Approaching 3 years from its 1.0 release, Black Mesa: Definitive Edition has just topped 85,000 “Overwhelmingly Positive” Reviews on Steam, which is the highest rating possible on the platform. Black Mesa has now cemented its place as one of the all-time great remakes / re-imaginings.
With so many game remakes simply being upscaled and higher-resolution graphics, Black Mesa went bigger and bolder by re-imagining what Half-Life might be like if made today with modern technology. The levels are bigger and more expansive, the vistas are more impressive, and the gameplay is tighter and more modern. The Xen levels, considered a weak point in the original Half-Life, have been redone with entirely new level design, enemies, art style, and expanded length. But throughout all the improvements, Black Mesa never wavers from the spirit of the original Half-Life. It feels exactly how you remembered the original 1998 classic.
This is why, despite not being an official Valve product, Valve places Black Mesa alongside other Half-Life titles in their anthology, which is a huge honor. The product is a seminal experience and a must-play for any Half-Life fan.
Man of Motion has been involved with Black Mesa for 15 years, from the very first year of development in 2005 as a scrappy collection of fans wanting to remake Half-Life: Source in higher quality. Every animation, rigging, and VFX related aspect of the project was partially or wholly created by MoM.