Black Mesa (mod)
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This article is about a mod. |
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The subject matter of this article was conceived by third-party developers and is therefore deemed both non-canon and non-official. It cannot be used as a relevant source in articles on official subjects. |
For other uses, see Black Mesa (disambiguation). |
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This article is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
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| Black Mesa | |
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| Developer(s) | |
| Release date(s) |
September 14, 2012[1] |
| Genre(s) | |
| Mode(s) | |
| Platform(s) | |
| Input | |
| Engine | |
| Composer(s) |
Joel Nielsen |
- "Run. Think. Shoot. Live. Source."
- ―Black Mesa tagline, a nod to Half-Life’s original tagline[src]
Black Mesa (previously known as Black Mesa: Source) is both a third-party total conversion mod for Half-Life 2 and remake of the original Half-Life. Its first part, including the Half-Life storyline up to the chapter Lambda Core, was released on September 14, 2012.[1] The ultimate goal of the mod is to recreate the original Half-Life from the ground up, using the advanced capabilities of the Source engine to create a new and more engrossing in-game world with more varied, complex environments and more challenging, realistic gameplay.
Black Mesa requires the free Source SDK Base 2007 to work and is available at no charge.[2] The release date for the project was originally set for 2009, but was delayed,[3] gaining the mod the status of vaporware,[4] until it was eventually released in September 2012, causing the official website to crash.[5] The mod also features 25 Achievements.
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[edit] Overview
Black Mesa, whose development began in November 2004, was born of the discontent fans experienced when playing Half-Life: Source; when considering the living environment Valve created with Half-Life 2 using the Source engine, the original game fell far short of what many players thought could be done with the software, basically being a straight port, except for improved water and lighting effects along with the inclusion of ragdoll physics. According to the developers, "Black Mesa: Source was built and founded on the principle that Half-Life: Source did not do the original title enough credit... [Black Mesa] set out to reconstruct the original title, giving it new environments, models, and abilities.".
Black Mesa features original textures, models, sounds, voice acting, and music (composed and produced by the mod's sound designer, Joel Nielsen; fully available here) designed specifically for the mod. However the developers intended to preserve all of the gameplay elements from the original game, without adding entirely new enemies, weapons, or levels. The game uses Half-Life 2 models with custom textures, such as the crowbar, the Colt Python, the Headcrab, the Barnacle or the crow.[6]
Most likely due to the amount of publicity given to an unofficial third-party mod, Valve Corporation privately asked the producers of the mod to remove the "Source" part from the title to avoid confusion on whether it is an official Valve product or not. Valve also states that they are "just as excited to play Black Mesa as everyone else".
At some point, a remake of Half-Life: Uplink was planned, but it will likely never be made.[6]
[edit] Awards and recognition
[edit] Awards
- Mod DB Best Website Design of 2004 (3rd place)[7]
- Mod DB - Top Unreleased Mod for 2005[8]
- Mod DB - Top Unreleased Mod for 2006[9]
- Wired.com Vaporware 2009: Inhale the Fail (4th place)[10]
- Wired.com Vaporware 2010: The Great White Duke (4th place)[11]
- Mod DB - Mod of the Year 2012[12]
[edit] Honorable mention
- Mod DB - Honorable mention for Top Unreleased Mod for 2007[13]
- Mod DB - Honorable mention for Top Unreleased Mod for 2008[14]
- Mod DB Players Choice - Best Upcoming Mod 2009[15]
- Mod DB Players Choice - Best Upcoming Mod 2010[16]
[edit] Gallery
While the official website is the main source for most official images, all personal websites of the respective team members also provide further, exclusive images. The screenshots section is no longer updated, however new media is often uploaded to the Black Mesa wiki.
Note that the following images predate the mod's release and thus may sometimes differ from the final product.
[edit] Screenshots
The introductory tram ride.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Sector C's lobby.
Another image of Sector C.
The Resonance Cascade.
Frozen area in the chapter Unforeseen Consequences.
Flooded room in the chapter Office Complex.
Blood in the chapter Office Complex.
Zombie in the chapter Office Complex.
Vortigaunts in the chapter Power Up.
HECU soldiers in the chapter Power Up.
Frozen area in the chapter Apprehension.
Headcrab in the chapter Residue Processing.
Conveyor belt in the chapter Residue Processing.
The dam in the chapter Surface Tension.
Vista in the chapter Surface Tension.
Remake of an early Half-Life screenshot.
Running HECU soldiers during the chapter "Forget About Freeman!".
Coolant system in the chapter Lambda Core.
[edit] Models
[edit] Weapons
The Crowbar.
The Glock 17.
The Colt Python.
The shotgun.
The RPG.
The Tau Cannon.
The Laser Tripmine.
In-game screenshot of the Laser Tripmine.
In-game screenshot of the Satchel Charge.
[edit] NPCs
Zombie security guard.
Scientist render.
HECU soldier render.
Scientist render.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Security guard render.
Zombie scientist render, sans Headcrab.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Alien Controller render.
Alien Grunt render.
Naked Alien Grunt render.
[edit] Vehicles
HECU Harrier (originally an F-16).
The Black Mesa SUV.
[edit] Other
Alternate logo used in trailers.
Early rendering of the Health and HEV Chargers.
The delivery cart.
The HEV Suit.
[edit] Concept art
Concept art for the tram.
Concept art for the Apache.
Concept art for a tank.
Fan-submitted concept art for Xen.
Concept art for the Zombie security guard.
Concept art for the Alien Grunt.
[edit] References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 ! Black Mesa Source: A Release Date ! on Rock, Paper, Shotgun
- ↑ Black Mesa FAQ
- ↑ Black Mesa 2009 Update
- ↑
Operation Black Mesa And Guard Duty, The Two Gearbox Expansion Remakes Join Forces And Merge Into One Team/ Black Mesa (mod) at LambdaGeneration
- ↑ Absolutely Anyone Can Play Black Mesa: Source, Right Now! at LambdaGeneration
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Things you should know about the mod - FAQ on the Black Mesa forums
- ↑ Mod DB Best Website Design of 2004
- ↑ Mod DB - Top Unreleased Mod for 2005
- ↑ Mod DB Top - Unreleased Mod for 2006
- ↑ Wired.com Vaporware 2009: Inhale the Fail (4th place
- ↑ Wired.com Vaporware 2010: The Great White Duke (4th place)
- ↑ Mod DB - Mod of the Year 2012
- ↑ Honorable mention at the Mod DB Top Unreleased Mod for 2007
- ↑ Mod DB - Honorable mention for Top Unreleased Mod for 2008
- ↑ Mod DB Players Choice - Best Upcoming Mod 2009
- ↑ Mod DB Players Choice - Best Upcoming Mod 2010
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Forums
- Official wiki
- Download locations (Direct and Torrent)
Black Mesa on YouTube
Black Mesa on Facebook
Black Mesa on Twitter
Black Mesa on Mod DB
- Developer Banter: Black Mesa Source on Mod DB
