Games

Black Mesa

Crowbar Collective

2020•Shooter•About 11 hours

Taste attributes: actionadventurescience fictionwarmonster/alien/supernaturalmusic/dancefastfresh & originalunsavourylightimaginarysimplelinearglossybig & variedemotive & stirringall consuming questfish out of water/culture clashhuman spirit/resilience/survivalrescue/escape/jeopardysolving the riddle/not as it seemsunderdog triumphs

See which match your taste

Boxlist takeOtherworldly and very fast: a wide-ranging shooter, dark rather than wholesome. Best if you like pace over patience.

Pace: very fast · Originality: balanced · Tone: dark · Weight: balanced · Realism: imaginary world · Story: balanced · Structure: very linear · Look: balanced · Scale: big and varied · Emotional punch: stirringHow we score

IGDB rating

88 / 100

562 ratings

Your matchTake the taste test to see your match

Based on your film and TV taste: games are matched on the same ten characteristics, with your own match bands.

About This Game

Black Mesa is a re-envisioning of Valve Software's classic science fiction first person shooter, Half-Life. Powered by Source Engine, You will re-visit the inaugural role of Gordon Freeman and his memorable journey through the Black Mesa Research Facility. Expect detailed environments to explore, a huge cast of characters and experimental weaponry. All-new music, voice acting, choreography and added dialogue give way to a more expansive and immersive experience than ever before.

Summary: IGDB

Story

The plot of Black Mesa is almost identical to Half-Life's storyline, playable through the "Lambda Core" chapter. As in the original game, the player controls Gordon Freeman, a scientist working at the Black Mesa Research Facility. He is tasked to place a sample of a strange material into an electromagnetic instrument, using the Hazardous Environment Suit Mark IV to do so safely. However, the sample material causes a "resonance cascade", devastating the facility and creating an interdimensional rift to an alien dimension called Xen, bringing its alien creatures to Earth. Freeman survives,...

Characteristics

Where this game sits on each taste spectrum

SlowPACEFast

FamiliarORIGINALITYOriginal

DarkTONEWholesome

LightWEIGHTINESSHeavy

FantasyREALISMRealistic

SimpleINTRICACYIntricate

Non-LinearLINEARITYLinear

UnderstatedSTYLEStylised

IntimateSCALEEpic

RestrainedEMOTIONIntense

Genres and themes

ActionAdventureScience fictionWarMonster/alien/supernaturalMusic/danceAll consuming questFish out of water/culture clashHuman spirit/resilience/survivalRescue/escape/jeopardySolving the riddle/not as it seemsUnderdog triumphs

Keywords

AliensAssassinBloodyMilitaryTotal conversionConspiracyTeleportationSilent protagonist

Where to play

Steam

Details

Developer: Crowbar Collective
Publisher: Crowbar Collective
Released: 6 March 2020
Series: Half-Life
Platforms: Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows)
Modes: Single player, Multiplayer
Perspective: First person
Time to beat: 10h rushed, 11h normally, 60h complete
Taste scores: How we score
Source: IGDB

How game matches work

Games are scored on the same ten characteristics as films and matched with the same formula and your own match bands, from your film and TV taste. Game scores are estimates, made by fixed rules from IGDB genres, themes, keywords and descriptions.