100 Half-Life 1 Mods: page 8

Castle Creep

In Castle Creep, you play a secret agent named Gordon Freeman, who is tasked with eliminating a wealthy businessman named Edward Marsden. The latter bought the Von Creep castle a year ago and turned it into a private fort, from where he controls illegal operations. It is also rumored that they are conducting genetic experiments in the castle in which humans and animals are forcibly mutated into monsters. The story sounds pretty interesting, and you can read more about it in the archive file Mission.txt.

The venues consist of castle architecture, which quite roughly transitions into more modern laboratories. The size of all things stands out a lot, as it looks like a giant lives in the castle. Most of the castle venues are made very simple without any details. The corridors and the rooms are mostly empty, but if there is anything in them, it's usually a small number of objects. On the other hand, the laboratories are the complete opposite, and nicely combine good layout of the elements with variable wall textures. The levels are fairly non-linear, as you can often choose your path to the destination, and sometimes you have to back track. The puzzles are pretty nice and not limited to only pushing buttons, sometimes you also have to overcome some obstacles by jumping or intensively using your brain. You can also get stuck in a few places, so save regularly. In map 4 it's advisable not to move too far from the bomb, as the transition might not be triggered correctly.

As you wander through the castle, you will be attacked by both soldiers and mutated monsters, which are actually creatures from Xen. The fights can be pretty hard due to the lack of medkits and batteries, but with smart approach you should not have problems with Medium difficulty. In few situations, you can sneak around the enemies to have a better attacking position, and people that like to explore can find some powerful secret weapons. I had mixed feelings about the appearance of the game, due to fluctuations in the build quality, but the impression was slightly corrected by video sequences and scripted events. I finished the mod in about 1 hour of play time.

Fate Reversal

Fate Reversal takes place some time after you (Gordon Freeman) managed to stop the invasion from Xen. When G-Man offered you the choice between certain death and further co-operation, you have chosen the latter. Just before you went into stasis, the process was interrupted and you got teleported to Black Mesa. At first, it seems like you do not have a clear goal, but in later stages the game quite skillfully connects to the other parts of the Half-Life series. The pretty interesting story is uncovered via progression, clever scripted events and also video sequences.

Levels are divided into several different thematic sections. You will be roaming through Black Mesa labs and warehouses, sewage and city streets, and you will also visit more exotic locations, which I will not reveal, because it might spoil your experience. I liked most of the maps very much, because they contain interesting details, have nice lighting and are also architecturally good. New textures and models contribute to a good visual impression, and I also liked how time of day changes during gameplay. The paths forward are mostly opened by activating triggers that are located in side paths, or with access cards. In multiple cases you can also return to the previous section by removing the one way blockade. It's a pity that the author did not integrate more complex puzzles in the game ...

As far as battles are concerned, the beginning is quite rough, because you have only the crowbar to fight against Vortigaunts, and soon after the pistol becomes your only defense against Alien Controllers and soldiers. The initial diversity of opponents is maintained through the entire gaming experience, as you will fight against virtually all creatures from Xen and also the soldier threat, which is backed up by helicopters and aircraft with reinforcements. The action is quite good due to enemy positioning and abundance, with scripted events and battles between different factions further increasing it. The difficulty curve remains quite constant, and although it massively drops near the end, it is quickly corrected. The weapons are limited to those of the original, but it is commendable that some are reskinned. The bullets and the health / batteries amounts are enough to play on Hard, and on this difficulty I finished the game in about 1 hour.

Edge of Darkness

Edge of Darkness takes place after Gordon's successful escape from Black Mesa. After the events he gets enlisted into the Alien Counter-Insurgency Bureau organization, which is trying to protect the Earth against potential new threats from Xen. Your mission is to eliminate the mysterious dr. Smith (G-Man), who tries to take advantage of the portal technology and take over the world with a personal army of Xen monsters. If you have ever seen a spy movie (eg James Bond) or played a game with this subject, then you will quickly familiarize yourself with the story.

The maps are very diverse and contain enough details for the game architecture to be quite visually pleasing. I really liked the parts in which human elements are combined with extraterrestrial ones. Additional visual enrichment of some places is achieved by good color schemes and numerous scripted events. The areas are very well cross-linked, which contributes to non-linearity. The game also contains quite a few traps and time-limited events that, with other challenges, provide a pretty varied experience.

