Both equally great :P Just to imagine how small the Black Mesa team was back then and how good the final product got O_O It's almost shocking. That gives me hope that anyone can make great games. Literally anyone lol (as long as they are talented and dedicated of course)
@@NewGlock836 they made some changes to streamline the levels... but I will always love HL1's combat and level design, even if some parts were tedious as people have said.
Lighting in games can make a simple scene that much more epic. In Minecraft is the best example. From a super flat game, to a gorgeous to look marvel. Underneat? Same blocky textures. You are totally right!
I like that they added more foliage to the desert. Looks less like Half-Life, but a lot more like New Mexico. For clarification (since it's needed, apparently): Black Mesa's updated Earth levels look less like the original Half-Life, but do look more like the part of New Mexico where the game is supposed to take place.
And same goes with Operation Black Mesa, Guard Duty and Peers Review being the follow-up to toppled the Reforged even further and added another collection to the Half-Life franchise. Despite is fan remake.
Black Mesa 1.0 has this sort of "Definitive Edition" feel except there is actual effort put into the graphical updates That, and imagine if they added in some updated animations for Gordon (like that amazing animation where he picks up his crowbar when entering Xen) getting up from the Resonance Cascade, as well as waking up from his ambush right after the Black Ops assassins. That would add a little cherry on top of this mound of icing, covering an already beautifully crafted cake underneath
There is huge difference in the lights/shadows. But there are some cases where the old one has a better mood. Like the rock texture/formations are somehow strange in the new one. In the mod the shapes/model are more simplistic, but don't have that strange feeling. Also in the tunnel part near the end. In the new version the vehicle have spot lights what looks great, but in this way the tunnel is more bright, don't have that underground feeling.
I agree, also the toxic waste looks really good in the old mod as well. So green and epic. I also noticed how they had some dynamic lights that were moving from fans and vents that are now completely missing (or just nerfed and made more static)
I think the problem with the rock is that 2020 textures look like it was inspired by volcanic rock, maybe? Whereas 2012 looks more like sedimentary rock formations.
@@Starfals yea it constantly makes it feel like you're trying to show how much the game "degraded" or got worse with the final release and I know that's not your intent but it's especially true ad when some of the old stuff actually does look better. I constantly felt like I was watching one of those "downgrade drama" videos
@@TJ.85 Lol, thats funny, i wasn't trying to do that as you noticed, else the name of the video would have been different :P (probably the thumbnail as well. I found some really bad places in 1.0, so it wont be hard to make it look worse than the old version.
NEW Definitive Edition Comparison here: ruclips.net/video/BmKvC1XYGVM/видео.html&ab_channel=Starfals It's for the people that kept on asking for a link :P Old Comment: Had some big video-editor issues, so this is the best i could do. X_X Anyways, how awesome is this update? Finally adding dynamic lights, dynamic shadows and finally removing the boxy rocks and mountains. New textures =yay!
awesome developers work on this game and awesome work on this comparison)) thanks. This is incredible game with absolutly insane feeling of taste about everithing: sound and level design, scientific feelings, immersim sim orientation, phisycs, puzzels, gameplay mechanics, gameplay situations, the way of storytelling. True brilliant!!!
Noticed one spot that *should* have a new dynamic light - the originals were projected textures and very heavy on framerates - so they were removed. I made a note, will hopefully update post 1.0. Most of the mod dlights had to be removed for perf reasons, we've been replacing them steadily since the new system came into effect. - Stormseeker
@@KonstantinChervyakovkoStantes It sure is! The game is wonderful and i can't believe how a small team of modders made it. Its one of those rare stories i guess
@@thestormseeker I swear, Black Mesa is my Half-life 3 and it also feels like a real HL game as well. Its not having that cheap feeling of a mod or a low-production/small team kind of game. It feels like a Microsoft/Sony or AAA developers were working on it. I know the story of the team and how long and hard they had to work. I remember going to school (MANY years ago) and always checking how amazing the screenshots were looking. Reforged and BLizzard failed us, but this.. this is how you remake/remaster a game. You keep it fresh, add a few things, improve on some old things, change things for the better and of course make the graphics modern and fitting with the universe. Something Blizzard never managed to do, but the Black Mesa team did flawlessly.
