For its glorious20th anniversary celebration,Half-Life 2finally got baked-in mod support. Though the classic – and now refined – version of the classic remains an all-timer, there are some mods out there that improve or change the experience in unforeseen and amazing ways. Let’s have a look at the best of them.
Entropy: Zero 2
Remember how the originalHalf-Lifehad expansions where you got to play with someone other than Gordon Freeman, and it still rocked? We got none of that withHalf-Life 2, by the official means, that is. If you want to step into the shoes of acompletelydifferent character in that world, then consider givingEntropy: Zero 2a shot. This time you play not as a the hero, but as an especially nasty member of the Combine.
Zero 2is so good ithas its very own mods.
Swelter
If you’re looking for another mod that could play as one of the different POV expansionsHalf-Life 2never got,Swelteris another great pick. This time you play not as Gordon Freeman, but as a regular resistance fighter.Swelterfollows a movie’s three-act formula, and is also as fun as a good Hollywood blockbuster should be. There’s no shortage of fun combat and, best of all, it never overstays its welcome.
Research and Development
And if you’re one of those who got intoHalf-Lifebecause you liked the idea of finally getting to play as a scientist, only to learn that this scientist was also all about guns, then maybe this is the mod for you.Research and Developmentdoesn’t sell itself as something that it is not, and has players actually investigating the intricacies of theHalf-Life 2world. It’s a completely different game fromHalf-Life 2, though an equally interesting take on its world. Creatormbortolinodescribes it as a “a point’n’click adventure in an FPS engine.“, and that was more than enough to get me hyped.
Silent Hill: Alchemilla
If you’ve readpretty muchanythingI’ve ever written, you’ll likely understand that I loveSilent Hill.If you’re intoHalf-Life 2andSilent Hill, I assure youAlchemillais quite the hidden gem to add to your collection.
It’s just unbelievable to see how the closest thing we got to an amazing modern-lookingSilent HillRemake was made by a bunch of fans, but you can go check for yourself.
While it doesn’t feature the highs of the greatest games in the series, it’s better than any non-Team Silent title in the franchise, and makes great use of the FPS POV that helped makeP.T.the unforgettable experience that it is.
Jabroni Brawl: Episode 3
While I loveTeam Fortress 2, andCounter-Strike 2I can’t help but feel sad thatHalf-Life 2: Deathmatchdidn’t catch the love I believe it deserved. To solve that, Team Jabroni came up with a mod that combines all the fun present in the originalHalf-Life 2: Deathmatch, adds more, and gives youhundredsof fantastic maps to mess around in.Jabroni Brawlshows just how funHL2can be.
And, well, if you fail to find the fun in any of it, at least enjoy having something even tangentially connected toHalf-Lifefeaturing a “3” in its name.
Minerva
If you’re one of those who, like me, somehow finds the environments ofHalf-Life 2to be surprisingly soothing, thenMinervamight prove a great experience for you.
Though it was released way back in ’07,Minerva’sgreat attention to detail and big emphasis on ambiance and environmental storytelling makes its original campaign one of the most immersive experiences in theHalf-Lifeextended family.
Nightmare House 2
Half-Life 2 lends itself really well to the horror genre, who would have known.Nightmare House 2tells an original story that sounds a lot like the plot of the originalSilent Hill, but, unlikeAlchemilla, is its very own thing.
Though it usesHalf-Life 2andSilent Hillas its most likely inspirations,NightmareHouse 2has a very unique, almost mesmerizing, look. There’s something about this one that just feels very nostalgic to me, even though it was made at a time long before games were chasing that high.
Black Mesa
This one is a no-brainer. After the release ofHalf-Life 2, Valve releasedHalf-Life: Source, a remake of the original game in the source engine. Though it had a few cool elements, the whole thing proved the very rare letdown in Valve’s catalog. To make things right, a bunch of fans got together to createBlack Mesa, a full conversion of the original game inHalf-Life. The result is so unfathomably good that even Valve proudly displaysBlack Mesaas part of theHalf-Lifefamily in its series sales. If you’ve never playedHalf-Lifeand want to have your first go at the series through a modernized environment, then you should seriously considerBlack Mesa.
The Stanley Parable
Yes, though you likely know it as a hugely unlikely hit nowadays,The Stanley Parablebegan its life as aHalf-Life 2mod. The final game is definitely better, but we’d be doing the community a disservice if we were to snub this one.
In a world full of ambitious mods,The Stanley Parabledared to just tell the story of an office worker who decides to — or doesn’t — go out of his way. The result is a beautiful homage to Valve’s out of the box way of thinking, as well as one of the funniest open-ended games ever made.
Garry’s Mod
Garry’s Modis, in essence, a mod that opens the floodgates ofHalf-Life 2content and invites you to create whatever you may with the many pieces.
On top of providing a fantastic sandbox,Garry’s Modalso hosts a myriad of free games created in its sandbox, and many of them are just as fun as any really fun trending game that you’d have to pay full price for.
There’s a case to be made aboutGarry’s Modbeing not just the bestHalf-Lifemod, but the best mod, period. Oh, yeah, it’s also the main reason why we gotSkibidi Toilet, whether that counts as good or bad.
