Half-Life 1 & 2 mods involing the HL universe

[Captain M4d]

I've decided to play through all of the Half-Life games, expansion packs, and mods which involve the Half-Life universe and storyline. I'm doing this in anticipation of Half-Life 2: Episode 2, and plus I haven't played any of these games for a while.

So far I am set to play:
Half-Life
Opposing Force
Blue Shift
Case Closed (mod)
Point of View

Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2: Episode One

Are there any other cool HL 1 or 2 mods which involve the HL universe and storyline? I know the mods may be a little inaccurate, because they don't have the story secrets from Valve, but I love exploring more of the world created by Valve and the possibilities within it.

So post any cool Half-Life 1 or 2 mods which may be worth playing...

 

[Costin]

S-Mod:you can kick with your foot,bullet time,new weapons.(this is the one i played)
And i like the trailer of Codename: Orisis is really cool.

 

[Edcrab]

Storyline wise, the likes of Half-Life: Redemption, Sweet Half-Life, Peaces Like Us, Edge of Darkness, Mission of Mercy, and more recent offerings like Poke646 make for enjoyable single-player forays into non-canon, alternate histories/interpretations of Valve's universe.

USS Darkstar is one of my firm favourite HL mods, the only problem is that it's irrelevant to this discussion as its not really set in the Half-Life universe

 

[Polaris]

If you have a PS2 you should play Half-Life with official coop expansion called Decay, it's pretty good!

Good mods with HL Story:
HL1 - Poke 646, Invasion, ETC, Brave Brain, Azure Sheep
HL2 - Minerva, Island

btw Point of View is cool but it's not official

 

[Reginald]

Half Life: Uplink

A level cut from HL1 that was re-used as the demo for the game. Should be released on Steam and should be re-made by a mod team for Source. It's really great.

Someplace Else (Mod for HL1)

A really quite tough foray to Xen for someone working for an almost G-man like figure. Made by the God-among-men, Adam Foster.

Half Life 2: Lost Coast

A level cut from HL2 re-used as a showcase for HDR lighting on the Source engine. It's but a 10 minute level, but it has some good combat and shows you what a headcrab cannon looks like. Also introduces a new character which could potentially be used later in the series.

MINERVA Metastasis

The psuedo-sequel to Someplace Else seeing the return of the aforementioned G-man like figure guiding our un-named hero through a sinister Combine controlled island. However ridiculous the story ends up being, and however much the story may sway from Valve's plot, the mapping and atmosphere is *whisper* occasionally better than Valve's.

 

[kupocake]

So far I am set to play:
Point of View

Azure Sheep is advised if you're going to play Point of View because they actually form their own little sub-universe. The paths of the player characters in both cross a few times. Mind you, PoV is probably a better game on the whole (though lack of weapons is repeatative). I made it through both some years ago, but now I wonder if i'd be able to put up with them

Half-Life redemption is an interesting mod full of quirky ideas. It has you employed by the G-Man in a somewhat more banal and predicatable capacity, but that seems to be part of what is just a tongue in cheek attitude to a fan-sequel really. The locales are quite different to what you're used to: a mountain monastry and a fairground for the first two missions in fact. I did find the level design to be a little hard to follow though, but that's something I think you have to be prepared for with many mods. It rarely is obvious where you're going.

So far, the only Half-Life 2 single player mod i've ever found interesting / playable, is Minerva. It's the kind of game which cleverly skirts around the canon though: all the HL2 ingredients are there, just not the story-bending problems you get into when you use main characters and locations.

As previously recommended, play Decay. It's by far the most overlooked chapter in the official Half-Life canon. Given the ammount of time until Episode 2's release, the Goldsource PC conversion of the game may actually be completed in time. it's over at half life 2 source . com which always gets censored on these boards as a url for some irritating reason!

 

[Sam]

I want decay on my PC damnit! Not PS2!!

 

[Reginald]

I want decay on my PC damnit! Not PS2!!

Wait for the mod team to port it. Blimey. Some people are so impatient.

 

[Sam]

Wait for the mod team to port it. Blimey. Some people are so impatient.

Damn dirty apes!

I mean, I'll wait patiently, like a sloth.

 

[Captain M4d]

Thanks, guys. I haven't considered a lot of those until now, though I forgot to mention that I have played both episodes of Minerva and am highly anticipating the conclusion episode.

 

[Sinister_Elite]

Point of View (HL1 Mod)

You are a vort. You do see Shepard and Gordon, but do not make any contact with them

 

[Gordon-Shepherd]

deliverance is alright, but totally impossible. heres a hint if ur gona play it.. at the start, roll a satchel under ur car to blow it up and get past that damn fence.