The best game to play before Half-Life 3 isn't made by Valve at all

Half-life 3 is easily one of the most frustrating game projects of modern times. The first two Half-life games were revolutionary, with the second game in particular redefining what a single player FPS could be. But despite this, and despite Valve's considerable resources, Half-life 3 remains nowhere to be seen.

But that doesn't mean fans have given up hope. Really, a lot like GTA 6 before the first trailer, gamers tend to put on their conspiracy hats when it comes to the matter Half-life 3 announcements, trailers and the like. The most recent, substantial example of this came around the awarding of the 2025 games, when industry insiders hinted that the game would be unveiled at the annual Keighley event. Naturally, this did not materialize and HL3 it's still in the wind. If you're one of the many disappointed gamers waiting for Valve's mystery trilogy, there's still at least one modern title worth your time: Black Mesaa remake of the original game created by a team of fans called the Crowbar Collective.

Black Mesa is an ambitious recreation of Half-Life 1

original Half-life was released in 1998, and while its level design, emphasis on storytelling, and integration of environmental puzzles were groundbreaking for the time, the game is quite dated by 2020 standards. Visually, it's what you'd expect from a 1998 game: textures are basic and often muddy, character models are stiff and unrealistic, and interiors are samey and claustrophobic. Mechanically, it pales in comparison to almost every game Valve has released, esp Half-Life 2.

Valve would like to improve on the original Half-life to experience Half-Life: Sourcea port of the 1998 title to the new, more capable Source engine. However, this version was too similar to the original 1998 game, lacking significant improvements or upgrades. This was the impetus behind the creation of Crowbar Collective, a studio built with the intent to recreate Half-life from scratch in the source engine.

Crowbar Collective set out to improve and modernize the original Half-Life experience, making such notable changes as:

• Brand new textures

• New character models

• Reworked puzzles and encounters

• More advanced enemy AI

Extended levels of Xenu Black Mesa

One of the most disappointing aspects of the first installment Half-life the game was a depiction of Xen, an interstitial plane of existence called the Borderworld due to its nature as an intergalactic crossroads. It's the nastiest sci-fi beat in the original Half-lifebut it was also decidedly captivating for a large portion of the player base. The complaints leveled against Xen levels are countless, but most center around the cohesion and richness of content. Simply put, many players rejected Xen's significant shift in puzzle presentation, platforming, and enemy behavior, and others felt that this bit of gameplay lacked the narrative depth and internal logic of earlier chapters.

Crowbar Collective thus embarked on perhaps the most ambitious section Black Mesa path: restoring, expanding and improving Xen levels. In the original Half-lifethe Xen chapter only represents about an hour of gameplay; in Black Mesait takes about four hours. Crowbar Collective also reworked the pacing of previous chapters to be more efficient, favoring the ambitious and lore-heavy Xen over other, slower parts of the game. The team also changed the bosses and puzzles in Xen to make them more consistent with the rest of the game and less frustrating. The end result is, in the eyes of many fans, a Xen that is far more fun, attractive and mechanically sound than it was in 1998. Half-life.

Black Mesa offers a new take on Half-Life's multiplayer

Crowbar Collective also remade the multiplayer mode of the original Half-life– something that is often overlooked in discussions Black Mesa. Mechanically, however, shooting and movement have improved Black Mesa stays true to the original Half-life by focusing multiplayer only on deathmatch and team deathmatch. In addition to improved controls, the following Half-life the maps have been recreated with improved visuals consistent with the rest of the remake:

• Bounce

• Gasworks

• Lambdabunker

• Stalkyard

• Subtransit

• Undertow

Black Mesa isn't Half-Life 3, but it's the perfect entry into the Half-Life franchise

While it won't replace a proper continuation of Gordon Freeman's adventures, Black Mesa is a valuable starting point for new Half-life players. Its greatest strength is how it takes the archaic gameplay and visuals of the original Half-life and makes them more palatable to a modern audience. Thus, Black Mesa is a much more attractive rendering Half-life experience, so it's a better starting point than Half-Life 2which is the number of current players who have dealt with the IP for the first time, historically.

And if you've already played the first one Half-life, Black Mesa offers an expanded and enhanced experience. Not only does it look, play, and run better than the original game, it also adds valuable gameplay and story content courtesy of Xen Chapters, and other meaningful improvements like revamped enemy AI. No, it isn't Half-life 3but it might just scratch that itch while you continue to wait for Valve to pull back the curtain.