Black Mesa (video game)
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Joel Nielsen |
- "Run. Think. Shoot. Live. Source."
- ― Black Mesa tagline, a nod to Half-Life’s original tagline
Black Mesa (previously known as Black Mesa: Source) is a third-party total remake of the original Half-Life. Its first part, including the Half-Life storyline up to the chapter Lambda Core, was released as a mod on September 14, 2012,[1] while an improved Steam version of the game was released on May 5, 2015. The remaining Xen chapters omitted from the initial release were released on December 24th, 2019, and the Steam release left early access March 5th, 2020.[2] On November 25th, 2020, the final “Definitive Edition” update was released, adding further improvements to the game.
Contents
Overview[edit]
As in Half-Life, players assume the role of the protagonist, Dr. Gordon Freeman, a recent MIT graduate in theoretical physics, and also a recent employee at the titular Black Mesa Research Facility. After an experiment that goes horribly awry when an unexpected Resonance Cascade (an apparently completely fictitious occurrence) rips dimensional seams that devastate the facility, Gordon must fight to escape the now alien-infested facility as creatures from another world — known as Xen — subsequently enter through these dimensional seams.
The game is set during May 200- in a remote area of New Mexico, USA at the Black Mesa Research Facility; a fictional complex that bears many similarities to both the Los Alamos National Laboratory and Area 51.
As Freeman tries to make his way out of the ruined facility to find help for the injured, he soon discovers he is caught between two sides: the hostile aliens, and the Hazardous Environment Combat Unit, a military force dispatched to cover up the incident — including eliminating Freeman and the rest of the Black Mesa Science Team. Throughout the game, a mysterious figure known as the G-Man regularly appears, apparently monitoring Freeman's progress. Ultimately, Gordon uses the cooperation of surviving scientists and security officers to work his way to the mysterious Lambda Complex, where a team of scientists teleport him to the alien world Xen, where he must destroy the Nihilanth, the creature keeping Xen's side of the dimensional rift open.
The ultimate goal of the game 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 features original textures, models, sounds, voice acting, and music (composed and produced by the game's sound designer, Joel Nielsen; fully available here) designed specifically for the game. However, the developers intended to preserve all of the gameplay elements from the original game, without adding entirely new enemies, weapons, or levels. The exception being the Xen chapters, which now consist mostly of original work, with cues taken from the original Half-Life. [3]
Characters[edit]
- Gordon Freeman
- Black Mesa Scientists
- Black Mesa Security Guards
- The G-Man
- Nihilanth
- Isaac Kleiner
- Eli Vance
- Barney Calhoun (Cameo)
- Walter Bennet (Cameo)
- Arne Magnusson (Mentioned only)
- Gina Cross (Mentioned only)
- Wallace Breen (Mentioned only)
Enemies[edit]
- Xen aliens
- Alien Controller
- Alien Grunt
- Barnacle
- Baby Headcrab
- Beneathicle
- Boid
- Bullsquid
- Gargantua
- Gonarch
- Headcrab
- HEV Zombie
- Houndeye
- Ichthyosaur
- Knockback Houndeye
- Nihilanth
- Protozoan
- Suicide Houndeye (Hoteye)
- Tentacle
- Vortigaunt
- Zombie
- Hazardous Environment Combat Unit
- HECU soldiers
- HECU Sniper
- HECU vehicles
- Sentry Guns
- Black Ops
Weapons[edit]
Development[edit]
Black Mesa 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. Black Mesa was born out of two separate mod teams: "LeakFree", formed in September 2004, and "Half-Life: Source Overhaul Project", formed in October 2004 and led by Jimmy Headdon. Neither team knew of the other’s existence until Leakfree’s lead Jon Dominski began publicising in the Half-Life2.net, now ValveTime.net forums. After discussions between the two project leads, the two development teams merged, resulting in a team of 13 members by the end of December 2005. 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.". Development was officially announced on January 1, 2005.
The release date for the project was originally set for 2009, but was delayed,[4] gaining the mod the status of vaporware,[5] until its final release date was announced on September 2, 2012, when the soundtrack was made available for download.[6] Black Mesa was eventually released in September 2012, causing the official website to crash.[7] The mod was available at no charge, and requires the free Source SDK Base 2007 to work as it uses Half-Life 2 models with custom textures, such as the crowbar, the Colt Python, the Headcrab, the Barnacle or the crow.[8] At some point, a remake of Half-Life: Uplink was planned, but it was eventually made by another person.
