It's crazy to me that they even managed to make Xen in GoldSRC. That engine is designed to mostly make right-angled geometry. Brett Johnson somehow made mushy-looking terrain without displacements
@@Theonetrueerenyeager nahhh BM's xen has a totally different vibe compared to half-life. Valve's xen perfectly encapsulates a hostile, dreadful and cold alien setting which has been lost in black mesa
@@hazzmati my point is that black mesa’s xen had the visuals that valve wanted to use for half life’s xen, but due to tech limits at the time, they couldn’t achieve it properly. So they settled for what we have now.
The PS2 port has some cool quirks. I love the door at the end of Residue Processing. It closes permanently behind you and muffles the machine sounds. It gives me an enhanced feeling of progress and accomplishment somehow.
I wonder if that is because you can softlock yourself if you enter the level with low health, and while you can cheat on PC you'd be pretty much fucked on PS2
Another fun fact: In the PS2 port, you can actually playthrough the hazard course and UPLINK as a Vortigaunt if you activate the alien mode cheat code before starting them.
This level is one of those where I just have absolutely zero recollection of how I managed to get to the end, ever. I know you have to hitch a ride on the floating bugs, but how I got there, I can't remember. And I beat this game SEVERAL times, the CD version, the Steam one, on the PS2, and even Half-Life: Source! How did I even figure that out when I was like 16? Did I just noclip to the platform? I probably did, heck, I didn't even beat the game because the Nihilanth sucks so hard! The thing is, I don't think I've EVER taken the "intended" route because that cave with the toxic gas is complete news to me. I believe I legitimately just tried to awkwardly time jumping up to the platforms via the holes in the floor. Yup, I just checked my latest recording and that is precisely what I did. So I must have done that like 8 times by now and NEVER questioned why it was such an awkward way to get to the end. P.S: The HL2 Beta clock at 2:40 was a cute reference.
Yeah pretty much. I have zero recollection of this map the first, or even third time I'd played it. I guess my brain memory-holed it to save my sanity, and to keep my memories of Half-Life almost completely positive.
@@Noxx55The Guggenheim-ass geometry and grody looking vaguely wasps-nest-like textures fit a particular genre of ‘things that don’t quite go easy on your brain.’ Thus follows it won’t quite behave with your memory and you’re gonna forget about the thing.
Im gonna be 16 soon and I've beat this game 11 times, I really don't think this map is THAT bad, it does have pretty bad design, but it is simply doable by using the hive gun and the regenerating cave.
If Valve didn't have to rush the last part of Half Life i feel like Xen would be remembered more fondly, because despite the shortcomings it nails the feeling of unknown and truly alien. We wouldn't understand what we are looking at or what purpose anything around us would have so it makes sense it just lacks our understanding. But in the end, everyone struggled here. Funny you also found out about the pillar that gets you to the portal quickly. When i was a kid i was so hyped when i figured it out
I'm one of those weirdos who actually likes both On a Rail and most of the Xen sections. They could've been a lot better admittedly, but they weren't awful imo.The only part of the game I actually hate is the final boss fight, which is a masterpiece of tedious and dull
@@krowta2062 You barely even see him that much with him constantly warping you out of the arena. But sure, his appearance is curious, hemce for me just looking at his picture without any gameplay is already more entertaining that playing that dreadful level.
one thing you forgot to mention is the teleporter island is surrounded by a kill trigger that only deactivates if you ride to the island via the manta ray meaning that IS actually the intended method to the end, as esoteric as that is some of the floating platforms are low enough where you can survive a fall onto the island but yeah no that just kills you anyway
When I was little, I've always been fascinated by video game maps that took place in space or similar environments where you had a huge skybox and tiny pieces of land surrounded by seemingly infinite vastness. Think of Facing Worlds from unreal tournament, that map and Xen both were always very intriguing to me
I never figured out the cave was there, so I eventually threw down a C4, quicksaved, and channeled my inner demoman to explosive jump to the portal platform. It was easier to figure out how to skip this level then it was to actually figure out the intended solution to beat it. That was my first time playing through, about a year ago. You've legitimately blown my mind by showing me that you have to ride the mantarays to that portal.
The one saving grace for this level I think is the cave. The claustrophobic Xen chambers with the gas chamber and the bullsquid is just so succinctly Half-Life in it's atmosphere and execution, it's a shame it's so overshadowed by everything else.
You forgot to mention the worst part of this map. If you decide to be clever and try to grenade-jump to the end platform, there's an invisible trigger_hurt on top of the island so the game kills you if you try to skip it like this. To skip this level with a grenade jump, you have to precisely air-strafe onto the platform after falling just barely past the trigger.
if you think about it xen is exactly like minecraft end, it is a blank and empty dimension made of living organisms containing the aliens we've been fighting through the entire game and the final boss, that then got revamed and turned into a lush forest like dimension with new aliens (black mesa and minecraft dungeons)
I watched HL Developer Dario Casali play through the entire game, struggling mightily at various points, and yet this level was the only point where I wondered, "How the hell did I beat this level as a child with no guide?"
