The player has made a mistake in the past and has to face the consequences now ... through suffering! The punishment comes to the player in 4 parts and one additional final part. This is like nothing you have ever played before.
... >)
The name of the game in Halfquake is a concept that pervades both the storyline and gameplay: sadism. In other words, to torture the player with randomly appearing enemies, limited ammo, scarce health packs, trial-and-error movement puzzles and taunting voice-over antagonists. While the mod design isn't as bad as some other Half-Life mods, it is kinda lackluster and fails to leave a lasting impression. Still, it can be fun because of its unique style of gameplay, which is coherent with the narrative.
Modelling is rather simplistic, because enemies are just low-quality reskins of HL's. However, certain areas have an original ambience that portrays quite well a large facility dedicated to sadistic practices. It somewhat reminds me of the institutional atmosphere intertwined with the gameplay and story of Portal. Although symbols and textures aren't refined, the background achieves to transmit this ambience.
The story is original and, as I mentioned, coherently tied to the gameplay. It constantly pushes the player to act, die and repeat the cycle, generating a relatable sense of uneasiness with the victim-protagonist. Voice acting can be a bit dull, which detracts from the mood, but the narrative manages to remain engaging so the mod doesn't become boring too quickly. Also, the mod is filled with symbolism that is present all around, adding a nice touch.
Gameplay is fast-paced and not particularly hard. In fact, the mod is rather short, but it can be artificially extended through trial and error and by taking paths to secret places. Enemies are easy to defeat and battles are too simple, although the final boss requires a unique fighting style and strategy. Movement puzzles are the best this mod can offer, but they can also become annoying quite easily. One needs to be persistent and resilient to reach the end and discover what happens to our protagonist.
In conclusion, Halfquake may not be one of the best HL mods from around, but it's certainly worth a try, especially considering is the first part of a trilogy, Muddasheep's magnum opus. If you are into trial and error mechanics and appreciate the old-school vibe of Half-Life mods, it's highly unlikely that you'll dislike this mod.
i miss old days i rememeber play it when i was kid
One of the most aesthetic mod alongside Afraid Of Monster, I really love Half-quake's world design it's one of these mods you should play!
Liked the mod, I also like some stuff that has ">) " face But it's kinda scary
you cant escape
noice
This is a first installment in Halfquake series and only one that lives up to its name. It is about solving puzzles and completing challenges which require wits, good reaction time and skill from player. Maps are basically what in a title of the mod - they executed in simple cubic style just like quake 1 levels, but have a diffirent, unique dark and gloomy atmosphere, which personally reminds me of Portal 1. It is a good little mod - its not long and doesn't have much new content such as new enemies or weapons, but it is still very fun to play and to test your skills. But the most important part about this mod is that it creates a feel of a complete hopelessness, which follows the player throughout the whole Halfquake series - which is my favourite mod series for half life 1. 9/10
The most beautiful (in interesting way) thing.
Great Mod, dont forget to play sequels too. >)