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Black Mesa (video game)
Encyclopedia
Black Mesa is a planned third-party total conversion modification for Valve Corporation
's Source Engine
. The stated goal of the project is to recreate Valve's critically acclaimed 1998 video game Half-Life using the more advanced capabilities of the Source Engine
. The 40-person volunteer development team says they hope to create a more engrossing in-game world with more varied, complex environments and more challenging, realistic gameplay. During its seven years in development, Black Mesa has been featured in several video game publications and received direct attention from Valve. Due to its long development time the mod has more recently become notable for its delays and dwindling updates on the status of its completion leading to it taking high spots on Wired Magazine's Vaporware
of the year list in 2009 and again in 2010. The developers plan to release the game as a free download when completed.
engine used for the original versions. Half-Life: Source features the Havok
physics engine and improved effects for water and lighting. The level architecture, textures
, and models of the game however, remained unchanged.
Half-Life: Source was met with mixed reviews. IGN
liked the new user interface and other technical features but noted that it did not receive as many improvements as Valve's other Source engine ports. GameSpy
said that while it was a "fun little bonus", it was "certainly not the major graphical upgrade some people thought it might be." Valve CEO Gabe Newell
is quoted as saying that a complete remake of Half-Life by fans of the game using Source was "not only possible…but inevitable."
Black Mesa began as the combination of two independent volunteer projects, each aiming to do just that: completely recreate Half-Life using Source. The Leakfree modification was announced in September 2004. Half-Life: Source Overhaul Project was announced one month later. After realizing their similar goals, project leaders for both teams decided to combine efforts; they formed a new 13-person team titled Black Mesa: Source. The "Source" in the project's title was later dropped when Valve asked the team to remove it in order to "stem confusion over whether or not [it was] an endorsed or official product," which it is not.
The team now consists of 40 volunteer level designers, programmers, modelers, texture artist
s, animators, sound engineers, voice actors, and support staff. They have stated they want Black Mesa to be similar to Half-Life in gameplay and story, but changes will be made to take advantage of Source's more advanced features. Changes to the story will not divert from, or alter, the overall storyline of the Half-life series. Level designers have shortened or modified some areas of the game that "didn't make any sense," or were "tedious" in the original. Maps will also be of a larger scale, for instance the hydro-electric dam, which is now "twenty or thirty times" larger.
Originally based on the version of Source released with Half-Life 2 in 2004, the project now uses a more recent version released with Valve's The Orange Box in 2007. This new version includes more advanced particle effects
, hardware-accelerated
facial animation, and support for multi-core processor rendering among other improvements. The team has stated they do not plan on upgrading again to newer versions such as those used in Valve's Left 4 Dead
(2008) or Portal 2
(2011) games. The only software requirement to install the modification will be to already have at least one game installed which uses the Source engine.
In addition to the modification itself, the game's thematic score—produced by sound designer Joel Nielsen—will be independently released as a soundtrack.
Black Mesa is planned to be distributed as a free download when completed. The developers released a teaser trailer in 2005, and a full-length preview trailer in 2008. They have also released images, videos, and concept art during the project's development. Black Mesa was given an official release date of "late 2009" in the spring of 2009, but this date has since been changed to "when it's done", after the development team was unable to fulfill this date.
, PC PowerPlay
, and PC Gamer UK magazines. Valve published a news update about the modification on their Steam digital distribution
platform in 2007 saying that "We're as eager to play [Black Mesa] here as everyone else."
The project was awarded Top Unreleased Mod by video game modification website Mod DB
in 2005 and 2006.
Mod DB gave the project an honorable mention in their choice of Top Unreleased Mod in 2007.
After receiving a development version of Black Mesa in December 2009, PC PowerPlay magazine said that the game's setting "looks, sounds, [and] plays better than ever before." The "subtle" changes from the original Half-Life were said to have a "substantial" overall impact. They also noted the project's "frustrating" then-five-year development time, and current lack of release date, but added that the developers are making progress.
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
's Source Engine
Source engine
Source is a 3D game engine developed by Valve Corporation. It debuted in June 2004 with Counter-Strike: Source and shortly thereafter Half-Life 2, and has been in active development ever since...
. The stated goal of the project is to recreate Valve's critically acclaimed 1998 video game Half-Life using the more advanced capabilities of the Source Engine
Source engine
Source is a 3D game engine developed by Valve Corporation. It debuted in June 2004 with Counter-Strike: Source and shortly thereafter Half-Life 2, and has been in active development ever since...
. The 40-person volunteer development team says they hope to create a more engrossing in-game world with more varied, complex environments and more challenging, realistic gameplay. During its seven years in development, Black Mesa has been featured in several video game publications and received direct attention from Valve. Due to its long development time the mod has more recently become notable for its delays and dwindling updates on the status of its completion leading to it taking high spots on Wired Magazine's Vaporware
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
of the year list in 2009 and again in 2010. The developers plan to release the game as a free download when completed.
