Half-Life: Blue Shift

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 739 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 508 out of 739
  2. Mixed: 186 out of 739
  3. Negative: 45 out of 739
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. ScottS.
    Dec 30, 2007
    6
    You can't go wrong with half-life, yet blue shift does kinda leave you hanging with a short gameplay. But it does have its advanteges, the enhance pack and opposing force+opposing force capture the flag. who know barney calhoun, such a minor roll in half life 1, could play such a big roll in half life 2?
  2. CRL
    Jul 25, 2011
    6
    There are several things that kill Blue Shift. There's the shortness of the game itself. There's the fact that there are less weapons than in the original game. There's no boss fight at the end. There's really no climax of any kind (even though the story is a little interesting). However it is enjoyable for the brief time you'll spend playing it, and it gives a solid third side to theThere are several things that kill Blue Shift. There's the shortness of the game itself. There's the fact that there are less weapons than in the original game. There's no boss fight at the end. There's really no climax of any kind (even though the story is a little interesting). However it is enjoyable for the brief time you'll spend playing it, and it gives a solid third side to the Half-Life storyline, which is why it still deserves a 6.… Expand
  3. TAMPjackoon
    Oct 6, 2011
    6
    Now I love all the Half-Life games, it's really my favorite game franchise, and that's really saying something. But this one didn't cut it for me, unlike HL:OF, there are no new weapons or enemies (even though this was released later) and while it is still like HL1, the puzzles are no longer fun, the gameplay hasn't changed much, but it's kind of a grind, you wanna play it just for theNow I love all the Half-Life games, it's really my favorite game franchise, and that's really saying something. But this one didn't cut it for me, unlike HL:OF, there are no new weapons or enemies (even though this was released later) and while it is still like HL1, the puzzles are no longer fun, the gameplay hasn't changed much, but it's kind of a grind, you wanna play it just for the sake of being a fan. I wouldn't say it's worth it, sorry.… Expand
  4. Onlyclassicvg1
    Jun 24, 2020
    7
    En este juego nuevamente viviremos el accidente de Gordon Freeman, pero con la diferencia de que esta vez no seremos el héroe (Half-Life) ni el villano involuntario (Opposing Force), sino que estaremos justo en el centro de ambos bandos. El juego nos convierte en Barney Calhoun, uno de los muchos guardias de seguridad de Black Mesa, quien vive al mismo tiempo que Gordon Freeman elEn este juego nuevamente viviremos el accidente de Gordon Freeman, pero con la diferencia de que esta vez no seremos el héroe (Half-Life) ni el villano involuntario (Opposing Force), sino que estaremos justo en el centro de ambos bandos. El juego nos convierte en Barney Calhoun, uno de los muchos guardias de seguridad de Black Mesa, quien vive al mismo tiempo que Gordon Freeman el incidente de Black Mesa, pero en otros momentos y lugares .… Expand
  5. Alone_Boy_
    Sep 24, 2020
    6
    Half-Life: Blue Shift is the weakest part of the Half-Life saga. Unlike Opposing Force, it has no new enemies, no new weapons, -besides a new playable character Barney- almost nothing new at all. Game also has an uninteresting and the weakest story in the series. Gameplay is still fun but that's it. Only play it if you want to complete the series.
  6. CrapFactory
    May 20, 2002
    6
    It definitely doesn't meet the HL standards but it is fun to kill stuff and the HD pack rocks!
  7. ColinP.
    May 9, 2006
    7
    its nice that they made a game that is intergated to half life. but it so short and the story is a littal to happy for my tase. like at the end when they drive of in to the sun seat.
  8. DavidK.
    May 7, 2006
    7
    Game is good but is much shorter than the other two original Half-Life games.
  9. RobR.
    Jun 10, 2007
    7
    All the half life games have a distinct feeling, Shoot em' up, solve a puzzle, stand in awe, shoot em' up, solve a puzzle, repeat, which is great, however, Blue Shift is missing it. Not only is it incredibly short, I felt it to be rather tedious and only played through it because of the connecting story line to half life. The ending also leaves MUCH to be desired. But, it is All the half life games have a distinct feeling, Shoot em' up, solve a puzzle, stand in awe, shoot em' up, solve a puzzle, repeat, which is great, however, Blue Shift is missing it. Not only is it incredibly short, I felt it to be rather tedious and only played through it because of the connecting story line to half life. The ending also leaves MUCH to be desired. But, it is somewhat enjoyable if you play this game before half life, I'm sure you'll enjoy it much more than I did. The multiplayer is also classic half life deathmatch and adds replay value.… Expand
  10. V-Man
    Jun 26, 2007
    7
