AFTERWORD: As Gordon Freeman made that fateful decision to accept the G-man’s offer of employment and the credits started to roll, showing the names of all those who’ve poured years of blood, sweat and tears into making this game, I’m reminded yet again of the sheer labour of love and dedication an undertaking of this calibre and scale requires and demands. In 2004, the inception of a remake (and eventually a full-scale re-imagining) of the seminal 1998 shooter was started not by a business eager to cash in on the popularity of Half-Life, nor by Valve themselves to right the wrongs of Half-Life: Source. As the game continued its development throughout the years, bringing in more and more talented minds, what would eventually become Black Mesa still, at its heart, came from the fans. The gamers, the modders, the players that had the fond memories of that opening tram ride seared into their minds. The ones that saw what the Source engine could do for one of the greatest games of all time. The ones that asked “What if?”. What if we rebuilt the Anomalous Materials lab from the ground up in Source and littered it with a ton of lore, details, NPCs, scripted sequences and ponytail conversations to make it feel like more of a research facility than its predecessor? What if we overhauled the cliffside vista in Surface Tension and added a bombing run with actual calculations to make the shockwave’s speed realistic relative to the player’s position? And what if we redid the entirety of Xen and extended it to an episodic length to create an experience wholly different from HL1’s endgame, but is equally fresh and exhilarating? Throughout the lengthy development cycle of the game, I’d wager it was this passion and vision for realizing the game in Source and sharing that dream with others that drove and continues to drive Crowbar Collective’s ambition. In a sea of AAA titles, Black Mesa is and forever will be one of the best success stories to come out of the gaming industry in my mind, because the painstaking dedication to the craft of the game practically bleeds out of the screen. You can’t mistake the quality for anything else, because its that genuine. Black Mesa is, at its surface, a fantastic achievement of a game fifteen years in the making and sets a high bar for what a re-imagining can be. However, beyond that it is also the story of the hard-working developers who, much like Freeman, had to think and battle their way through problems and obstacles to make their visions a reality. And for us players, Black Mesa is an experience, as we embody our hero in his journey to save the world. We chuckled at the jokes and references in Anomalous Materials. We were taken aback by the sheer intensity of the Resonance Cascade and winced at the startling realistic voice acting of the scientists trapped in the doomed elevator. We felt a sense of empowerment as we annihilated an entire squad of marines in the lobby of Questionable Ethics. We gritted our teeth as we ran from the Gargantua in Surface Tension and felt a twang of sympathy for the HECU in the closing moments of that chapter. We marvelled at the Tower reveal upon stepping out of the cave in Xen. And of course, we relished in the cathartic violence of vaporizing Alien Controllers with our trusty Gluon Gun in the finale of Interloper. Nothing will ever top my first-time playthrough of this game, but with each successive run my appreciation for the art and craft that went into making it has grown and grown. Is Half-Life 1 better than Black Mesa, or vice versa? I don’t know, but what I can tell you is this: if you were to ask me to name my favourite gaming moments in the Half-Life games, the absolute joy I had playing through Black Mesa will always be at the forefront of my mind. Thank you, Crowbar Collective, for this incendiary work of art. Looking forward to what you all have in store next. As a mysterious interdimensional bureaucrat once said, I will see you up ahead.
Because of Crowbar Collective I've become a Boomer Shooter Enjoyer. Blessed those Crowbar Collective Developers. They pore there hearts out just to make a beautiful remake, they have my respect.
One little detail I love about the G man is how he sort of hesitates when he says “employers” like he’s having trouble putting whatever’s in charge of him into words that you can understand
That Nihilanth boss was epic, but what really strucked me was the endgame chapter soundtrack itself when Gordon await further assignment. It started as truimphant like victory but then slowly changing it's tone to a sudden defeat. It was bittersweet too. This was never a story about saving the world. This is a story about how the world ends.
Well stated. I love this version of the ending for that reason - Half-Life has never really had a true happy ending, only the results of actions and their consequences.
I loved how Crowbar Collective turned an almost idle final boss who attacks you with teleport portals into a Xenian leader waiting for you to an epic mano-a-mano.
just the way the nihilanth says "Freeeeemaaaaan." sounds instead of a slight greeting before you die to an actual death threat, it just gives me the chills.
@@erikpngI like that both of them sound like someone who is trying to speak in a way that's alien to them. I really don't like how in usual sci Fi media these creatures speak in Shakespearean English. This one is a lot more "believable".
@@erikpngI think I’ve heard that argument said a lot for how black mesa handles things in a more of a traditional cinematic way, but if you look in the right places you can definitely see that they still play off the twists and nuances more visible in half life. The original had to have been more up front about its story details not just because the lower capabilities of games, but also because people were not used to these nuances being subtly hinted at. In black Mesa, you’re looking through the lense of today, where media is often full of metaphors and symbolism, and black Mesa asks you to find out for yourself what these twists are. At face value, the Nihilanth does seem purely evil, and Freeman probably did too if you play through the game at a brisk pace. However if you take the time to examine the details slowly handed to you through implications and story beats like Questionable Ethics, both you, and Gordon come to the realization that things are not that evil. This event led everyone, Nihilanth included to become desperate, and desperate people will tend to go beyond their morals. Yeah, half life is charming being so upfront about its story, but black mesa elaborates on it by hiding the story in multiple layers.
I'm so happy to hear that - my intent from the very beginning was to create a playthrough of the game that hopefully showcases the art and craft in making it. Thanks for the kind words.
Day 4: goes to City 17 Day 5: destroy the whole city Day 6-7: an adventure to the white forest and defend it from an intergalactic empire invasion Day 8: Destroy the whole intergalactic empire Day 9: goes to sleep gn 😴
Day 4: Awake Day 5: Raise the resistance and frick up a whole installed intergalactic dictatorship in the world Day 6: "kill" the human on charge of this mess Day 7: Defend the launch of a rocket against tons of gigantics mechanical alien-spiders with a gun that mess with gravity Day 8: _[awaiting for further information]_
CREATOR COMMENTARY & FUTURE PLANS: 10 months ago, I sought to update my original playthrough of Black Mesa given the Definitive Edition patch, which makes some very notable changes to the game. As well, much like how the developers treated the patch as bringing the game to its definitive version, I wanted to similarly upload the “definitive”playthrough of Black Mesa and present it as if it’s a movie or mini-series, detailing the story of Gordon Freeman and the birth of a hero that was simply the right man in the wrong place. Of course, there is no “ideal” playthrough of this game - the beauty of Half-Life is that players have the autonomy to craft their own experiences and idea of how to play the game, even in spite of all the carefully constructed scripted sequences and carefully disguised linearity. But I had a very specific vision of how I feel Gordon would have lived through Black Mesa, and sought to present my version of the story as best as I could, as cinematically as I could. In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting much when I started the series in the way of viewership, and my main motivation was just to get a series out there on UA-cam that can stand the test of time, for any future Half-Life fans to come across and hopefully appreciate the art that went into making these games. However, as my work on the series went on, the amount of people commenting on my videos and letting me know that they dig this style of gameplay was incredible and caught me off-guard (in a good way!). From then on, making this series has been an obsession with me, for better or worse. My favourite part of content creation is putting my best work out there and getting feedback, comments and reactions from others. I relish those interactions - it’s amazing how tight-knit, professional, welcoming and kind the Half-Life community is. So, truly, thank you all for the support, patience and kind words throughout this journey. You made this process fun and enjoyable for me, and at times when it wasn’t due to my other real-life commitments or difficulties in recording, you showed sympathy and understanding. And for all that, I am grateful. I make these videos for the passion I have for Half-Life, yes, but I also make them to give back to this wonderful community. Hopefully this series has been as entertaining for you as it was for me. FUTURE PLANS: The big question is - what’s next? A lot of you have asked me that, and I appreciate the enthusiasm! UA-cam for me is a hobby, one that I love and one that I will continue to use to share my creative work. That being said, playthroughs like these take an incredible amount of effort and time, and after a 10-month stint where I quite literally didn’t play any other single player games because I was invested in this series, I now find myself in a situation where I am quite simply too burnt out to start a new one. That, and I still didn’t play Red Dead Redemption 2, which has been sitting in my drawer collecting dust ever since my cousin bought it for me almost 2 years ago (sorry bro). So I should probably catch up on my other games haha. I am going to be taking a break. The part that might be disappointing to you all is that I can’t tell you how long this break will be. I never want to put myself in a position where I overpromise and under-deliver, because that will just result in me letting you all down. So for the most part I don’t have an upload schedule that I adhere to, or concrete plans for upcoming playthroughs or videos. HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean I don’t have any ideas for upcoming videos, or have been ignoring suggestions. I have some long-term ideas that I couldn’t execute during the making of this playthrough - I am excited to see those projects through, and I hope you will all enjoy them, even if it might not be the mod or game that you wanted me to play. I made this channel primarily for Half-Life, and that is the road that I am likely going to stay on for the majority of my videos. Sorry if this doesn’t really provide a definitive answer as to my future plans, but rest assured that any and all upcoming videos will have the same level of quality that you would expect (and if not, definitely let me know!). Until next time - stay safe everyone, and thanks again.
Hey bro take your time especially after delivering us this amazing playthrough of this masterpiece. I could never play it since I don't have a PC, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching you go through it! Time to watch them in order again. Thanks again and enjoy your break! Can't wait to see what you have planned when you return! 😊
You deserve the most of the right to take a really long break... Really boi, thanks for this heck of an experience, you did it really great and you gave us what we expected! Now you can rest. Take all the time you want, I don't mind for waiting another 13-16 years for anything with relation of games like Half-Life, lol. But now about the future project of recording... Can I guess it could be about Resident Evil or Doom? I mean, as you said, this Channel is mainly for Half Life, but some of your first clip videos were about those games (Without counting TF2), and I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of both sagas. But it would be cool to see how you show one of those games to us, and I'd be really following up to that. (Is that, or the Portal Saga, the only one left in the HL Lore... With Hunt Down The Freeman [Seriously, could you play that and make it look actually good in some way? Lololololol])
And norre should you have to provide said answer , do whats best for you and family always , i no i will be here waiting for my bell to ring while wafting through the rabble that is youtube . Im near 60 years old and a gamer at heart for a very long time but i now have arthritis and cant play anymore . These old games get played and posted sometimes but not like you do them , you do them because you love them and let me say it shines through . They are my memories and i;ve had a ball watching you play . All the Best
The end credits with backgrounds are VERY A CLEVER IDEA! Showing the state of various locations after Freeman's encounters gives us a reminder how hard Freeman's journey was from a simple scientist going late from work into the messiah for all humanity (later the Vortigaunts) which soon once again returns to save the world from bigger threat (The Combine). The backgrounds also gives us a reminder of the damage that was done due the actions of him, the Black Mesa personells, Xen Aliens or HECUs. Kinda sad that soon this reminders will be perished forever due to the Nuke in Opposing Force. I hope someone out there would make it possible as a mod so everyone can experience this too! Anyways, Thank You Sexy Nutella for bringing Black Mesa into a whole new level where no one has done before. Usually people plays just casually finishing tasks and completing the game, but you are bringing this walkthrough into a new dramatic and cinematic approach, not just playing and showing the game but also giving a narrative and storytelling on it which is very awesome execution! I hope you get a great break after months of journey travelling inside Black Mesa Incident. For Crowbar Collective, Thank You for delivering this awesome game. It's a very miracle that a AAA game quality comes from a bunch of modders, indie developers and other people who seems have other real-life jobs to do, people who spent like 15 Years of development to make this game come true, people who just graduate from high school or university when the project was started now grown as either a family person or other adults doing, people who keep the spirits against all odds especially expanding Xen levels which is very awesome. You guys hardwork are very payoff with this game and with Black Mesa Definitive Edition was released, comes a new whole wave of modding who wants to make their own stories with Black Mesa assets. I will see you guys up ahead for new projects! And most importantly, Thank you Valve for allowing them remaking your IP. Without your blessing, Black Mesa won't be born and we don't have a greatest video game story of all time both in-game and behind the scenes. P.S. : the ending with backgrounds gives a GTA Ending's Vibes
You nailed what I wanted to show through those end credits bang on. Thanks for the great analysis and kind words. It was important for me that this series was not just a playthrough for the sake of completing the game. Glad it showed.
