Half-Life: Source reviews

«Half Life: Source» feels like a different game. The lighting has changed from orange to cooler tones of blue. The atmosphere is darker. Ragdoll has been added what provides realism. Reworked lighting and objects now cast shadows. I think this game is a good remaster of the original «Half-Life».
«Time-tested»
«Underrated»
Unfortunately for Half-Life fans, Half-Life: Source is a half-hearted port that does no favors to the game.  This ain't no Black Mesa.

After playing Half-Life 2, one could be forgiven expecting a high quality revamp of the original game.  What we got instead is the original Half-Life's assets, a different flashlight, and physics.

Yes, the different flashlight is the only good mark I'm willing to give this port.  The flashlight in GoldSrc engine games are a rudimentary hack, while the Half-Life: Source flashlight is based on a volumetric lighting system.

Everything else is, frankly, a step down in expectation if not raw quality.  For example, the gratuitous activation of the physics engine in some situations.  There's one jumping puzzle where one is expected to jump between boxes hanging off chains connected to a conveyor belt system.  Platforming in a 3D first person game is hard enough without a physics system making all the boxes swing and sway with every movement.

Skip Half-Life: Source.  Either play the original GoldSrc games for the authentic look and feel, or go get Black Mesa and see what a real Source engine re-imagining of the Half-Life story can look like.
«Waste of time»
it's not bad, but didn't age too well. navigating ladders is nonintuitive, for instance. i understand it progressed the genre of singleplayer shooters by adding more story and puzzles, and i'm all for that
Gameplay 9/10. Graphics 4/10. Soundtrack 7/10. Storyline 9/10. OVERALL 7.25/10.0 (A 7.0)
«Time-tested»
Translated by
Microsoft from Deutsch
Do you have to say anything about "Half-Life"? To the great Classic, to the Genre king of his Time, to the Milestone of The game's History? Not Really, and yet I try. "Half-Life" is a linear, story-driven First-person shooter. We are Gordon Freeman, theoretical Physicist and Employee in the Laboratory of Anomal Matter of the secret Black Mesa research Complex. An Experiment goes wrong and a Portal to another World is opened. The Beings who invade our World are different and hostile ... The Beginning alone is unforgettable. We are driven in a Kind of Hovering Railway through the huge Research Facility. We look around, see huge Aisles, other Staff, Security Personnel, working Load robots, a strange Man in the dark suit with Briefcase. Saying Through guide our Way. A Storage Container loses radioactive Fluid. The World around us lives, even without us. She's true. This five-minute Sequence Is one of the great Passages Of The game's History. The World that creates "Half-Life" (in English: Half-life) is astonishingly real, the Atmosphere created by it outstanding. And that's even today, even if the Graphics now seem clunky and slurred, even if the Voiceover quaks and the Speakers are sometimes weak. And "Half-Life" does not forget the Irony, the wise View of itself, the reflection on one's own Product. So Much Sovereignty is rare. In addition to this Essential, (almost) everything works perfectly. The Operability is extremely good and fluid, the Choice of Weapons is versatile, especially the intriguingly designed Alien Weapons surprise and the Crowbar is simply legendary. Puzzle and Jumppa Announcements are also really well built. At all, the Level Design. Such a lot of Variety Is missed in almost all AAA titles today. The Stupidity of most of today's main stream shooters is a significant Step backwards compared to "Half-Life." Are there Negatives, too? Hardly. Only the last Passages, the Alien World, will, nevertheless, the Design is great, be strange in terms of gameplay technology and sometimes annoying. The Graphics were outstanding in 1998, the Music terrific atmospheric. Even the Scope is convincing, 10 Hours and more you are easily trapped in this extraordinary World. The source version of "Half-Life" is practically the same as the Original. Only a few Graphics were slightly improved, such as the Water. However: Three times I had Graphics errors (Tearing), plus the Loading Times were much longer compared to the Original. Otherwise, however, both Versions are identical. There is still so Much to report and praise, but instead of continuing to read this Text, you should rather play and experience it (once again). Rating: 10/10 Atmosphere 10/10 Story 9/10 Graphic 9/10 Sound 9/10 Game Mechanics 8/10 Balancing 10/10 Game Pass (Ratings of Classics always include The technical Possibilities of the Time) Conclusion: Those who don't know Gordon Freeman should not call themselves Gamers. However, this source version is almost identical to the Original. 9/10 Overall Rating
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