Reviewers Liked
- Impressive attention to detail
Reviewers Didn't Like
- Source Engine is showing its age
Black Mesa
Black Mesa is a project made out of passion and that can easily be seen throughout the entire playthrough, crafted to keep the core and the spirit of the original game alive while also fixing some of its shortcomings. Being fans of Half-Life, The Crowbar Collective knew exactly what needed to be done to improve on the original. Not only is this a great game for fans of the original, but this is a perfect new entry point into the franchise.
-- As reviewed by Way Too Many Games
86
8.4
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Expert reviews and ratings
By IGN
on
Black Mesa is the best way to play the classic original 1998 Half-Life today, but it's a remake that already feels old enough that it would benefit from a remake itself.
By Metro UK
on
One of the best remakes ever, not because of its loving recreation of the original Half-Life but because it dares to change and improve it.
By Way Too Many Games
on
Black Mesa is a project made out of passion and that can easily be seen throughout the entire playthrough, crafted to keep the core and the spirit of the original game alive while also fixing some of its shortcomings. Being fans of Half-Life, The Crowbar Collective knew exactly what needed to be done to improve on the original. Not only is this a great game for fans of the original, but this is a perfect new entry point into the franchise.
By EuroGamer
on
Black Mesa is a fascinating work. What began as a straightforward engine upgrade for Half-Life has become a game that stands on its own merits, less "Half-Life Remastered" and more "John Carpenter's the Thing." It's an evolution that mirrors that of the people who created it. What formed as a diffuse bunch of enthusiast Half-Life 2 modders has coalesced a remarkably talented and undeniably dedicated studio.
By PCGamer
on
A quality remake that broadens the scope of the original and massively improves its final chapters.
By PCInvasion
on
As the type that constantly restarts sequences to try and get through them with taking the least amount of damage and using the smallest amount of ammo, Black Mesa took me about 25 hours to get through. And I’m sure I’ll be going back to bask in the game’s nostalgia before long. Plus, the multiplayer maps will all be compatible in a few days, so I can always get annihilated there too.
By KeenGamer
on
In short, Black Mesa is a good game, not just for long-time fans, but for new ones too. It's a testament of how far we've come, and how much further we still have to go in the field of game-making. So grab your HEV suit (no helmet included), and slap on some glasses, because as every action movie worth watching has taught us, at the end of the day, it's always down to the nerds to save the planet.
By VR-Zone
on
Eight years ago, shortly after the release of first person shooter Half-Life 2, a small team of independent developers announced that they were working on a complete reimagining of Half-Life 1, named Black Mesa (formerly Black Mesa: Source). An...
By Rock, Paper, Shotgun
on
So, Half-Life, then. I used to say it was my favourite game of all time. Now, I’d say it’s a first-person shooter that is occasionally great, mostly good, and sometimes charmingly crap. Black Mesa smooths out most of the crap, and maintains the great and the good. It doesn’t modernise the antiquated design – but then, it wouldn’t be Half-Life if it did. As it is, it’s the best way to play Valve’s original design if you haven’t done so before, and it’s a brilliant way to retread those old ventilation shafts, if you have.
By HotHardware
on
It takes serious guts to try and remake Half-Life. Valve's 1998 first-person shooter didn't change FPS gaming, it redefined it. Before Half-Life, blockbusters like Quake and Quake II were lone gunman affairs with little to no interaction with non-hostile...
By PC Games Hardware
on
Mit Black Mesa steht das wohl ambitionierteste Mod-Projekt aller Zeiten kostenlos zum Download. Die Modifikation basiert auf Valves Source-Engine und bildet den Shooter-Meilenstein Half-Life von 1998 in neuem Glanz nach. Welche Grafikkarten die hübsche,...
By giga.de
on
Acht Jahre hat es gedauert, doch die Wartezeit hat sich gelohnt. „Black Mesa“ ist kein Remake, es ist ein eigenständiges Meisterwerk, das jeder Shooter-Fan gespielt haben muss. Dass ein solch hochwertiges Spiel tatsächlich von einem Hobby-Team realisiert...