100 Half-Life 1 Mods: page 3

Half-Life: Black Guard

In Half-Life: Black Guard, you play a security guard named B. Brad, who works in Black Mesa. The events in the mod are pretty nicely intertwined with the ones from the original, where the failed experiment caused the Black Mesa incident. The game attempts to familiarize you with the story via video sequences, scripted events, subtitles and speech cut from various sources. Although all the techniques used look promising, I have had difficulty following the story. Video sequences and scripted events were annoying because they take control of your character and lock you in a area via invisible walls, the subtitles are written in hard-to-understand broken English, and listening to NPCs is often difficult due to loud background music that can not be made quieter. I'm not quite sure where the Intro (Hazard Course) series of maps fits into the timeline, but it certainly looked as some kind of a pre-employment simulation.

The level designs are clearly inspired by the original, but most maps are unique enough, to avoid the feeling that you are playing something already seen. The maps are very good in terms of architecture and have numerous details, and they also have commendable complexity. There are giant branches in the road in some places, which give the impression of non-linearity, and there are also some secrets. The branches are not optional, but mandatory, because you will have to perform an action in them, or pick up an access card. Additionally, one of the branches also contains the way forward. This decision is poorly thought out, because if you choose wrongly in the beginning, you will need to return to the previous branch, and then go all the way back to the second branch. An additional poor design choice are also duplicate sections. In addition to the aforementioned puzzles, you will also find some that require pure luck to be solved, puzzles in which you will use explosives, do hard jumps, enter codes given by announcer via the keypad, guide NPCs for absurd lengths, and I could go on and on.

As far as fighting is concerned, the game very quickly switches to a higher gear. Very soon after a very peaceful start, hordes of Headcrabs, zombies and mutant dogs will start attacking you, and soon after this their ranks will be joined by other Xen monsters, soldiers and female assassins. The opponents are largely unchanged from the original, the exception being zombies that release Headcrabs when they die, and a more durable form of zombies called Gonome. In addition to good positioning and regular scripting surprises, the main trump card of the enemies is their abundance, as you will be mostly attacked by at least two enemies at once. Difficulty is fairly constant and rather high, but your battles are made easier by a varied weaponry with plenty of ammunition, and a wide range of medical packages and armor (batteries can't be used). Although some parts are quite difficult, I could finish the game on the Hard difficulty, as the amounts of goodies were high enough.

The visuals of the game are excellent due to the already mentioned good geometry, color schemes and lighting, and the good impression is further strengthened by high resolution models of NPCs and weapons. Parallel events will give you a feeling that something is constantly going on in the complex, but the authors overdid the amount of them. Continuous earthquakes in certain sections got on my nerves, and I got tired of constant blathering of the announcer, which reduced my concentration in the fights. The nice visuals are quite taxing, as they cause stutter in certain places, but fortunately such moments are rare. I needed around 3 hours to complete the game, and I used more than 20 minutes of this time for the Intro section.

Issues

Issues or Project Quantum Leap 2 is a compilation of maps of various authors that are grouped over a single common theme: find a scientist who got lost during a teleportation. Gameplay is done by entering one of the teleporters in the connecting hub, and then fight your way through to the exit teleporter, which again leads to the hub.

If several different author work independently it will most certainly result in fluctuating quality. No exceptions here. On one side we have excellent maps (eg Subzone, Badass, Legacy, Lost time) that are looking nice, are quite long, non-linear, well balanced, have challenging fights and jump challenges, and also contain secrets. On the other hand, we have very average or even unfinished maps (Casa, Base, Xenpit) that are short, not appealing architecturally, exploration barely makes sense. It is a pity that the authors did not adapt a minimum quality standard, and then helped each other to reach it.

The set of enemies and weapons depends on the map, but both (with the exception of the second part of Lost Time) are limited to what is found in the original.

There is not much to discuss about the looks, as the custom models are only present in Lost Time, but the difference in aesthetics between the excellent and the average maps is quite high. The background music is turned on here and there, and a some maps have custom speech. To complete the package, I needed approximately 3 hours on the Medium difficulty.

Life's End

In Life's End, you play a scientist named Luther Johnson, who works in the mathematics department of Black Mesa. You arrive for work a few minutes before the alien invasion, but unfortunately, you are late again. Your superior, Dr. Omstein, is fed up with your incompetence and fires you at the spot. But at that moment everything goes wrong ... The story takes place in parallel with the original incident, but in another part of the laboratory complex. I liked both, the dialogues between you and other characters, and notes, which give you some insights into past and present happenings in Black Mesa.

