While actual retro games are our gravy at Gaming Retro UK, remakes are kind of acceptable if they fulfil a simple criteria: they’re based on a great game and remain faithful to it.
Half-Life remake Black Mesa: Definitive Edition is now available to play, and looks amazing. First released in 2015 (following life as a mod in 2012), Black Mesa is now the full package, complete with the (at first missing, and now completely reworked) Xen level. They’re done, there will be no more revisions – Black Mesa: Definitive Edition is precisely that.
Various tweaks have been made to the graphics and performance across the game:
- Complete lighting and gameplay pass to the chapter “Power Up”
- Complete redesign of second “On A Rail” map (map B)
- Significant optimizations across the whole game that will improve performance on low to mid range PCs
- Outdoor art passes for “We’ve Got Hostiles”, “On A Rail”, “Questionable Ethics”, “Surface Tension”, and “Forget About Freeman”
It may be a far cry from Half-Life: Alyx, but a hell of a lot more people will be able to play Black Mesa: Definitive Edition. Recommended system stats:
- OS: Windows® 7 (32/64-bit) or Greater (or SteamOS/Linux)
- Processor: 3.2 Quad Core Processor or Greater
- Memory: 8 GB RAM (6GB SteamOS/Linux)
- Graphics: 4 GB Dedicated Video Card or Greater
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 20 GB available space
If you already own Black Mesa, you’ll get Definitive Edition as a free upgrade. Otherwise, head to Steam to buy Black Mesa: Definitive Edition now.
(Via GamingOnLinux)
Gaming since 1984, retro gaming since 2004. Contributes to Linux Format magazine and MakeUseOf.com.