NIHILANTH/ENDGAME COMMENTARY: As great as the endings for the Half-Life games are, I always thought that they sometimes struggled with providing an entertaining end-game fight (HL2:EP2’s final fight and HL:A’s Strider battle are however standouts). HL1’s Nihilanth was properly creepy and otherworldly, however the boss fight itself for me was a bit underwhelming - it is quite easy to cheese by taking cover behind the pillars and whittling away at its crystals and health. As well, getting caught by the green portals it sends out means a lengthy platforming puzzle to get back to its lair. In stark contrast, Black Mesa’s Nihilanth doesn’t play around - it rains mortars down on Gordon if he tries to seek cover, chucks forklifts, Humvees and even goddamn tanks at him, sports an additional set of shield crystals, and when it becomes evident that Freeman is getting the upper hand, it starts to relentlessly attack him with everything it’s got in a desperate attempt to stay alive (whereas the HL1Nihilanth got weaker and weaker the more Freeman damaged it). As opposed to the slower pace of the HL1 battle, Freeman MUST keep moving to avoid getting hit, similar to the Gonarch fight two chapters prior. The need for high mobility and constant awareness of his attacks, as well as the omission of its teleporting orbs, keeps this boss fight focused, intense and very entertaining to play through. Killing the Nihilanth in the last phase of the battle when all hell breaks loose amidst the violent storm going on and flames encroaching upon Freeman cements this version of the boss fight as the clear superior one, in my eyes. Seeing the Tower explode after Freeman’s victory is the icing on the cake. The events that transpire afterwards with the G-man during the endgame sequence is quite literally word for word what occurred in HL1, however whereas HL1 ended with an upbeat credits theme, Black Mesa’s two tracks, “Limitless Potential” and “Borderworlds”, put into perspective the bittersweet victory that Freeman achieved - yes, Earth is spared from the Nihilanth - but at what cost? The knowledge that all this just results in the Combine being alerted to humanity’s presence and eventual conquering of our race within a mere 7 hours gives Black Mesa’s ending a much heavier feel. Doubly so if Gordon happened to choose the “bad” ending (though the tram being torn apart and Gordon being deposited in front of the Xenian army is incredibly well done).
I find it very interesting that most of Xen, especially the fight against Nihilanth, feels like a blend of DOOM 2016 and Valve's own design philosophies for Source Half-Life games. I wonder how Black Mesa's interpretation would have looked in a world without DOOM 2016.
@@untemperance I too got a Doom vibe from the game, though one of the lead designers also explained their art and design of the Xen chapters predated the Doom 2016 release. Perhaps they did get inspired by some of that game's elements when it came to the boss fights, though I'd wager a lot of it may be coincidence!
The original Nihilanth was a joke. This 1 actually seems like he gave the Combine a run for his money & is easily deserving of the title of the most powerful being on Xen.
About 6:18: There was a mod for HL2 named Vance where you played as Alyx in an alternative universe where Gordon refused the offer but it was unfortunately cancelled. You have to take a look at it though the developers open sourced the mod (at least what's done in there). Your playthrough was amazing honestly I love the detail and immersive actions you did as if you really were Gordon Freeman. Thank you for the amazing experience.
That mod sounds super sweet, shame it was cancelled. Glad to hear you enjoyed the small details I put into this playthrough like the actions to emulate Freeman :)
The ending really nails how bittersweet the victory is. The Xen invasion has been stopped, but so many innocent lives have been lost, and in hindsight we know the Combine will soon invade Earth, meaning that all Gordon and the Lambda Team have done is buy a bit of time. Things are looking pretty bleak - at least until Gordon returns 20 years later. I have a theory that the G-Man and the Nihilanth worked together at first, but the G-Man ended up double-crossing the Nihilanth somehow. We know that the G-Man brought the crystal to Black Mesa. Since the Xenians were trying to find a new refuge from the Combine, I think it's possible that the Nihilanth gave the crystal to the G-Man and they cooperated to arrange the invasion. The Nihilanth would have pretty quickly figured out that the G-Man was working towards his own ends though, which is why it says "Deceive you...will...deceive you..." to Gordon. Anyway, the Nihilanth was an amazing final boss and reminded me a fair bit of the Spider Mastermind in Doom 2016. The side chambers might be gone but they've added so much more detail and depth to the fight itself. It's so much fun and it really captures how powerful the Nihilanth is - not to mention that it's still holding the portal open, which means it's actually holding back. I feel like Gordon would have probably been crushed in a second if the Nihilanth was fully focused on him.
Great analysis, it's interesting to imagine G-man doing his usual "offer" speech to the Nihilanth, knowing how it likely would have ended in deception. Ditto on your comment about the Spider Mastermind - very Doom-like boss fight in its execution, with the heavy focus on movement and constant firing.
I've watched all your BlackMesa videos and read all the comments, I've never done that with any series on UA-cam before. All the great effort and dedication you put into delivering this amazing cinematic playthrough and all the trivia and notes shows that you appreciate the game as much as the developers do, and made me love this franchise even more. Thank you! Cheers from Brazil.
Thank you so much for investing as much time as you did into this series; I love what I did with this playthrough and I'm glad you did too. Cheers from Canada!
Thank you again for your contribution to the HL community! I hope your style of gameplay mixed with cinematography will inspire others to do the same for their own beloved franchises. As for me, I will continue to refer to your series exclusively when it comes to making Gordon's reactions realistic. **We** will see you up ahead :)
Sexy, what a ride this has been! Been amazing seeing you transform this series into its own unique entity. Looking forward and excited with what you have planned next!
I really need to say this, I appreciate all the cinematic effort you've put into your videos, to this day, I often come back to your Black Mesa playthroughs to admire and enjoy how perfectly synced the battles were with the OST, great job, and thank you for putting this out here :)
I really appreciate your kind words and am glad that you still find enjoyment in this series years later :) I intended to make this and have it stand the test of time so I am glad you think it does for now!
It was awesome to go along in this journey. Your gameplays, notes and trivia were amazing. I plan to play black mesa when i finally get a pc, but until then, it was good to meet your channel and watch your videos. Thank You, and keep up the good and hard work you have done 👍
Thanks for your hard work making this playthrough. Probably the best playthrough of any game I've ever seen. It was an experience. As for your rest... I think you've earned it.
After this was posted I went and liked and watched the entire playthrough. Which is not something I do often as my attention span is quite short for let's plays. But these videos were a clear exception. Thank you for putting so much effort into making this beautiful series for this beautiful game.
Wow, this fight is a lot shorter than it felt playing it. No surprise though, it was *intense*. And you did play it a bit more efficiently than I did the first time around.
A user (MaxArceus) first pointed out to me that placing satchels at each of the healing crystals then blowing them up at the same time speeds up the boss fight. I incorporated that into this video to show Gordon's ingenuity but it also had the side effect of making the battle much faster as you've mentioned haha :P Still intense for sure though! That last phase where it spams all of his attacks at you is crazy.
And this concludes Half-Life/Black Mesa. My favourite game. I hope you enjoyed it (which im sure you did) you did very good Nutella. Sadly im not able to play Black Mesa since my pc wont run it but you had the chance so good for you. GG Nutella, you are hired by Gman.
It was a pain at times, but I definitely enjoyed my time making these videos :) I'm glad that you are able to experience the game through these episodes, and I hope that you will eventually be able to play through it yourself one day!
Imagining the poor security guards truck that got taken and he's like running to it all of a sudden it gets lifted up and YEETED through a portal With the only words on his mind being "What the hell did Freeman just do?"
Haha, I'd imagine the Lambda team is equally just as confused and stressed out, observing this battle through their screens (or however they managed to get data back from the borderworld)
@@Sexy_Nutella I feel the only way for scientists to spectate this battle is to observe Freeman's vital signs in those trackers that's how they know he's alive
I want to say, after watching the whole playthrough, that I absolutely love how you played this, I know a lot of the looking around and zoom ins on puzzle elements were to show people how to play, but it also looked like you were acting as Gordon actually would. It felt like watching a bodycam video that the HEV suit recorded. It was very immersive and cinematic, and I really enjoyed that. Phenomenal playthrough of a phenomenal game. Thank you for this series
Thank you so much for sharing your vision with us. Please take the time to rest and recuperate. You put in a lot of hard work just to get the recordings to match up with your exacting vision and we all enjoyed it. Looking forward to you next project whenever it may come!
I appreciate the kind words and support throughout the series (and all the other videos before I even started this!). I am glad you enjoyed this bout, see you on the next one :)
I can't thank you enough for these videos- I have only gotten around to getting and finishing this game fairly recently, and your videos are just so good to watch alongside my playthrough. From how observant you are in game, to how cinematic you make it feel, all the way down to the description and the comment you leave about how you felt about the chapter, I just love it Thanks gor playing this, I love this game, and your channel!
Wisely done, Mr. Nutella. You have made an exquisite playthrough which honours all the hard work which went into this masterpiece. Whatever you do next, I can't wait to see it.
CONGRATS!!! Congrats on finishing it! This playthrough was such a great watch. I'm lucky YT algorithm put one of your videos in my recommended almost a year ago. Ever since I've begun watching your channel I started paying more attention to cinematography of gameplay in walkthroughs that I watch. I found a couple of really good ones but imo you're the best at this. I love that after playing this game twice myself, it still had loads of stuff I didn't notice. Crowbar Collective really did a hell of a job and they should be damn proud of the project Definitely take a long nice break, have fun playing something else, and please do come back at some point in the future! See you up ahead
On the other hand, I'm lucky myself that you stopped by my channel, as the support you've given throughout the series was greatly appreciated and definitely helped keep me going through some of the harder encounters. So thank you :) Ditto on learning new things every time I play the game - you know it's a well polished game when there's still tons of stuff to discover. See you up ahead too mate :)
It's been a ride! Been following these playthrough along with BDM. And with both ended, now I miss it. I really wished I could watch it first time again. Thank you for the dedication on this playthrough!