If only Valve would have included a section where you reach the floating teleporter with a train cart with obtuse controls that would have made this level at least 1% better 😢
If only they'd made Interloper 10x longer with way more conveyer belt sections, endless layers of repetitive puzzles, and Controllers powered by crystals that are protected by armor that you have to destroy while a thousand Alien Grunts assault you. Interloper was really missing that.
When I completed the PS2 version of Half Life, Interloper was the only chapter where I always used cheats. It is the most tedious chore I had while playing a FPS in the PS2.
THERE'S A CAVE UNDER THAT HILL!? I was going to the top of the hill and using the long jump to land on top of a manta, which carries you to within jumping distance of the portal. I had died so much from trying to launch myself up to the platforms that I assumed they were all a red herring. Ive been playing this game since 1999 what the fu
One of my favorite things about Xen is watching the mantas fly around. It doesn't look particularly good, but I like watching the paths they take at breakneck speed. I dont mind setting off the alarms at the vortigaunt camp, because the patrolling manta zooms through the cave like it was nothing
My first time playing Half-Life, this level was a bit confusing. Not because I didn't know where to go, I spotted the teleport exit right away, but because I couldn't for the life of me tell how to get to it. After some trial and error, I managed to climb to the top of the hill, long-jump onto the back of the flying manta-ray creatures, ride it until the very edge of where they teleport away, and long jump to the teleporter. Even as a young teenager, I could tell that this was feeling odd, and that I wasn't 100% sure if I had just beaten the level correctly. It wasn't until 6 years after first playing this level that I realized that entire underground cave area even existed.
Xen's aesthetics, atmosphere and the style is fantastic and I love, the sudden shift from the black mesa facility on earth to a very strange alien place with different gravity, also the combat and it's pacing while on earth is very fast paced and most of the time you're constantly looking left and right trying to survive, meanwhile on Xen you have more time to explore and see the world around you, such a shame that I just really dislike the levels and the progression in these levels, my only complaint about this game
You can kill the Alien Slaves easily in that annoying chapter with the Revolver. It is techinically the Alien Slaves' only weakness. That is because the Revolver can literally one shot an Alien Slave. Which is probably because they have less health than any creature in-game.
several notes: -despite the open space, a swift can still jump to around a pillar or ober the hill (if they don’t fall in the gap. lmao). some astute players may have also noticed earlier in the game that alien slaves have limited range. -alien slaves respawns stop when you ride the erecting spike. -evading controller balls is definitely manageable on platforms. the controllers are not that close unless you let them, and the moving platform helps clearing from the balls’ paths. -i don’t think it’s that obscure to ride mantas. you see the portal once you’ve killed everything bothering you, and they’re still clearly brushes. what i despised: -the jump pads just being traps, just as you said -mantas are sloped, and this literally prevented me from jumping several times. also they suddenly disappear before reaching the portal, therefore you have to jump. -that gap near the hill. lmao. honestly not convinced it is particularly the worst, let alone by far. though all you’ve said is relatable.
Yep, I reckon this level being very confusing when I was playing it as a kid. No idea, where to go and how to go. And dying hundred times falling on platforms. Good old times)
this level was always such a pain. i didn't even know about the cave and the pillar! i always just used one of the jump pads to land on a manta-ray to ride to the portal. awesome video with great advice!
I enjoyed this level on my last playthrough of the game on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. Because it presented a challenge and required me to try several significantly different approaches before I figured out a proper and functional one. And when I finally discovered it, I had to repeat the quick load for several minutes before I honed my reflexes enough to get through the sequence of actions gracefully enough without suffering damage from enemies. It was an interesting challenge and overcoming it made me feel good. So I'm glad for this level and rate it as more fun than, say, residue processing, which I found boring.
I love this take. I don't like being that "skill issue" guy but it seems most people who hate it don't learn how to play it. You can save at the start and then quick save every second if you need to. It's a puzzle and an FPS at the same time.
@@gordonneverdiesI at first didn't like Xen, but after repeated tries, I did start to appreciate it for what it was. Could it have been better? Yes. I haven't tried Black Mesas Xen yet so I have yet to see what that is like. I've grown more appreciative of Xen on multiple playthroughs. It's such a unique location if let down by... let's just say not the best game design choices.
@@ARStudios2000 That's fair. You'd probably feel the same way about Black Mesa's Interloper. There's a few puzzle areas that I got confused in the first time I played but now it's my favorite part of the game. I would strongly suggest giving it a try. It has some incredible music and if you love half life and played it a bunch of times it makes it such an awesome experience. Every time you go into a new area you recognize similarities or little things they changed and it's pretty cool. There are some sections that play exactly the same and some that are a completely different game. It's a lot longer too.
