100 Half-Life 1 Mods: page 7

Operation: Nova

In Operation: Nova, you play as a cleaner named John Skinner, who works at Black Mesa. You start the day as usual by cleaning a chemical spill, dressed in your H.E.V. suit for safety reasons. Your task quickly turns into a nightmare when the incident in the original Half-Life game occurs and Xen aliens flood the complex. You and your colleague are hiding in the toilets to stay safe until the situation resolves, but then the army storms in, and they are allergic to anyone with the H.E.V. suit. The story is quite interesting, and you discover gradually through conversations with NPCs who have nicely recorded custom speech. I also liked that the story occasionally relates to events from the original.

The levels consist of a mixture of external and internal maps, with the latter being more abundant. The maps have a good architecture with enough detail, and the impression is sometimes improved by a good choice of colors and illumination. Your way to the end is almost completely linear, but the game features many backtracking moments. As the areas are changed when you return (they are transformed or occupied by opponents), the experience is all but boring and I liked it very much. Puzzles are certainly one of the key features of this modification, as they are not only diverse, but they contain also some extremely original ones in the set. This way, you will often have to intensely think about the situation, but fear not, in the toughest of riddles, the game also gives you tips, so pay attention to texts displayed on screen and listen to NPCs.

The enemy types contain a varied mixture of Xenian and human opponents, and everything is spiced up with machine guns and aircraft. Fights are pretty demanding, due to both good opponents' positioning and scripted events. Because there are a lot of goodies and ammunition, I recommend playing on Hard for ultimate fun (and prolonged playing). The weapon selection is very limited. You get the crowbar, pistols and guns, but explosives or more exotic weapons are nowhere to be found. You can also exploit guards to help you with their guns, and you can also mount a static machine gun. It's a pity that the experience is so short. To finish the mod, I only spent around 45 minutes playing it ...

P.I.Z.D.E.C.

I did not discover what exactly the acronym P.I.Z.D.E.C. means, but the vulgar abbreviation will certainly be understandable to most of the Slavic speakers, even if they do not know Russian. The game takes place in Black Mesa in a timeline that is parallel to the one in the original. You play one of the scientists who should be Gordon Freeman judging by how NPCs address you, but on the other hand, Gordon can be seen in the initial section having a conversation with G-Man. Anyway, after a fairly long (and really boring) run through the corridors, numerous riding with lifts and painful waiting for security guards to move their behinds, an incident occurs in which you lose consciousness. When you wake up, laboratories are flooded with enemies, and the only way to survive is to get to the surface.

The maps are exclusively internal and reminiscent of those from the original, but they are sufficiently adapted so that you do not have a feeling of playing the same thing over again. With the exception of a rather tedious introduction, I liked the visual appearance of the maps. Not only because of their pretty good geometry, the layout of the elements and the textures used, but also because of the parallel scripted events that give you the feeling that you are not alone in the complex. I also liked how parts of the maps are connected to each other, because you will frequently be visiting different areas of an section via alternate paths. Often, you will need to use the crowbar to pave your way, activate a terminal, find an access card, crawl through the ventilation, guide NPCs to doors, climb ladders, do crazy jumps, swim, etc. To sum up, I could say that diversity is certainly the trump card of this mod.

The fights are seemingly pushed into the background, because of all the things that you have to do, but the reality is different. At the appropriate difficulty (Hard), you will have quite a hard time fending off a varied mix of opponents consisting of Xen creatures, soldiers and female assassins. The fights are nice because of the good layout, ambushes, and scripted surprises, but an important factor is also abundance of enemies. Opponents will mostly attack you in pairs, so you will have to use a tactical approach to survive. Since the parts in which you need to protect the NPCs are especially critical to your success, I advise you to always have at least one explosive charge in reserve. The weapon set is very modest, and consists only of the crowbar, pistol, revolver, machine gun and the shotgun, but on the other hand the ammunition is plentiful. The game also provides you with a lot of healing packages and batteries, and in critical moments you can also use scientists as health reserves. On the toughest difficulty, I beat the modification in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Portrait of Freeman

In Portrait of Freeman, you play Gordon Freeman, who is sent by G-Man to the mysterious Area 51 to help Dr. Albert. At Freeman's arrival, there is an incident in which Area 51 gets invaded by the aliens. This will make it much more difficult for you to reach the goal. Although the story is minimalist, I thought the ideas presented were quite interesting. It should however have been much more detailed to really count.