The bittersweet finale of an epic saga of videos. Thank you for all the effort you've put in. Loved reading all the notes and trivia on every video before going on. Have fun on that break you announced, take a deep breath and just do whatever feels right, when it feels right. Your work is appreciated! Now about fight itself... WHOA. This imagination of the final boss REALLY turns the heat up. That final phase where it just rains down chaos and fire is such a spectacle to behold, especially while you dodge all of the incoming threats like a nimble cat. What a victory... Much like ending of half-life, this is where we part ways, not knowing when you will resurface with another adventure for us to enjoy. Or in the words of G-man: "In the meantime, this is where I get off."
Thanks so much for your comments, support and encouragement throughout this series - it's been a great pleasure. I will see you up ahead, whatever is next :) Also agree on the Nihilanth fight being much more intense, especially that final phase. Was epic the first time witnessing all that fire coming down from the sky.
Its been great to follow this series until its finale, thank you for presenting of one of greatest remakes of one of the greatest vudei games ever made in a beautiful, cinematic way. I read the comments and noticed you said you'll be raking a well-deserved break, you have earned it. PS: if you're planing on playing RDR2 , all im gonna say is, savour it :) its my favorite game ever.
I really enjoyed reading through all of your notes in the description of each video. Black Mesa has quite a long development history, it's fascinating to note all of the changes between each version.
As I'm pretty sure you already know, I really loved your playthrough of this game, and I did because it was just what I was looking for!! I read the comment where you said that you wanted to make a playthrough that showcased the art and craft put into making this game, and that's exactly what you did, and it worked! :) I also read your comment saying that you were gonna take a break, and honestly, after all the effort and hard work you put into this, you TOTALLY deserve it, now you're free to play other games. Thank you so much for making this series ;)
Thank YOU for the endless patience and kind words throughout the series, it really kept me going :) I am definitely going to take a break from uploading for a bit and catch up on some of my other games, though I do not intend to ever leave UA-cam behind. See you on the next one!
@@Sexy_Nutella I sure hope the next playthrough you bring to this channel is as great as this one! even if it takes longer, you already showed me that long waits are worth it!
I haven’t watched every video, not even close, but i used this as a walkthrough when i got stuck sometimes while showing the game to my dad. It was a 12/10 experience and although i haven’t played many games, i truly believe this game is one of the best pieces of interactive media ever created. Imagine getting in a time machine and showing this to Marc Laidlaw in 1996. This game is a triumph. The sheer amount of raw passion and talent on display in not only this game, but the Valve community in general, is unparalleled. Even with gameplay videos like these, you all give a shit. You play the game in a cinematic way that feels like the “right” or “definitive” way. It’s really entertaining stuff, man. Great job.
Seriously, I never, NEVER thought that one day, I would follow with assiduity a series of gameplay on UA-cam. You bring the answer at a question I asked myself sometimes : What if we extend the quality of a trailer gameplay (like for E3) into a whole game? Well, this was so immersive, and as a Half-life fan (I completed a countless times HL2) it was satisfying to watching your Black Mesa videos, to recognize yourself in your gameplay, etc. There’s something else that I strongly appreciate; despite you have (currently) a small channel, a small community and you make a few thousand views, we really feel the effort and the passion you put into your work. You write in the description of each of your videos interesting note and trivia, your feelings on the chapter you played in the comment section. You seem to read and respond comments as many as you can. You communicate with your community regularly. The fact that your recordings multiples times a section of a gameplay (You said once that you recorded 500 runs for the ambush section in Questionable Ethics !) to make it as immersive/cinematic as possible and pleasant to look at. And other things I forgot ... All of this makes you, to my eyes, … an inspiring person. This is the kind of content and philosophy I want to support on UA-cam and that’s why I subscribed your channel. Thank you to put so much effort in what you do for us :) And all the best (PS : Sorry if there are any mistakes, I’m just a French guy, English is not my mother language)
Thanks so much, I loved reading your comment! It is great to know that all the hard work I spent on this series is being noticed, down to the notes, trivia, and the such :) I did intend to mimic an E3-like presentation throughout the entire game, good observation! I always try to respond to every comment - talking with the Half-Life community is one of my favourite parts of making these videos. P.S. Your English is fine, I can understand you perfectly!
Glad you like it! I was trying to come up with the best "finisher' on Nihilanth and a fully charged Tau shot to destroy it's "brain" seemed like the way to do it haha
Congratulations on finishing!! I really appreciate all the work you put in to these playthroughs. Also thanks for recommending the Nvidia software for recording. It works so much smoother on my PC. It's so simple as well!
I just finished Black Mesa and I can safely say it's the most fun I've had playing a game for a long time. Just once I got stuck when a power cable glitched to where I simply couldn't get it to where it had to connect. That's how I found your videos which helped me realize I had to go back and start that part over. Thanks for that but I didn't go ahead and cheat. I played the original HL at the time it was released and this edition only added to the legendary status of that game by expanding and cutting to make a perfect edition. Maybe interloper could be a bit less repetitive but that's all I would change. Now I think I'll go for HL2 again! Cheers bud!
As someone who likes the enigma of the G-man, i must said it really shows it’s cruelty in the way the ending of the games plays. At this point Gordon Freeman is a man who has been through hell, battling for what must have been 3 days. Lets remember Gordon is not some super soldier, god choosen warrior or heroic figure; he is but a simple man a scientist, who by chance is put in an extraordinary circumstances that make him shoulder not just the fate of his friends and colleagues of black mesa but the whole world. After what he must believe is the end even if he would have most likely die due the explosion of the Nihilanth chambers, out comes the G-man with a choice that is no choice. By this point the endless carnage and constant battle must have Gordon not jus physically but also mentally exhausted. The G-man must know this yet he offers a “choice”: to keep fighting endlessly or accept the job and maybe just maybe find a moment of rest, of peace. Like he says in HL2 is the illusion of choice. I can’t imagine something more cruel than that.
G-man is indeed very sinister, his "offers" are nothing more than facades to conceal his true intentions, and how he really doesn't give his employers any way around them.
If you think about it, Gman offers Gordon a job but more likely he blackmails Gordon, so he has no option but accept the job :/ Quite a nasty piece of work you managed over there, Nutella. I am impressed...
Freeman arrives inside the nihilanth's chamber, 3 days since he stepped onto the tram at black mesa, freeman would have a insane battle against the mastermind behind the alien invasion, freeman would win the fight and the nihilanth's tower explodes, the mysterious G-man stops time, and offers gordon a job, freeman would accept the job and be put into stasis, freeman's journey at black mesa and xen has ended, but it isnt over yet.
4:24 What Gordon JUST did is one of the biggest mistakes he could've ever done. Sure, he killed the Nihilanth but the cost of it is that he caused the whole tower to literary explode into pieces. The worse part that begins is the fact that Vortigaunts and Alien Grunts were living inside there working possibly unaware of what came down. The Vortigaunts even had a home village there only to be exploded along with it. It wouldn't be surprising that Alien Grunts don't appear in the Half-Life 2 ERA since Gordon just destroyed their war factory and soldiers. Not only Gordon caused the explosion of the tower, but 2 Xen islands that were near it got destroyed and others were physically forced to move which can probably cause an earthquake to shake the Xen creatures. I've theorized that Gonarch's island is the one on the left. If you pay attention closely to the Gornarch chapter at the beginning, the island seems extremely close to the tower showing that it's the island on the left. That's a destruction to the Headcrab's home. On the good side, Xen is still well good in hands since there's plenty of islands still left behind in the back from the explosion still allowing G-man and his employers to still have control of Xen.
Yeah, one of the themes throughout Black Mesa is how there really isn't a "hero" in all of this - Gordon simply did what he did to survive, but unintentionally affected all those around him. Quick comment, I'm pretty sure Gonarch's Lair takes place on the same island as the Tower :) At the beginning of Interloper you enter the vort village right from her lair.
@@somethingenthusiast I'm sure this is the case, as there are still so many of them in HL2. Though the Tower exploding wasn't in HL1 so not sure if that's necessarily canon
@@Sexy_Nutella Since Gordon killed the Gonarch, he basically stop the Headcrab birth cycle possibly until one of the Headcrabs evolves into a new Gonarch. Mega OOF!
Such an amazing ending to this incredible game! It was such an intense journey, filled with ups and downs as you travel to the Nihilanth's lair to close the gate between Earth and Xen. However, this epic climax is merely the end of the beginning... (P.S. How were you able to reload the rockets right after firing them? I have to wait until mine have exploded before I can reload it; and not just for the aiming crosshair, but regularly as well.)
Even at the end of it all, I'm not sure what to make of Nihilanth. It's enslaved, too, judging by its shackles. It indicates that it's the last of it's kind and the Combine have clearly made sure of that, given that they seem to have completely replaced its reproductive organs (if it has anatomy similar to humans) with a bunch of mechanical parts that seem to be there to aid or facilitate its hovering. The way its head splits open to reveal Xen crystals to me suggests they even removed its original brain for their own purposes. All these horrible things done to it. It seems to have some awareness of all this, and yet it's also gleeful at the prospect of killing you. It's a willing participant in its own enslavement and you never know why. What motivates it? What promises or threats keep it in line? Are such things even needed for control anymore? Was it always like this, or are we just seeing the empty shell left behind after the Combine altered it beyond recognition? So much we don't know and will never know, because your one encounter with it resulted in its death and it never gave you any other choice. Maybe, on some level, it wanted it that way.
And so the game ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper. I think one of the main things that always struck me was the ending of Black Mesa (and Half Life), which is reinforced with the soundtrack "Limitless Potential"; is that the ending can best be described as bittersweet at best. Freeman has survived something that was a suicide mission at best, but at what cost? Earth has been left to an unknown fate; ignoring the Combine and Half Life 2, we have no idea what awaits Earth now that Freeman is gone and the Nihilanth is dead. Xen has been conquered by these unknown employers (again, ignoring Half Life 2 and what we know); who are presumably the US Government (G-Man was envisioned as a US Government Agent initially, and they only changed that when they started story planning for HL2). All of Freemans friends are almost certainly dead, his family are likely going to be targeted; the United States has likely been crippled by the invasion, as the last Emergency Radio Broadcast indicated the entire country was now gearing up for war. The only "victory" we can take is the Nihilanth is dead, and Freeman survived; and even that is pyrrhic at best given what we know about the Combine, and how Freeman will again be thrown to the wolves. This is something I noticed about many old games, the classics if you will; most of the classic hero's in both Sci-Fi and other franchises only really scrape out pyrrhic victories at best. The Master Chief destroys Halo, but now he and Cortana are stranded alone and without any allies. Commander Shepard stops Saren and the Reapers, but the Galaxy has been devastated and the Council refuse to listen to them about the incoming threat. Samas Aran destroys Mother Brain and the Space Pirates, but she loses the baby Metroid and nearly dies. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Link defeats Ganondorf and travels back to his time and does so again; but now he's doomed to wander alone, an outcast, an adult trapped in a childs body. Fallout, the Vault Dweller stops the Enclave and saves their home; but can never return to it, doomed to wander the wastelands for the rest of their life. Are you guys seeing a pattern? Sigh... It's a shame we can never see a crossover game someday; my dream cross over game would be Half Life-Halo-Mass Effect, but it is something that must remain in the minds of the fans.