"Worst level" Weird, that doesn't look like Residue Processing EDIT: Oh, nevermind, yeah that first map of Interloper is noticeably bad. Like I'm a Xen enjoyer, but I think like 90% of any platforming whatevers aimed at the Xen levels really should be aimed at that map specifically EDIT2: 6:23 I'll do you one even better, it's possible to just use the top of that hill thing to kinda very closely long-jump on to the left wing of one of the mantas, and then ride it to the exit tele from there
Yes! Played HL as a kid so countless times but literally only played Xen like twice. Wasn’t so much the gameplay, more the depressing gloomy aesthetic was just unpleasant
I love watching your Cascade episodes A fun & entertaining way for me to learn more about Half-Life Every time I see a new Cascade episode pop up on my feed, I get hyped to watch it & learn stuff I might not have known about Half-Life
Having just finished my HL1 playthrough, I was surprised at how little of an issue I had with this map. Other than falling down the holes (which I didn't even know were jump pads) I immediately decided to hop onto the manta-rays which led me to the portal. Didn't even know half of the issues until this video
I think i've erased the start of Interloper from my memory, cause i could hardly remember any of the stuff mentioned here. Except save scumming, i remember there was a lot of save scumming.
I'm gonna be honest, xen was always my favourite part, most likely because aliens and strange landscapes were the coolest shit when I was 6 and gamedesign wasn't something I was even thinking of.
It took me a read through a guide to figure out how the hell to beat that stage legitimately. Before then, I had come to the same conclusions as you did, trying to launch myself with the pods that were actually hazards to avoid, or just noclip straight to the portal. I had no idea there was a cave at the other side of the island that was hidden from plain sight in order to get onto the pillar that was needed to actually get high enough to jump across the platforms and ride the manta rays. I say this as someone who actually lamented the cuts to On a Rail in Black Mesa: Cutting this level from Black Mesa Source was an action where nothing of value was lost.
I think this video was a successful experiment, i liked it. You succinctly explained what’s wrong with the level and I really appreciate you making sure the viewer knows this map is more of a sad byproduct of rushed development than anything else. I’d love to see you discuss more of Xen.
This might sound crazy but I still like OG zen more than the much better layout of black mesa, and the nice touches like human exploration parties and bases. OG zen is just alien, I love the skyboxes more and really liked it as kid.
trigger warning black Mesa mention but this is something I'm glad black Mesa took the liberty over. made it longer, more meatier, meaningful, and actually so so so much fun. I'd argue that it's one of the best sections in black mesa Xen's aesthetic is very fitting in the original game. it's empty, dark, and depressing. since it's a borderworld and nothing is really supposed to flourish in it. dare I say that made that section anticlimactic to play throughout though. black Mesa in the other hand made it absolutely incredible with vibrant cosmic atmospheres and so much details and fauna and life everywhere, even in Interloper. there is so much more story told throughout the game with sections and puzzles that tell you this place DOES have living things in it
Xen felt like it was supposed to be way more than it was. Black Mesa's version of it gives it the justice it should have had from the beginning, in my opinion.
I remember using the load level command just so I could see what was past this stupid level in the late 90s. Even noclipping my way through it didn't help me solve it.
I finished the boss with low HP, so when I had to do the big jump part at the beginning of interloper I would die everytime I jumped into a higher plataform. Xen was such a frustrating experience.
I've just done the strategy you show at the end the last few times I've played through the game, I completely forgot about the cave system off to the side which I guess is the intended method, lol
I absolutely hate the factory part of interloper because it's an endless barrage of enemies with pretty much no ammo or healing to make it bearable, at least with this part, once you beat it a few times, you get approximately how you're gonna get through it, with the factory, it never gets better, no matter how many times i play, i'm always out of ammo on everything and barely surviving that entire level. Interloper as a whole is such a shit chapter and finishing it feels less satisfying and more like im finally free, the unsatisfyingness is definitely helped by one of the easiest final bosses in gaming history following it
while I'm eagerly waiting for the rest of the half-life iceberg video as you did a really good job of pacing and giving good information (unlike the vast majority of iceberg videos) I still can appreciate this video. After all, I will never say no to more half-life content by you. keep it up!
When I got to this level, I was infuriated. I never found the cave. I thought the flying bugs gad to be reached from the ground, as you can BARELY not reach them from the hill. After many failed attempts I got frustrated and just nocliped over. There were a lot of moments in the xen levels I just got lost. Especially the final boss fight. I knew I needed to get to the highest platform to shoot into the exposed head, but no matter what I tried I couldnt find what enabled me to get up there.
reloading my saves over and over again on my first playthrough, though it was extremely frustrating, it gave xen this miserable lonliness and isolation from the rest of the game i dont think ill ever forget
me and my friends were playing this part in sven co-op and we struggled for *minutes* trying to beat it and because my internet is constantly being shit, i had an even *less* fun time Only when the stars alligned for me i managed to finally free us
i genuinely do not remember that cave in the slightest i think i just kept reloading over and over until i could do that trick you mentioned at the end
I never knew the holes would launch you up. When I fell in one, I figured I was about to die after being eaten so I just quick loaded. Which looks like it saved me from trying to use them.