The map architecture is not bad, but it is commendable that it keeps improving considerably during your journey to the end. There is also a lot of non-linearity. I loved the flooded parts of the maps and the parts with lava / radioactive materials, and the fantastic map with the Xen laboratory hybrid. During gameplay you will also sometimes hallucinate due to different chemicals, and the maps reflect this. Although the idea is interesting, it just didn't work for me - the same goes for some other mini-games. I was also disappointed with the weird ending and with some maps that simply did not fit into the package because of the poor quality. The way forward is very often prevented with mechanical and electronic locks, for which you have to find keys or keycards. These items can be sometimes found in very unusual places, but players who love exploring, will have no problems finding them. Much more work will have to be put into finding some very well hidden paths forward. One of the common puzzles is also to search for giant batteries, which you can then use to start certain machines.

The set of enemies is very varied and includes both soldiers and almost all Xen creatures. The fights with the opponents are very good, not only because of their good positioning, but also because of their numbers. Sometimes the factions are slaughtering each other, which gives you the opportunity to skillfully avoid confrontation, and carry out your task without fighting. The action level increases very well with your advancement towards the end, but it has some problematic moments. Due to specific animations of some models, it is advisable to turn off HD Pack, but if you don't mind a few graphic inconveniences, you will be able to finish the game with it turned on. Despite many surprises, there are enough health packs and ammunition to get your through the game on Medium difficulty without significant problems.

The visuals of the game are solid, and sometimes very appealing. I was impressed the most by many good scripted events and by demonstration of the destruction caused by the Black Mesa incident. Certain moments will also be memorable because of well chosen background music. There is also some humor in the game. I needed about 3 hours to complete the game. Playing mostly went smoothly; I just had to turn on the Software video mode in the le24 map because the game kept freezing in the OpenGL rendering mode.

Focalpoint

Focalpoint takes place several hours after Adrian Shephard and his squad crashed in an unknown location. The army headquarters quickly assembled a rescue team to search for survivors, and at the same time find out why the Osprey crashed. Unfortunately, the plan fails when alien vessels emerge from nowhere, destroy your plane and kill your squad. The story was very interesting to me, and it is told through scripted events and conversations with NPCs.

The map design is great and really deserves praise. Not only because of the excellent and varied architecture, which is full of details and cleverly placed elements, but also because of the connections between the maps. During the game you will encounter many divergences that either represent alternative paths to the goal, or are parts of the paths that will be unlocked later. Backtracking is not problematic by itself, but it is ruined in this mod by the excessive use of lifts. The latter are extremely buggy in the original and nothing improved in this mod. I got crushed and glued to the ground several times during the play-through, and had severe problems with doors not opening. I was thus stuck multiple times and couldn't proceed without using the noclip cheat. The puzzles are very interesting and include searching for objects, cards and keys, as well as jumping challenges, searching for hidden paths forward and pressing buttons. The distance between them can be massive, so prepare for long walks.

The choice of enemies in Focalpoint, reflects the fact that you are a soldier. You will be attacked by a limited set of creatures from Xen, and here and there you will have to fight against aliens from the Race X and security guards. The fights are (somewhat surprisingly) a big weak point of this modification. The enemies are set too far apart, which in some cases is clumsily replaced by their abundance. The main problem is also an extremely limited arsenal, which, in addition to the knife, contains only a gun, a revolver, a machine gun and a shotgun, and the amounts of bullets for them are barely enough on Medium difficulty. Since the same holds for medkits and batteries, I spent most of my playthrough without the shield and with a life below 50.

The game inherits the looks from the Half-Life expansion called Opposing Force, which is different enough from the original to offer a fresh experience. The maps are very aesthetic and contain a number of advanced effects, which is unfortunately bad news for the owners of slower computers, as the game can stutter. A great feature of the modification are the extraordinary scripted events which greatly add to the overall atmosphere. You will need about 3 hours to complete the mod, and you will need Opposing Force installed to run it.

Point of View

In Point of View you are playing a Alien Slave extraterrestrial called Xonxt. The story begins at Xen with the invasion of humans, which steal a special high-tech biological weapon called Xen Techno Biologic Sphere or XTBS. It's a floating ball that has a built-in electric attack, and it's obviously quite important to Nihilanth, as Xonxt is trying to get it back no matter what. The story is quite interesting and is narrated through thought bubbles (look at the controls), which are revealed gradually when traveling through Xen and Black Mesa. It was very commendable to me that the authors tried to explain many of the aspects of the original Half-Life in the texts, and in my opinion, they did it well.

Levels are well-made and intertwined with the original game, its expansions and Azure Sheep. It is very interesting that there are various items in the maps which Xonxt cannot pick up, but it gives the illusion that they are being used by NPCs. Xonxt is not just another dumb monster on a human killing spree, because it is able to flip switches, solve puzzles, climb ladders and crawl through ventilation shafts. The enemies are diverse and include both biological and mechanical opponents. In addition to soldiers who are armed with various firearms - including deadly miniguns, your will be challenged by machine guns, tanks and helicopters. It's a shame that the difficulty fluctuates too much, I would prefer for it to gradually increase.