My only complain about this battle was something I really couldn't describe. And I mean it when you put this battle in comparison with the rest of the Xen chapters and epic scenes (Specially the ascensor section and the Gonarch battle )... I see the Nihilanth battle as a huge Firework show, but that's all... The ambience is not so exciting, maybe because there were no music in the background, or maybe because the battle itself was too short and relatively easy, as Nihilanth shoots blindly everywhere most of the time, except for the blue beam attack and the throwing of the BM objects like Thanos did with the Titan moon to Stark... Those were the only real hard parts of this battle... And I can say it was even 1000x times easier than the final Gonarch Battle... Maybe was that... I don't really know, but I see that there's really something lacking on this final chapter... But anyways, it doesn't stop being really good. In fact it is extremely good compared to the rushed battle in the HL1... When I saw for the first time some teasers or something about the development of this section, I was just Pogging the whole time, I was really excited to see this whole thing finished, and at the end it wasn't dissapointing at all, it just was shaded by the other cooler things in this game. That's my whole opinion on this chapter...
Yeah it would have been cool to have some more stages of the battle. You can beat it in only a couple of minutes, unlike Gonarch, which felt like a proper chapter.
I can understand where you're coming from - for me the Nihilanth battle was a good length given that it's the final battle to cap off an already lengthy Xen portion of the game. I still get the feeling of epic scale, which is great, though I do agree that Nihilanth is a tad bit too easy when compared to the Gonarch. His health on Hard isn't really that much more and he goes down relatively quickly. That being said I consider this a definite improvement over HL1's, like you said :)
Every time I fight nihilanth I use the Easter egg (interact with 3 different xen plants) to spawn 3 gonarchs because I feel the fight is disproportionately easy compared to the rest (even on hard). Once I tried to keep the nihilanth alive until I killed all 3 gonarchs. Couldn't even kill one of them on easy. lol
nah the buildup to Xen was so much better than Xen itself. Granted the hellish environments are well designed but they're looping around for too long and it overstays its welcome to the point that the Nihilanth battle feels anticlimactic.
The thrilling conclusion to the long-running series! How'd it feel to be able to use your weapons freely without having to worry about the music? :P Truthfully, Xen is where Black Mesa as a creative collaborative work shines most to me, where they took the original concepts and threw them out the window, remaking the entire dimension from the ground up, just... _better._ There was so much vision that went into it that I still have a hard time believing it was entirely a fanmade work. I hope you have a nice break from the channel! You deserve it after the work you've done here
Oh man, not having to time my actions to the beat feels AMAZING after Interloper. Though I still had many failed attempts due to the difficulties in long jumping over the gitchy and bumpy terrain in Nihilanth's lair haha. Agreed on the ambition for Xen. It really is incredible. Until next time :) Thanks for the support
I fucking love the credits. The music is tense and the beat is low. It perfectly incapsulates the depression of the Black Mesa incident. The smoother, sadder notes start to play out once seeing the dead bodies in Office Complex. The singing starts up, very mathodical throughout the empty, barren caverns of Black Mesa's ruined remains, and it keeps reminding you of those you've lost, like On A Rail's security guard that died fighting the HECU, or that empty shark cage you got your crossbow in. Black Mesa is empty. Everyone is dead except for presumably the Lambda team and a few survivors that made it out alive. Humanity is FUCKED, and these credits perfectly incapsulate that and also your journey as "Gordon Freeman." And when it hits Xen, the music calms down more, and it tenses up as you hit Gonarch's Lair. When you hit Endgame, the music doesn't have that final note that most songs have with that rythmn. Why doesn't it have that note? Because the story isn't over. Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman, because Half-Life 2 is coming near...
Sucks how they removed the credits montage. Perhaps to lighten up the size because the endgame also loads segments of the previous levels to be displayed, but screenshots, especially concept arts, would suffice.
Yesterday I got the rarest specimen achievement and I have 100% of achievements, I might be traumatised now, but watching the gman with that hat made it worth it.
I know I'm late to the party, but I have to ask, are you trying to get a degree in film? Legit, you made this game feel almost like a movie. I cannot fathom how much time and effort it had to have taken.It feels criminal that video series isn't watched more. You should be proud of what you've done here. I know I'll be recommending you to my friends.
Exactly what I was going for when I made this series, so I'm glad it does feel like a film :) The intent is to tell the story of Half-Life as it happened through Gordon's eyes, and do so in a very engrossing and cinematic manner while showing most of everything that can happen in each map. I'm glad you found it very enjoyable. Content production has slowed down dramatically for me given my real life things but I am in the midst of going through Black Mesa: Blue Shift and do hope to eventually do the Opposing Force remake one day
Correct me if I'm wrong, was he trying to tell you or stop you from killing him? Because it seemed to me that, he was trying to stop you or whatever from killing him, and from letting the Combine enter Earth through Portals? And also warn you of the Combine And it's empire?
Definitely a good idea, though at the rate I'm able to have time to create and upload videos, there's plenty of other content I'd like to make first. Sorry for being a downer!
The entirety of Nihilanth and Endgame were recorded right after the most recent patch that broke saves, but I just started Endgame separately because I didn't want to screw up with my mouse movements and have to redo Nihilanth as well. Good observation though :)
![Black Mesa: Definitive Edition - 13 - "Forget About Freeman!" [Hard]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lnrA5zZhR7w/mqdefault.jpg)
![Black Mesa: Definitive Edition - 13 - "Forget About Freeman!" [Hard]](/img/tr.png)
![Black Mesa: Definitive Edition - 17d - Interloper [Hard]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/i6zNkGDoEyI/mqdefault.jpg)
AFTERWORD:
As Gordon Freeman made that fateful decision to accept the G-man’s offer of employment and the credits started to roll, showing the names of all those who’ve poured years of blood, sweat and tears into making this game, I’m reminded yet again of the sheer labour of love and dedication an undertaking of this calibre and scale requires and demands.
In 2004, the inception of a remake (and eventually a full-scale re-imagining) of the seminal 1998 shooter was started not by a business eager to cash in on the popularity of Half-Life, nor by Valve themselves to right the wrongs of Half-Life: Source. As the game continued its development throughout the years, bringing in more and more talented minds, what would eventually become Black Mesa still, at its heart, came from the fans. The gamers, the modders, the players that had the fond memories of that opening tram ride seared into their minds. The ones that saw what the Source engine could do for one of the greatest games of all time. The ones that asked “What if?”. What if we rebuilt the Anomalous Materials lab from the ground up in Source and littered it with a ton of lore, details, NPCs, scripted sequences and ponytail conversations to make it feel like more of a research facility than its predecessor? What if we overhauled the cliffside vista in Surface Tension and added a bombing run with actual calculations to make the shockwave’s speed realistic relative to the player’s position? And what if we redid the entirety of Xen and extended it to an episodic length to create an experience wholly different from HL1’s endgame, but is equally fresh and exhilarating?
Throughout the lengthy development cycle of the game, I’d wager it was this passion and vision for realizing the game in Source and sharing that dream with others that drove and continues to drive Crowbar Collective’s ambition. In a sea of AAA titles, Black Mesa is and forever will be one of the best success stories to come out of the gaming industry in my mind, because the painstaking dedication to the craft of the game practically bleeds out of the screen. You can’t mistake the quality for anything else, because its that genuine.
Black Mesa is, at its surface, a fantastic achievement of a game fifteen years in the making and sets a high bar for what a re-imagining can be. However, beyond that it is also the story of the hard-working developers who, much like Freeman, had to think and battle their way through problems and obstacles to make their visions a reality. And for us players, Black Mesa is an experience, as we embody our hero in his journey to save the world. We chuckled at the jokes and references in Anomalous Materials. We were taken aback by the sheer intensity of the Resonance Cascade and winced at the startling realistic voice acting of the scientists trapped in the doomed elevator. We felt a sense of empowerment as we annihilated an entire squad of marines in the lobby of Questionable Ethics. We gritted our teeth as we ran from the Gargantua in Surface Tension and felt a twang of sympathy for the HECU in the closing moments of that chapter. We marvelled at the Tower reveal upon stepping out of the cave in Xen. And of course, we relished in the cathartic violence of vaporizing Alien Controllers with our trusty Gluon Gun in the finale of Interloper.
Nothing will ever top my first-time playthrough of this game, but with each successive run my appreciation for the art and craft that went into making it has grown and grown. Is Half-Life 1 better than Black Mesa, or vice versa? I don’t know, but what I can tell you is this: if you were to ask me to name my favourite gaming moments in the Half-Life games, the absolute joy I had playing through Black Mesa will always be at the forefront of my mind.
Thank you, Crowbar Collective, for this incendiary work of art. Looking forward to what you all have in store next. As a mysterious interdimensional bureaucrat once said, I will see you up ahead.
Because of Crowbar Collective I've become a Boomer Shooter Enjoyer. Blessed those Crowbar Collective Developers. They pore there hearts out just to make a beautiful remake, they have my respect.
@legordon freeman Agreed!
@@mraltheordinary7302 This game is amazing because the developers genuinely wanted to make a great game - and a great game it turned out to be :)
I really love the section of past members of the collective. It brings home just how long and painstaking the journey of its development was.
@@s-man5647 Yeah! Pretty rad when I saw names of those I knew back from the 2012 forum days
One little detail I love about the G man is how he sort of hesitates when he says “employers” like he’s having trouble putting whatever’s in charge of him into words that you can understand
That's a great observation! Never caught that before
I thought the same thing. Whatever the Gman’s employers are, I highly doubt we’ll ever actually meet them. Like we ever were going to anyway
@@cleangaming1615 I like to think his employers are Valve
@@cleangaming1615They’re probably some sort of godlike beings that exist outside of reality and are incomprehensible to the human mind
That Nihilanth boss was epic, but what really strucked me was the endgame chapter soundtrack itself when Gordon await further assignment. It started as truimphant like victory but then slowly changing it's tone to a sudden defeat. It was bittersweet too. This was never a story about saving the world. This is a story about how the world ends.
Well stated. I love this version of the ending for that reason - Half-Life has never really had a true happy ending, only the results of actions and their consequences.
combine invasion goes brrrr
you say that a lot, i've noticed
@@nechdaught3412 Well, he -is- a parrot.