WOW! I NEVER KNEW THOSE JUMP PADS LAUNCHED YOU INTO THE AIR! I never actually went in one! My first death on the map came from me trying to hide in one and instantly dying so I just assumed they were death holes! Wow, the more you know…this map sucks! Though, after that death I just went into the cave ignoring the vortigaunts because I had such low health. Though, I must admit, this is the level I needed a walkthrough on. After making my way through the cave I had no idea what to do so I gave up and looked up a walkthrough.
Honestly didn't know about the cave, and honestly it made Interloper 100x better thank you for teaching me about it, I actually like this map now. If only they made that path more obvious, cuz 9 times out of 10 a normal player will just assume to use those boost pads.
I've been convinced for a long time that this was 100% the inspiration for Minecraft's End. You also break crystals that heal the boss that dies with cool effects but maybe that's not as unique.
i substitute for didn't even complete interloper properly the first time i played. i just shot up to one of the platforms and barely got to the exit with hardly any HP left.
I remember for the longest time that I did not know about the cave entrance in the back of the hill. I had played the game so many times and had never found it. I only ever discovered it by using noclip. Blew my fricking mind.
Yes, you share my thoughts about this level. But i used to hate it until i placed two-three trip mines on starting island before its collapse, and when trip mines primed i rushed pass them, crouched and fired grenade from my trusty MP5, letting magical blast wave carry me away from this horror towards exit portal. Now its standart playtrough for this level to me.
I honestly wonder why more people don't shit on Waste Processing. I guess it's just that it's kinda short compared to like, on a rail. But even then, it's a very boring and frustrating little section. Atleast Zen is like, visually interesting.
Guys it's literally hell, wearing an alien mask. It's *supposed* to be "bad". Games as an art form are allowed to solicit emotions other than "fun". I understand some aspects of it may be frustrating, I'm here to tell you that frustration is one of your demons and you need to learn to control it, lest it control you.
I really like the Xen aesthetics it is one of the alien worlds in video games that truly feels otherworldly.
It's crazy to me that they even managed to make Xen in GoldSRC. That engine is designed to mostly make right-angled geometry.
Brett Johnson somehow made mushy-looking terrain without displacements
While it is good looking in goldsrc, it’s beautiful in source in the Black Mesa. It was made into what valve definitely wanted half life xen to be.
@@Theonetrueerenyeager nahhh BM's xen has a totally different vibe compared to half-life. Valve's xen perfectly encapsulates a hostile, dreadful and cold alien setting which has been lost in black mesa
@@hazzmati my point is that black mesa’s xen had the visuals that valve wanted to use for half life’s xen, but due to tech limits at the time, they couldn’t achieve it properly. So they settled for what we have now.
I weirdly like its hostile minimalism too.
Fun fact: The vorts in this level are absent in the ps2 port. There are only 2 alien controllers and a single vort in the caves as well.
The PS2 port has some cool quirks. I love the door at the end of Residue Processing. It closes permanently behind you and muffles the machine sounds. It gives me an enhanced feeling of progress and accomplishment somehow.
i would rather fight 50 vorts than 2 alien controllers
I wonder if that is because you can softlock yourself if you enter the level with low health, and while you can cheat on PC you'd be pretty much fucked on PS2
Another fun fact: In the PS2 port, you can actually playthrough the hazard course and UPLINK as a Vortigaunt if you activate the alien mode cheat code before starting them.
@@andrewdeluca7352uplink is in the PS2 version?
This level is one of those where I just have absolutely zero recollection of how I managed to get to the end, ever. I know you have to hitch a ride on the floating bugs, but how I got there, I can't remember.
And I beat this game SEVERAL times, the CD version, the Steam one, on the PS2, and even Half-Life: Source! How did I even figure that out when I was like 16? Did I just noclip to the platform? I probably did, heck, I didn't even beat the game because the Nihilanth sucks so hard! The thing is, I don't think I've EVER taken the "intended" route because that cave with the toxic gas is complete news to me. I believe I legitimately just tried to awkwardly time jumping up to the platforms via the holes in the floor. Yup, I just checked my latest recording and that is precisely what I did. So I must have done that like 8 times by now and NEVER questioned why it was such an awkward way to get to the end.
P.S: The HL2 Beta clock at 2:40 was a cute reference.
What I would do is try to jump onto one of the manta rays from the hill and it would always take several attempts, never knew the cave existed either
Bruh that clock is from Spongebob or summin
Yeah pretty much. I have zero recollection of this map the first, or even third time I'd played it. I guess my brain memory-holed it to save my sanity, and to keep my memories of Half-Life almost completely positive.
@@Noxx55The Guggenheim-ass geometry and grody looking vaguely wasps-nest-like textures fit a particular genre of ‘things that don’t quite go easy on your brain.’ Thus follows it won’t quite behave with your memory and you’re gonna forget about the thing.
Im gonna be 16 soon and I've beat this game 11 times, I really don't think this map is THAT bad, it does have pretty bad design, but it is simply doable by using the hive gun and the regenerating cave.
If Valve didn't have to rush the last part of Half Life i feel like Xen would be remembered more fondly, because despite the shortcomings it nails the feeling of unknown and truly alien. We wouldn't understand what we are looking at or what purpose anything around us would have so it makes sense it just lacks our understanding.
