Black Mesa

Whether you played Half-Life back in the day or not, Black Mesa is definitely the best way to experience one of the crown jewels of first-person shooter history. It doesn’t look like a 2020 remake – because it’s not, really – but it still makes great use of the distinctively creepy atmosphere and excellent combat that left such a mark on this genre. And what better way to get ready for Valve finally returning to the Half-Life universe?

So, Half-Life, then. I used to say it was my favourite game of all time. Now, I'd say it's a first-person shooter that is occasionally great, mostly good, and sometimes charmingly crap. Black Mesa smooths out most of the crap, and maintains the great and the good. It doesn't modernise the antiquated design - but then, it wouldn't be Half-Life if it did. As it is, it's the best way to play Valve's original design if you haven't done so before, and it's a brilliant way to retread those old ventilation shafts, if you have.

Black Mesa may show its age in some areas, but that doesn't detract from what is an otherwise stunning achievement. It's not only Half Life at its best - it's one of the finest shooters available today.

It has been over 20 years since the original Half-Life first released, a classic beloved by many in the PC community and one of the most influential shooters of all time. Ever since 2005, an ambitious fan-made recreation of the original game, with the support from Valve nonetheless, has been in development, and after almost 15 full years, Black Mesa 1.0 has finally come out with the promise to deliver an experience that lives up to the original whilst providing something fresh.

A long, long time ago, Valve Software released a little game called Half-Life, and in doing so changed gaming forever. Now, nearly two decades later, does this painstaking fan-remake of Gordon Freeman's original adventure still do justice to his legacy?

Xen doesn't suck anymore.

One of the best remakes ever, not because of its loving recreation of the original Half-Life but because it dares to change and improve it.

Black Mesa remains true to the original Half-Life with updated graphics, improved sounds and redesigned levels. However, the graphics still look old for a “modern” game and loading screens are still a pain as it freezes the game for a few seconds.