@@Sexy_Nutella That's why we still on "unforseen consequencess"
I love this version of Nihilanth. he is angry and does NOT fuck around
It tossing tanks at me made me go "okay but that's badass"
I loved how Crowbar Collective turned an almost idle final boss who attacks you with teleport portals into a Xenian leader waiting for you to an epic mano-a-mano.
Totally. Made the final fight much more intense and gave the game a much needed high point to close it out.
less infuriating too
just the way the nihilanth says "Freeeeemaaaaan." sounds instead of a slight greeting before you die to an actual death threat, it just gives me the chills.
Personally, I think the original was better in terms of voice. Much creepier. Sounds like he's in pain. Here he just sounds evil.
@@erikpngI like that both of them sound like someone who is trying to speak in a way that's alien to them. I really don't like how in usual sci Fi media these creatures speak in Shakespearean English. This one is a lot more "believable".
@@erikpngI think I’ve heard that argument said a lot for how black mesa handles things in a more of a traditional cinematic way, but if you look in the right places you can definitely see that they still play off the twists and nuances more visible in half life. The original had to have been more up front about its story details not just because the lower capabilities of games, but also because people were not used to these nuances being subtly hinted at.
In black Mesa, you’re looking through the lense of today, where media is often full of metaphors and symbolism, and black Mesa asks you to find out for yourself what these twists are. At face value, the Nihilanth does seem purely evil, and Freeman probably did too if you play through the game at a brisk pace. However if you take the time to examine the details slowly handed to you through implications and story beats like Questionable Ethics, both you, and Gordon come to the realization that things are not that evil. This event led everyone, Nihilanth included to become desperate, and desperate people will tend to go beyond their morals. Yeah, half life is charming being so upfront about its story, but black mesa elaborates on it by hiding the story in multiple layers.
@@thewoodpeckers655 nah, still the same amount of subtlety in the original. It's not immediately obvious with the voice, but it is in hindsight.
this is honestly one of the most beautiful games ever imo, visually and just in general, and this whole walkthrough really does it justice
Thank you for the playing nice finale
I'm so happy to hear that - my intent from the very beginning was to create a playthrough of the game that hopefully showcases the art and craft in making it. Thanks for the kind words.
No problem at all! :)
Gordon Freeman’s job at Black Mesa :
Day 1: Get to work on time
Day 3: kill god
Just another day's work for Earth's most badass hero!
Day 4: goes to City 17
Day 5: destroy the whole city
Day 6-7: an adventure to the white forest and defend it from an intergalactic empire invasion
Day 8: Destroy the whole intergalactic empire
Day 9: goes to sleep gn 😴
Day 4: Awake
Day 5: Raise the resistance and frick up a whole installed intergalactic dictatorship in the world
Day 6: "kill" the human on charge of this mess
Day 7: Defend the launch of a rocket against tons of gigantics mechanical alien-spiders with a gun that mess with gravity
Day 8: _[awaiting for further information]_
CREATOR COMMENTARY & FUTURE PLANS:
10 months ago, I sought to update my original playthrough of Black Mesa given the Definitive Edition patch, which makes some very notable changes to the game. As well, much like how the developers treated the patch as bringing the game to its definitive version, I wanted to similarly upload the “definitive”playthrough of Black Mesa and present it as if it’s a movie or mini-series, detailing the story of Gordon Freeman and the birth of a hero that was simply the right man in the wrong place.
Of course, there is no “ideal” playthrough of this game - the beauty of Half-Life is that players have the autonomy to craft their own experiences and idea of how to play the game, even in spite of all the carefully constructed scripted sequences and carefully disguised linearity. But I had a very specific vision of how I feel Gordon would have lived through Black Mesa, and sought to present my version of the story as best as I could, as cinematically as I could.
In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting much when I started the series in the way of viewership, and my main motivation was just to get a series out there on UA-cam that can stand the test of time, for any future Half-Life fans to come across and hopefully appreciate the art that went into making these games. However, as my work on the series went on, the amount of people commenting on my videos and letting me know that they dig this style of gameplay was incredible and caught me off-guard (in a good way!). From then on, making this series has been an obsession with me, for better or worse. My favourite part of content creation is putting my best work out there and getting feedback, comments and reactions from others. I relish those interactions - it’s amazing how tight-knit, professional, welcoming and kind the Half-Life community is. So, truly, thank you all for the support, patience and kind words throughout this journey. You made this process fun and enjoyable for me, and at times when it wasn’t due to my other real-life commitments or difficulties in recording, you showed sympathy and understanding. And for all that, I am grateful. I make these videos for the passion I have for Half-Life, yes, but I also make them to give back to this wonderful community. Hopefully this series has been as entertaining for you as it was for me.
FUTURE PLANS:
The big question is - what’s next?
A lot of you have asked me that, and I appreciate the enthusiasm! UA-cam for me is a hobby, one that I love and one that I will continue to use to share my creative work. That being said, playthroughs like these take an incredible amount of effort and time, and after a 10-month stint where I quite literally didn’t play any other single player games because I was invested in this series, I now find myself in a situation where I am quite simply too burnt out to start a new one. That, and I still didn’t play Red Dead Redemption 2, which has been sitting in my drawer collecting dust ever since my cousin bought it for me almost 2 years ago (sorry bro). So I should probably catch up on my other games haha.
I am going to be taking a break. The part that might be disappointing to you all is that I can’t tell you how long this break will be. I never want to put myself in a position where I overpromise and under-deliver, because that will just result in me letting you all down. So for the most part I don’t have an upload schedule that I adhere to, or concrete plans for upcoming playthroughs or videos.
HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean I don’t have any ideas for upcoming videos, or have been ignoring suggestions. I have some long-term ideas that I couldn’t execute during the making of this playthrough - I am excited to see those projects through, and I hope you will all enjoy them, even if it might not be the mod or game that you wanted me to play. I made this channel primarily for Half-Life, and that is the road that I am likely going to stay on for the majority of my videos.
Sorry if this doesn’t really provide a definitive answer as to my future plans, but rest assured that any and all upcoming videos will have the same level of quality that you would expect (and if not, definitely let me know!). Until next time - stay safe everyone, and thanks again.
Hey bro take your time especially after delivering us this amazing playthrough of this masterpiece. I could never play it since I don't have a PC, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching you go through it! Time to watch them in order again. Thanks again and enjoy your break! Can't wait to see what you have planned when you return! 😊
You deserve the most of the right to take a really long break... Really boi, thanks for this heck of an experience, you did it really great and you gave us what we expected! Now you can rest. Take all the time you want, I don't mind for waiting another 13-16 years for anything with relation of games like Half-Life, lol.
But now about the future project of recording... Can I guess it could be about Resident Evil or Doom? I mean, as you said, this Channel is mainly for Half Life, but some of your first clip videos were about those games (Without counting TF2), and I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of both sagas. But it would be cool to see how you show one of those games to us, and I'd be really following up to that. (Is that, or the Portal Saga, the only one left in the HL Lore... With Hunt Down The Freeman [Seriously, could you play that and make it look actually good in some way? Lololololol])
I'm not crying, you're crying.
And norre should you have to provide said answer , do whats best for you and family always , i no i will be here waiting for my bell to ring while wafting through the rabble that is youtube . Im near 60 years old and a gamer at heart for a very long time but i now have arthritis and cant play anymore . These old games get played and posted sometimes but not like you do them , you do them because you love them and let me say it shines through . They are my memories and i;ve had a ball watching you play . All the Best
This was a triumph.
The end credits with backgrounds are VERY A CLEVER IDEA! Showing the state of various locations after Freeman's encounters gives us a reminder how hard Freeman's journey was from a simple scientist going late from work into the messiah for all humanity (later the Vortigaunts) which soon once again returns to save the world from bigger threat (The Combine).
The backgrounds also gives us a reminder of the damage that was done due the actions of him, the Black Mesa personells, Xen Aliens or HECUs. Kinda sad that soon this reminders will be perished forever due to the Nuke in Opposing Force. I hope someone out there would make it possible as a mod so everyone can experience this too!
Anyways, Thank You Sexy Nutella for bringing Black Mesa into a whole new level where no one has done before. Usually people plays just casually finishing tasks and completing the game, but you are bringing this walkthrough into a new dramatic and cinematic approach, not just playing and showing the game but also giving a narrative and storytelling on it which is very awesome execution! I hope you get a great break after months of journey travelling inside Black Mesa Incident.
For Crowbar Collective, Thank You for delivering this awesome game. It's a very miracle that a AAA game quality comes from a bunch of modders, indie developers and other people who seems have other real-life jobs to do, people who spent like 15 Years of development to make this game come true, people who just graduate from high school or university when the project was started now grown as either a family person or other adults doing, people who keep the spirits against all odds especially expanding Xen levels which is very awesome. You guys hardwork are very payoff with this game and with Black Mesa Definitive Edition was released, comes a new whole wave of modding who wants to make their own stories with Black Mesa assets. I will see you guys up ahead for new projects!
And most importantly, Thank you Valve for allowing them remaking your IP. Without your blessing, Black Mesa won't be born and we don't have a greatest video game story of all time both in-game and behind the scenes.
P.S. : the ending with backgrounds gives a GTA Ending's Vibes
You nailed what I wanted to show through those end credits bang on. Thanks for the great analysis and kind words. It was important for me that this series was not just a playthrough for the sake of completing the game. Glad it showed.
Also reminds me of Fallout New Vegas endings
NIHILANTH/ENDGAME COMMENTARY:
As great as the endings for the Half-Life games are, I always thought that they sometimes struggled with providing an entertaining end-game fight (HL2:EP2’s final fight and HL:A’s Strider battle are however standouts). HL1’s Nihilanth was properly creepy and otherworldly, however the boss fight itself for me was a bit underwhelming - it is quite easy to cheese by taking cover behind the pillars and whittling away at its crystals and health. As well, getting caught by the green portals it sends out means a lengthy platforming puzzle to get back to its lair.
In stark contrast, Black Mesa’s Nihilanth doesn’t play around - it rains mortars down on Gordon if he tries to seek cover, chucks forklifts, Humvees and even goddamn tanks at him, sports an additional set of shield crystals, and when it becomes evident that Freeman is getting the upper hand, it starts to relentlessly attack him with everything it’s got in a desperate attempt to stay alive (whereas the HL1Nihilanth got weaker and weaker the more Freeman damaged it). As opposed to the slower pace of the HL1 battle, Freeman MUST keep moving to avoid getting hit, similar to the Gonarch fight two chapters prior. The need for high mobility and constant awareness of his attacks, as well as the omission of its teleporting orbs, keeps this boss fight focused, intense and very entertaining to play through. Killing the Nihilanth in the last phase of the battle when all hell breaks loose amidst the violent storm going on and flames encroaching upon Freeman cements this version of the boss fight as the clear superior one, in my eyes. Seeing the Tower explode after Freeman’s victory is the icing on the cake.