Your primary weapon are the claws, which of course are only useful from close range, and an electric shock that you can charge and trigger by holding right mouse button. The trigger must be performed in a timely manner, otherwise the charge is canceled. The electroshock doesn't only damage enemies (aim in the head for greater effect), but it also heals you. During play, you will be able to collect other biological weapons from the original Half-Life and Azure Sheep, which in some cases are life savers, because the electroshock is not omnipotent.

As far as the visuals is concerned, the the biggest change is the HUD without the crosshair so some training will be needed. The game also includes custom models and sounds that we already know from Azure Sheep. Occasionally music plays in the background. To finish the story, I used around 3 hours on the Medium difficulty.

Poke646

Poke646 is a government organization founded to cover up incidents similar to the disaster in Black Mesa. When scientists intercept signals that the creatures from Xen are once again trying to attack the Earth, they try to close all portals with the help of four giant generators. The plan fails, because the teams have to leave early, and by coincidence, our hero is left back alone in a city full of aliens. You play Damien Reeves, who needs to fight himself trough to the generators and activate them to prevent a new disaster. You discover the interesting story during gameplay by reading your superiors' computer messages.

The design of the levels is exceptional, not only because of the many details, but also because of the different paths to the goal. Your playing time will be split between the streets of Nation City, the sewage, the interior of the buildings, and also a tiny bit of Xen. Routes are often not obvious, so you will have to pay attention to the surroundings. There are some locked doors that you can only open with found keys or by reading security codes. Sometimes you will need to solve a combination of puzzles to advance, and there are also jumping challenges and time-limited trials - none of them are frustrating.

Opponents include a wide range of aliens from Xen, which are later joined by soldiers and machineguns. The placement of them is very good and will provide very intense fights, which are pretty fair. There are also some surprises that are triggered by certain events.

You can confront the enemies with the help of custom weapons, which include two nailguns, a shotgun, a crossbow and a biological acid spitter that is fed with chocolates. Also interesting are explosives that are triggered by your multifunctional clock. You can familiarize with them in the Hazard Course. The ammunition is well taken care of, and the same applies to healing packages. There are no shields.

The visuals of the mod are exceptional due to high quality mapping, lighting, sharp textures and new models. Sounds, custom music, and scripted events also contribute to a good atmosphere. To complete the game I needed around 3 hours on the Medium difficulty.

Sweet Half-Life

In Sweet Half-Life, you play Gordon McGinley, a warehouse keeper at Black Mesa. Your tasks and functions in the complex can be learned in a 10-minute Hazard Course, which already strongly suggests, that the story is interwoven with the events in the original. The latter is later confirmed during gameplay via events taking place in parallel.

The mapping has a very strong Half-Life vibe, but it's original enough and maps are also high quality. I liked the architecture and layout of the elements, also, the diverse parts were nicely integrated into the whole. Many of the puzzles were in my opinion pretty ingenious, and for some problems, you can also use an well hidden, but easier, alternative approach. Paths forward are sometimes well hidden - be on the lookout for buttons you need to shoot. Somewhere in the last third there is even a giant fork in the road that leads to two ends. Unfortunately, somewhere at this part, the modification becomes kind of weird (Xen or Space Ships) and this kills the fantastic atmosphere which has been building from the very beginning. What a pity!

The set of enemies is very varied and, in addition to almost the entire spectrum of Xen monsters, it also includes soldiers, assassins and Grey aliens from Roswell. Fights are not only difficult because of the enemy abundance or positioning, but also because of scripted surprises. But fear not, during your adventure you will often be accompanied by security guards and scientists in H.E.V. suits armed to the teeth. Your (and theirs) arsenal consists of well-known weapons, which are joined by a heavy machine gun, a quick machine gun and a plasma launcher. The bullets are abundant, so do not worry running out of ammo. The situation is more delicate with regard to medical packages and batteries, but on the Medium you really shouldn't have any major problems finishing the game.

The appearance of the game is excellent due to good architecture and colors, but it later gets pretty freaky. The new models are well integrated into the whole package, with the exception of a female scientist who simply doesn't fit in ... I loved the video and scripted sequences, which, in combination with background music, gives the mod almost a movie like touch. There is also a speech in the game, which is not well executed. You will need about 3 hours to complete the mod.

Timeline 3: Heart of Darkness

Timeline 3: Heart of Darkness is the last part in the Timeline series. During hyperspace travel Gordon, G-Man and Barney are captured by the Nazis, who apparently weren't eliminated in previous games. After escaping from prison, you discover that the Third Reich has managed to infiltrate itself into several timelines, which means that you will have to find another solution to this problem. I really liked the story in this part and, in my opinion, it provided a really good ending to the series.

