Black Mesa Reviews

Half-Life with refined graphics, gameplay and everything else. It improves over the original in practically every conceivable way, the only downside being that it turns Half-Life 2 from a massive upgrade into a downgrade if you play them in order. However, I'd still recommend the original to people who would love its retro charm.

It's good, but I much prefer Half-Life's level design for the most part. Black Mesa doesn't really "fix" the bad parts of Half-Life -- For On A Rail, they practically remove it, and Xen is still not fun but just a million times longer and filled with puzzles instead of combat. I've gotten lost on long dead-end paths or just softlocked more times than I ever have in the original. I think some combat arenas in Black Mesa are straight up bad. Half-Life is designed with close range in mind, but this game attempts to put you in huge areas with no cover and enemies that can kill you in less than a second. Not really hard if you know how to play Half-Life, but it's just not that fun! However, Black Mesa is really pretty (though Half-Life's artstyle is more charming to me) and sounds great. It's clear the developers put a lot of effort into this project. It's totally worth a shot on sale if you're a fan of the series, but I much prefer Half-Life to this when it comes to gameplay.

Booted up Black Mesa thinking it’d be a quick nostalgia trip. Ended up stuck for hours, smacking headcrabs and wondering how the same story could feel this fresh. The marines are smarter, Xen isn’t terrible anymore (instead now it's terribly long and it just drags), and the whole place looks like Half-Life finally hit puberty. If you liked the original, play this. If you never played Half-Life… honestly, still play this.

this game is truly revolutionary because if you go to the bathroom at the start of the game some guy in a stall will ask you for some toilet paper and you can give it to him and i feel like this is such and immersive aspect of the game because it adds so much realism because if you run out of toilet paper you would have to leave the stall and have the poop be in your pants and it will dry and that would not be good but if you asked a person outside of the stall then it would make everything 1 million times easier and that is what makes this game more immersive than the 1998 half life and it adds so much flavor to the game because you dont just play as gordon freeman, you live as gordon freeman

One of the best single-player shooter games out there, and it’s also on sale for just around 2€. Honestly, you’re basically getting it for free.

Best game ever what i see and play, having played Half Life 1 for the first time in 2025, emotions are overwhelming. Now it's the best shooter in the world for me!

Paying only $2 for this classic feels criminal. Fantastic remake, Xen was really fun.

Black Mesa is a fan-made reimagining of Valve’s iconic 1998 first-person shooter Half-Life, developed by the Crowbar Collective. Far more than a mere remake, Black Mesa stands out as a labor of love that elevates the original experience with modern graphics, rebalanced gameplay, and a faithful yet creatively expanded narrative. Built using the Source engine, the game meticulously reconstructs the story of theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman as he navigates the disastrous alien invasion triggered by an experiment gone wrong at the Black Mesa Research Facility. The environments are richly detailed, with atmospheric lighting and updated textures that breathe new life into familiar settings while preserving the claustrophobic tension and eerie isolation that defined the original. The sound design is another highlight—ambient audio, improved voice acting, and an invigorated soundtrack contribute to a more immersive and cinematic feel. Where Black Mesa truly shines is in its reworking of the infamous Xen levels. In the original Half-Life, Xen was often criticized for its abstract design and jarring shift in tone. Crowbar Collective’s version, however, transforms Xen into a vast, alien ecosystem filled with mysterious flora, new gameplay mechanics, and thoughtful pacing that aligns more cohesively with the rest of the game. Combat is tighter and more responsive, thanks to tweaks to enemy AI and weapon balance, making the encounters feel more strategic and rewarding. The game’s narrative elements are also subtly enhanced through environmental storytelling and small details that reward exploration. However, Black Mesa is not without its minor flaws. Some platforming sections can feel clunky, and despite graphical improvements, the Source engine shows its age in certain animations and character models. Yet these are small blemishes on what is otherwise a remarkable achievement. The game not only pays homage to a landmark in gaming history but also stands on its own as a compelling shooter for newcomers and veterans alike. Black Mesa is a testament to what dedicated fans can accomplish—it bridges the past and present of PC gaming, proving that reinvention, when done with care and respect, can rival even the most polished AAA titles. Rating: 9/10

No subscriptions, no microtransactions, no overpriced DLCs? What is this, a game or some kind of sick joke? Just raw, unapologetic, old-school shooter mayhem, painstakingly resurrected with the kind of Platonic love modern devs usually reserve for their revenue charts. Black Mesa didn’t just entertain me. It exposed the sad little charade most modern games put on while bleeding your wallet dry and calling it innovation.

this game is truly revolutionary because if you go to the bathroom at the start of the game some guy in a stall will ask you for some toilet paper and you can give it to him and i feel like this is such and immersive aspect of the game because it adds so much realism because if you run out of toilet paper you would have to leave the stall and have the poop be in your pants and it will dry and that would not be good but if you asked a person outside of the stall then it would make everything 1 million times easier and that is what makes this game more immersive than the 1998 half life and it adds so much flavor to the game because you dont just play as gordon freeman, you live as gordon freeman