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.[9]
On November 19, 2013, the fifteenth anniversary of Half-Life's release, the developers announced that the complete version of the mod would be made available for purchase on Steam. There were plans also for a free version with minor differences from the paid version, which were eventually abandoned. The mod was also going to be on a "new engine" related to Source, but no more information had been released on the subject due to the contract with Valve. [10]
On August 18, 2014, a Black Mesa Content Pack DLC for the Source FilmMaker was released.
On December 24th, 2019, the long awaited Xen chapters were released.
On March 5, 2020, Black Mesa 1.0 was released, and the game was announced as no longer being in early access.
On November 25, 2020, the final “Definitive Edition” update, which brought numerous improvements to the audio, visual and gameplay aspects of the game, was released.
Co-op mode[edit]
Although the cooperation mode was said to be included in the mod, on March the 17th 2010, it was announced that due to the great amount of problems to port and make co-op code working, the developers decided to stop its development and focus only on single-player and deathmatch.[11] It has been stated that since dropping the co-op mode, Black Mesa's chapters have been redesigned with only single-player activity in mind, and that the new "level design and gameplay don't lend themselves well to a co-op experience."[12]
Steam version[edit]
On September 5, 2012, Black Mesa appeared on Steam Greenlight, and was officially accepted by Valve to be distributed via Steam six days later.[13] On May 5, 2015, again at 8:47 a.m. MDT, Black Mesa was released on Steam as an Early Access Game at the cost of 19,99$/15£/19,99€.
The Steam version features a hybrid, alternated Source engine,[14] new visuals, new voice acting, updated gameplay, stability changes, custom modding tools, integrated Steam Workshop, Steam Trading Cards, backgrounds, emoticons, 25 Steam Achievements, and the multiplayer mode, along with six deathmatch/team deathmatch maps: Bounce, Gasworks, Lambda Bunker, Stalkyard, Subtransit, and Undertow.[2] The Xen portion of the game, omitted from the original Steam release, was slated for a December 2017 release, but was later released in portions in a public beta starting June 26, 2019, and released in full to the public on December 24th, 2019. The game later left early access on March 5th, 2020, being christened "Black Mesa 1.0".[2]
Reception[edit]
During its development, Black Mesa has received attention from several video game publications. It has been featured in articles from Computer Gaming World, PC PowerPlay, and PC Gamer UK magazines. Valve published a news update about the modification on Steam platform in 2007 saying that "We're as eager to play [Black Mesa] here as everyone else."[15]
After receiving a development version of Black Mesa in December 2009, PC PowerPlay magazine said that the game's setting "looks, sounds, [and] plays better than ever before". The "subtle" changes from the original Half-Life were said to have a "substantial" overall impact. They also noted the project's "frustrating" then-five-year development time, and current lack of release date, but added that the developers were making progress.[16]
After the mod was released, early impressions of the game were very positive,[17] receiving a score of 86/100 on Metacritic, based on nine reviews.[18] The game was praised for its high polish, with many critics comparing its quality to that of an official Valve title.[19][20] Destructoid praised the game for the improvements it made over the original Half-Life, saying it was "something that felt very familiar, [but also] very fresh."[21]
Awards and recognition[edit]
Awards[edit]
- Mod DB Best Website Design of 2004 (3rd place)[22]
- Mod DB - Top Unreleased Mod for 2005[23]
- Mod DB - Top Unreleased Mod for 2006[24]
- Wired.com Vaporware 2009: Inhale the Fail (4th place)[25]
- Wired.com Vaporware 2010: The Great White Duke (4th place)[26]
- Mod DB - Mod of the Year 2012[27]
Honorable mention[edit]
- Mod DB - Honorable mention for Top Unreleased Mod for 2007[28]
- Mod DB - Honorable mention for Top Unreleased Mod for 2008[29]
- Mod DB - Honorable mention for Players Choice - Best Upcoming Mod 2009[30]
- Mod DB - Honorable mention for Players Choice - Best Upcoming Mod 2010[31]
- Mod DB - Honorable mention for Mod of The Year 2013[32]
Achievements and trophies[edit]
Both versions of Black Mesa featured 25 Achievements. The 1.0 version on Steam added an additional 25 for a total of 50 achievements.
Soundtrack[edit]
The Black Mesa and Black Mesa: Xen soundtracks were composed by Joel Nielsen.[33]
Trivia[edit]
The team contacted Mike Shapiro, the original voice actor behind Barney Calhoun and the G-Man. While he showed interest and support in the mod, he politely declined indicating he was not available to devote time to contributing to the mod.
Gallery[edit]
Full release[edit]
Steam store screenshots[edit]
Xen.
Anomalous Materials lobby.
Zombies on fire in Office Complex.
The HEV Suit.
The Gonarch.
Xen jungle.
