Such an incredible job, my hat's off to Crowbar Collective for doing the impossible and making Half-Life a better game.

Though it suffers the pains of 90's game design, Half-Life continues to prove its pedigree as one of the greatest games ever made. Crowbar Collective have taken the dated visuals beyond a mere upgrade, and enhanced every room, corridor, and ammo box in the game. The source 2 engine has been pushed to its breaking point while maintaining fantastic performance. Everything is as it was, just better in every way.

The soundtrack is phenomenal, the beats punctuating hard and memorable as you progress through the campaign. They resonate well with the similarly fantastic Half-Life 2 in a way that connects the two games in a closer symbiosis. I only hope they decide to release it as lossless DLC in the future.

Having played the available campaign, pre-Xen update, I decided to replay it in its entirety. While I'm sure there were some changes made, I found it hard to find them. It still impresses, and I suggest playing it through for the fantastic jolt of adrenaline you will receive once your hit the border world.

The first glance of the alien universe is amazing, and some of the set pieces are a clear labour of love with their incredible attention to detail. Effects, texture work, and the captivating skyboxes are beautiful to behold. The level design occasionally shows its age, and CC did their best to flesh it out without changing the groundwork. But ostensibly, Xen has become the fantastic second chapter it was always meant to be.

Black Mesa pulls Half-Life out of the previous generation it was born in, and rejuvenates it for a seamless fit with its seminal successor. If you have never played it, this is the Half-Life experience you are looking for.

Nominated for the Labour of Love Award 2020