Black Mesa PC
Metascore
86 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
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  1. Eurogamer Spain
    Nov 6, 2012
    90
    We should applaud an excellent work made for free by fans of the original game.
  2. CD-Action
    Oct 24, 2012
    85
    A free game that lets you relive Half-Life without having to stomach outdated visuals. Essential to every gamer. [12/2012, p.69]
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  3. Games Master UK
    Oct 24, 2012
    93
    A superlative remake of one of the most important games ever made. [Dec 2012, p.89]
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  4. games(TM)
    Oct 15, 2012
    90
    And the reason it's so easy to ignore the faults – so easy to shrug off falling off a ladder again – is because there's joy in taking on an entire platoon of troops as a goatee-sporting nerd. There's joy in taking on situations and knowing they aren't scripted half to death. There's joy in scamming your way through a puzzle by pretty much breaking the game.
  5. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 13, 2012
    91
    A faithful and extremely professional remake of one of the great classics of the FPS genre. Despite slight niggles, like the marines' aimbot-like behavior, it actually manages to achieve the impossible: Black Mesa is Half-Life, only better. [Oct 2012]
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  6. Destructoid
    Sep 24, 2012
    80
    It's a brilliant tribute to one of the greatest videogames ever made, and it's also a good game in its own right.
  7. Metro GameCentral
    Sep 20, 2012
    80
    A fantastic labour of love that genuinely manages to improve on the ground-breaking original – if only by missing out some of the worst parts.
  8. Gamer.nl
    Sep 20, 2012
    85
    Black Mesa is a lot of things. It's one of the best mods ever made and a package that offers every Half-Life fan what they want. It's also a chance for newcomers to get to know a game that has been put on a pedestal over the years, in a relatively modern way. But more importantly, it's a very special and entertaining look into the history of shooters.
  9. SpazioGames
    Sep 20, 2012
    85
    The result, though still a bit 'sour for some graphic glitch and not bug-free, fully convinces and the new features do nothing but add prestige and longevity to a project worthy of praise from all points of view.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
9.0 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 304 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 53
  3. Negative: 1 out of 53
  1. CrazyGoat
    10
    Black Mesa has the polish synonymous with a Valve property, and has surpassed all expectations in light of the sheer difficulty of the project. The amount of dedication, passion, and love the developers put into this game is immediately apparent as you explore the depths of Black Mesa, and uncover the secrets of this research facility.

    Black Mesa transcends the level of 'modification' - they didn't modify anything. They created this game (save for a few sound bites, etc) from the ground up - in an impressive feat not many could accomplish. Having played Half-Life 1, this game left me without a single gripe or complaint regarding it's faithfulness to the original. The additions (of which there are a few) utilize the source engine's physics and graphics in ways that remind you of Half-Life 2. These are not modders, they're developers - and have made a shining masterpiece which raises the bar on third-party game development in the source engine. It's faithful to the original, and yet creates this bizarre sense of deja vu with Half-Life 2 - making them feel like one contiguous game, no longer separated by 6 years or different engines. They have truly done the impossible. This is a must-play.    … Full Review »
  2. fabbolous
    10
    I've been waiting for this mod since the very beginning. Half Life is just one of the greatest PC Games ever made and walking Black Mesa again with these all new graphics it feels like coming home...well...home is nicer though :-)
    I have found no bugs so far. Everything has been rebuilt very accurately. No wonder this mod took about 8 years and it was worth every second. Hope the mod team will come up with the last part of the Half Life on Zen very soon!!    … Full Review »
  3. NorBdelta
    10
    Ok where to start. Black Mesa is a complete remake of Half-life. Now to sum it up would be "a masterpiece".The graphics have been totally revamped, characters (scientists, guards, etc.) have totally remade models and are now different from one another not the same guard over and over, the textures and other props have been replaced with higher quality ones. Some levels are slightly different but I found them very fluid and I believe they were worked to make the story more cohesive. Enemies are more intelligent and look amazing. Guns totally remade. This game is certainly on par with the original quality of story wise. The quality of work is of the highest I have seen in a mod and it is a "Valve" level of quality product. I find little else to say as this mod is so amazing I am lost for words trying to explain how highly I respect this remake and the dev team behind it was done such an amazing job.… Full Review »
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