The unique Half-Life turns 25 years previous on November 19. That’s a giant milestone! It’s an anniversary price celebrating. And after some behind-the-scenes shenanigans, Valve has up to date its historic first recreation to be completely playable on Steam Deck and added a bunch extra to the traditional recreation. Oh, and it’s now completely free on Steam (for a restricted time).
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It’s arduous to imagine, properly for a few of us a minimum of, that Valve’s first online game, Half-Life—an extremely influential and improbable first-person shooter—is popping 25 years previous this month. It looks like simply yesterday I used to be a younger lad climbing by way of vents and killing headcrabs with a crowbar inside a secret, underground analysis facility stuffed with lethal aliens and harmful troopers. How time flies! And Valve didn’t overlook about its first recreation’s huge anniversary, releasing a large replace for the traditional shooter at present.
Half-Life’s new replace provides rather a lot
As documented on a swanky new web site from Valve, Half-Life’s 25th anniversary replace is now out there on Steam and that is greater than only a small patch to repair just a few bugs. (Although it does repair some previous bugs and points, too.)
The large information is that Valve has achieved the work and made Half-Life verified and completely playable on Steam Deck. The sport now options improved controls and UI for Steam Deck and controllers, making it simpler than ever to replay Half-Life in 2023.
Valve has additionally added new graphic and rendering choices, together with software program rendering on Linux and widescreen area of view. It has additionally modified the sport to default to the unique fashions and never the HD ones seen within the expansions, change for my part. (The Glock and MP5 are cooler than the Beretta and M16!)
Screenshot: Valve
That’s not all! Valve has added new multiplayer maps to Half-Life—together with three utterly new ones that push the traditional recreation engine to its limits—in addition to some previous content material that didn’t ship with the unique recreation, just like the utterly distinctive Half-Life: Uplink demo. Some authentic character fashions from pre-release Half-Life builds are additionally now out there in multiplayer, too.
The total patch notes are fairly lengthy and canopy nearly each a part of the sport. Valve even went in and rebalanced a number of the multiplayer weapons. This can be a very complete and spectacular replace. Even higher: If you happen to hate all or any of those adjustments, Valve has archived the previous Half-Life that was on Steam earlier than this huge patch, so people can nonetheless play that model as wanted. This might be helpful for some mods which may not play good with the brand new construct.
Earlier leaks pointed to a giant Half-Life replace
Earlier than this huge new patch making the sport completely completely playable on Steam Deck and including new or reduce content material, there had been indicators one thing was coming. Over the previous few weeks, individuals noticed tiny, unannounced updates being launched for Half-Life on Steam. A few of these updates seemed to be including a brand new construct of the sport.
Then issues acquired even weirder on November 16. That’s when the unique Half-Life was made free on Steam for a brief period of time earlier than Valve seemingly reversed the error. Now it’s free once more till November 20.
I like to recommend testing Valve’s new Half-Life 25th anniversary web site, because it particulars all of the adjustments that are actually reside within the well-liked shooter. Plus Valve has created an hour-long documentary bringing again devs who labored on the sport to speak about what it was like making the beloved FPS. Oh, and it is best to scroll to the underside and click on on the crowbar. Belief me.
Half-Life is at the moment free on Steam till November 20. The whole franchise can be on sale, too.
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