I really liked the map design, because the maps are architecturally good and contain many details. Levels are well-connected to one another, while the side paths with loot increase the sense of non-linearity. Paths forward are often perfectly hidden and, in combination with very interesting puzzles, force you to really think about the situation. There are several jumping challenges, and there is also an abundance of deadly traps, so save regularly. It is only a shame that some traps can not be avoided without dying ...

In addition to the already varied selection of aliens from Xen, you will be attacked by slow and ineffective zombies, security guards, soldiers, machineguns and helicopters. Interestingly, there are two factions of soldiers who fight each other. Red are your opponents, while those with classical colors are your allies. Positioning of opponents is very good, unfortunately, there are also a lot of rude sneaky surprises. Thus, a bunch of enemies will often be teleported at your position, and will kill you in an instant or at least heavily damage you. Instead of this, I would much rather see the enemies to be more densely populated so the level of action would be more constant. Ammo and health / batteries are slightly too abundant for Medium difficulty, but due to brutal surprises I would recommend Hard only to the most experienced players.

The visuals of the modification are pretty good. New and sharp textures are used in many places, and I really liked some of the light sources and the reflective surfaces. HUD also received an overhaul. There are also intermediate video sequences that take control of your camera, and often the background music turns on. I spent around 1 hour and 45 minutes of gameplay to complete the mod.

Times of Troubles

Times of Troubles takes place in an alternate timeline of the original Half-Life story. When you wanted to visit Xen via the Lambda Complex teleporter, you surprisingly landed in an unknown part of the Black Mesa complex. It seems that the scientist mixed up the coordinates. After a long time of unconsciousness, you wake up and find out that you have lost your H.E.V. suit as well as all of the weapons. The latter are gradually regained during gameplay, but the full selection is fairly modest, as there are no biological and futuristic weapons among them, as well as no crossbow, and explosives section contains only grenades. Nevertheless, the amount of ammunition is sufficient for Hard difficulty, and the same goes for healing packages and batteries.

The maps rely heavily on the designs from the original, which is not so unusual as the story happens in the same complex. Nevertheless, the author has differentiated the mod enough to make it stand out. The maps are excellent and contain a diverse and sophisticated architecture, which is complemented with good layout of elements, a suitable choice of textures and a well-chosen illumination. A great addition to the visual impression are numerous scripted events with combination of skillful editing of sounds and speech. Gameplay is very diverse and contains a mix of fighting and puzzles. You will fight against soldiers and various monsters from Xen, with the difficulty being pretty well calibrated, the only exception being a big difficulty jump at the end. The puzzles are quite interesting and include jumping challenges, searching for hidden paths forward, exploring, escorting NPCs, pushing buttons and switches, and also backtracking. Unfortunately, the mod has a big Achilles' heel in form of its length, which is only 45 minutes.

Todesangst 1

In the Todesangst intro, we discover that the mysterious G-Man is in fact subordinate to dr. Jack Newell, which is the head of the Black Mesa research and development department. After Freeman finishes off Nihilanth and Xen is seized by humans, dr. Newell wants to use the surviving creatures for his own evil purposes, but does not want to have any witnesses. The first victim of Newell's madness is G-Man himself, with our hero Gordon Freeman being next on the list. Soldiers try to finish off Gordon with the help of Headcrabs, but Gordon is tough and finishes off the monsters with his trusty crowbar. Now it's time for revenge. The story is full of cliches, but it is an interesting attempt to explain what happened after Gordon's return from Xen.

The maps are quite diverse and represent a mixture of the styles already seen in the original. You will be roaming through the corridors, crawling in the vents, try to beat jumping challenges, swimming, activating various machines, driving with trains, etc. There are also some nice traps. The design is solid, but some parts could be more detailed and consequently more memorable. Some paths on the way to the end are well hidden, but be careful when exploring, as you can get stuck in at least two places in the mod.

You will be attacked by a very limited set of enemies from the original, which are relatively well placed. The enemy lines mostly consist of soldiers, the Xen monsters are scarce and not a big threat until the end. Your arsenal is pretty limited, but there is more than enough ammo for the Medium difficulty. The amount of medkits and batteries on the other hand are just right. Occasionally, you will be able to finish off enemies with a stationary machine gun or cannon. You will also need to use them to pave your way through certain obstacles.

