Black Mesa desert
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| Black Mesa desert | |
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| General information | |
| Location | |
| Usage | |
| Era(s) | |
| Faction |
Black Mesa / USA |
| Game information | |
| Map(s) |
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| Designer(s) |
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The Black Mesa desert is an area featured within and outside the Black Mesa Research Facility compound, where it is seen among others between Sector G's Hydro-Electric Dam, and the Topside Motorpool and the Ordinance Storage Facility. It is first seen in the Half-Life chapter Surface Tension.
Contents
Overview[edit]
Desert[edit]
The proper desert part includes several sandy areas with Land Mines, cacti and rocks, several small HECU camps, some Xen creatures such as Headcrabs, Houndeyes, and a Tentacle, as well as terrestrial birds such as hawks and quails and some insects such as crickets, according to the sound file names. There, Gordon Freeman is chased by the AH-64 Apache that started attacking him at the dam.
Another part of the desert is later seen by Adrian Shephard as he makes his way to the Ordinance Storage Facility, while fighting some Black Ops near a crashed Osprey.
Canyon[edit]
After a small sewer section, Gordon reaches a steep cliff in front of a large mesa valley with a river, and sees a jet passing by. On the cliff are several HECU soldiers and a Sentry Gun. After reaching the other side of the cliff, the Apache reappears, and Gordon finally defeats it when first finding the RPG in a small cave, at the climax of the chapter.
This canyon is seen again in the Opposing Force introduction, from the Osprey that passes by it. As the crash occurs shortly after, it is possible that the Infirmary where Adrian wakes up is close to the canyon.
Behind the scenes[edit]
Along the cliff are located two large pipes that are supposed to extend to the root of the cliff below, but stop before, due to the game limitations of that time. In Half-Life: Source, they have been extended to the bottom and finally the river below, for more realism.
The cliff area is mirrored in Half-Life 2, when ascending the Nova Prospekt cliff. Here, the Headcrab waiting for Gordon at the entrance of the second pipe has been replaced by a Fast Zombie. The area is again mirrored in Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, in the ascension of the cliff leading to the monastery and the battle against the Hunter-Chopper at the end of the game.
Gallery[edit]
Desert[edit]
The cabal of a large HECU camp in the area.
Two Apaches flying above the desert in an early screenshot.
Ditto.
Ditto.
An Apache flying above the desert in an early screenshot.
Early view of the desert.
Ditto.
Ditto, at night.
Ditto.
A minefield.
An AH-64 Apache circling the desert.
A Land Mine exploding.
Skybox texture "morning".
Skybox texture "desert".
Skybox texture "c1a3"; "desert" with an alternate sky (unused, from the Day One files).
Skybox texture "sky_blu"; "desert" with only the sky (from Opposing Force).
Skybox texture "2desert".
Skybox texture "dusk".
Skybox texture "night".
Skybox texture "dawn" (unused, from the Day One files).
Canyon[edit]
The cabal of the canyon layout.
Early screenshot with the Apache and an early Tau Cannon viewmodel.
The AH-64 Apache in an early screenshot.
Early screenshot featuring an Osprey, not present there in the final game.
Retail ad featuring the skybox.
View of the canyon from the cliff.
Ditto, in the PlayStation 2 port.
Ditto, in Half-Life: Source.
HECU soldiers on the cliffs.
Alien Craft attacking the Ospreys above the canyons at the start of Opposing Force.
Skybox texture "cliff".
List of appearances[edit]
- Half-Life (First appearance)
- Half-Life: Opposing Force
- Half-Life: Decay (Ad only)
References[edit]
- ↑ Half-Life section on Karen Laur's official website
- ↑ Half-Life section on Brett Johnson's personal website (June 5, 2016) (archived)
- ↑
Casali brothers on Wikipedia
| Preceded by Topside Hydro Plant |
Half-Life story arc journey | Succeeded by Topside Motorpool |
| Preceded by Santego Military Base |
Half-Life: Opposing Force story arc journey | Succeeded by Black Mesa Medical Lab |
