Ambitious Half-Life mod is adding some alternate story and challenges

For the “experienced HL gamer.”

Half-Life: a screenshot showing the outside world and Gordon holding a blue crowbar.

If you thought people were done playing or modding Half-Life, think again. With the game recently celebrating its 25th anniversary, Valve’s FPS is enjoying a bit more time in the limelight. To ago along with that, the community is working on a way to challenge players.

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Over on ModDB, user jonnymartini is in the midst of looking for volunteers. The project, which is in the early stages of development, will add a few changes to the original Half-Life. For example, there are plans to introduce a new story element. In this scenario, Gordon will miss the train that takes him to Black Mesa at the start.

Half-Life: Gordon Freeman holds a shotgun in a large, glowing green room.
Image via jonnymartini/ModDB.

This will change things up, but will also allow for some other areas to be re-explored, such as from the training section or the Decay expansion.

Give ’em hell, Gordon!

But that’s not all. The mod will be introducing new challenge modes to really test Gordon Freeman’s might and gumption. There are five that have been outlined:

  • Crowbar only
  • Glock only
  • 1HP only
  • Realistic mode (which will add realistic injuries, weapon classes, and more)
  • Permadeath.

Whether there’ll be more challenges added cannot be said at this stage, but as I say, it’s still early days. Currently, there’s no release date for the mod, so you’ll need to keep an eye on the download page for updates.

Hailed as one of the greatest FPS releases in gaming history, Half-Life has stood the test of time. Its environmental story aspects, seamless level transitions, and mute yet intriguing protagonist made Valve’s maiden title stand out at a time when the genre was still finding its feet.

About The Author
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Andrew Heaton
Andrew has been a gamer since the 17th century Restoration period. He now writes for a number of online publications, contributing news and other articles. He does not own a powdered wig.
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