    This is an average game and because of the fact that it's basically Half Life with a new story, but it's so short therefore making me minus another point. I think this had the potential to be a great game but there wasn't enough new material as all it added was a new story and better models, and if it included a bit more I would rate it better but sadly it didn't.
  11. RichardH
    May 7, 2006
    6
    A rather lacklustre excursion compared to the much superior Opposing Force - nothing terribly exceptional in the way of gameplay. On the plus side, it was a free download thanks to registration through Steam.
  12. KentH.
    Dec 16, 2007
    5
    Unfortunetly, this games reeks of "cash-in". It's way too short, and the severe lack of diversity of weapons is highly disappointing. It did, however, provide some interesting insight into the Half - life story and showed some background of Barney Calhoun. It is merely Half - life, without the weapons, length or charms. It is, in it's own right, a decent game though.
  13. 7h3w@$D
    Feb 4, 2007
    6
    Game is.... ok. Its way too short tho. I beat it in 3 hours. I was really expecting a cool boss fight, like at the end of OpFor and HL1, but no. I also wanted to see if there was a conversation with the gman at the end, like in HL1 and OpFor, but, sadly, no.
  14. T.Det.
    May 10, 2009
    7
    Half-Life: Blue Shift does kick ass, but besides the High Def. Pack and you getting to play a Barney, this game is way too short and is a weak edition to the franchise. I beat the entire game in 1 hour! If your a Half-Life fan like me, you will be pretty disappointed when you get down to it. In the beginning, you are just trying to get out of Black Mesa, and about 1/2 way through, you get Half-Life: Blue Shift does kick ass, but besides the High Def. Pack and you getting to play a Barney, this game is way too short and is a weak edition to the franchise. I beat the entire game in 1 hour! If your a Half-Life fan like me, you will be pretty disappointed when you get down to it. In the beginning, you are just trying to get out of Black Mesa, and about 1/2 way through, you get into the important plot, but it all ends right after it. Bottom line, it is a very weak expansion to the franchise, and it is way too expensive considering how short it is.… Expand
  15. HunterL.
    Aug 16, 2001
    6
    Short, nothing new, but still fun.
  16. PIRANHAg.
    Dec 23, 2003
    7
    Good pack for price... NO NEW WEAPONS AND MONSTERS?????!!!!!!
  17. xZippy
    Mar 28, 2013
    6
    Doesn't come remotely close to Opposing Force, but still worth buying and playing. Blue Shift gives an interesting extra viewpoint in the Half-Life 1 story, but it's not as interesting as the previous expansion. With Opposing Force, you got all these new weapons, characters and enemies that one could call it Half-Life 1.5. This isn't the case with Blue Shift, as the loads of extra contentDoesn't come remotely close to Opposing Force, but still worth buying and playing. Blue Shift gives an interesting extra viewpoint in the Half-Life 1 story, but it's not as interesting as the previous expansion. With Opposing Force, you got all these new weapons, characters and enemies that one could call it Half-Life 1.5. This isn't the case with Blue Shift, as the loads of extra content aren't there anymore. Again though, it's still the worth money and a full playthrough.… Expand
  18. dajhorn
    Nov 28, 2012
    7
    When you've gorged on the other Half-Life games, Blue Shift is like going back to the fridge for leftovers after midnight. It is a good game, but not the place to start.
  19. Klewer
    Nov 15, 2012
    7
    A good expansion which puts you back in to the amazing Half-Life universe. While a little short it is a great experience to be back at Black Mesa experiencing what it has to offer.
  20. eriksonis
    Feb 23, 2013
    6
    This game does not live up to half life standards it is short and boring. No new weapons is presented in this mod. The only good thing is a HD models pack, almost all models are updated. I do recommend this only to hardcore half life fans to look at the black mesa incident from other point of view.
  21. ritardedartkid
    Aug 17, 2014
    7
    Out of the 3 games that make up Half-Life 1 this was my least favorite. It adds nothing new to the story and is easily forgettable. It's not a bad game, it's just not up to par with HL1 and Opposing Force. If you're looking for games to skip in the collection then I'd definitely vote for this one.
  22. MichMart
    Mar 1, 2014
    7
    I think this is the worst Half-Life game. It's very short and the environment has not much to offer (for example a long hallway with little variety). Nevertheless it's somehow a good game for me.
  23. Tomle1202
    Nov 28, 2022
    6
    Blue Shift felt weirdly short and constrained especially after the excellent Opposing Force.
  24. Honestcritic19
    Sep 20, 2014
    7
    A decent expansion to the original half life. Though its the shortest and story wise weakest of the series its still worth getting on a sale if you want more half life.
  25. azeitona
    Dec 10, 2014
    7
    To sum it up...

