4.5/5 ★ – Pixelguy9's review of Black Mesa.

Quick disclaimer, I have not played the original version of Half-Life at the time of writing. When I do, this review may get updated. That being said, Black Mesa Remastered is undoubtedly one of the best FPS games I’ve ever played. The enthralling puzzles, the basic albeit satisfying combat, and the lite elements of platforming that are sprinkled throughout all provide one of the most engaging experiences available on the PC gaming market. The weapon sandbox of Black Mesa is probably one of the games most important elements, with almost everything having some sort of purpose. Although I never used some of the pieces of equipment like the trip-mines or the Snarks, almost every other weapon was given a scenario in which they functioned most effectively. And the crowbar? Damn, what an iconic piece of gaming iconography. But what good are guns without something to shoot? Black Mesa offers a wide variety of enemies to fight, all of which feature extremely unique designs and gameplay functions. From the iconic Headcrab to the Controllers of Xen, no enemy in Black Mesa is not fun to fight. Even the final boss, the Nihilanth, surprised me by being a fun bossfight in an FPS game, which there are too little of for some reason. The structure of Black Mesa also was a surprise to me on my first playthrough. I was expecting and relatively short game that involved a couple of hours walking around the titular facility, but man, I was wrong! From my perspective, Black Mesa is separated into three main parts; the Black Mesa facility that makes up the first couple of levels immediately following the resonance cascade, the exterior base and other labs once the invasion and military occupation are both fully underway, and Xen, the alien dimension and the final series of levels where you make the final ascent up to the Nihilanth. Each area offers its own unique gameplay; the right corridors and alien threats of the facility, the human enemies and all out war of the second act, and the floating platforms and biological factories of Xen. Finally, the art direction of Black Mesa Remastered is superb. The lab where the game opens is fairly standard, but is contrasted by the unique alien designs and interesting rooms full of hazards. The bases, tunnels and open areas that make up the game’s second half are fun combat-wise and offer the ability for great set-piece and scripted moments. And finally, Xen, which gradually shifts from one of the most beautiful alien environments ever depicted in gaming to one of the most horrifying; the deep blues and purples giving way to bloody reds, grimy browns and sickly greens, not to mention the walls held together with stitches (which is as gross as it is metal af). The only problems I had with the game were a handful of bugs preventing progress on my first play though, which required level restarts, but these have since been patched out. If you want to play one of the best FPS games of all time, but think Half-Life looks or plays a little dated, then give Black Mesa a try. You won’t regret it, but there might still be some… unforeseen consequences…