The level design has really impressed me this time. The maps contain a lot of detail and are very well connected with others, also, they are very architecturally diverse due to being in different time periods. A few of them allow a non-linear approach to problem solving, but the large amount of freedom may confuse some players. Some of the passages are very well hidden, so keep your eyes peeled. Many of the doors are limited by access cards (pay attention to green lights next to them), unfortunately, some of them also require large amounts of backtracking.

The set of enemies is very varied, as it includes most of the ones from the original Half-Life. They are very well positioned, and will occasionally surprise you by teleporting. The latter was made less annoying as in previous part, so playing is less stressful. Difficulty curve could be better, as you will barely make it to the end at Medium, on the other hand Easy occasionally does not provide a big enough challenge. There is enough ammo for conventional weaponry, the same goes for healing packages and batteries.

The appearance of the game is good, and occasionally excellent. A number of maps are very well lit, and the impression is further enriched by positioning of objects, scripted events and the occasional background music. I needed about 3 hours to complete the mod.

Black Ops

In the Black Ops mod, you play a special force soldier named Declan Walker, whose task is to find and eliminate a runaway scientist called Dr. Gallagher. The latter has stolen a mysterious suitcase from Black Mesa, which the government wants to recover in every way possible. The story sounds interesting, but it has some faults. It's revealed through comics that strongly resemble those of Max Payne, and there are also a lot of levels and scripted events that players of Max Payne will immediately recognize.

The similarity is not only limited to Max Payne, but also Half-Life 2. Maps are full of detail and very aesthetically made, the paths are often not obvious, and there are some jumping challenges. Occasionally you will encounter a locked door that you will need to unlock with a card, key, or security code. You will be able to get the latter by reading it from a computer or a piece of paper. Some puzzles will also require you to find a missing piece of some device, or explosives to blow up a wall. Enemies are often positioned at different height levels, which can make some situations pretty difficult.

During the game, you will mostly fight against soldiers and turrets, here and there you will be harassed by Headcrabs, zombies, and Alien Slaves. Other Xen creatures are not really newsworthy. With the exception of the silenced pistol, your arsenal has not received any changes, with the exception being removal of biological weapons. There is definitely too much ammunition, and the same applies to healing packages and armor. You can find even more stuff by exploring, as there are a lot of hidden places with goodies in the game.

The visuals are very nice, not only because of detailed maps, but also because of detailed textures (khm, khm, posters don't count :P). The experience is also enriched by scripted events and music that turns on at the right moments. Unfortunately, the comics are cut off at widescreen resolutions. Due to the relatively low difficulty, I recommend that you play on Hard which will provide you with approximately 2 hours and a half of gameplay.

Chemical Existence

Chemical Existence is a modification originally created for Quake 2, but during development the authors shifted to a more modern and powerful GoldSrc engine used in Half-Life. You play Reece Max, who decides to visit his sister living in Motashe city. On arrival, he notices that the city is unusually empty, the only people on the streets are junkies. During the ride, he is ambushed and manages to escape, but the danger is not over yet. The story sounds interesting, but it was really confusing to me.

Modification is certainly a significant shock to someone who is used to the classic Half-Life map packs. The design of the levels is architecturally quite simple, occasionally dark, at times resembling Unreal and Unreal Tournament. Paths forward can be well hidden, so you will have to look through every inch of the darker levels. This can be problematic, since you have no flashlight at the beginning - it's attached to the machine gun (right click), which you get later in the game. There are a lot of scripted events, maybe even too many, because sometimes it seems they were added, just because they could do it, and not because it would contribute to the story. There are also some jumping challenges in which you must pay attention to the stamina bar located at the bottom of the screen.

During gameplay, you will encounter different factions (monsters, soldiers and punks) that are hostile to each other, therefore you will sometimes be able to use their fights to avoid confrontation. AI has serious problems with proper activation, so NPCs will often be inactive and just wait for their heads to be shot off. Active AI is, on the other hand, a very dangerous opponent, especially due to the almost supernatural accuracy and lethality of the weapons used. The arsenal is extremely varied, but because the ammunition is so plentiful and the headshots are so devastating, I mostly used only the machine gun and grenades. Healing is done through chemical cocktails, which can also be collected in the form of injections and stored for later use.

The visuals deserves praise for all the adjustments, but the stages didn't impress me. Excellent custom speech is also present, and sometimes background music plays. Some people will love the complete package, but I simply could not get used to the confusing story and changed mechanics. To complete the game, I spent 2 hours and a half on the Medium difficulty.