What if Half-Life was more like DOOM… or more precisely, DOOM 64? Light on story, and high on action?
A fresh spin on a classic just dropped: Half-Life: Element 64, a fan-made mod/revival project inspired by the 1998 hit, is now live on Steam — with a demo you can try right now. If you’re longing for the raw, corridor-blasting thrills of mid-90s shooters, this one might be worth a swing.
What is Element 64?
Developed by Dark Vector, Element 64 reimagines the world of Half‑Life with a retro-shooter twist. According to the Steam page, it tosses out much of the original’s story-driven pacing and replaces it with something more immediate — four distinct chapters, classic shotgun-and-alien combat, and lean, old-school FPS action that recalls the heyday of mid-’90s shooters.
You’ll fight through ripped-open labs, infested corridors, military bunkers, and alien-overrun facilities — battling zombified staff, HECU soldiers, and other nasties, using an arsenal familiar to fans of the original, but played out in a much more frantic, survival-of-the-fittest style.
I’ll be honest: at no point during any playthrough of Half-Life did I ever think, “this could be more like DOOM.” The game has its own world, a strong narrative (for the time), and is more than a schlocky violent kill-a-thon.
That said, I think Element 64 looks superb. Half-Life and Half-Life 2 have a ton of mods available, each offering amazing new takes on the games. I suspect it isn’t possible to play all of them between now and judgement day, so it’s important to prioritise. With that in mind, Element 64 is already on my list of things to play.
Half-Life gets a new spin
With Element 64, Dark Vector seems to be intentionally stripping away the modern FPS bells and whistles — no long cutscenes, no overly dramatic pacing. Instead it gives players what many of us still love most: non-stop, hitscan-based gunplay, tight corridors, quick respawns, and an on-edge old-school atmosphere. It’s a bold attempt to channel that bygone era of shooters before FPS games morphed into sprawling cinematic experiences.
Some outlets are already calling it “a shot of pure 1998 nostalgia” — and while it isn’t an official Valve product, Element 64 doesn’t pretend to be. It’s a fan-made reinterpretation, built with passion and the goal of re-capturing a very specific vintage FPS feel.
It’s just a bit crazy that we’re getting Half-Life 0 before Half-Life 3…
Try the demo
Element 64 is available on Steam as a demo. According to the Steam page, you’ll need an original copy of Half-Life to run it — but if you’ve got that, it’s free to test drive.
If you’re curious to see how the mod reshapes Black Mesa into a retro-fueled shooter playground, it could be a fun ride. And for those of us who grew up with the original Doom– and Quake-era shooters, hearing that familiar shotgun echo again might just hit hard.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
