is a great addition to the HL community, HOWEVER, I did not read into how far the game had been converted and was thoroughly disappointed where it ended. For those who have played the original, be prepared for it to end "a bit short." For those who have never played the original HL have fun!
  62. 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
  63. PsychoJoona
    May 12, 2021
    2
    The first 2 hours are amazing! It really felt like a true Half-Life remake... but after that the magic is waaay gone! It's dead. The guns feel awful to use, game added ridiculous amounts of stupid pointless puzzles at the game that weren't even in the original. And then there is Xen... HOLY **** HOW DID THEY **** THIS UP SO BAD!?!?!?!?!!?!? Xen in Black Mesa is the most awful things I haveThe first 2 hours are amazing! It really felt like a true Half-Life remake... but after that the magic is waaay gone! It's dead. The guns feel awful to use, game added ridiculous amounts of stupid pointless puzzles at the game that weren't even in the original. And then there is Xen... HOLY **** HOW DID THEY **** THIS UP SO BAD!?!?!?!?!!?!? Xen in Black Mesa is the most awful things I have experienced in video games ever! The OST is horrible because there is some annoying bi*ch singing in the background. **** this game. Don't buy it.… Expand
  64. 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
  65. xcava86x
    Jan 25, 2021
    0
    It was supposed to be free. Then we were told they had to pay Valve a fee and that they would charge a "small amount". Eventually, this became a $20 game.
    Liars.
  66. 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.
  67. 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.
  68. zonetrooperex
    Sep 30, 2012
    5
    This game leaves me with mixed feelings. On the one hand its quite polished and is well defined and faithful to Half-life. It free and easy to install so that is nice. The voice acting is really great and gives NPCs far more to say and feels more human.

    However it has too many annoying quirks. Such as the annoying "jump-crouch" being the solution to everything and the assumption that    This game leaves me with mixed feelings. On the one hand its quite polished and is well defined and faithful to Half-life. It free and easy to install so that is nice. The voice acting is really great and gives NPCs far more to say and feels more human.

    However it has too many annoying quirks. Such as the annoying "jump-crouch" being the solution to everything and the assumption that the player has played the original and remembers all the old solutions to events.

    If you haven't played the original game you will find this a frustrating affair. Movement is another issue as it feels blocky and old fashioned.    … Expand
  69. DoubleDDD
    Dec 17, 2020
    0
    They ruined HL. I understand that, maybe, the idea of this game was to make it look better, but to change the game completly, nah, man.....
  70. 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.
  71. gracjanski
    Nov 3, 2020
    10
    This is why I love PCs: normal people rewriting a classic game to a new engine, so that we players can have fun again with one of the best shooters of all time. Black Mesa is as great as Half Life was: very interesting story that has a lot to tell and changes while you re playing. A diversified gameplay, so that you dont have to shoot only. A great atmosphere and good immersion: It is aThis is why I love PCs: normal people rewriting a classic game to a new engine, so that we players can have fun again with one of the best shooters of all time. Black Mesa is as great as Half Life was: very interesting story that has a lot to tell and changes while you re playing. A diversified gameplay, so that you dont have to shoot only. A great atmosphere and good immersion: It is a lot of fun just to hear, what NPCs are talking about. There is only 1 problem in Big Mesa: even after 3 years there are still some missions missing :(… Expand
  72. 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
  73. 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.
  74. loveforfire
    May 16, 2021
    5
    This game does look better than the original but still is a far cry than games in 2020. Even though Xen is beautifully made the graphics lack detail that you'd find in an indy game from like 11 years ago. (think Amnesia TDD the fungi in the sewer level. Compare it to Xen's fungi which look similar. big difference.)

    Also the level design has been altered from the originally but not for    This game does look better than the original but still is a far cry than games in 2020. Even though Xen is beautifully made the graphics lack detail that you'd find in an indy game from like 11 years ago. (think Amnesia TDD the fungi in the sewer level. Compare it to Xen's fungi which look similar. big difference.)

    Also the level design has been altered from the originally but not for the better. My case in point, there is a lot of junk littered throughout the game, fake doors, stairs that lead to nothing but say another fake door.