    PROS: +Nice new graphics and new models +New perspective of the Black Mesa incident +Half Life games are always appealing to me, even when they're not that good CONS: -A little too short for my taste -The recycled gameplay from the last games. At least it didn't have the stupid aliens invented by Gearbox for Opposing Force Should you try it? Yes, but only    To sum it up...

    PROS:

    +Nice new graphics and new models
    +New perspective of the Black Mesa incident
    +Half Life games are always appealing to me, even when they're not that good

    CONS:

    -A little too short for my taste
    -The recycled gameplay from the last games. At least it didn't have the stupid aliens invented by Gearbox for Opposing Force

    Should you try it? Yes, but only if you really liked the original Half Life. If you liked Opposing Force, you will also like Blue Shift, but will find it rather short too.    … Expand
  26. PSPMan3000
    Mar 3, 2020
    6
    I heard this was really bad and like

    yeah? kinda? It's not awful. It's extremely skippable because it's so short and ends with no fanfare. Kinda sad to see such a great premise was done so dirty. I think if this had been 4 hours longer It'd be an 8 instead of this.

    Honestly this got uninstalled after I beat it. No need to ever come back to this.
  27. JustSomeGamer
    Jun 16, 2016
    7
    This was an amazing game............almost two decades ago. Don't expect so much from this game, as it can't really be compared to modern games. It's was revolutionary a long time ago and it set the standard for the fps games for a long time, but in this day and age it is nothing more than a decent game that didn't age very well.....
  28. DreamEaglr
    Apr 8, 2020
    7
    Набор не самых плохих карт для первой части.

    Главный плюс, что у врагов более сбалансированное здоровье, отчего сражаться в разы интереснее. Но в остальном ничего нового.
  29. LordFarquad
    Apr 20, 2020
    6
    Неплохое дополнение к оригинальной игре, но нудно как по мне. Историю закончили, мне понравились пасхалки на Гордона Фримена. А так 6 из 10.
  30. sebastianali
    Nov 2, 2019
    7
    Mientras que me gustan los gráficos algo renovados y la interacción con Rosenberg, el juego es mas de lo mismo y encima es mas corto, ademas de tener algunos glitches del Half Life original. Puede decepcionarte, pero eso no quiere decir que no te divierta!
  31. Babutto
    Feb 13, 2023
    6
    As part of HL lore Blue shift is very important to play. But apart from the original it is rather inferior. Even to Opposing Force. The game is too quick - back in a day it felt quick for the teenage me. Now, with all modern fast pace games the game is being finished super fast. There are visible issues of the level design and gameplay. For example, you rarely interact with anyone exceptAs part of HL lore Blue shift is very important to play. But apart from the original it is rather inferior. Even to Opposing Force. The game is too quick - back in a day it felt quick for the teenage me. Now, with all modern fast pace games the game is being finished super fast. There are visible issues of the level design and gameplay. For example, you rarely interact with anyone except Rosenberg. No new guns or at least something from the previous expansion which would make them more integrated between each other (there is just one time the marines point Shepard, and one Xen location where you can teleport as Shepard using your portal gun). Also, the armor situation looked curious (cannot use H.E.V.) but could be made in a more elegant way (like in Opposing Force metal military boxes which are closed in HL but some are opened and are actually charging stations). So, even back when it was released I didn't score it high. Apart from introduction and ending it was quite a shocking disappointment after marvelous Opposing Force.
    However, these are points from the 2023's and experienced view. I'll talk more about the recent version of it.

