After 15 long years, Crowbar Interactive has finally released the commercial version of Black Mesa, its fan-made re-imagining of Valve’s timeless shooter, Half-Life. This is the same game that everyone remembers – but with modern textures, combat improvements, redesigned puzzles, and other major enhancements.
Black Mesa originally began as a volunteer project back in September 2004 by two independent teams, whose members ultimately joined forces to establish Crowbar Collective. The original version of the remake was released as a mod for Half-Life 2, but it became something much greater after Valve took notice and approved a commercial release.
The remake reportedly addresses one of Half-Life’s biggest alleged shortcomings – its final chapters, which take place on the alien world of Xen. Players have complained about everything from poor level design and annoying enemies to a lack of ammo on Xen, Gonarch’s Lair, Interloper, and Nihilanth, but early Black Mesa reviews suggest that these levels are far more enjoyable now.
Black Mesa can be purchased on Steam for $19.99. A SteamOS + Linux version is also available.
“You are Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist at the Black Mesa Research Facility. When a routine experiment goes horribly wrong, you must fight your way through an interdimensional alien invasion, and a bloodthirsty military clean-up crew in order to save the science team… and the world!”
- Nineteen chapters of fighting through top-secret labs, running atop harsh desert landscapes, sneaking into abandoned railways, and leaping across dimensions
- Mind-Blowing graphics and effects, never before seen on the Source Engine
- Face off against an army of classic enemies, updated with new features and engaging AI
- Wield an arsenal of military hardware, scientific prototypes, and the iconic crowbar through incredibly detailed environments
- The all-new soundtrack and voice acting create a more immersive experience than ever before