Scientists, including Dr. Kleiner in Anomalous Materials.
Zombies in Anomalous Materials Lab lobby, Unforeseen Consequences.
The Resonance Cascade.
Gargantua burns marines, Power Up.
Zombies in Surface Tension.
Questionable Ethics surgical unit.
Lambda Core loading bay
Zombies in Blast Pit.
Gordon fires the Gluon Gun.
Steam[edit]
Steam portrait.
Original Steam header.
Steam header for version 1.0.
Steam hero image.
Steam logo.
Profile backgrounds[edit]
Common: The Aftermath
Uncommon: Gasworks
Rare: Into The Breach
Badges[edit]
Level 1: Visitor Pass
Level 2: Guard Level
Level 3: Kleiner Level
Level 4: Vance Level
Level 5: Freeman Level
Foil: G-Man Level
Emoticons[edit]
Common: :vort:
Common: :bms:
Common: :houndeye:
Common: :egon:
Common: :stream:
Uncommon: :bms_headcrab:
Rare: :bms_crowbar:
Early access[edit]
Screenshots[edit]
The main menu during the chapter Anomalous Materials, free version.
The main menu during the chapter Power Up, Steam version.
Team selection screen in the team deathmatch multiplayer mode, here on the map Undertow.
Gasworks.
Subtransit.
Lambda Bunker.
Stalkyard.
Bounce.
Pre-release[edit]
The official website and its respective wiki served as the main source for most official images throughout the mod's development, though most have since been deleted from the site following a redesign after the game was released on Steam. All personal websites of the respective team members also provide further, exclusive images. This gallery consists of only a sample of all pre-release media released by the developers since development on Black Mesa began in 2005.
Screenshots[edit]
The introductory tram ride.
Ditto.
Sector C's lobby.
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.
Headcrab in the chapter Residue Processing.
Conveyor belt in the chapter Residue Processing.
The dam 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.
Models[edit]
Weapons[edit]
The Crowbar.
The Glock 17.
The Colt Python.
The shotgun.
The RPG.
The Tau Cannon.
In-game screenshot of the Laser Trip Mine.
In-game screenshot of the Satchel Charge.
NPCs[edit]
Zombie security guard.
Scientist render.
HECU soldier render.
Scientist render.
Security guard render.
Zombie scientist render, sans Headcrab.
Alien Controller render.
Alien Grunt render.
Naked Alien Grunt render.
Other[edit]
HECU Harrier (originally a generic jet).
The Black Mesa SUV.
Early rendering of the Health and HEV Chargers.
The Materials Handler.
Concept art[edit]
Concept art for the Apache.
Concept art for a tank.
Concept art for the Zombie security guard.
Concept art for the Alien Grunt.
Misc[edit]
Original logo.
Alternate logo used in trailers.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Black Mesa Source: A Release Date on Rock, Paper, Shotgun
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4
Black Mesa on Steam
- ↑ Half-Life is 20! - Xen Trailer! on Steam
- ↑ Black Mesa 2009 Update
- ↑
Operation Black Mesa And Guard Duty, The Two Gearbox Expansion Remakes Join Forces And Merge Into One Team/ Black Mesa (video game) at LambdaGeneration
- ↑ cman2k's post on the Black Mesa forums
- ↑ Absolutely Anyone Can Play Black Mesa: Source, Right Now! at LambdaGeneration
- ↑ Things you should know about the mod - FAQ on the Black Mesa forums
- ↑ Your Turn: Returning to the Source (archived) on The Age
- ↑ https://www.moddb.com/mods/black-mesa/news/happy-birthday-half-life
- ↑ JamesKane's post on the Black Mesa forums
- ↑ Raminator's post on the Black Mesa forums
- ↑ Black Mesa on Steam Greenlight
- ↑ Black Mesa's official website
- ↑ Steam News from Friday, January 26, 2007
- ↑ PC PowerPlay magazine, issue 174
- ↑ Impressions: Black Mesa is awesome on Destructoid
- ↑
Black Mesa on Metacritic
- ↑ Black Mesa review on GamesTM
- ↑ BLACK MESA REVIEW: HALF-LIFE STILL PACKS A PUNCH IN 2012 (WITH HELP FROM SOME MODDERS) on Computer and Video Games
- ↑ Review: Black Mesa on Destructoid
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Mod DB - Honorable mention for 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
- ↑ Mod DB - Mod of The Year 2013
- ↑ Joel Nielsen official website
External links[edit]
- Black Mesa on Steam
- Official Crowbar Collective website
Black Mesa on Facebook
Black Mesa on Twitter
Crowbar Collective on YouTube
