The unique Half-Life turns 25 years outdated on November 19.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Valve’s first online game, Half-Life—an extremely influential and incredible first-person shooter—is popping 25 years outdated this month.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 (Although it does repair some outdated bugs and points, too.)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maps to Half-Life—together with three fully new ones that push the basic sport engine to its limits—in addition to some outdated content material that didn’t ship with the unique sport, just like the fully distinctive Half-Life: Uplink demo.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