Over two decades later, the Crowbar Collective has released Black Mesa, which was itself in development for 14 years. What originally started as a fan project to remake Half-Life has evolved into a stellar first person shooter in its own, adding and expanding onto the original to create something truly worth playing.

"You have your own locker and degree, your own reputation and demeanor, which is all the more reinforced as the story players."

To summarize the story of Half-Life, just imagine protagonist Gordan Freeman in a seemingly hopeless firefight against some Marines. Cue record scratch and freeze frame meme and away we go. “Theoretical physicist becomes embroiled in an experiment gone wrong” works as a nice blurb but Half-Life does so much to dispel any hang-ups over this premise.

You’re not just a nameless gun, walking around levels – you are Gordon Freeman, taking the tram to Black Mesa, passing by all manner of facilities and happenings. Your co-workers greet you. Conversations play out regardless if you’re near. You have your own locker and degree, your own reputation and demeanor, which is all the more reinforced as the story players.

The remake enhances this all the more, filling in all sorts of great story details – like cameos from a young Eli Vance – while maintaining the trademark flow of the level design. Utilizing Source Engine has allowed for spaces to be more open, especially during combat, but without feeling too empty. Enemy artificial intelligence feels more on point, as evidenced by the way the classic Marines flank, utilize explosives and juke past several shots. Of course, the biggest change and addition to the base experience is Xen, fully built from scratch and looking breathtakingly gorgeous. But we’ll get to that.

"Everything that’s been touched up and improved feels like it’s been done so in service of maintaining that signature Half-Life atmosphere and it works marvelously."

Outside of major content additions, Black Mesa may not seem to be doing much outside of remaking visuals. But it’s only when you go back and replay the original Half-Life that you realize how much has been opened up in terms of character interaction, environmental design and detail. Crowbar Collective cannot get enough credit for executing all of this off without sacrificing the core story-telling.

The developer’s approach actually accentuates the original game’s strengths, existing in an almost harmonious balance of old- and new-school. The initial chaos that segues into Unforeseen Consequences; the horror of the Tentacle in the Blast Pit; the sheer tumultuous dive through waste tunnels in Residue Processing; and of course, the skirmishes with the Marines in Surface Tension are all faithfully translated while still feeling fresh.

It also doesn’t hurt that the title genuinely looks great. No, it’s not going to compete against the Resident Evil remakes of our time but the presentation, from the soundtrack and voice-work to the effects, animations and character models are extremely well done. Everything that’s been touched up and improved feels like it’s been done so in service of maintaining that signature Half-Life atmosphere and it works marvelously.

"Xen in Black Mesa is on another level altogether and channels the base game’s mix of combat and exploration while featuring easily some of the best platforming."

Sometimes that balance can shift a bit unfavorably though. Certain platforming sections can be frustrating to properly grasp, especially the “tower” in Lambda Core that requires carefully entering and exiting portals with seamless timing. Other sequences can also be rough if you don’t know what to do (the helicopter over the hydroelectric dam says hello). You might also get lost in certain sections, wondering where to go next.

The majority of combat and puzzles play out in unique fashion though, requiring observation and at times manipulation of your environment to succeed. Half-Life was considered at one point in time to be an “adventure game with guns” as opposed to a straight first-person shooter and that adage still holds up over time, warts and all.

So what about the new stuff, namely Xen? To put it simply, Xen in Black Mesa is on another level altogether and channels the base game’s mix of combat and exploration while featuring easily some of the best platforming. Just like the research labs felt lived in and messy, so too does the alien flora and fauna feel at home in its own natural environment.

"Black Mesa is truly the best way to experience Half-Life in this day and age. I’d probably argue that it’s the best way to experience the classic tale, period."

The story-telling surrounding the Vortigaunts, who live under the oppression of the Nihilanth and its forces, is also masterfully handled and helps tie into the sequel without feeling out of place. The reimagined boss battles against the Gonarch and Nihilanth are also incredible, making the new Xen worth the price of admission alone.

One could go on about how great Half-Life is. The shooting and the distinctive feel of each weapon, the deft balance between quiet investigation and sudden hostility, or the level design which flows from one chapter to the next in seamless fashion without ever feeling monotonous or padded out – so many of these things still hold up over time. Black Mesa doesn’t lean on that heritage so much as honor it and present it in the best way possible, while still having enough room to excel at its own thing. It does all this with nary a technical hiccup or glitch, only stumbling at certain sequences before picking up again.

Black Mesa is truly the best way to experience Half-Life in this day and age. I’d probably argue that it’s the best way to experience the classic tale, period. But no matter which side you fall on – whether it’s wanting to relive the origin of the Freeman or simply playing a compelling first-person shooter narrative – Black Mesa is a triumph in almost every single way.

This game was reviewed on PC.

The Crowbar Collective teased an “imminent release” for the beta of Black Mesa’s Xen portion. As it turns out, it meant “almost immediately” – the technical beta is now available for those who own the game. Simply head to the game in your library, right click on it, select Properties, and head to the beta menu. Select the public beta and you should be good to go.

Though Xen makes up the final three chapters of the game, the beta itself is more about resolving any remaining issues. Current issues include lower frame rates at 4K resolution, rag-doll issues in the water, and so on. It’s also more focused on exploration and jumping puzzles, so the final iteration of Xen may offer more than this.

Still, with Xen nearing completion (especially following numerous delays), Crowbar Collective is close to realizing the Half-Life remake. Beginning development in 2015 as a mod, Black Mesa has garnered acclaim for revamping the FPS classic with new gameplay elements and encounters. Stay tuned for more details – the development team assures that the wait for a completely polished Xen “won’t be long”.

The Crowbar Collective has been working on Black Mesa, a remake for Half-Life, since 2012. It’s been in Steam Early Access since May 2015, with a good number of time spent finishing up Xen. The team’s work is coming to fruition though – after revealing some new footage of Xen to IGN, it confirmed a release was coming soon.

Before that though, there will be a beta “due for imminent release” so that players can work out the various kinks. It will mostly comprise of exploration and jumping puzzles, but should still provide a good look at the revamped alien realm (widely considered a low point in the original release). If it’s anything like the gameplay below, we should be in for a treat.

Though the finished portion doesn’t have a release date, Black Mesa itself will be out this year. Currently, the early access version offers several hours of campaign content, but revamped with new voiceovers, gameplay encounters, and much more. Stay tuned for more details and updates in the meantime.

Remember Black Mesa, the fan remake of Valve’s Half-Life that provided a contemporary visual look while also revamping several areas and mechanics? Things have been rather quiet with developer Crowbar Collective finishing up the Xen portion of the game but there’s hope. Today, the team revealed the first screenshot of Xen in Black Mesa and it looks pretty good.

On the official forums, it was stated that, “The team remains, as always, hard at work on Xen! Currently our specific focus is on gameplay: crafting a fun and cohesive experience from start to finish. We want our version of Xen to feel like it really belongs with the rest of the game in terms of mechanics, cohesion, and progression.

“But we also want to push the boundaries and explore this unique and varied setting; to build an experience that feels both fresh and familiar to players from all walks of Half-Life veterancy. While our Xen is certainly going to be gorgeous, we are first and foremost really committed to making sure that the gameplay works on every level.”

Despite Half-Life’s overall excellent nature and legendary status, the Xen portion of the game was often considered the weakest part. We’ll find out what kind of magic Black Mesa’s Xen can provide in the coming year.