The visuals of the mod do not stand out, as it does not offer anything new except some new models. The key feature of the modification are certainly numerous good scripting events that greatly enrich the gameplay. In addition to them, very nice video sequences enable you to track the story which happens in parallel. In some places, background music is used, and some NPCs use custom speech. Unfortunately, the end of the game is so-so and after approximately a hour of gameplay doesn't offer a satisfactory conclusion.

Underground

Underground takes place after the events in the original. You play Gordon Freeman, who is sent to explore bunkers in the northern part of Black Mesa. During your visit, the deactivation of the safety system causes a serious error in one of the reactors, causing the destruction of certain parts of the complex. Your escape will not be easy, as the bunkers are full of Xen monsters, and the soldiers are also there to clean everything up. The enemy selection is very varied, as it involves virtually all opponents from the original. Additionally, you will also fight against machineguns, tanks and helicopters. The positioning of the opponents is good, and in some places excellent. Additional drama is caused by situations requiring rapid decision. During the game you will be gradually picking up all the weapons from the original. The ammo is enough for the Hard difficulty, and the same goes for healing packages and batteries.

The starting maps do not impress. The corridors and passageways are claustrophobically narrow, most of the rooms are tiny, and there is too much crawling in the vents full of Headcrabs. The visuals of the game are not bad, but the lightning is too dark. The situation improves considerably in the last third of the game, as most of the disadvantages of the previous sections are corrected. Maps are more complex and more open, possibly due to the inclusion of a long jump module. You will spend most of the play time inside, but there are also some outside areas, and a tiny Xen section. Although the game seems quite diverse, there are practically no puzzles. Due to the almost complete linearity of the levels, you won't need to think a lot how to advance. The thing that stands out are the jumping challenges at the end. I spent about 1 hour and 15 minutes of play time to complete the mod. Do not forget to play the very interesting Hazard Course, which also includes a fun mini-game.

Hazardous Course 2

Hazardous Course 2 is some kind of an extreme version of the Hazard Course or Training room from the original Half-Life, which takes place in the Black Mesa Training Facility. In the latter, new players get acquainted with the H.E.V. suit, jumping and ducking, interaction with objects and NPCs, diving, environmental hazards, and a smaller section is also dedicated to weaponry. Hazardous Course 2 takes all these mechanics and extends them to an unprecedented scale, with the result being exponential increase in difficulty. This modification is therefore suitable only for the most patient and skillful players who know the basic physics mechanics of the GoldSrc engine, have a perfectly developed timing, and are not afraid of a challenge (or humiliation :).

You start the game in a central hub that is full of traps and fun scripted events in which you or NPCs can get slaughtered. This section is followed by the Basic Training, in which each of the jumping challenges from the original Half-Life is extended with additional dangerous elements such as for example fire, circular saws, crushing blocks and radioactive waste. Navigating in the dark will be performed in a maze full of zombies and Headcrabs, and you will also have to keep balance on a narrow bridge full of pendulums and electric traps, with your source of light being only your flashlight. The difficulty is taken to the extreme after you get the long jump module, as you will need to overcome almost impossible distances (look straight or slightly upwards during a jump!) and balance on slippery surfaces. The diving section is also made harder with the inclusion of a crazy complex maze of underwater shafts. This first part is followed by highly original sections in which you will have to lead Barney through a factory full of hazards, drive the train through an extremely complex labyrinth of tracks, and then climb up the insanely high tower with the help of the ladder system, moving platforms and jumping surfaces (almost Prince of Persia like).

By fulfilling the above mentioned challenges, the player will only scratch the surface of the game, because the mod contains more than twenty secret areas which are hard to spot and even harder to access. In some cases, you will need keys and in other cases, access codes that you can read in different places or hear via speakers, so keep a notebook ready. Paths forward are often located at extremely difficult to reach places, so you will need to have a huge amount of skills and foresight in addition to keen eyes, but all the effort will definitely be worth it. In the hidden areas, you will be able to see the backstage of the test program, find tips for the coming up sections, or even reduce the difficulty by turning off certain hazards. The secrets you find, will also allow you to access the giant bonus sections, and help with finishing the mod.