    The shooting feels like its not on par with the original in terms of accuracy and hit detection. And
    as Forrest Gump says "that's all I got to say about that"    … Expand
  75. 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
  76. 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
  77. Vanco
    Jun 4, 2019
    6
    Great remake of Half Life. Also, the earlier versions are free. What are you waiting for?
  78. RomanGor
    Nov 7, 2019
    8
    Ну хоть кто-то что-то делает для развития серии халвы. От валвов зимой снега не допросишься...
  79. 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!
  80. tom_harding
    Mar 1, 2021
    7
    A word of warning - the minimum system requirements are simply not adequate to play this game. I've got a 2.7GHz i5, 16GB RAM & 2GB of dedicated graphics but in the lowest graphics settings I still faced single digit frame rates in the later sections of Xen (and a couple of other places).

    Ignoring performance issues the game is very good. It maintains the feel and pacing of the original    A word of warning - the minimum system requirements are simply not adequate to play this game. I've got a 2.7GHz i5, 16GB RAM & 2GB of dedicated graphics but in the lowest graphics settings I still faced single digit frame rates in the later sections of Xen (and a couple of other places).

    Ignoring performance issues the game is very good. It maintains the feel and pacing of the original while modernising the more dated elements. It's not perfect but I still had great fun. A huge well done and thank you the Crowbar Collective.    … Expand
  81. Xmariokiler
    Jan 29, 2020
    9
    I very good half life remake but it'9 becouse fight with helicopter suck Hhjjjjjhgdt
  82. Nekellor_Met
    Aug 1, 2020
    7
    В сравнении с оригиналом этом просто чудо. Исправили почти все огрехи, за которые я почти ненавижу 1 халву.
  83. giangbabeo
    Feb 21, 2021
    7
    Sometime this game is crash but ok. Black mesa made me remember Half life 1
  84. vova22379
    Jul 16, 2022
    5
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  85. JC_123
    Jun 28, 2021
    6
    This is not the definitive Half Life experience it could have been I'm afraid. The original levels were just better. That was a very, very important part of the experience that they messed with a bit too much.
    The game could use a little balancing too. On the easier difficulty, the game is far too easy. On the harder one, some enemies become omniscient and aimbot onto you. (and make no    This is not the definitive Half Life experience it could have been I'm afraid. The original levels were just better. That was a very, very important part of the experience that they messed with a bit too much.
    The game could use a little balancing too. On the easier difficulty, the game is far too easy. On the harder one, some enemies become omniscient and aimbot onto you. (and make no mistake, I am a seasoned FPS player. CS Faceit level 8, Platinum in old R6 ranks, DOOM Eternal Nightmare enjoyer).

    Try to find it on sale, but don't sleep on the REAL Half Life 1. It's still better even though the visuals are dated. I was disapointed to come to this conclusion.    … Expand
  86. StarkAgentos
    Jun 11, 2022
    5
    Графику значительно улучшили. Оптимизация отличная. Физика улучшена. Добавлен спринт. Разработчики проделали огромную работу, но даже после этого первый халф лайф устаревший.
  87. Yrthraz
    Dec 18, 2021
    0
    Fantastic. Tried playing the first few hours of Half Life and it definitely showed its age, fun, but definitely not a modern experience. Black Mesa brought a modern touch to that Half Life experience while still keeping the genuine experience of the original game. The only game, whereupon reading reviews, was I encouraged by fans of the original release to play Black Mesa instead, becauseFantastic. Tried playing the first few hours of Half Life and it definitely showed its age, fun, but definitely not a modern experience. Black Mesa brought a modern touch to that Half Life experience while still keeping the genuine experience of the original game. The only game, whereupon reading reviews, was I encouraged by fans of the original release to play Black Mesa instead, because it is so faithful and well done. I was honestly blown away, and would encourage others to enter the world of Half Life from this vector. It makes a game from 1998 play like a game from 2008, and that is selling it far short of the actual experience.… Expand
  88. PasiMetaAho
    Jan 7, 2023
    2
    Half-Life: Ruined.
    Suck the developers cock or DIE. repeatedly.