    Pros.:
    - As usual - some uplifting of the textures, models, sounds, etc.
    - The game runs quite smooth.
    - Less clanky animation than in Opposing Force.

    Cons.:
    - There were a couple of glitches.
    - The game is too short even for an expansion.    … Expand
  32. Cat_Anarchist
    Jul 26, 2020
    7
    Quite a worthy addon, though much shorter compared to Opposing Force. But at least game will not you get tired.
  33. trifonas
    Dec 9, 2020
    7
    idk, i kinda dislike Barney, made fun of him throughout Half Life 2, but this is a nice little game. Especially for those who don't want Half Life to end.
  34. 2I2l1a
    May 2, 2022
    7
    We're back in the Black Mesa compound yet again for the second "official" expansion for 1998's groundbreaking first-person shooter "Half-Life." Take the role of security guard Barney Calhoun who, like Gordon Freeman, is given the task of wiping out every nasty extraterrestrial or misled soldier who crosses his path. (Also includes the first HL expansion pack
  35. TEG_17
    May 15, 2022
    7
    Короткая история про одного из охранников "Black mesa", проходится буквально за часа 3. Все тоже самое что и в оригинале, изменений похоже вообще никаких нету. Зато не было замечено багов с застреваниями, в отличии от основной игры и первого дополнения.Короткая история про одного из охранников "Black mesa", проходится буквально за часа 3. Все тоже самое что и в оригинале, изменений похоже вообще никаких нету. Зато не было замечено багов с застреваниями, в отличии от основной игры и первого дополнения.
  36. Ali129
    May 24, 2021
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Half-Life'ı ve Half-Life'ın ilk eklentisi Opposing Force'u keyifle oynamış biri olarak söyleyebilirim ki; Half-Life: Blue Shift tam anlamıyla bir hayal kırıklığı. Opposing Force'u çok keyif alarak bitirdikten sonra hemen bu eklentiyi de oynamak istedim fakat hevesim kursağımda kaldı. Bu eklenti oyuna kısa ve sıkıcı bir hikaye eklemekten başka hiçbir şey yapmıyor. Hiçbir şey yapmadığı gibi önceki eklentide oyuna eklenen yeni silah ve düşman çeşitlerini kaldırıyor, hatta Half-Life'ta bulunan bazı küçük yaratıkları silah olarak kullanma özelliği bile çıkarılmış. Hikayeden kısaca bahsetmek gerekirse; Black Mesa'da güvenlik görevlisi olarak çalışan Barney Calhoun her zamanki gibi işe gelir ve göreve koyulur. Her şey sıradan ilerlerken Black Mesa faciası gerçekleşir ve Barney diğer güvenlik görevlileri ve bilim adamları gibi Black Mesa'da mahsur kalır. Kaçmak için uzaylılarla savaşan Barney'nin önündeki engellerden biri de Black Mesa'ya oradaki tüm görgü tanıklarını ortadan kaldırmaya gelen HECU askerleridir. Barney kaçmaya çalışırken rastladığı bir bilim adamı, onu buradan ancak Dr. Rosenberg'ün çıkarabileceğini ve onu bulması gerektiğini söyler. Çok geçmeden Barney, Rosenberg'ü bulur. Rosenberg, Barney'ye onları dışarı ışınlayabilecek bir makinenin olduğunu ve eğer bu makineyi çalıştırabilecek malzemeleri bulabilirlerse kurtulabileceklerini söyler. Barney gerekli malzemeleri bulur ve Rosenberg makineyi çalıştırır. Açılan portala önce Rosenberg sonra da Barney girer. Ardından Barney kendini Black Mesa'nın dışında Rosenberg ve diğer iki bilim adamının yanında bulur. Ancak Barney birden Xen gezegenine ışınlanır. Xen gezegeninde biraz yürüdükten sonra tekrar Rosenberg'ün yanına ışınlanır ve hikaye bu şekilde biter. Hikaye Half-Life ve Opposing Force'ta da detaylı değildi ancak Blue Shift'in hikayesi bana tamamı ile baştan savma geldi. Ayrıca Opposing Force'ta geliştirilen hikaye sunumu bu oyunda yerini tekrar zayıf ve özensiz hikaye sunumuna bırakmış. Half-Life ve Opposing Force'un aksine Blue Shift'te G-Man yalnızca 1-2 defa görünüyor ve hikayeye hiçbir etkisi bulunmuyor, ayrıca yine Half-Life ve Opposing Force'un aksine Blue Shift'te bölüm sonu canavarı yok. En azından hikayenin sonunda bölüm sonu canavarı ile karşılaşsak güzel olabilirdi