Reviews - ADos

In the most simple manner of speaking, this mod adds so much polish to an ageing engine and brings it to the modern era without needing to add unnecessary detail. It reminds me of the work done with GMDX, or Unreal: Evolution, in that it doesn't drasticly change the gameplay but merely enhances pre-existing features while retaining the core essence of what made Half life 2, good.

This mod reawakens a legacy of linear storytelling which in a sense, which alongside games like Half Life and Quake were formative for the modern FPS as we know them now.

Unreal: Evolution (UE) enhances some sections of the world with enhanced detail. The most pronounced adjustments I noticed were in Harobed Village, and NyLeve Falls which completely brought out details that help detail minor worldbuilding. Things that you could expect to explore or see more of, now have more of that detail included into it.

The AI is fantastic as well; Skaarj can actually pose a threat, and you're rarely if ever safe relying on non-hitscan weapons with them.

This mod is phenomenal, and I'm only 2/3rds of the way through.

I think the framework provided by UE will allow for a potential renaissance in Unreal modding and mapping. I can only hope and dream to see more of these mods converted with the same love and devotion to detail that Totalitarian has provided here.

Having first picked up S.T.A.L.K.E.R. as a series back in my teenage years and playing it little over a decade ago, it's surprisingly refreshing to play a mod that takes the very same game and completely overhaul it using open source code. It runs like a dream, and hasn't crashed once. Heck, I haven't even noticed any of the old bugs!

The mod itself utilises a bunch of similar ideas used in previous big-name STALKER mods and executes it near-flawlessly. I seriously recommend picking this one up if only to see what the community of a game can do if you let them have access to the open source of your game.

While this captivates the Black Mesa incident in its' own unique tone, there's definitely moments where I feel as though the 'scope' of the Black Mesa facility seems a little lost. It seems curious to have these large, cavernous expanses of concrete tunnels & clauseways scattered so deep in the earth; though this is just a simple nitpick.

The ambience of this game is executed near-perfectly in my opinion. The dating GoldSRC engine isn't very optimized for horror gaming experienced without pushing it to the limits, but this mod—containing what I suspect is only light changes to the basic engine—nails atmosphere. The score builds a foreboding sense of dread, as does the set design & moments of anxiety in being horribly alone in a death trap.

This mod should be played on hard, as it really sets up a bit of suspense knowing that headcrabs will end your ******* life after you've taken a few hits already.

I'm not 100% through the game yet, but so far consider me thoroughly impressed. MrGnang, thank-you for breathing life into the niche of Half Life horror.

While there are insurmountable shortcomings to this mod (or the full release as GMod 10), it has without a doubt become one of the cornerstones to the Source engine as a modding tool, or a platform for LUA scriptors. I cannot begin to describe the literal plethora of fun gamemodes I've tested over the possible 7 or so years since I started playing this mod, back when it had basic prism blocks spawn from emitter constructs.

While it is beyond perfect, it is one of the best intros for mappers, modders and scriptors alike.

Fuuuuckyeeaaaaa

In the early ages of this mod, this was amazing for standards provided by the early hammer editor. It came with it's own stunning soundtrack, a story to hallmark, level design that was worthy of Valve themselves and left a legacy of awesome HL1 mods in its wake.

I am glad I played this when I was in the early ages of my childhood.