The events that transpire afterwards with the G-man during the endgame sequence is quite literally word for word what occurred in HL1, however whereas HL1 ended with an upbeat credits theme, Black Mesa’s two tracks, “Limitless Potential” and “Borderworlds”, put into perspective the bittersweet victory that Freeman achieved - yes, Earth is spared from the Nihilanth - but at what cost? The knowledge that all this just results in the Combine being alerted to humanity’s presence and eventual conquering of our race within a mere 7 hours gives Black Mesa’s ending a much heavier feel. Doubly so if Gordon happened to choose the “bad” ending (though the tram being torn apart and Gordon being deposited in front of the Xenian army is incredibly well done).
Thank you for the playing nice finale
@@DogukanAyan87_ Anytime :)
I find it very interesting that most of Xen, especially the fight against Nihilanth, feels like a blend of DOOM 2016 and Valve's own design philosophies for Source Half-Life games. I wonder how Black Mesa's interpretation would have looked in a world without DOOM 2016.
@@untemperance I too got a Doom vibe from the game, though one of the lead designers also explained their art and design of the Xen chapters predated the Doom 2016 release. Perhaps they did get inspired by some of that game's elements when it came to the boss fights, though I'd wager a lot of it may be coincidence!
The original Nihilanth was a joke. This 1 actually seems like he gave the Combine a run for his money & is easily deserving of the title of the most powerful being on Xen.
I love the face of confusion and fear the Nihilanth has after you destroy his crystals
Yeah, I felt a bit sorry for it. Seemed like he was showing genuine fear at that point.
@@Sexy_Nutella 1:21 Time Stamp
he's like "oh shit he can actually throw dem hands"
@@ilikepigeons6101 lmao fr
1:20
About 6:18: There was a mod for HL2 named Vance where you played as Alyx in an alternative universe where Gordon refused the offer but it was unfortunately cancelled. You have to take a look at it though the developers open sourced the mod (at least what's done in there). Your playthrough was amazing honestly I love the detail and immersive actions you did as if you really were Gordon Freeman. Thank you for the amazing experience.
That mod sounds super sweet, shame it was cancelled. Glad to hear you enjoyed the small details I put into this playthrough like the actions to emulate Freeman :)
The ending really nails how bittersweet the victory is. The Xen invasion has been stopped, but so many innocent lives have been lost, and in hindsight we know the Combine will soon invade Earth, meaning that all Gordon and the Lambda Team have done is buy a bit of time. Things are looking pretty bleak - at least until Gordon returns 20 years later.
I have a theory that the G-Man and the Nihilanth worked together at first, but the G-Man ended up double-crossing the Nihilanth somehow. We know that the G-Man brought the crystal to Black Mesa. Since the Xenians were trying to find a new refuge from the Combine, I think it's possible that the Nihilanth gave the crystal to the G-Man and they cooperated to arrange the invasion. The Nihilanth would have pretty quickly figured out that the G-Man was working towards his own ends though, which is why it says "Deceive you...will...deceive you..." to Gordon.
Anyway, the Nihilanth was an amazing final boss and reminded me a fair bit of the Spider Mastermind in Doom 2016. The side chambers might be gone but they've added so much more detail and depth to the fight itself. It's so much fun and it really captures how powerful the Nihilanth is - not to mention that it's still holding the portal open, which means it's actually holding back. I feel like Gordon would have probably been crushed in a second if the Nihilanth was fully focused on him.
Great analysis, it's interesting to imagine G-man doing his usual "offer" speech to the Nihilanth, knowing how it likely would have ended in deception. Ditto on your comment about the Spider Mastermind - very Doom-like boss fight in its execution, with the heavy focus on movement and constant firing.
I've watched all your BlackMesa videos and read all the comments, I've never done that with any series on UA-cam before. All the great effort and dedication you put into delivering this amazing cinematic playthrough and all the trivia and notes shows that you appreciate the game as much as the developers do, and made me love this franchise even more. Thank you! Cheers from Brazil.
Thank you so much for investing as much time as you did into this series; I love what I did with this playthrough and I'm glad you did too. Cheers from Canada!
Thank you again for your contribution to the HL community! I hope your style of gameplay mixed with cinematography will inspire others to do the same for their own beloved franchises.
As for me, I will continue to refer to your series exclusively when it comes to making Gordon's reactions realistic. **We** will see you up ahead :)
Thank you for the support and kind words! Looking forward to seeing your next episode of Half-Reality :)
What a blast, I really like your cinematic gameplay style and congrats on finishing it.
This will be my favorite walkthrough of Black Mesa ever.
Thanks so much!! Glad that this series will stand the test of time for you :)
Sexy, what a ride this has been! Been amazing seeing you transform this series into its own unique entity. Looking forward and excited with what you have planned next!
Thanks as always for the support, couldn't have done this without you :')
I really need to say this, I appreciate all the cinematic effort you've put into your videos, to this day, I often come back to your Black Mesa playthroughs to admire and enjoy how perfectly synced the battles were with the OST, great job, and thank you for putting this out here :)
I really appreciate your kind words and am glad that you still find enjoyment in this series years later :) I intended to make this and have it stand the test of time so I am glad you think it does for now!
It was awesome to go along in this journey. Your gameplays, notes and trivia were amazing. I plan to play black mesa when i finally get a pc, but until then, it was good to meet your channel and watch your videos. Thank You, and keep up the good and hard work you have done 👍
Thank you for the kind words and encouragement - I hope that you will have an absolute blast when you finally get to play the game for yourself :)
I am so happy right now. Been looking forward to this for a long time! So proud of you
I really appreciate your enthusiasm and support throughout this entire series :) Loved reading through your comments every step of the way
I appreciate the fact that you took your time to stop and admire the phenomenal artwork surrounding you...
Thanks for your hard work making this playthrough. Probably the best playthrough of any game I've ever seen. It was an experience.
As for your rest... I think you've earned it.
That means a lot :) Thanks for the comments and support throughout this entire series man. See you on the next one
After this was posted I went and liked and watched the entire playthrough. Which is not something I do often as my attention span is quite short for let's plays. But these videos were a clear exception. Thank you for putting so much effort into making this beautiful series for this beautiful game.
I appreciate that, and am glad that you enjoyed the series even though you don't usually watch let's plays :)
I’ve watched this series from its beginning, and I truly admire the dedication and attention to detail you’ve put into this.
I appreciate the kind words! Put a lot of hard work into this series, glad you enjoyed the results :)
Wow, this fight is a lot shorter than it felt playing it. No surprise though, it was *intense*. And you did play it a bit more efficiently than I did the first time around.
A user (MaxArceus) first pointed out to me that placing satchels at each of the healing crystals then blowing them up at the same time speeds up the boss fight. I incorporated that into this video to show Gordon's ingenuity but it also had the side effect of making the battle much faster as you've mentioned haha :P Still intense for sure though! That last phase where it spams all of his attacks at you is crazy.
i appreciate the effort you put into these runs and descriptions
No problem, glad you noticed the effort in the descriptions :)
And this concludes Half-Life/Black Mesa. My favourite game. I hope you enjoyed it (which im sure you did) you did very good Nutella. Sadly im not able to play Black Mesa since my pc wont run it but you had the chance so good for you. GG Nutella, you are hired by Gman.
It was a pain at times, but I definitely enjoyed my time making these videos :) I'm glad that you are able to experience the game through these episodes, and I hope that you will eventually be able to play through it yourself one day!
Imagining the poor security guards truck that got taken and he's like running to it all of a sudden it gets lifted up and YEETED through a portal
With the only words on his mind being
"What the hell did Freeman just do?"
Haha, I'd imagine the Lambda team is equally just as confused and stressed out, observing this battle through their screens (or however they managed to get data back from the borderworld)
@@Sexy_Nutella I feel the only way for scientists to spectate this battle is to observe Freeman's vital signs in those trackers that's how they know he's alive
Its a dumb question but was it in lambda core chapter
I want to say, after watching the whole playthrough, that I absolutely love how you played this, I know a lot of the looking around and zoom ins on puzzle elements were to show people how to play, but it also looked like you were acting as Gordon actually would. It felt like watching a bodycam video that the HEV suit recorded. It was very immersive and cinematic, and I really enjoyed that. Phenomenal playthrough of a phenomenal game. Thank you for this series
Thank you so much for sharing your vision with us. Please take the time to rest and recuperate. You put in a lot of hard work just to get the recordings to match up with your exacting vision and we all enjoyed it. Looking forward to you next project whenever it may come!
I appreciate the kind words and support throughout the series (and all the other videos before I even started this!). I am glad you enjoyed this bout, see you on the next one :)
I can't thank you enough for these videos- I have only gotten around to getting and finishing this game fairly recently, and your videos are just so good to watch alongside my playthrough. From how observant you are in game, to how cinematic you make it feel, all the way down to the description and the comment you leave about how you felt about the chapter, I just love it
Thanks gor playing this, I love this game, and your channel!
Wisely done, Mr. Nutella. You have made an exquisite playthrough which honours all the hard work which went into this masterpiece. Whatever you do next, I can't wait to see it.
Thanks as always for the support and kind words. Happy you enjoyed the series, see you on the next one ^_^
CONGRATS!!! Congrats on finishing it! This playthrough was such a great watch. I'm lucky YT algorithm put one of your videos in my recommended almost a year ago. Ever since I've begun watching your channel I started paying more attention to cinematography of gameplay in walkthroughs that I watch. I found a couple of really good ones but imo you're the best at this.
I love that after playing this game twice myself, it still had loads of stuff I didn't notice. Crowbar Collective really did a hell of a job and they should be damn proud of the project
Definitely take a long nice break, have fun playing something else, and please do come back at some point in the future! See you up ahead
On the other hand, I'm lucky myself that you stopped by my channel, as the support you've given throughout the series was greatly appreciated and definitely helped keep me going through some of the harder encounters. So thank you :) Ditto on learning new things every time I play the game - you know it's a well polished game when there's still tons of stuff to discover. See you up ahead too mate :)
It's been a ride! Been following these playthrough along with BDM. And with both ended, now I miss it. I really wished I could watch it first time again. Thank you for the dedication on this playthrough!
Thank YOU for the dedication in following this series! Your comments and encouragement were greatly appreciated. See you on the next one :)
Glad I stayed. Thank You for this wondrous, cinematic adventure, and hopefully see You in the next one!
Grateful for your support throughout and glad you enjoyed :) See you up ahead!
The bittersweet finale of an epic saga of videos. Thank you for all the effort you've put in. Loved reading all the notes and trivia on every video before going on. Have fun on that break you announced, take a deep breath and just do whatever feels right, when it feels right. Your work is appreciated!
Now about fight itself... WHOA. This imagination of the final boss REALLY turns the heat up. That final phase where it just rains down chaos and fire is such a spectacle to behold, especially while you dodge all of the incoming threats like a nimble cat. What a victory...
Much like ending of half-life, this is where we part ways, not knowing when you will resurface with another adventure for us to enjoy. Or in the words of G-man:
"In the meantime, this is where I get off."