fakat maalesef oyuna koyulmamış. Oynanış kısmında daha önce de bahsettiğim gibi silah ve düşman çeşitliliği azaltılmış. Half-Life'ta ve Opposing Force'ta bulunan özel eğitimli infazcılar bu eklentide kaldırılmış, Opposing Force'ta bulunan yeni uzaylı düşman çeşitleri de Blue Shift'te bulunmuyor. Eklenti boyunca yalnızca birkaç çeşit uzaylı ve HECU askerleri ile savaşıyoruz, bu da tahmin edilebileceği üzere bir yerden sonra çok sıkıcı oluyor çünkü çeşitlilik yok. Silah çeşitliliği konusunda da önceden söylediğim gibi eksiklikler var, Opposing Force'ta bulunan ağır makineli tüfek, portal atan silah ve keskin nişancı tüfeği bu eklentide bulunmuyor. Hem Half-Life hem de Opposing Force'ta bulunan uzaylı ve enerji silahları da bu eklentide yok. Ancak Half-Life'ta bulunup Opposing Force'ta olmayan altıpatlar Blue Shift'e eklenmiş. Bölüm tasarımı olarak Blue Shift kendini zaman zaman tekrar ediyor, ancak güzel tasarlanmış bölümler de var. Half-Life'ta bulunan ve oynarken çok sıkıldığım, oynanışı yavaşlatan dizaynı ile kötü tasarlanmış platformdan platforma zıplama kısımlarının bulunduğu Xen gezegeninde geçen bir bölüm Blue Shift'te de bulunuyor, neyse ki çok uzun değil ve beni oyundan soğutmadı. Yani bölüm tasarımı ne iyi ne de kötü denilebilir, ortalama düzeyde. Grafiksel olarak bir iyileştirme yapılmamış, performans konusunda ise Half-Life ve Opposing Force'ta olduğu gibi Blue Shift de oldukça stabil. Oyunu oynarken bir hata ile karşılaştım, oyunun sonunda Rosenberg'ün yanından Xen gezegenine ışınlandığımda oyunu kayıt etmek istedim fakat oyun çöktü, tekrar tekrar kayıt etmeyi denememe rağmen her defasında oyun çökmeye devam etti. O bölüm çok kısa sürdüğü için bu hata bana büyük bir problem yaşatmadı ancak 20 senelik bir eklentide bu hatanın çoktan düzeltilmesi gerekirdi. Eklentinin oynanış süresinin çok kısa olduğunu da belirteyim, yaklaşık 1.5 saatte bitirilmesi mümkün, hatta internette 1 saatte bitirenler bile var. Bunun bir eklenti olduğunun farkındayım fakat 1.5 saat çok kısa bir süre, en azından 3-4 saat olmalıydı diye düşünüyorum. Half-Life: Blue Shift kısa oynanış süresi, çeşitli olmayan ve sıkıcı oynanışı ile benim için başarısız bir eklenti.… Expand
  37. Richard_dias
    Aug 14, 2023
    7
    Pretty good side content for Half-Life, and I liked when I played it. I really whink is a must if you liked the OG Half-Life.
  38. SadenRedTT63
    May 20, 2021
    6
    Gearbox could have done a lot more with blue shift but instead they just made a very short and boring experience. Blue shift can be ignored easily and there's nothing fascinating about it. it is just a little journey in the Half-Life world about barney's past. the weird thing is that they did nothing with his character he was just another Gordon freeman like Shepperd.
  39. bruhman54
    Aug 2, 2021
    7
    Its good. It didnt expand on a lot like opposing forces and was just a bit of more Half life I guess. It was short and sweet and the ending was a lot more satisfying than opposing forces I can say that much.
  40. m3ny0
    Oct 14, 2022
    6
    Em Blue Shift você está na pele de um dos guardas de segurança da Black Mesa e sua tarefa é proteger os cientistas dos perigos que andam pelo lugar. É um jogo curto, bem curto aliás, e eu não me recordo de ter um chefe final. Acho que o objetivo aqui é mais explorar o ambiente fora do radar do personagem principal do jogo original e descobrir um pouco mais do que se passou com os outrosEm Blue Shift você está na pele de um dos guardas de segurança da Black Mesa e sua tarefa é proteger os cientistas dos perigos que andam pelo lugar. É um jogo curto, bem curto aliás, e eu não me recordo de ter um chefe final. Acho que o objetivo aqui é mais explorar o ambiente fora do radar do personagem principal do jogo original e descobrir um pouco mais do que se passou com os outros personagens.… Expand
  41. Mastereed
    Dec 27, 2022
    6
    THE FOUNDATION OF GAMES