The set of enemies includes both soldiers, as well as female assassins and monsters from Xen, and everything is spiced up by machinegun nests. The positioning of the enemies is very good, so prepare for fierce fights that are made even more difficult with help of scripted surprises. The difficulty curve rises well, so there will be enough action to the end. During play, your enemies also talk to you, which is done through an extremely skillful montage of existing voices. The weapons selection is varied, but taken from the original. There are enough bullets around, and amount of medkits / batteries is just right to play on Hard. On this difficulty you will spend about 1 hour to complete the mod.

Escape

In Escape you are playing a scientist named dr. Jim West, who works in the anomalous materials section of Black Mesa. The day begins with an experiment as usual, but it soon turns into a nightmare when something goes wrong. Half of the Black Mesa research center is destroyed, and creatures from Xen appear everywhere. Your task is to save yourself and your colleagues, but the situation gets complicated when the army gets involved. In the first part, you will mostly fight against the Xen monsters that consist of all kinds of zombies, Headcrabs, Bullsquids and Vortigaunts. The latter stand out in particular because they are not only well placed, but are also surprise you by teleporting at certain events. The second part is dominated by all types of soldiers who are equally well-placed, and have the support of machineguns. Your arsenal is very limited, as you have only a crowbar and a gun in the first part, and only later you get a shotgun, a machine gun and explosives. Ammunition is fairly limited, but it should be enough for Medium difficulty. The same applies to medkits. Note: you can't collect batteries, as you do not wear the H.E.V. suit.

I had mixed feelings about the map design. On the one hand, the maps contain tons of exceptionally simple rooms without details and boring corridors; on the other hand, some sections are extremely detailed, have fantastic lighting and layout of elements. On average, the visuals of the mod do not stand out, but they are slightly improved by some scripted events. Levels are mostly interior maps (among them being also a Blue Shift link), and several times you will also get to the surface. Your path through the game will be mostly linear, although you will find some side paths here and there. Puzzles consist of rare jumping challenges, button pushing, train rides, crawling through vents and driving with lifts. It sounds diverse, but during playing I had the feeling that the tasks repeat themselves.

I spent about 1 hour to finish the mod. I would also like to point out that the ending battle crashes Half-Life if you reload a savegame, so avoid saving.

Escape 2

Escape 2 continues where the predecessor stopped. When you killed the final boss, you were teleported to the unknown. It was unfortunately not your freedom, as you landed deep in Black Mesa again. Unlike the predecessor, this mod doesn't seem to contain any story at all and friendly NPCs are also missing, your task is simply to reach the end. Again, your path will be blocked by numerous opponents who are very well positioned and will provide for the fiercest fights. The first part is again dedicated to Xen monsters, the most common being diverse zombies, Headcrabs and Vortigaunts. The last two types are often teleported to your surroundings at certain events (way too often), so always have a full clip ready :). In the later stages, the soldiers with machinegun support get involved, and near the end you also get to fight special forces and tanks. Factions constantly fight each other, which can be used to save on health (again, you do not have H.E.V.) and bullets. Both of these resources are hardly sufficient on Medium difficulty. The weapon set is fairly limited, and if you want to have the crowbar, you must install the provided patch!

The map design has improved considerably compared to the predecessor - both in terms of architecture, as well as the use of textures and layout of elements. The only level which stands out negatively is a completely dark section in which you must find the way forward while shooting your way through dozens of zombies. Sections are often open, so you can reach the goal by another way. The scripted events that transform the maps have become rarer and increase in numbers just towards the end; however, the amount of visual effects has undergone a significant upgrade, but, unfortunately, this is sometimes results in stuttering. Most of the puzzles from the first game have been cut, as the game practically does not contain them. It is true that you need to find a card or two and go back, press a few buttons, ride a train, and do some tricky jumps, but this is a bit too modest, considering the overall quality of the maps.

I spent about 1 hour to finish the game. Be sure to set the keys before playing!

Gut Reaction

In Gut Reaction, you play Gordon Freeman, which is employed by G-Man to solve a serious situation in the Lambda Complex. One of the reactors in the complex got occupied by beings from Xen, which now use its nuclear energy to spawn additional allies to the facilities. Freeman's task is to shutdown the reactors and spoil the plans Xenians plans. Unfortunately for him, the army still patrols the complex, making this task a difficult one. The story was, in my opinion, quite interesting, and it's gradually uncovered during gameplay. I recommend that you reset the controls before starting the game.