    Unlike the original REAL Half-Life you have no choice but be lead by the neck by dumbass devs.
    Only one who actually did their job was the art guy. Everyone else from the movement to the level design is a complete idiot unfortunately.
  89. Izoeros
    Apr 26, 2022
    2
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  90. Menaga
    Aug 8, 2022
    6
    Recommended
    16.0 hrs at review time
    Hard difficulty
    Gameplay 6/10
    Music and sound 6/10
    Screenplay 6/10
    Technical 7/10
  91. PenetratorGod
    Feb 14, 2023
    3
    I've never been a fan of the Half-Life series, it's probably one of the most overrated game series in the world. The reason I don't like Black Mesa is the horrible level design. The game doesn't guide the player in any way and acts as if you've played the game before. I lost what little interest I had in the story within the first few hours with these terrible gameplay mechanics. II've never been a fan of the Half-Life series, it's probably one of the most overrated game series in the world. The reason I don't like Black Mesa is the horrible level design. The game doesn't guide the player in any way and acts as if you've played the game before. I lost what little interest I had in the story within the first few hours with these terrible gameplay mechanics. I definitely do not recommend it to anyone who is not a fan of this series. If you are curious about the story, watch a video on Youtube.… Expand
  92. KangarooKurt
    Jan 6, 2022
    10
    Hard to even contemplate how much work went into this game, based on all the detail and long, long gameplay. What an absolute treat to play this if you liked or loved Halflife!
  93. CoolDadTx
    Dec 22, 2021
    5
    It has been decades since I played the original HL so it is hard to remember how much of Black Mesa is true to the original and how much is extra. It is also limited by the Source engine it is using so some issues may be tied to either of these but overall I think I'd rather play the original with updated HD graphics. I do admire and give credit for the team building this game out. It isIt has been decades since I played the original HL so it is hard to remember how much of Black Mesa is true to the original and how much is extra. It is also limited by the Source engine it is using so some issues may be tied to either of these but overall I think I'd rather play the original with updated HD graphics. I do admire and give credit for the team building this game out. It is truly impressive but if this were a generic, non-HL game my complaints would be the same.

    The biggest complaint i have is that the chapters are really, really long. I don't remember them being anywhere near this long in the original and honestly almost every level overstays its welcome about halfway through. Whole sections are devoid of anything so it really just seems like a slog to get through.

    The second issue I have is the updated Xen and later areas. They are just so different than any of the previous levels and honestly just don't seem to fit the HL flow to me. They are really, really long as well and the jumping sections are just bad. The original Xen level was bad too but I don't think this version is an upgrade. I really couldn't wait for it to end and then...the next set of levels are the same.

    Another issue I had was the finicky jumping. If you happen to jump while near something then you tended to bounce off in a random direction. Could be a bug or could be by design. I personally disliked the jumping sections altogether. The original had jumping too so I expected some of this but this just seems off.

    I also don't understand why bringing up the menu provides a quick link to save which you can click that then takes you to the save screen where you have to click save again and then confirm that you want to overwrite the save that you just clicked to save twice already.

    Overall I think this was a well done port but as for gameplay and mechanics I think it is mediocre. Again, I cannot remember all the parts of the original HL to know what was added and what wasn't but it just seemed overly extended rather than short and sweet.    … Expand
  94. 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.
  95. 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.
  96. 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
  97. Ogurechka
    May 29, 2023
    6
    Nice graphical improvement of the original game. But, unfortunately, this is still the same first Half-Life, with all its outdated mechanics
  98. Tomle1202
    Sep 25, 2022
    8
    Black Mesa is absolutely the best way to relive the original Half-Life experience.
  99. RoqueNE
    Aug 14, 2023
    10
    Knowing what nowadays is considered tripple-A, this game would deserve quintuple-A. A masterfully forged love letter to one of the best games of all time, expanded so incredibly far that it partially surpasses even the sequel to the original. Especially the new Xen levels are so extensive and so filled with new ideas and gameplay mechanics that this game easily deserves a place among theKnowing what nowadays is considered tripple-A, this game would deserve quintuple-A. A masterfully forged love letter to one of the best games of all time, expanded so incredibly far that it partially surpasses even the sequel to the original. Especially the new Xen levels are so extensive and so filled with new ideas and gameplay mechanics that this game easily deserves a place among the greatest of all time.… Expand
  100. 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.
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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

All reviews »
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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