Right here's a mod that places Halo's multiplayer into Half-Life, which to me appears like placing tea in your espresso
“What if we recreated this recreation in that engine?” is a traditional modding conceit, up there with “What if Stalker was much more depressing?” and “What if this character had no garments on?”. Actually, I am shocked it is taken 25 years for somebody to stay Halo‘s multiplayer into Half-Life. It is the form of harebrained scheme I might have eagerly examine on Planet Half-Life again in 2006.
Regardless, all credit score to The Phoenix Undertaking for choosing up this anachronistic baton with Halo Goldsource, which takes an admirable stab at recreating Halo’s multiplayer within the Half-Life engine. The mod brings Halo’s slayer and firefight modes into Valve’s shooter, together with a lot of Halo’s distinctive arsenal, “many” remade maps, and some unique arenas too.
Whereas the mod has been accessible in an “early entry” part for some time, The Phoenix Undertaking considers the newest launch to characterize its formal exit from beta. New options within the 1.0 model embody native Linux assist, “fundamental” controller assist meant primarily to learn Steam Deck gamers, improved defend technology to higher mirror how participant shields recharge in Bungie’s FPS, and HD sound design.
There is a trailer displaying off the mod in motion beneath, and I respect the hassle on show. The weapons are impressively genuine to OG Halo, from the rumble of the MA5 Assault rifle to the “pap-pap-pap” of the C.E. Magnum. My favorite is the Needler, which cleverly reuses the monitoring projectiles of Half-Life’s Hivehand to copy how its magenta crystals search out their targets.
That stated, I am not satisfied that combining Halo’s multiplayer with Half-Life’s tech provides a lot of worth past a enjoyable tutorial train, no less than not in its present type. Crucially, the mod appears to lack two of a very powerful issues that makes Halo’s multiplayer what it’s. The primary is its motion. Halo’s moon-gravity leaping and striding may be very completely different from Half-Life’s “operating on linoleum in your socks” style-glide, and Halo Goldsource largely seems to be like taking part in Half-Life in a Mjolnir swimsuit.
The opposite notable absence, after all, is Halo’s automobiles. Admittedly, these could be subsequent to inconceivable to recreate in Half-Life’s engine, which is sort of definitely why the mod sticks to non-vehicular modes. Nonetheless, automobiles are an enormous a part of what makes Halo’s multiplayer enjoyable, and with out them, I believe I might reasonably play vanilla Half-Life deathmatch.
To me, Halo and Half-Life are like tea and occasional, two substances which have already been perfected, and are gratifying as particular person issues. When you can technically combine them collectively, I do not suppose the end result reveals both at their greatest. Nonetheless if you wish to whack a barely blockier Spartan with an vitality sword in a Half-Life canyon, Halo Goldsource will allow you to do this.