With very rare exceptions, I really liked the design of the levels. Not only because of the details and good color schemes, but also because of scripted events and the connections between maps. In addition to the variety of ways to move between parts of the levels, I also enjoyed alternative paths that give the game the impression of non-linearity. The way forward is often well hidden, and sometimes you will also have to back track. The puzzles are quite interesting, among them you will find jumping challenges, swimming, pushing buttons and more. On important occasions, background music is turned on, and NPC voices are skillfully used.

The enemies represent a selection of the ones found in the original, which includes all human and a large proportion of Xenian opponents. Very good positioning and map design provide for some nice action, which is additionally spiced up by the teleportation of creatures from Xen and soldier break-ins. There are also quite a few fights between the factions that can be used for your advantage. The battles have a fairly high tempo right from the beginning, but they slow down a lot near the end, as they are substituted with other gaming mechanics. The weapon set is fairly limited and contains only the weapons from the original. The amounts of ammunition, medical packages and batteries are just right for YMedium difficulty. On this difficulty you will end the game in a modest 1 hour. It's a shame that it's doesn't last longer ...

Half-Life: Ultimate Attack

In Half-Life: Ultimate Attack you play as David Johnson, a corporal who was sent to Black Mesa along with his comrades with the mission to cover all traces of the incident. The story of the mod is linked to the Half-Life series timeline via the events in the Opposing Force expansion, in which the army is already leaving the complex, because they suffered heavy losses. Soon after the mod begins, you'll see that the army's decision was wise, as the complex is swarming with enemies.

Your life will not only be threatened by the Xen monsters, but also creatures from the mysterious Race X and the military forces. The set of opponents is very varied and includes almost all creatures from Xen, three monsters from Race X and, of course, soldiers. These factions are constantly fighting with each other, and these battles will be regularly joined by your allies - the special units. The high number of enemies is the main reason for pretty hard fights, but there are also a lot of ambushes and scripted surprises that keep the difficulty high. You weaponry is extremely limited, as you only have the revolver, the shotgun, the machine gun and explosives, and only in the later stages you can pick up the Shock Roach. Despite tough fights, the mod is not very generous with first aid and batteries, but the quantities should be enough to complete the game on the Medium difficulty.

Because the game happens in Black Mesa, the maps bear some resemblance with the original, but they are unique enough. The visual impression is pretty good, but it would be difficult to say that the game stands out from the average by a lot. The maps are otherwise colorful enough, well lit and have quite a lot of detail. Especially commendable is the variety of environments, as you will walk through warehouses, laboratories, tunnels, exterior and even Xen, but it's really unfortunate that your way through them is completely linear. With the exception of rare side paths with treats, you can forget about exploration. Additionally, the set of puzzles is extremely modest and consists out of button pressing and rare jumping challenges, everything else is not worth mentioning. You will need around 1 hour of play time to complete the game.

Smart Decoy

In Smart Decoy, you are playing a pilot named J. Freeman, who wants to visit the Atlanta Research Laboratories located in the Hudson Ditch in the Atlantic Ocean. During your journey to the destination, soldiers invade the research center and take control. Their goal is a mysterious machine hidden in the heart of laboratories, which seems to be of great interest for Mr Smith. At the arrival of both submarines to the docks, one of the submarines crews is massacred, and you seem to be next ... The survival instinct would definitely dictate that you should turn back and escape, but some strange force pulls you towards this mysterious machine. The story is definitely not a strong part of this modification, but I was very fond of intro sequence introducing it.

The level design, on the other hand, is excellent. The level parts are perfectly intertwined, many have alternate paths leading to them, which means that the game is extremely non-linear. Nice architecture with a great choice of lightning can sometimes create a very good visual impression. The puzzles are rare and mostly limited to using switches/buttons that trigger a mechanism and enable you to advance. There are also some very good scripted events.

During gameplay you will be attacked by all sorts of soldiers, machineguns, and in one of the levels also female assassins. The Xen monsters are also present, and within their ranks Vortigaunts and Alien Grunts stand out the most. Since enemy positioning is excellent and there are also numerous scripted surprises, you can expect nice battles full of action. Fortunately, ammunition and healing packages are plentiful, so I recommend that you play on Hard. A big weakness of the game is it's length, because I spent only 1 hour playing it.