Development
With the release of Half-Life 2 In 2004, Valve Corporation re-released several of their previous titles, ported to their new Source game engine, including the critically acclaimed 1998 game Half-Life named Half-Life: Source. The Source engine is graphically more advanced than the GoldSrcGoldSrc
GoldSrc, or Goldsource, is the retronym used internally by Valve Software to refer to the heavily modified Quake engine that powers their science fiction first-person shooter Half-Life ....
engine used for the original versions. Half-Life: Source features the Havok
Havok (software)
Havok Physics is a physics engine developed by Irish company Havok. It is designed primarily for video games, and allows for real-time collision and dynamics of rigid bodies in three dimensions. It provides multiple types of dynamic constraints between rigid bodies , and has a highly optimized...
physics engine and improved effects for water and lighting. The level architecture, textures
Texture (visual arts)
In the visual arts, texture is the perceived surface quality of a work of art. It is an element of two-dimensional and three-dimensional design and is distinguished by its perceived visual and physical properties...
, and models of the game however, remained unchanged.
Half-Life: Source was met with mixed reviews. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
liked the new user interface and other technical features but noted that it did not receive as many improvements as Valve's other Source engine ports. GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
said that while it was a "fun little bonus", it was "certainly not the major graphical upgrade some people thought it might be." Valve CEO Gabe Newell
Gabe Newell
Gabe Logan Newell is the co-founder and managing director of video game development and online distribution company Valve Corporation.-Work:...
is quoted as saying that a complete remake of Half-Life by fans of the game using Source was "not only possible…but inevitable."
Black Mesa began as the combination of two independent volunteer projects, each aiming to do just that: completely recreate Half-Life using Source. The Leakfree modification was announced in September 2004. Half-Life: Source Overhaul Project was announced one month later. After realizing their similar goals, project leaders for both teams decided to combine efforts; they formed a new 13-person team titled Black Mesa: Source. The "Source" in the project's title was later dropped when Valve asked the team to remove it in order to "stem confusion over whether or not [it was] an endorsed or official product," which it is not.
The team now consists of 40 volunteer level designers, programmers, modelers, texture artist
Texture artist
A texture artist is an individual who develops textures for digital media, usually for video games, movies, web sites and television shows. These textures can be in the form of 2d or 3d art that may be overlaid onto a polygon mesh to create a realistic 3D model.Texture artists often take advantage...
s, animators, sound engineers, voice actors, and support staff. They have stated they want Black Mesa to be similar to Half-Life in gameplay and story, but changes will be made to take advantage of Source's more advanced features. Changes to the story will not divert from, or alter, the overall storyline of the Half-life series. Level designers have shortened or modified some areas of the game that "didn't make any sense," or were "tedious" in the original. Maps will also be of a larger scale, for instance the hydro-electric dam, which is now "twenty or thirty times" larger.
Originally based on the version of Source released with Half-Life 2 in 2004, the project now uses a more recent version released with Valve's The Orange Box in 2007. This new version includes more advanced particle effects
Particle system
The term particle system refers to a computer graphics technique to simulate certain fuzzy phenomena, which are otherwise very hard to reproduce with conventional rendering techniques...
, hardware-accelerated
Hardware acceleration
In computing, Hardware acceleration is the use of computer hardware to perform some function faster than is possible in software running on the general-purpose CPU...
facial animation, and support for multi-core processor rendering among other improvements. The team has stated they do not plan on upgrading again to newer versions such as those used in Valve's Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which was purchased by Valve Corporation during development. The game uses Valve's proprietary Source engine, and is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X...
(2008) or Portal 2
Portal 2
Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The sequel to the 2007 video game Portal, it was announced on March 5, 2010, following a week-long alternate reality game based on new patches to the original game...
(2011) games. The only software requirement to install the modification will be to already have at least one game installed which uses the Source engine.
In addition to the modification itself, the game's thematic score—produced by sound designer Joel Nielsen—will be independently released as a soundtrack.
Black Mesa is planned to be distributed as a free download when completed. The developers released a teaser trailer in 2005, and a full-length preview trailer in 2008. They have also released images, videos, and concept art during the project's development. Black Mesa was given an official release date of "late 2009" in the spring of 2009, but this date has since been changed to "when it's done", after the development team was unable to fulfill this date.
Reception
During its seven years in development, Black Mesa has received attention from several video game publications. It has been featured in articles from Computer Gaming WorldComputer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World was a computer game magazine founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford...
, PC PowerPlay
PC PowerPlay
PC PowerPlay is Australia's only dedicated PC games magazine. Also available in New Zealand, PC PowerPlay focuses on news and reviews for upcoming and newly released games on the Microsoft Windows platform. The magazine also reviews computer hardware for use on gaming computers...
, and PC Gamer UK magazines. Valve published a news update about the modification on their Steam digital distribution
Digital distribution
Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,...
platform in 2007 saying that "We're as eager to play [Black Mesa] here as everyone else."
The project was awarded Top Unreleased Mod by video game modification website Mod DB
Mod DB
Player's Choice*Best Indie Game: Tremulous*Best Released Mod: Point of Existence 2*Best Unreleased Mod: Black Mesa*By genre-2005:*-2004:*-2003:*-2002:*- External links :* *...
in 2005 and 2006.
Mod DB gave the project an honorable mention in their choice of Top Unreleased Mod in 2007.
After receiving a development version of Black Mesa in December 2009, PC PowerPlay magazine said that the game's setting "looks, sounds, [and] plays better than ever before." The "subtle" changes from the original Half-Life were said to have a "substantial" overall impact. They also noted the project's "frustrating" then-five-year development time, and current lack of release date, but added that the developers are making progress.