But in the end, everyone struggled here. Funny you also found out about the pillar that gets you to the portal quickly. When i was a kid i was so hyped when i figured it out
blue shift, as mediocre as it is, actually has a good xen section
I'm one of those weirdos who actually likes both On a Rail and most of the Xen sections. They could've been a lot better admittedly, but they weren't awful imo.The only part of the game I actually hate is the final boss fight, which is a masterpiece of tedious and dull
@@krowta2062 You barely even see him that much with him constantly warping you out of the arena. But sure, his appearance is curious, hemce for me just looking at his picture without any gameplay is already more entertaining that playing that dreadful level.
Black mesa xen is the perfect example of this
Most things aren't native to xen
The only true natives are the islands...
The islands are alive...
The islands are hungry...
Awesome
“THE ROOM’S CLOSING IN ON ME. THESE ARE TEETH! THE ROOM’S GOING TO EAT ME! THIS IS THE SECOND WORST APARTMENT I’VE EVER HAD!”
- Freeman’s Mind
Wowie, thank goodness i have some spare Whoppers on me
@@mrviking2mcall212 at least it doesn't have bedbugs!
Look, sometimes level designers just go "The player is just kinda supposed to ehhhhh in this part", and it is what it is.
And other times it's Dario Casali wanting to torture the player.
one thing you forgot to mention is the teleporter island is surrounded by a kill trigger that only deactivates if you ride to the island via the manta ray meaning that IS actually the intended method to the end, as esoteric as that is
some of the floating platforms are low enough where you can survive a fall onto the island but yeah no that just kills you anyway
I checked the map and horrified of what I found. Holy shit Brett wtf are you thinking
Soooo what is the purpouse for those plataforms then?
@@marcowulliampopirers2216 to get onto the manta ray i guess
When I was little, I've always been fascinated by video game maps that took place in space or similar environments where you had a huge skybox and tiny pieces of land surrounded by seemingly infinite vastness. Think of Facing Worlds from unreal tournament, that map and Xen both were always very intriguing to me
I always had a similar feeling towards such maps, specifically in half life / unreal tournament too, but i was more afraid than intrigued xD
I never figured out the cave was there, so I eventually threw down a C4, quicksaved, and channeled my inner demoman to explosive jump to the portal platform.
It was easier to figure out how to skip this level then it was to actually figure out the intended solution to beat it.
That was my first time playing through, about a year ago. You've legitimately blown my mind by showing me that you have to ride the mantarays to that portal.
Same. I thought you were supposed to use the jump pads in the hole to reach the platforms in the sky.
this level is canonical proof that gordon does not survive the resonance cascade
The one saving grace for this level I think is the cave. The claustrophobic Xen chambers with the gas chamber and the bullsquid is just so succinctly Half-Life in it's atmosphere and execution, it's a shame it's so overshadowed by everything else.
Shoutout to xen for atleast being artistically and conceptually amazing tbh
You forgot to mention the worst part of this map. If you decide to be clever and try to grenade-jump to the end platform, there's an invisible trigger_hurt on top of the island so the game kills you if you try to skip it like this.
To skip this level with a grenade jump, you have to precisely air-strafe onto the platform after falling just barely past the trigger.
I absolutely loved Xen in Half LIfe 1, It's emptiness does make it feel like an actual borderworld
At least Black Mesa fixed this by adding 5 billion plug puzzles, which makes sense lore wise because Xen is filled with plugs.
And don't forget the greatly elongated conveyer belt section, because everyone loved the conveyer belt levels in Half-Life!
Yeah, but didn't completing those plug puzzles feel epic with all the angelic moaning from the soundtrack playing in your ears?
@@TechnologicallyTechnical Honestly i think the Xen levels in black mesa are incredible. Some of the best in the game even for me
@@TechnologicallyTechnicalI liked them. I liked the tram level too.
@@dihydrogenmonoxid1337 *nods alarmingly* copeland.
if you think about it xen is exactly like minecraft end, it is a blank and empty dimension made of living organisms containing the aliens we've been fighting through the entire game and the final boss, that then got revamed and turned into a lush forest like dimension with new aliens (black mesa and minecraft dungeons)
I watched HL Developer Dario Casali play through the entire game, struggling mightily at various points, and yet this level was the only point where I wondered, "How the hell did I beat this level as a child with no guide?"
It's 2023, Insomniac put 5 MJ sections in Spider-Man 2, devs will 100% without a doubt put things in games that aren't fun, on purpose, out of spite.
No, their goal with those is not to spitefully make you mad, I promise.
If only Valve would have included a section where you reach the floating teleporter with a train cart with obtuse controls that would have made this level at least 1% better 😢
Don’t disrespect on a rail like that
@@Nolant. Fuck On Rail harder than I beat my meat
If only they'd made Interloper 10x longer with way more conveyer belt sections, endless layers of repetitive puzzles, and Controllers powered by crystals that are protected by armor that you have to destroy while a thousand Alien Grunts assault you. Interloper was really missing that.