Instinct

Instinct takes place immediately after Gordon Freeman (you) chose certain death. To his great fortune a defect occurred in the teleporter, and he got teleported straight back to Black Mesa. Unfortunately, things took a turn to the worse here. Due to Nihilanth's death, the remaining creatures from Xen migrated to Earth, the soldiers are still not planning to get out, and in about 12 hours the whole complex will be turned to dust. Will you be able to escape? You can read the whole interesting introduction in the Readme.txt file.

I liked the architecture of the maps because of the various details and loved the parts in which human and Xen elements mix as it's done very good. Parts of maps are perfectly connected, and can often be accessed by several alternative routes, which allow a tactical approach to solving the situation. Non-linearity is also enhanced by side paths and secrets which contain many goodies. There are no real puzzles in the game, but there are many jumping challenges, which later become even more entertaining because of the use of the long jump module.

During your path through Black Mesa you will encounter both Xenian opponents as well as soldiers. In the first group, practically all the monsters from the original are found. Most memorable are the Headcrabs, which are unfortunately too numerous, and negatively impact the experience. A wide range of army troops with machine guns and shotguns are complemented by static machineguns which are either automatic or controlled by humans. Opponent positioning is excellent and is responsible for very good fights, additionally, there are also some situations in which different factions are fighting for survival. Weapon set is a limited selection from the original, and the ammo for the firearms is ample. Often, you can also take advantage of explosive barrels, which are quite densely placed in the surroundings. The mod is more conservative in regards to medical packages and batteries, but you will probably have no problems completing it on Medium.

The visuals of the game raise mixed feelings. On the one hand, the maps are attractive because of good architecture and gameplay is enriched by  interesting scripted events, but on the other hand everything is simply too gray. However, it should be acknowledged that the colorful elements provide for excellent contrast in some areas. There is no background music, but I really liked the background sounds, which create a very good ambience. The end of the game is never triggered, since you can still play after killing Gonarch, even if there is nothing more to do. I spent about 1 hour to finish the mod.

Mistake -1

Mistake -1 is a survival modification in the style of the Silent Hill series. The sign -1 means that it is taking place before its predecessor with the same name, and both take place in the Andrew Parker's asylum. You play Steve Rick, one of the former employees who became one of the patients in a series of unfortunate events. You uncover the story through gameplay by reading messages and your thoughts, as well as through video sequences. The story seemed extremely interesting to me, but I wish it would be more detailed. I would definitely want to know more about the Steve's of the past and also about other patients in the madhouse.

Most of the game takes place in a dark and decaying madhouse, which is quite surrealistic in terms of placed elements. There are tons of boxes everywhere, which are all without exception empty, the doors and passages are often barricaded, protected by a lock or numeric code. Wood and metal plates lie on the floor, chains are hanging from the ceilings, and some passages are blocked with parts of furniture. While playing, the appearance of the maps changes constantly and often turns into a thrilling imaginative world in which you are even more vulnerable. There is some backtracking, and in some cases you will also need to find a very well hidden way forward. In addition to finding keys and codes, you'll need to find certain items to advance. In your search you will be aided by tips that are scattered through the maps. Part of the puzzles are also jumping challenges, which can be quite annoying, as some of them require of you to do a running crouch jump, which is not so easy.

As usual for horror video games, the enemies are rare. Their positioning is fantastic and will provide for several jump scares. In some cases, enemies will also appear from nowhere, so be always prepared. In addition to several types of zombies, you will also be attacked by acid sprayers and hybrids between spiders and babies, who have genetic material probably borrowed from Headcrabs and are a very good substitute for them. There are also some boss opponents present. The weapon set is very modest, because you have only a butcher knife and a gun, but you also get a shotgun near the end. At the first glance, the amount of bullets is scarce, but you will quickly discover that they are too numerous for the default difficulty (you can't change it). Opponents are very sensitive to headshots, so you can quickly eliminate them. Also, the health pills are too numerous, and the same applies to portable medkits.

The appearance of the modification is quite appealing, not only because of the textures used, but also because of the graphic effects (flashlight, bump mapped surfaces), which require some tricks with the Steam* version. In addition to its appearance, a skillfully chosen background music is also contributing to the good atmosphere. It's a pity that the modification is so short, as I only spent a little less than one hour to complete it.

* From the sdk folder, you will need to copy the opengl32.dll file into the Half-Life root folder. You will then need to set the file to Read-only mode, disconnect from the Internet, and restart Steam. When you want to play online, you need to delete the opengl32.dll file from the root folder, otherwise you might get a VAC ban!