This mod is intended to be a love letter to the first Half-Life Demo "Uplink". It is more a demo than a mod and is in no way to be understood as a full fledged mod. The main goal of this demo was to keep the assets as vanilla as possible. This mod contains no additional models, weapons, textures etc. Only a few new sentences, since the story telling (like "Uplink" and Half-Life itself) was done with the characters in it. It was made to maintain the original Half-Life feeling in 1998. Veterans should be through within 10 minutes or so (it's not big, really). If you enjoyed it, leave a message!
First, this isn't a ten minute mod like the description says. It has six maps of varying lengths. I'd say this is more of a twenty - twenty five minute mod if you like exploration. I think the creator is underselling it :) Second, the mod is described as having the goal of keeping the HL feeling. After playing it I can say that it's not exactly like HL but definitely feels like something that very well may have been released back in the day. This is a positive in my book, I love old-school mods like this.
Despite the name, Downlink has very little to do with Uplink. The goal is the same and the starting area is reminiscent of Uplink but the similarities end there. Instead, the mod has some cool unique ideas here and there. For example, there are some fun horror sequences like discovering a hanging scientist after turning the lights on or an unexpected, semi-hidden zombie scare, it's good stuff. In one area you use a small missile to blow open a locked door, just an enjoyable little spectacle. There is also new voice acting and it's good too.
The brushwork is on the simpler side and while it's just right at the beginning, it becomes blockier with each new map besides some expections (the pipe area outside was great). Generally, outdoor areas are weaker than indoors, which is something we commonly see in HL modding scene. The reason for this is same as usual: Flat mountains and unnatural geometry. There is a general lack of polish in maps, you can send the uplink device to the surface without opening the doors first, it just clips through. You can open a hatch that has objects on top, making the door ignore it, HEV and first-aid stations are as big as people and so on. The ambient sounds are very lacking in some areas too, it's simply too quiet. All in all, the mapping isn't perfect but I enjoyed many of the sections regardless. There are also some goodies sprinkled to nooks and crannies which I always appreciate, exploration should be rewarded.
Overall, Downlink is a flawed but fun old-school mod. It's not that long and the ending is a bit abrupt, but it's definitely unexpected. If you like classic style mods, give it a go.
PS. to the developer: I found the "lovers" :)
Хороший Мод
I gotta be honest. I didn't know what to expect when playing the opposite version of Uplink. The first half is to be expected going to the same route but with custom voice acting. The second half, however, I did not expect going for a horror route when you go deeper underground. Overall, old school style mapping makes you feel nostalgic and I had a good time for a moment.
I say "no" to this mod. Because phrase "old-school mod" is absolutely correct. The map geometry literally from 90s - cube is ideal figure of author. In 2000 it's maybe good mod, but we live in 2024 year, where we have HL: echoes with perfect locations. I feel (myself, lol) more doom one experience, than HL. Look at this corridor: I.imgur.com
And yep, some mistakes how hev-station size, the map change load in ventilation (yep, you are stuck), door textures mistake.
Excellent
The level design is inconsistent. In some areas, the mapping feels overly simplistic, while others are well-designed. This inconsistency can be jarring. Overall, the level design itself is just mediocre. However, the levels are saved by their unique geometric details, which are quite striking and unlike anything I've seen before. There's room for improvement, though. The logic behind the placement of some objects, like the excessively large tables and caution signs, needs revisiting. Additionally, some objects appear too large within the game world. The rocks are a whole other issue. They're embarrassingly simple, with some literally being just squares. Overall, the game has a interesting idea, but the inconsistent level design hold it back. The unique details in the levels redeem it, imho.