    REVIEW 3 of 3. This is a mini review of the Half-Life expansion, Blue Shift. In the game, the player impersonates security officer Barney Calhoun, who, like Freeman, finds himself in the midst of an apocalypse shortly after the start of a normal workday. This expansion delves into the history of the incident and the minds working on the Black Mesa facility    THE FOUNDATION OF GAMES

    REVIEW 3 of 3.

    This is a mini review of the Half-Life expansion, Blue Shift.

    In the game, the player impersonates security officer Barney Calhoun, who, like Freeman, finds himself in the midst of an apocalypse shortly after the start of a normal workday. This expansion delves into the history of the incident and the minds working on the Black Mesa facility project. Unfortunately, however, the expansion lapses into triviality, telling little to no interesting stories and reconnecting the game to the expansion in a very dull and dodgy way. Also on a gameplay level it lasts significantly less than the previous expansion and does not add any innovative mechanics or diversified weapons compared to the original campaign. A mediocre expansion overall, which, however, evaluated for the price is not insufficient.
    _    … Expand
  42. threeoftendie
    Feb 5, 2023
    7
    Это одна из первых игр моего детства. И, несмотря на возраст и недостатки, о которых я сейчас узнаю от других, она не кажется мне плохой

Awards & Rankings

96
#96 Best PC Game of 2001
3
#3 Most Discussed PC Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Gamer's Pulse
    80
    A nice return to a classic game scenario, but is far too short and fails to bring anything new to the series. While playing Blue Shift was fun, I would compare the experience to eating Chinese food. No sooner had I finished, than I wanted more.
    Read full review
  2. Yahoo!
    60
    As it stands, it's almost in the realm of the type of content you expect to freely download.
    Read full review
  3. Happy Puppy
    80
    Just know that you're in for a short ride that will leave you yearning for a full-fledged sequel.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »