BLACK MESA
Black Mesa is over.
Well, it will take 8 more years to be finished with Xen which was beautiful but controversial, but yeah, overall impressions are about the same: even more, the release has enhanced the feeling of Half-Life belonging to the Doom & Quake generation.
The Game
It's the good old new Half-Life. I mean, that it's recalling memories of how it was before, but it looks a way different. And this is cool: this is how the remakes should be done - recreated from scratch, keeping the main idea, script, looking with one eye at what already had been done.
And Black Mesa looks great. There are quite a lot of places thrown away - like railway stuff, like returning in the middle to one map you've been in beginning, but on the other side of lattice, like some offices... They say that it was decision to remove boring places, but I must say, these places, when you've been alone to the some massive complex, no soul around, just you and the same lonely beasts - this made a feeling of catastrophe, of being abandoned. And that your life is in your hands: no goals, no world saving, just you and cruel world. It was perfectly told in the beginning of the "Black Mesa": when you're awaiting for weapon to receive, but they are simply not giving it to you!!! And you just go and go, explore the world a bit claustrophobic and scary...
IMHO, this messianic message of Gordon ruined Half-Life2 in my eyes. In Black Mesa I've got more of the script message telling me "Gordon is the center of the world! He must save us!". Well, I guess, that's because of removing "boring" places, where you were wondering plotlessly. So, talking of this game, I must say that it leaves strange feeling of being enlarged and a synopsis of the original simultaneously. Some levels require optimization: like the last one, where it was 1FPS slo-mo (I wonder how I had patience to win), mined building could be made as separate map, especially, as, after getting in, you can't get out except by lift down.
And one more thing: scripts were natural in general (I mean, they worked making feeling of a real world), but in case of helicopter in the mountains (which was loosing aim and shooting in unknown direction thus becoming unbreakable) and in case of triple(!!!) spawning to the same cooling reactor room (actually, very convenient thing - where they came from? hell, another dimension!) - they were quite annoying.
Otherwise it was good. Music appeared in BM and it fits well the game.
The Balance
Levels wasn't the only thing changed: they've also changed the behavior of enemies and weaponry. I've been playing on the hard level.
Comparing to original, gameplay has become meaner. Enemies are very mean: grunt's electroshock is fast and precise, xen soldier is now not only shooting auto-aimed flies, but also is running and kicking; xen dogs now attack in packs, with nice effect - usually effect of death; zombies throw stuff at you; soldiers are just mean with their shotguns and machineguns. I wonder why didn't they made headcrabs act like facehuggers - if these can get through helmets, then Freeman's walks without cover, as game arts show us, is quite dangerous for his head, and these jumpy bastard would do something more then just unpleasant moments of game. Less light for damaged facilities, more doomish claustrophobic darkness and flashlight, with headgrabs jumping from corners, more!.. I'd say that this is good thing, that creature have become dangerous. It makes game challenging. Of course, there were moments when you were just catching moments they've missed you and you got them from save to save, trying to survive under heavy fire in shieldless suit... You know, suit without batteries is quite fragile thing - health is going down with bullet speed... But still it was interesting.
The bad thing is about weaponry. They've made it... preferable, I'd say. My main weapons for the Black Mesa were glock17, magnum and shotgun. Glock helped me to get rid of nasty "rabbits" and fishes, magnum helped to cool down soldiers and others from the far, and shotgun - from close distance. Machine gun was totally unprecise: shooting far it was useless, as clips loosing after clip but your enemies continue to wound you; shooting close range it took whole clip to kill one enemy, while he was continuing to shoot you and not alone - and reload time is somewhat deadly one. Even magnum was unprecise: I didn't understand the system how should I shoot in alternative "sniper" mode. Rokkit launcha and Gauss rifle were too late and not too much ammo to spend it on something than tanks and helicopters.
There was also xen soldier's weapon shooting with flies. It surprisingly was found not at xenobiology lab where it would fit perfectly (and where it was originally) but at completely other place. Why? Probably, they just needed to give it, as it was in HL. They could have give it in Xen, it wouldn't matter as it was the same mostly useless: self-aiming flies can hit enemies around the corner, but there were no enemy that would just sit and wait to be killed - they were running to you. And it had the same problem that machine gun had - full clip per person and deadly reloading. So, generally this weapon was used to kill barnacles and break boxes thus saving shells for instant deadly shotgun. But the scene of taking control over this weapon was an interesting one!.. Oh, this stupid old game habit to make weapons less killing with difficulty raise is pissing me off. Make enemies stronger, not player weaker!..
I've heard that Black Mesa team is going to remake Half-Life multiplayer also, after Xen part of the game. Good thing - I really hope they would implement also Opposing Force arsenal (and remake OP as well).
The Feelings
Freeman has surprised me. With these new old enemies, after fights with military guys, his journey now seems to be ultra-dangerous, and requires strength of truly unusual man. Even armor of suit wouldn't save him, if he would be just another ordinary scientist. He must have tactical knowledge, he must have good weapon skill, be in a good shape, think and react quickly... Well, now we're looking at some HL version of Jason Bourne, actually (especially if you remember that normal human don't carry 10 types of gun with ammo).
Just imagine - morning, 27 years old performing kata's. He's very concentrated in this everyday doing, as always in everything he does. He's smart and full of life. On wall we see photos him being with long hairs in leather jacket in some moto-club. Second photo showing him in aikido kimono, smiling - he looks very much after "Samurai Champloo" hero. Third one shows him in military dress holding paintball weapon, some guy is near buy. This guy is Barney.
There are a lot of books in his room, and computer working. He is used to read a lot, use his time efficiently, get very deep in the debris of what he's interested. He also likes Japanese wisdom - don't show yourself without need. He has received an aikido dan, he has been training with paintball team and because of this learning special force tactics. He has passed security guard training of Black Mesa, after he has known about it from Barney.
This kind of guy would have survived in all these struggles. This guy is more believable. But of course it's no more old one geekish scientist with Woody Allen glasses, now it's Ivan the Space Biker :)
"No, you clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Barney. I AM the danger! A guy opens his door and gets shot and you think that of me? No. I am the one who knocks!"