Thanks so much for your comments, support and encouragement throughout this series - it's been a great pleasure. I will see you up ahead, whatever is next :)
Also agree on the Nihilanth fight being much more intense, especially that final phase. Was epic the first time witnessing all that fire coming down from the sky.
Its been great to follow this series until its finale, thank you for presenting of one of greatest remakes of one of the greatest vudei games ever made in a beautiful, cinematic way. I read the comments and noticed you said you'll be raking a well-deserved break, you have earned it.
PS: if you're planing on playing RDR2 , all im gonna say is, savour it :) its my favorite game ever.
Glad you enjoyed this series and found it cinematic :) Exactly what I intended. I am planning to play RDR2 - your comment just hyped me up even more!
I really enjoyed reading through all of your notes in the description of each video. Black Mesa has quite a long development history, it's fascinating to note all of the changes between each version.
Glad you find that section helpful!
This walkthrough helped me a lot! Thanks!
So proud of you.
And all the team who worked so long and hard.
Thanks for the support :)
AYY! You did it! Congratulations on beating the game!
Thanks! Huge load off my back for sure but a bit sad that it's all over with too haha
As I'm pretty sure you already know, I really loved your playthrough of this game, and I did because it was just what I was looking for!!
I read the comment where you said that you wanted to make a playthrough that showcased the art and craft put into making this game, and that's exactly what you did, and it worked! :)
I also read your comment saying that you were gonna take a break, and honestly, after all the effort and hard work you put into this, you TOTALLY deserve it, now you're free to play other games.
Thank you so much for making this series ;)
Thank YOU for the endless patience and kind words throughout the series, it really kept me going :) I am definitely going to take a break from uploading for a bit and catch up on some of my other games, though I do not intend to ever leave UA-cam behind. See you on the next one!
@@Sexy_Nutella I sure hope the next playthrough you bring to this channel is as great as this one! even if it takes longer, you already showed me that long waits are worth it!
@@Infamous_Val_05 Thanks! Don't know what the next series would be but there's definitely more to come!
Wow, what an incredible end to an incredible run in an incredible game!
Everything about Black Mesa is simply incredible :)
YEAHHHHHH
great job on everything you've done so far m8
Thanks a lot, I appreciate the kind words :)
I haven’t watched every video, not even close, but i used this as a walkthrough when i got stuck sometimes while showing the game to my dad. It was a 12/10 experience and although i haven’t played many games, i truly believe this game is one of the best pieces of interactive media ever created. Imagine getting in a time machine and showing this to Marc Laidlaw in 1996. This game is a triumph. The sheer amount of raw passion and talent on display in not only this game, but the Valve community in general, is unparalleled. Even with gameplay videos like these, you all give a shit. You play the game in a cinematic way that feels like the “right” or “definitive” way. It’s really entertaining stuff, man. Great job.
credits part was also amazing, thanks for the experience great work!
Thanks for noticing the credits changes :) No problem at all dude, thanks for supporting me throughout all of this!
Seriously, I never, NEVER thought that one day, I would follow with assiduity a series of gameplay on UA-cam. You bring the answer at a question I asked myself sometimes : What if we extend the quality of a trailer gameplay (like for E3) into a whole game? Well, this was so immersive, and as a Half-life fan (I completed a countless times HL2) it was satisfying to watching your Black Mesa videos, to recognize yourself in your gameplay, etc.
There’s something else that I strongly appreciate; despite you have (currently) a small channel, a small community and you make a few thousand views, we really feel the effort and the passion you put into your work. You write in the description of each of your videos interesting note and trivia, your feelings on the chapter you played in the comment section. You seem to read and respond comments as many as you can. You communicate with your community regularly. The fact that your recordings multiples times a section of a gameplay (You said once that you recorded 500 runs for the ambush section in Questionable Ethics !) to make it as immersive/cinematic as possible and pleasant to look at. And other things I forgot ... All of this makes you, to my eyes, … an inspiring person.
This is the kind of content and philosophy I want to support on UA-cam and that’s why I subscribed your channel.
Thank you to put so much effort in what you do for us :)
And all the best
(PS : Sorry if there are any mistakes, I’m just a French guy, English is not my mother language)
Thanks so much, I loved reading your comment! It is great to know that all the hard work I spent on this series is being noticed, down to the notes, trivia, and the such :) I did intend to mimic an E3-like presentation throughout the entire game, good observation!
I always try to respond to every comment - talking with the Half-Life community is one of my favourite parts of making these videos.
P.S. Your English is fine, I can understand you perfectly!
Excellent play through. I enjoyed it. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I like the classic finish off the battle with the Tua Cannon you always do.
Glad you like it! I was trying to come up with the best "finisher' on Nihilanth and a fully charged Tau shot to destroy it's "brain" seemed like the way to do it haha
3:05 I love how he uses Master Hand's laser fingers, and then he resorts to imitating Galeem's floating eyes attack (intimidation)
Congratulations on finishing!! I really appreciate all the work you put in to these playthroughs. Also thanks for recommending the Nvidia software for recording. It works so much smoother on my PC. It's so simple as well!
No problem, I really appreciate your support throughout :) Glad Shadowplay is working for you, it is indeed super simple to use. The overlay is great.
This is the Best half life black mesa gameplay i ever seen keep IT up
Glad you enjoyed the series :)
Stumbled upon your vids trying to find out how long each chapter was. Awesome job!
I just finished Black Mesa and I can safely say it's the most fun I've had playing a game for a long time. Just once I got stuck when a power cable glitched to where I simply couldn't get it to where it had to connect. That's how I found your videos which helped me realize I had to go back and start that part over. Thanks for that but I didn't go ahead and cheat. I played the original HL at the time it was released and this edition only added to the legendary status of that game by expanding and cutting to make a perfect edition. Maybe interloper could be a bit less repetitive but that's all I would change. Now I think I'll go for HL2 again! Cheers bud!
Glad you enjoyed your experience in Black Mesa :) Always a good time to replay HL2 hehe
4:00 This is so brilliant. The Nihilanth crashing down on you, Gman saving you, the heavy breathing... it's perfect.
This is the end of Nihilanth's tyranny, after 10 months of Black Mesa, you actually did it.
Yup! long time coming but I'm happy to have wrapped this up. It was bugging me how long I took :)
Good gameplay men.
Glad you enjoyed :)
After 10 months the journey is over congrats
Took some time but I'm glad I finished it. Thanks for the support!
I wish they did more to overhaul gman's speech to make it like how he acts in HL2.
If I could say anything about the end speech, he does appear a bit wooden. I do like the new backgrounds though
4:24 When the Xen Creatures tower copied the Galactic Empires Death Star.
As someone who likes the enigma of the G-man, i must said it really shows it’s cruelty in the way the ending of the games plays. At this point Gordon Freeman is a man who has been through hell, battling for what must have been 3 days. Lets remember Gordon is not some super soldier, god choosen warrior or heroic figure; he is but a simple man a scientist, who by chance is put in an extraordinary circumstances that make him shoulder not just the fate of his friends and colleagues of black mesa but the whole world. After what he must believe is the end even if he would have most likely die due the explosion of the Nihilanth chambers, out comes the G-man with a choice that is no choice. By this point the endless carnage and constant battle must have Gordon not jus physically but also mentally exhausted. The G-man must know this yet he offers a “choice”: to keep fighting endlessly or accept the job and maybe just maybe find a moment of rest, of peace. Like he says in HL2 is the illusion of choice. I can’t imagine something more cruel than that.
G-man is indeed very sinister, his "offers" are nothing more than facades to conceal his true intentions, and how he really doesn't give his employers any way around them.
I love this fight so much
Yeah, it has a lot of replay value. Just like the Gonarch, I love how this boss fight forced players to keep moving.
@@Sexy_Nutella very suspensive wen the nihilanth become crazy wen you destroy ther life cristals
@@major778 Very! Loved how the fight became so chaotic after
Imagine if every one of these playthrough videos were put together into one lengthy video, like a movie.
Would be great.
Would be but hopefully this playlist will suffice!
@@Sexy_Nutella It suffices.
I love how this fight doesn't have an intense soundtrack or anything like that, it's just you and the Nihilanth.
If you think about it, Gman offers Gordon a job but more likely he blackmails Gordon, so he has no option but accept the job :/
Quite a nasty piece of work you managed over there, Nutella. I am impressed...
Definitely, he pulled the same move on Alyx where he masquerades his manipulation as an "offer". So diabolical!
Beyond incredible, only thing i dislike is the generic voice for the nihilanth and the goofy evil laugh.
Yeah, the voicework for Nihilanth is something I think the original game did much better
Freeman arrives inside the nihilanth's chamber, 3 days since he stepped onto the tram at black mesa, freeman would have a insane battle against the mastermind behind the alien invasion, freeman would win the fight and the nihilanth's tower explodes, the mysterious G-man stops time, and offers gordon a job, freeman would accept the job and be put into stasis, freeman's journey at black mesa and xen has ended, but it isnt over yet.
5:33 Is that the inter universe Combine portal ?
4:24 What Gordon JUST did is one of the biggest mistakes he could've ever done. Sure, he killed the Nihilanth but the cost of it is that he caused the whole tower to literary explode into pieces. The worse part that begins is the fact that Vortigaunts and Alien Grunts were living inside there working possibly unaware of what came down. The Vortigaunts even had a home village there only to be exploded along with it. It wouldn't be surprising that Alien Grunts don't appear in the Half-Life 2 ERA since Gordon just destroyed their war factory and soldiers.
Not only Gordon caused the explosion of the tower, but 2 Xen islands that were near it got destroyed and others were physically forced to move which can probably cause an earthquake to shake the Xen creatures. I've theorized that Gonarch's island is the one on the left. If you pay attention closely to the Gornarch chapter at the beginning, the island seems extremely close to the tower showing that it's the island on the left. That's a destruction to the Headcrab's home.
On the good side, Xen is still well good in hands since there's plenty of islands still left behind in the back from the explosion still allowing G-man and his employers to still have control of Xen.
Yeah, one of the themes throughout Black Mesa is how there really isn't a "hero" in all of this - Gordon simply did what he did to survive, but unintentionally affected all those around him. Quick comment, I'm pretty sure Gonarch's Lair takes place on the same island as the Tower :) At the beginning of Interloper you enter the vort village right from her lair.
I’ve always thought that the vortigaunts evacuated once they learned that Gordon was fighting the nihilanth
@@somethingenthusiast I'm sure this is the case, as there are still so many of them in HL2. Though the Tower exploding wasn't in HL1 so not sure if that's necessarily canon
@@Sexy_Nutella Since Gordon killed the Gonarch, he basically stop the Headcrab birth cycle possibly until one of the Headcrabs evolves into a new Gonarch.
Mega OOF!
The way the Nihilanth says Freeman always sends chills up my spine!