Maybe I'm the only person who's seen Temple Of Doom, but I knew exactly what to do to change my path in OAR
@@TechnologicallyTechnicalLMAO.
I remember playing through this level the first time. Almost made me drop the game entirely.
When I completed the PS2 version of Half Life, Interloper was the only chapter where I always used cheats. It is the most tedious chore I had while playing a FPS in the PS2.
even nihilant says "done, what have you done?"
THERE'S A CAVE UNDER THAT HILL!? I was going to the top of the hill and using the long jump to land on top of a manta, which carries you to within jumping distance of the portal. I had died so much from trying to launch myself up to the platforms that I assumed they were all a red herring. Ive been playing this game since 1999 what the fu
One of my favorite things about Xen is watching the mantas fly around. It doesn't look particularly good, but I like watching the paths they take at breakneck speed. I dont mind setting off the alarms at the vortigaunt camp, because the patrolling manta zooms through the cave like it was nothing
Xen is a pure example of rushing to meet a deadline
My first time playing Half-Life, this level was a bit confusing. Not because I didn't know where to go, I spotted the teleport exit right away, but because I couldn't for the life of me tell how to get to it. After some trial and error, I managed to climb to the top of the hill, long-jump onto the back of the flying manta-ray creatures, ride it until the very edge of where they teleport away, and long jump to the teleporter. Even as a young teenager, I could tell that this was feeling odd, and that I wasn't 100% sure if I had just beaten the level correctly. It wasn't until 6 years after first playing this level that I realized that entire underground cave area even existed.
Xen's aesthetics, atmosphere and the style is fantastic and I love, the sudden shift from the black mesa facility on earth to a very strange alien place with different gravity, also the combat and it's pacing while on earth is very fast paced and most of the time you're constantly looking left and right trying to survive, meanwhile on Xen you have more time to explore and see the world around you, such a shame that I just really dislike the levels and the progression in these levels, my only complaint about this game
You can kill the Alien Slaves easily in that annoying chapter with the Revolver. It is techinically the Alien Slaves' only weakness. That is because the Revolver can literally one shot an Alien Slave. Which is probably because they have less health than any creature in-game.
several notes:
-despite the open space, a swift can still jump to around a pillar or ober the hill (if they don’t fall in the gap. lmao). some astute players may have also noticed earlier in the game that alien slaves have limited range.
-alien slaves respawns stop when you ride the erecting spike.
-evading controller balls is definitely manageable on platforms. the controllers are not that close unless you let them, and the moving platform helps clearing from the balls’ paths.
-i don’t think it’s that obscure to ride mantas. you see the portal once you’ve killed everything bothering you, and they’re still clearly brushes.
what i despised:
-the jump pads just being traps, just as you said
-mantas are sloped, and this literally prevented me from jumping several times. also they suddenly disappear before reaching the portal, therefore you have to jump.
-that gap near the hill. lmao.
honestly not convinced it is particularly the worst, let alone by far. though all you’ve said is relatable.
Yep, I reckon this level being very confusing when I was playing it as a kid. No idea, where to go and how to go. And dying hundred times falling on platforms. Good old times)
this level was always such a pain. i didn't even know about the cave and the pillar! i always just used one of the jump pads to land on a manta-ray to ride to the portal. awesome video with great advice!
I enjoyed this level on my last playthrough of the game on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. Because it presented a challenge and required me to try several significantly different approaches before I figured out a proper and functional one.
And when I finally discovered it, I had to repeat the quick load for several minutes before I honed my reflexes enough to get through the sequence of actions gracefully enough without suffering damage from enemies.
It was an interesting challenge and overcoming it made me feel good. So I'm glad for this level and rate it as more fun than, say, residue processing, which I found boring.
I love this take. I don't like being that "skill issue" guy but it seems most people who hate it don't learn how to play it. You can save at the start and then quick save every second if you need to. It's a puzzle and an FPS at the same time.
@@gordonneverdiesI at first didn't like Xen, but after repeated tries, I did start to appreciate it for what it was.
Could it have been better? Yes.
I haven't tried Black Mesas Xen yet so I have yet to see what that is like.
I've grown more appreciative of Xen on multiple playthroughs. It's such a unique location if let down by... let's just say not the best game design choices.
@@ARStudios2000 That's fair. You'd probably feel the same way about Black Mesa's Interloper. There's a few puzzle areas that I got confused in the first time I played but now it's my favorite part of the game. I would strongly suggest giving it a try. It has some incredible music and if you love half life and played it a bunch of times it makes it such an awesome experience. Every time you go into a new area you recognize similarities or little things they changed and it's pretty cool. There are some sections that play exactly the same and some that are a completely different game. It's a lot longer too.
"Worst level" Weird, that doesn't look like Residue Processing
EDIT: Oh, nevermind, yeah that first map of Interloper is noticeably bad. Like I'm a Xen enjoyer, but I think like 90% of any platforming whatevers aimed at the Xen levels really should be aimed at that map specifically
EDIT2: 6:23 I'll do you one even better, it's possible to just use the top of that hill thing to kinda very closely long-jump on to the left wing of one of the mantas, and then ride it to the exit tele from there
It's always great to find a new channel with good chill content
I think Black Mesa really cleared a lot of this up- especially since in it you get fall damage immunity when you get your jumpkit
Funnily enough, interloper is also the worst chapter in Black Mesa.
