Black Mesa: The Best Way to Experience Half-Life

I have a tradition: every summer since 1998, I've sat down and devoted a weekend to playing through all of Half-Life: the original, its expansions Blue Shift and Opposing Force, Half-Life 2, and its two Episodes (along with Portal). When I sit down for my 2013 Half-Life extravaganza, the list will have grown by one: Black Mesa will fit between Half-Life and Half-Life 2. I am a die-hard, so the original will always be my favorite, but Black Mesa is an absolutely valid addition, and a superior way for anybody who missed out when its 1998 technology was still cutting edge, or just wants to experience it again.



Why all this hubbub about a fan-made remake of the original Half-Life on the Half-Life 2 engine? And isn't there already a Half-Life: Source? Well yes, but even though Valve gave it an under-the-hood revamp by directly transferring the original game into Half-Life 2's Source engine in 2004, that pretty much only improved physics and water effects, not the actual graphics. Black Mesa goes much further, and revamps the character models, textures, sound effects, and even level design to a more modern standard. The wait has been extremely long -- this project was first announced in late 2004 -- but absolutely worth it. Nearly a decade and many missed release dates later, Black Mesa was finally released last Friday (most of it, at least).

All Aboard the Black Mesa Transit System

Jumping right in, I found myself aboard a very familiar scene from the original: the Black Mesa transit line. There's an excellent new soundtrack, along with impressive new voice acting to accompany me on my ride through the Black Mesa Research Facility. Looking out the windows, I noticed highly detailed cafes, offices, mining stations, and more -- areas of the facility that never existed in the original, and a far cry from the basic scenery of the 1998 original: hallways, windows, perhaps a ladder and a few crates here and there. My ride throughout the opening sequence left me with goosebumps -- it was everything a fan such as myself could ever ask for in an update like this.


As the tram stopped at my final destination, I was greeted by a voice that sounded remarkably similar to security cop Barney's original voice actor. He let me through the secured doorway, where another security guard greeted me with a comment about cutting off my ponytail. This is a direct reference to the original Half-Life's Gordon Freeman in-game character model, which sported a tiny ponytail that was retconned out when Half-Life 2 was released. Black Mesa is filled with these sorts of in-jokes that were not present in the original, and only the hardcore of fans will likely understand them fully.

They're Waiting for You, Gordon

I found myself once again at the devastating moment that makes Half-Life what it is: the Resonance Cascade, the experiment that triggers the alien invasion. It's a defining moment for the Half-Life series, and the Black Mesa version is much more visually intense than the original thanks to the addition of the Source engine's lighting effects. As the scene shakes back and forth with power and dimensional portals opening everywhere, I couldn't help but feel a little worried at what Black Mesa would throw in my way. Even more, I was apprehensive -- yet cautiously optimistic -- about the mod team's ability to replicate and build on the adrenaline-packed horror of the original.


About three hours in, after I'd conquered the boss fight with the massive tentacle monster and launched a rocket into space, my doubts had gone away. Black Mesa, while sticking so close to the original source material, manages to pull off a fresh new take to Half-Life that reinvigorates my nostalgia. There are a few minor issues I ran into (notably the enemy AI bugging out), but the rest is all there. Regardless, I've never seen the Black Mesa research facility this alive before -- and it's going to be a little more difficult to pick up the original Half-Life here on out.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Some level design choices of the Black Mesa development team are highly noticeable, as some chapters feature areas that are completely reworked (or removed entirely) to make the experience feel more up to par with modern game design. For instance, the eighth chapter, On a Rail, is only a third of the original's length, but I must admit that it makes more sense this way. Instead of riding around pointless tunnels to artificially extend the length, Black Mesa features a more realistically sized rail system that, from the looks of it, is used to deliver cargo to the Black Mesa rocket station.


Even though it's incomplete -- the final areas where Gordon travels to the alien world of Xen have yet to receive their revamp -- what I've played thus far has given me faith that the Black Mesa team will deliver an unforgettable experience, and perhaps even improve upon what's widely thought of as the weakest section of the original.

All of the important moments of the original are here -- my heart continues to pound to the beat of the story, and even though I've memorized every puzzle over the years, I still have a blast completing them. These little details are what make Black Mesa a truly great experience to Half-Life veterans and even newcomers to the series. I absolutely recommend that everyone download this mod -- Black Mesa is the perfect love letter to people like myself who adore the classic, and even brings out the roses and chocolate. It might not completely replace the original experience -- you might say Half-Life will always sound better in vinyl -- but Black Mesa has earned its place in the Half-Life cannon.