Source Code

The story behind BLACK MESA, an ambitious remake of the original Half-Life.

- Andy Kelly

Eight years in the making, Black Mesa is finally nearing its release. Initially developed by a passionate team of hobbyist developers, this remake of the original Half-Life – fully backed by Valve – has bloomed into something more ambitious. With the help of Steam’s Early Access platform, the team has found itself with the resources to remake and overhaul the original’s controversial Xen chapters, bringing them more in line with the quality of the rest of the game. And when it’s done, this will be the best way to relive the Black Mesa incident. I spoke with project leader Adam Engels about the incredible journey so far. “The world of Half-Life is a detailed painting, where the more you look, the more you see,” says Engels, speaking on behalf of the Black Mesa team. “Even though all the events were scripted, it felt like you were affecting the world. You could find hidden paths, make NPCs react to you.” It was, he says, the perfect balance of letting the player create their own experiences and “a summer action movie”.

“I think a lot of people thought Half-Life: Source was going to be an HD remaster,” he says. “In actuality, it was a demonstration of how easy projects could be moved to the new Source engine.” As a response to this, two teams – Leakfree and Half-Life: Source Overhaul Project – decided to create their own remakes around 2004. “But once they realised they were working towards the same goal, they merged and started the adventure that is now simply called Black Mesa.”