I wouldn't have guessed this was put together on short notice. Solid vid.
I really dread this map everytime i'm playing Sven Co-op because my game tends to have a stroke upon loading it.
It’s extremely impressive how the crowbar collective turned interloper from one of the weirdest to play stages to one of my favorites
The real worst level is this man’s level of authority over us! I will not take this, RAAAAAH!🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
xen in HLSource is beautiful honestly
those *_HD SHADERS_* ™ really help
Yes! Played HL as a kid so countless times but literally only played Xen like twice. Wasn’t so much the gameplay, more the depressing gloomy aesthetic was just unpleasant
I love watching your Cascade episodes
A fun & entertaining way for me to learn more about Half-Life
Every time I see a new Cascade episode pop up on my feed, I get hyped to watch it & learn stuff I might not have known about Half-Life
Having just finished my HL1 playthrough, I was surprised at how little of an issue I had with this map. Other than falling down the holes (which I didn't even know were jump pads) I immediately decided to hop onto the manta-rays which led me to the portal. Didn't even know half of the issues until this video
I think i've erased the start of Interloper from my memory, cause i could hardly remember any of the stuff mentioned here.
Except save scumming, i remember there was a lot of save scumming.
I'm gonna be honest, xen was always my favourite part, most likely because aliens and strange landscapes were the coolest shit when I was 6 and gamedesign wasn't something I was even thinking of.
It took me a read through a guide to figure out how the hell to beat that stage legitimately. Before then, I had come to the same conclusions as you did, trying to launch myself with the pods that were actually hazards to avoid, or just noclip straight to the portal. I had no idea there was a cave at the other side of the island that was hidden from plain sight in order to get onto the pillar that was needed to actually get high enough to jump across the platforms and ride the manta rays.
I say this as someone who actually lamented the cuts to On a Rail in Black Mesa: Cutting this level from Black Mesa Source was an action where nothing of value was lost.
I think this video was a successful experiment, i liked it. You succinctly explained what’s wrong with the level and I really appreciate you making sure the viewer knows this map is more of a sad byproduct of rushed development than anything else. I’d love to see you discuss more of Xen.
This might sound crazy but I still like OG zen more than the much better layout of black mesa, and the nice touches like human exploration parties and bases. OG zen is just alien, I love the skyboxes more and really liked it as kid.
trigger warning black Mesa mention but this is something I'm glad black Mesa took the liberty over. made it longer, more meatier, meaningful, and actually so so so much fun. I'd argue that it's one of the best sections in black mesa
Xen's aesthetic is very fitting in the original game. it's empty, dark, and depressing. since it's a borderworld and nothing is really supposed to flourish in it. dare I say that made that section anticlimactic to play throughout though. black Mesa in the other hand made it absolutely incredible with vibrant cosmic atmospheres and so much details and fauna and life everywhere, even in Interloper. there is so much more story told throughout the game with sections and puzzles that tell you this place DOES have living things in it
Xen felt like it was supposed to be way more than it was. Black Mesa's version of it gives it the justice it should have had from the beginning, in my opinion.
I do like the idea of the jump pads being sentient life forms, or at least needing sustenance instead of just..thing.
I remember using the load level command just so I could see what was past this stupid level in the late 90s. Even noclipping my way through it didn't help me solve it.
U forgot that the Manta teleports away before you jump into the portal
I finished the boss with low HP, so when I had to do the big jump part at the beginning of interloper I would die everytime I jumped into a higher plataform. Xen was such a frustrating experience.
I've just done the strategy you show at the end the last few times I've played through the game, I completely forgot about the cave system off to the side which I guess is the intended method, lol
Xen is the way it is because they were running out of time. I actually enjoyed it as it changed the pace and introduced a 3D platformer element.
I don’t remember Xen being this bad… I remember it feeling like the “sewer level” of Half Life but I don’t recall it being a nightmare like this!
I absolutely hate the factory part of interloper because it's an endless barrage of enemies with pretty much no ammo or healing to make it bearable, at least with this part, once you beat it a few times, you get approximately how you're gonna get through it, with the factory, it never gets better, no matter how many times i play, i'm always out of ammo on everything and barely surviving that entire level. Interloper as a whole is such a shit chapter and finishing it feels less satisfying and more like im finally free, the unsatisfyingness is definitely helped by one of the easiest final bosses in gaming history following it
thank you for the trick mentioned here. makes xen go from "tolerable" to "kinda fun"
while I'm eagerly waiting for the rest of the half-life iceberg video as you did a really good job of pacing and giving good information (unlike the vast majority of iceberg videos) I still can appreciate this video. After all, I will never say no to more half-life content by you. keep it up!
