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19 Dec 2008 at 11:27:57 by Spanner Spencer

Black Mesa

http://www.blackmesasource.com/

Not all mods attempt to convert a game into something completely different – often enough the modding community is more on the ball with bug fixes and improvements to the source game than the original developer, and Black Mesa simply takes this concept one step further.

Black Mesa is something of a critique on the original Half-Life game. It challenges the gaps in the story and gameplay that, in many respects, were later filled by Half-Life 2. But that doesn’t change the fact that Half-Life wasn’t everything it could have been, and Black Mesa uses the Half-Life 2 engine to take another – more complete – bash at Gordon Freeman’s debut.

It recreates all the environments of the Black Mesa research facility, along with all the characters we met the first time around, only in much greater detail. Several games modes are implemented, with more planned, such as single player campaigns, multiplayer, a co-op mode (which will allow you to recruit other characters from the lab along with your online friends) and a deathmatch game.

It’s great to revisit the classics every now and then, and Black Mesa gives you the perfect opportunity to rewind and reboot Half-Life.

One To Watch: NeoTokyo

http://www.neotokyohq.com/

Of the thousands of mods in development, very few of them actually make it to a full release. Each week we’ll take a look at a mod currently in development, to highlight the ongoing support your old source games are still getting. This week, it’s NeoTokyo – an ultra-stylish total conversion for Half-Life 2.

The game follows a power struggle between factions of the Japanese Secret Service during a time of civil unrest. A military coup is being planned by the Jinrai in this dystopian vision of the future, and you take an active role in the impending Japanese civil war.

Oozing liquid fluorescent style, NeoTokyo borrows heavily from classical manga themes, with a shade of William Gibson thrown in for extra substance. The incredible musical score adds a huge amount of depth and atmosphere to the shadowy action, so it’ll be great to see how the story plays out alongside the fantastic character and environmental designs.

Judging by the awe-inspiring trailer, this NeoTokyo could well provide the dark sci-fi shooter that’s missing from the shelves this Christmas.

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