Half-Life: Source Reviews

Really, this game isn't as bad as people think. The "freshly mopped sopping wet floors, and newly polished weapons," is the entire point the game was made! And hey, the flashlight is an actual flashlight now. Not just some weird spotlight which ruins moving in dark vents. While the shiny crowbar does indeed look terrible, everything else looks amazing! But I'll warn you that the first time I picked up the crowbar, the view-model didn't show up. When I gave myself all the weapons with cheats to try and fix the issue, shooting the tau cannon ended up crashing my game. MULTIPLE TIMES. But if you don't agree with my opinion there's a valid point I have to make about this game; it's still Half-Life. While it's buggy, and has a love or hate relationship with most people. I still love it, because at the end of the day, it's still Half-Life. One of the best games of all time.

some areas are buggy as hell, most of it is playable normally up until residue processing (edit: its fine past residue processing idk why people complain)

This game is simply just a waste of time and money, considering half-life 1, the original, is available for cheaper. Don't buy this.

Half Life but with some added physics & enemy ragdolls, which was really cool. But it is buggier than the original and I liked the looks of the original better. I'd recommend just playing the normal Half Life.

I don't even have to play it to know it's ass. I have literally played the leaked beta more than this and I don't even know how long I have played it for.

Great game. I personally didn't find any bugs. The graphics are pretty much the same as in OG Half-Life, except water - the water is a lot more realistic. If you love Half-Life, this is a great way to replay it.

Beat the game, and I would absolutely recommend it! It's a good, hard game. Valve did an amazing job. The movement is very sensitive, that's my only real problem with it.

Really just a buggy version of good 'ol HL. Cool thing to play around with, has all the perks coming from source engine. Don't really expect much from this. I'd recommend You buying this when on sale. Can't really say it's as bad as people say.

i don't understand why people hate this game so much like yes i get it the bugs suck but you can just fix them with some mods its not that big of a problem it only takes like what 10 minutes to set it up (depending on your WiFi speed) it is a good game excluding the bugs

Rating: 7/10 Half-Life: Source, released in 2004 by Valve, is an enhanced version of the original 1998 masterpiece, running on the Source engine. While it aimed to improve the visuals, physics, and water effects, it failed to live up to expectations, making it a divisive version among fans. Despite still delivering the legendary Half-Life experience, this remaster feels more like a rushed port than a true upgrade. What Works Well? 🧪 Same Brilliant Gameplay as Half-Life At its core, Half-Life: Source is still Half-Life—one of the most influential FPS games ever made. The engaging story, immersive atmosphere, and smart enemy AI remain intact, making this version playable and enjoyable. 🌊 Improved Water Effects and Physics The transition to the Source engine brings better physics (thanks to Havok) and improved water reflections, which make certain areas look more modern compared to the 1998 original. 🖥️ Smoother Performance and Native Support Half-Life: Source runs natively on modern systems, avoiding the compatibility issues that can arise with the original GoldSrc version. Higher resolutions and widescreen support are also a plus. The Problems with Half-Life: Source ❌ Barely Any Real Graphical Upgrade Despite running on Source, most textures, models, and lighting effects remain unchanged from 1998. This makes it feel less like a true remaster and more like a basic port with minimal effort. ❌ Buggy AI and Broken Scripted Sequences Some of Half-Life’s iconic scripted moments don’t work properly in Half-Life: Source, breaking immersion. Enemies and NPCs sometimes behave worse than in the original, which is unacceptable for an "improved" version. ❌ No High-Definition (HD) Model Pack Unlike Half-Life’s official 1999 update, which introduced better character and weapon models, Half-Life: Source lacks these HD assets—making it feel graphically inferior to an older update of the game. ❌ Black Mesa Exists If you want to experience Half-Life with Source engine upgrades, Black Mesa (a fan-made, Valve-approved remake) is a far superior alternative with fully reworked graphics, animations, and improved gameplay mechanics. Conclusion Half-Life: Source is not a bad way to play Half-Life, but it's also not the best. If you want the original experience, the GoldSrc version is more authentic. If you want a true Source engine remake, Black Mesa is the better choice. 🔹 Rating: 7/10 – Still a great game, but an underwhelming remaster.