Hot Mods 19/12



£14.98

Games are practically becoming disposable these days. Not that a short lifespan is represented in their pricing structure, mind you, but the sheer weight of new releases suggests we’re expected to pay, play and head straight back to the shops.

But a lot of the time our used games can provide the foundations for an almost infinite number of new titles. The impoverished games industry might be bleating about used game sales, but once you’ve entered the awesome world of game modding there’s little reason to buy a new release ever again.

So to kick off IncGamer’s new mod coverage, we thought we’d begin with the big one – Half-Life 2. Not only was Gordon Freeman’s second outing a great game in itself, it has provided the framework for an endless collection of amazing (and free) mods. If you own Half-Life 2, you own the gateway to an infinite library of amazing gaming opportunities. Here we present five Hot Half-Life 2 Mods – not necessarily meant to represent the best, so much as a collection of diverse and entertaining ways to unlock Half-Life 2 and introduce you to the diverse world of game modding.

If you’ve got any Hot Mods of your own, or you’d like to recommend one to the IncGamers community, let us know in the comments section. We’d love to hear your thoughts on modding, so please get involved.

Zombie Panic!

http://www.zombiepanic.org

Zombies are a constant source of inspiration for modders, providing the perfect apocalyptic enemy that you can slaughter without any regret – considering the antagonists are a) already dead, and b) trying to eat your brains.

It’s classic zombie epidemic stuff in Zombie Panic, with an overwhelming outbreak of slavering, limping, clawing, flesh-hungry dead folk vying for a bite of humanity’s last remaining survivors. What’s unique about Zombie Panic is the way in which the infection spreads, with all the players joining a server and one member ‘volunteering’ to take on the role of the first zombie.

As the humans begin to fall, their game isn’t instantly over, however. Deceased players join the ranks of the undead, and turn their attention on their previous teammates. The wonderfully balls-out action is therefore bolstered by a high level of amusement and anti-camaraderie, which is rare to find even in commercial games – never mind community built mods.

But this Half-Life 2 mod is exciting for lots of reasons, not just the entertaining hordes of undead bullet fodder. This was one of the inaugural mods that Valve allowed us to access through Steam – making it easy to install, update and play online. If you own Half-Life 2, you need to play Zombie Panic. Simple as that.