So you finally made it after all these months you made it
Yup! It took a while but I'm glad I saw this through. Thank you for the support throughout the series :)
Why is the nihilanths death scream so satisfying
It's very mournful, which makes it very memorable in my opinion
gg the series were dope
Glad to hear you had a good time with it!
1:33 Nihilanth really said "Get forklifted lol!"
Such an amazing ending to this incredible game! It was such an intense journey, filled with ups and downs as you travel to the Nihilanth's lair to close the gate between Earth and Xen. However, this epic climax is merely the end of the beginning...
(P.S. How were you able to reload the rockets right after firing them? I have to wait until mine have exploded before I can reload it; and not just for the aiming crosshair, but regularly as well.)
Glad you enjoyed the journey! You can immediately reload a rocket after firing by pressing the reload key manually
Even at the end of it all, I'm not sure what to make of Nihilanth.
It's enslaved, too, judging by its shackles. It indicates that it's the last of it's kind and the Combine have clearly made sure of that, given that they seem to have completely replaced its reproductive organs (if it has anatomy similar to humans) with a bunch of mechanical parts that seem to be there to aid or facilitate its hovering. The way its head splits open to reveal Xen crystals to me suggests they even removed its original brain for their own purposes. All these horrible things done to it.
It seems to have some awareness of all this, and yet it's also gleeful at the prospect of killing you. It's a willing participant in its own enslavement and you never know why. What motivates it? What promises or threats keep it in line? Are such things even needed for control anymore? Was it always like this, or are we just seeing the empty shell left behind after the Combine altered it beyond recognition?
So much we don't know and will never know, because your one encounter with it resulted in its death and it never gave you any other choice.
Maybe, on some level, it wanted it that way.
And so the game ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.
I think one of the main things that always struck me was the ending of Black Mesa (and Half Life), which is reinforced with the soundtrack "Limitless Potential"; is that the ending can best be described as bittersweet at best.
Freeman has survived something that was a suicide mission at best, but at what cost? Earth has been left to an unknown fate; ignoring the Combine and Half Life 2, we have no idea what awaits Earth now that Freeman is gone and the Nihilanth is dead.
Xen has been conquered by these unknown employers (again, ignoring Half Life 2 and what we know); who are presumably the US Government (G-Man was envisioned as a US Government Agent initially, and they only changed that when they started story planning for HL2).
All of Freemans friends are almost certainly dead, his family are likely going to be targeted; the United States has likely been crippled by the invasion, as the last Emergency Radio Broadcast indicated the entire country was now gearing up for war.
The only "victory" we can take is the Nihilanth is dead, and Freeman survived; and even that is pyrrhic at best given what we know about the Combine, and how Freeman will again be thrown to the wolves.
This is something I noticed about many old games, the classics if you will; most of the classic hero's in both Sci-Fi and other franchises only really scrape out pyrrhic victories at best. The Master Chief destroys Halo, but now he and Cortana are stranded alone and without any allies. Commander Shepard stops Saren and the Reapers, but the Galaxy has been devastated and the Council refuse to listen to them about the incoming threat. Samas Aran destroys Mother Brain and the Space Pirates, but she loses the baby Metroid and nearly dies. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Link defeats Ganondorf and travels back to his time and does so again; but now he's doomed to wander alone, an outcast, an adult trapped in a childs body. Fallout, the Vault Dweller stops the Enclave and saves their home; but can never return to it, doomed to wander the wastelands for the rest of their life.
Are you guys seeing a pattern?
Sigh... It's a shame we can never see a crossover game someday; my dream cross over game would be Half Life-Halo-Mass Effect, but it is something that must remain in the minds of the fans.
Yeah, I really dug how bittersweet this version was, compared to HL1's more upbeat tone. Great analysis of the games of that period :)
My only complain about this battle was something I really couldn't describe. And I mean it when you put this battle in comparison with the rest of the Xen chapters and epic scenes (Specially the ascensor section and the Gonarch battle )... I see the Nihilanth battle as a huge Firework show, but that's all... The ambience is not so exciting, maybe because there were no music in the background, or maybe because the battle itself was too short and relatively easy, as Nihilanth shoots blindly everywhere most of the time, except for the blue beam attack and the throwing of the BM objects like Thanos did with the Titan moon to Stark... Those were the only real hard parts of this battle... And I can say it was even 1000x times easier than the final Gonarch Battle... Maybe was that... I don't really know, but I see that there's really something lacking on this final chapter... But anyways, it doesn't stop being really good. In fact it is extremely good compared to the rushed battle in the HL1... When I saw for the first time some teasers or something about the development of this section, I was just Pogging the whole time, I was really excited to see this whole thing finished, and at the end it wasn't dissapointing at all, it just was shaded by the other cooler things in this game. That's my whole opinion on this chapter...
Yeah it would have been cool to have some more stages of the battle. You can beat it in only a couple of minutes, unlike Gonarch, which felt like a proper chapter.
I personally remedied it via workshop mods, got some additional alien controllers and a bit of doom music to spice it up
I can understand where you're coming from - for me the Nihilanth battle was a good length given that it's the final battle to cap off an already lengthy Xen portion of the game. I still get the feeling of epic scale, which is great, though I do agree that Nihilanth is a tad bit too easy when compared to the Gonarch. His health on Hard isn't really that much more and he goes down relatively quickly. That being said I consider this a definite improvement over HL1's, like you said :)
My god, I need to try BFG Division on this fight for sure
Oh my Lord, that 'Freeeemaaaan' is menacing.
Every time I fight nihilanth I use the Easter egg (interact with 3 different xen plants) to spawn 3 gonarchs because I feel the fight is disproportionately easy compared to the rest (even on hard).
Once I tried to keep the nihilanth alive until I killed all 3 gonarchs. Couldn't even kill one of them on easy. lol
Yeah, the Nihilanth battle is a lot easier than Gonarch for sure.
Hurrah Nutella! And Hurrah Crowbar Collective! Black Mesa earned itself a place among the stars just like the game it sought to remake!
Definitely. Probably one of the greatest, if not THE GREATEST remake/reimagining of all time
I was like "how long is this battle gonna last" and after watching this, I fastly realized.. I didn't fucking attack him the entire time!
If the teleporter sent Gordon to a desert planet he'd become Gordon Fremen
He who controls the bugbait, controls the Antlions ;)
The buildup to the nihalanth boss was so much better then the boss itself.
nah the buildup to Xen was so much better than Xen itself. Granted the hellish environments are well designed but they're looping around for too long and it overstays its welcome to the point that the Nihilanth battle feels anticlimactic.
The thrilling conclusion to the long-running series!
How'd it feel to be able to use your weapons freely without having to worry about the music? :P
Truthfully, Xen is where Black Mesa as a creative collaborative work shines most to me, where they took the original concepts and threw them out the window, remaking the entire dimension from the ground up, just... _better._ There was so much vision that went into it that I still have a hard time believing it was entirely a fanmade work.
I hope you have a nice break from the channel! You deserve it after the work you've done here
Oh man, not having to time my actions to the beat feels AMAZING after Interloper. Though I still had many failed attempts due to the difficulties in long jumping over the gitchy and bumpy terrain in Nihilanth's lair haha.
Agreed on the ambition for Xen. It really is incredible.
Until next time :) Thanks for the support
They turned it into a real epic endgame boss fight
After that, the Black Ops team at this facility destroyed the traces and was destroyed by a thermonuclear bomb.
Yup. Black Mesa is wiped off the map.
I fucking love the credits. The music is tense and the beat is low. It perfectly incapsulates the depression of the Black Mesa incident. The smoother, sadder notes start to play out once seeing the dead bodies in Office Complex. The singing starts up, very mathodical throughout the empty, barren caverns of Black Mesa's ruined remains, and it keeps reminding you of those you've lost, like On A Rail's security guard that died fighting the HECU, or that empty shark cage you got your crossbow in. Black Mesa is empty. Everyone is dead except for presumably the Lambda team and a few survivors that made it out alive. Humanity is FUCKED, and these credits perfectly incapsulate that and also your journey as "Gordon Freeman."
And when it hits Xen, the music calms down more, and it tenses up as you hit Gonarch's Lair.
When you hit Endgame, the music doesn't have that final note that most songs have with that rythmn. Why doesn't it have that note?
Because the story isn't over. Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman, because Half-Life 2 is coming near...
You explained pretty much everything I wanted to convey through those credits. Thank you :)
I finally tried Nihilanth on Hard difficulty today. He threw a rock at me and I instantly died 2 minutes into the fight.
Oh yeah, his attacks are brutal if they hit!
I myself tried it a bit ago, got to phase 3 and got squished in mid air
Sucks how they removed the credits montage. Perhaps to lighten up the size because the endgame also loads segments of the previous levels to be displayed, but screenshots, especially concept arts, would suffice.
100% the best.remake of all time in gaming!
Black Mesa is a beautiful game, Everything of it was awesome. Crowbar Collective did An awesome job. 2022 will definitely be the future to PC gaming.
The best re-imagining ever made in my opinion!
Yesterday I got the rarest specimen achievement and I have 100% of achievements, I might be traumatised now, but watching the gman with that hat made it worth it.
Congrats!!
Is it just me, or is Nihilanth actually speaking with an actual voice in this game, instead of using telepathy?
I believe he still is using telepathy, but his voice is just less disembodied sounding
Last part here we go
Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for the support throughout the series :)
I know I'm late to the party, but I have to ask, are you trying to get a degree in film? Legit, you made this game feel almost like a movie. I cannot fathom how much time and effort it had to have taken.It feels criminal that video series isn't watched more. You should be proud of what you've done here. I know I'll be recommending you to my friends.
Exactly what I was going for when I made this series, so I'm glad it does feel like a film :) The intent is to tell the story of Half-Life as it happened through Gordon's eyes, and do so in a very engrossing and cinematic manner while showing most of everything that can happen in each map. I'm glad you found it very enjoyable. Content production has slowed down dramatically for me given my real life things but I am in the midst of going through Black Mesa: Blue Shift and do hope to eventually do the Opposing Force remake one day
Correct me if I'm wrong, was he trying to tell you or stop you from killing him? Because it seemed to me that, he was trying to stop you or whatever from killing him, and from letting the Combine enter Earth through Portals? And also warn you of the Combine And it's empire?
Yes he warned gordon that if he kills him combine would show up
Definitely that. He knows what will happen when he dies.
Oh wow, I never knew that, thought he was talking about G-man! Thanks guys! ❤️❤️
So, ever consider doing a showcase of the beta Xen maps? It’d be interesting to see your notes on each iteration.
Definitely a good idea, though at the rate I'm able to have time to create and upload videos, there's plenty of other content I'd like to make first. Sorry for being a downer!
@@Sexy_Nutella I meant when you have the time to, not right now.
4:10 - I take it you had to start the Endgame from the "New Game" menu because of broken saves?
The entirety of Nihilanth and Endgame were recorded right after the most recent patch that broke saves, but I just started Endgame separately because I didn't want to screw up with my mouse movements and have to redo Nihilanth as well. Good observation though :)