The map design starts with a fairly average linking hub and the first section, and eventually transforms into an extremely complex visual treat. The architecture is excellent and contains massive amounts of details, and the effort that went into all the scripted elements is admirable. In spite of all this praise, however, there are some very annoying problems in the mod, caused by the bugs in the GoldSrc engine. The NPCs often have a will of their own and it is very difficult to escort them across areas full of dangers, which do not forgive mistakes; vertically moving platforms suffer from the same problems as the lifts, so you will sometimes get crushed when they ascend; the train will sometimes not cross forks in the road (save and reload); manually operated platforms get stuck and fall down (use noclip). What a waste of potential! For these reasons, I was forced to lower the final score of the mod.

I finished my playthrough in about 6 hours of playtime on Medium difficulty, but it should be noted that I did not manage to find all the secrets. The total playing time for a new player which will go for all secrets is thus probably around 10 hours.

E7 Black Star

E7 Black Star takes place in a secret Russian laboratory complex called Facility E7 which is also known as Black Star. You play a political prisoner in the E7 complex who is testing a prototype of the new protective H.E.V. 5000 suit. Poor security protocols enable you to escape from your supervisors and hide in the ventilation systems. The mod doesn't include a meaningful story, but the game gives you missions while playing, which turns out kind of funny.

A rather unusual approach was used in mapping. Most of the places in which you are playing are gigantic. This often creates a remarkable impression, which quickly fades when you see how the placed objects repeat themselves. The approach is not only used within the premises, but also with the full sections. Most of the game takes place inside the laboratory complex, and in a few maps the technology is perfectly intertwined with nature. There are a lot of jumping challenges, which are not frustrating, and there are also some stealth missions. For many of the puzzles you are required to find a particular object or security card in no given order. This greatly increases the non-linearity of the levels. Players with a urge to explore will be richly rewarded, as you can discover as many as 7 bonus levels, which, unfortunately, do not impress architecturally, but they are an excellent opportunity for regeneration of bullets and life.

The enemies are taken mostly from the original and expansions. In the first part you will mostly be threatened by the monsters from Xen and the machineguns. Later, the scales are tipped to the side of all types of soldiers and female assassins. The game has a huge problem due to too large maps (lol :). The fights are too sparse, and there are practically no puzzles in-between. As a result, the first part with Xen monsters plays like a Walking Simulator, while in the second part the soldiers cause crazy difficulty jumps. Playing on Hard is therefore not recommended, even if you are able to collect more than enough ammunition and other goodies for Medium. Weapons are taken from the original, but players who like to explore will have more options compared to those who will just run through stages.

The game looks quite impressive due to sharp textures, detailed models and level sizes. Strong color schemes work perfectly for some places, but look strange in others. There are some scripted events that transform the layout of the maps, which I really liked. Certain events are associated with video sequences that help you to find the places that change. In some places, the background music also contributes to a better atmosphere. To complete the mod, I needed about 4 hours of gameplay, most of which was boring walking around. Too bad ...

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.

Conundrum 2

Conundrum 2 takes place in a mysterious complex that has appeared thirty miles south of Black Mesa. The researchers discovered a secret dimensional room in it, which has locked itself before it could be explored. You play dr. Gina Cross, who was chosen to get to the room and solve the puzzles that are locking it. Even though the story is weak, the events make a much bigger sense than in the predecessor.

The map design has received significant improvements, because a lot of maps are architecturally more complex and contain more details. I especially liked those that contain modern architecture, because a lot of effort was put in them. The puzzles remained diverse and were pretty interesting to me. In addition to jumping challenges, pushing objects, avoiding traps and finding hidden paths, you will walk over invisible bridges, navigate a maze with a fixed camera, and have to do jumps on the terrain, which changes constantly. Most of the predecessor's problems have been eliminated, but there are still places where you take fall damage, and (fortunately rare) illogical triggers. To help overcome obstacles, the game offers tips that, in my personal opinion, are placed on too easy puzzles, but are absent on the harder ones.

Battles are rather rare and limited to Xenian opponents. Since there is enough ammo for human weapons, and there is also ample supply of medkits and batteries, I recommend playing on Hard. As far as appearance is concerned, it would be difficult to say that the game stands out from the average, although some surfaces are covered by nice and sharp textures. The exceptions that stand out are maps with modern architecture, where destruction is extremely well presented. I needed about 1 hour and a half to complete the mod, and I needed substantially less help than in predecessor.