I believe it does its job well, implementing a vision for Half-Life in a modern engine, with pretty well-made assets and fun game play.
I believe it does its job well, implementing a vision for Half-Life in a modern engine, with pretty well-made assets and fun game play.
It is a very worthy remake. I think the consensus will approve of it.
I will list as a negative that I find the HECU both less visually and mechanically interesting than in the original however.
Visually, their design is much less striking. The changes to designs and colors on the armor and webbing make them look like generic military guys, and this is a shame. Overall I find the modern tacticool changes like the high cut helmets to be jarring.
Mechanically, the original HECU had a few AI tricks like being quite mobile but also unable to move and shoot at the same time. This made them appear quite aggressive but also gave the player openings to shoot. Combined with the distinct chatter that telegraphed their actions, the HECU were a unique enemy to fight. In Black Mesa they seem to act like any other modern military shooter enemy.
But that is, overall a minor complaint in a game that makes the HL1 experience accessible to people who just can’t get past the graphics of the original, and is a good change up for people who are fans.