When I got to this level, I was infuriated. I never found the cave. I thought the flying bugs gad to be reached from the ground, as you can BARELY not reach them from the hill. After many failed attempts I got frustrated and just nocliped over. There were a lot of moments in the xen levels I just got lost. Especially the final boss fight. I knew I needed to get to the highest platform to shoot into the exposed head, but no matter what I tried I couldnt find what enabled me to get up there.
I remember my game freezing up when I tried to jump directly to the portal and having to shut off my PC to try again
reloading my saves over and over again on my first playthrough, though it was extremely frustrating, it gave xen this miserable lonliness and isolation from the rest of the game i dont think ill ever forget
Cascade is BACK
I'd love to see Valve tackle Xen properly with as much time and attention as needed in some future game.
me and my friends were playing this part in sven co-op and we struggled for *minutes* trying to beat it
and because my internet is constantly being shit, i had an even *less* fun time
Only when the stars alligned for me i managed to finally free us
i genuinely do not remember that cave in the slightest i think i just kept reloading over and over until i could do that trick you mentioned at the end
"No Video Game Is Made unfun on purpose". Oh, What about getting over it
I never knew the holes would launch you up. When I fell in one, I figured I was about to die after being eaten so I just quick loaded. Which looks like it saved me from trying to use them.
WOW! I NEVER KNEW THOSE JUMP PADS LAUNCHED YOU INTO THE AIR! I never actually went in one! My first death on the map came from me trying to hide in one and instantly dying so I just assumed they were death holes! Wow, the more you know…this map sucks!
Though, after that death I just went into the cave ignoring the vortigaunts because I had such low health.
Though, I must admit, this is the level I needed a walkthrough on. After making my way through the cave I had no idea what to do so I gave up and looked up a walkthrough.
Love your videos keep it up man :)
5:26
[insert hyperventilation from the catwalks here]
ALSO! EVEN HUNT DOWN THE FREEMAN HAS BEEN EFFECTED BY CATWALK SYNDROME! IT IS SO WEIRD!
1:48 suprisingly the first time i did this, I fell in on total accident and i still somehow landed on one of the platforms and survived.
6:24 I feel like this applies to a lot of rooms in half life 😅
You should all fear me, for I am one whom enjoys interloper, somehow. I honestly have no idea why….
Those goddamn alien grunt barrels.
Honestly didn't know about the cave, and honestly it made Interloper 100x better thank you for teaching me about it, I actually like this map now. If only they made that path more obvious, cuz 9 times out of 10 a normal player will just assume to use those boost pads.
I've been jumping on the manta ray from the top of the hill. Because that tower thing didn't make any sense
I've been convinced for a long time that this was 100% the inspiration for Minecraft's End.
You also break crystals that heal the boss that dies with cool effects but maybe that's not as unique.
i like the idea of xen being a barren place and you needing to run around
but, ooh, this is not it
I remember never finishing the game back in the day because I got stuck in that level when I was like 10 years old and hated every second of it
love your videos keep up the good work
No cap, I didn't even know there was a tunnel there. I usually brute force myself from the top of the hill, onto one of the Manta Rays.
i substitute for didn't even complete interloper properly the first time i played. i just shot up to one of the platforms and barely got to the exit with hardly any HP left.
There's the portal where you reach the way to the nihilant's portal. That's my least favorite. This can be skipped fairly easily.
25 years and i NEVER knew that part of the map even existed
First time playing I perceived it as a puzzle segment which took me a little while to finish but I was proud to do it.
And this is why i love Black Mesa, because it actually made "Interloper" enjoyable.
I literally finished this game twice, and i never noticed the cave, i jumped in one of those flying guys that dissapear and goed through the portal
at least we didnt end up with meth barney 😭
Its a good day when cascade releases. Your videos help drown out the noise from my 7 industrial wood chippers that i own and operate from my house.
Really nice of you to credit the creator of the thumbnail, now I know who to beat up
I remember for the longest time that I did not know about the cave entrance in the back of the hill. I had played the game so many times and had never found it. I only ever discovered it by using noclip. Blew my fricking mind.
Wow i didnt even know about the cave after all my plays.
I just jump on a flying creature from the hill.
Yes, you share my thoughts about this level. But i used to hate it until i placed two-three trip mines on starting island before its collapse, and when trip mines primed i rushed pass them, crouched and fired grenade from my trusty MP5, letting magical blast wave carry me away from this horror towards exit portal. Now its standart playtrough for this level to me.
Till I watched this video I had never known the intended way to complete this map, I didn't even know that cave existed
after fully exploring the cave and trying to figure it out i literally no clipped to the teleporter honestly, fuck this level
I honestly wonder why more people don't shit on Waste Processing. I guess it's just that it's kinda short compared to like, on a rail. But even then, it's a very boring and frustrating little section. Atleast Zen is like, visually interesting.
hl1 entirety of zen < one test chamber in portal 2 (which is BEST SINGLEPLAYER in volvo)
Guys it's literally hell, wearing an alien mask. It's *supposed* to be "bad". Games as an art form are allowed to solicit emotions other than "fun". I understand some aspects of it may be frustrating, I'm here to tell you that frustration is one of your demons and you need to learn to control it, lest it control you.