Well sure, it looked really good for 2012, while now we get a much smaller update in comparison to 2012. I get that and you are right lol, but its hard to make an already near perfect game even better. They did a good job with the 1.0 version, it is just an upgrade, its not like a new game or anything so it is logical not to be mindblowingly different (altho at places, it does look like a new game)
The funny thing is that this isn't even final. That's right they said they are gonna release a v1.5 definitive edition, because they aren't happy how the first part of the game looks, compared to XEN.
I'm hoping they reintroduce the WGH Vent Maze and On a Rail Uncut back into the game when that update happens. Maybe even add their own version of Uplink that was cut from the original Half-Life so we can have the FULL Black Mesa experience! (Although there is an addon on MobDB that puts the maps for Uplink back into the original Half-Life game when you enter Portal 07 in the Lambda Complex.)
Kind of torn. Scenes like the one at 5:52 have better general lighting in 1.0, but the walker robot no longer casts dynamic shadows which makes it look worse. Hope they fix the little things like this
They did make huge light and texture improvements but you got to admit that the OG 2012 release still looks awesome, the source engine is something else
Ironically, the less "polished" mod version has a more hl2 vibe to it in certain areas, and that's what makes it better than the official release tbh, the new one is too bright and colorful, they definitely wanted to add their own flavour to what they call "reimagined" project, but at times it just seems directionless, anyway, Black Mesa is still one of the best remakes we've ever had so far despite everything.
Thats true, it almost dont feel like Half-Life at times anymore. So i fully agree with you. The new video that i recently uploaded shows how far the game has come and changed. At some places, you cant even call it a Half-Life game anymore. It looks totally different. The vibe and all. The original mod was pretty much Half-Life 2 Its not bad, but ye, they went for a unique style and i like it, even if its not too similar to HL at times.
they did a great job with making the changes feel a ton bigger, but as it turns out it's mostly lighting improvements with some bigger changes here and there
i like both versions, the older one looks cleaner it is easier for you to find the way you have to go 'cause your view is not distracted by all this decoration
In the new one? Yep, they changed quite a bit there. Some were simple photoshop like edits to make levels darker or brighter or more colorful/contrasty. Others were real big changes and dynamic lights that change the overall look of the game. I still like both versions tho. 2012 looks like Half-life 2 soo much
@@Starfals we only need gabens blessing, the community takes care of all the rest. Hopefully alyx will give the community some fresh air and new dedicated talent and we might get to do half life 3 after borealis and alyx
I genuinely can't believe Black Mesa fucking exists. It started as a mod -- a mod that seemed like either a pipe dream that would go unfinished like the zillion other hugely ambitious mods that never see the light of day because ofc they don't, or one that would inevitably end up being an amateurish "but hey, kinda neat idea" anecdote in the history of HL2 modding, let alone the entire Half-Life franchise. It was listed as vaporware on sites, people figured there was just NO WAY it could ever get done... and yet, fast forward a decade and it launches as a retail product on Steam with numerous upgrades... but still no Xen. Surely that's the end of it right? They went paid, got their money, and they're done. That still was unbelievable that they had made that much. And yet... in the midst of the real world pandemic, Crowbar Collective drops Xen as promised. They did it. They fucking did it. They released a totally reimagined, but faithful as hell, version of HL1 in the Source Engine, playable from start to finish. And the few things they didn't do like the Hazard Course were picked up by others and easily distributed through the game's built-in Workshop support which, even though it isn't perfect, still brings mods to a wider audience and is sometimes super convenient. It was a triumph. I'm making a note here: huge success. It's hard to overstate my satisfaction. Crowbar Collective. They did what they must, because they could.
Yea, i even made a comparison about the Hazard course, that one was really well made and it fits Black Mesa 100 %. I agree 100 % with your comment in general too. I remember so many years ago, watching pictures and comparisons of the old Black Mesa builds, and the wait got longer and longer. It was a miracle they even got it out. Let alone the awesome Xen. Xen felt really good to me, a lot better than how it was in HL1. Overall, huge success as you said, the whole project. I just wish more people were playing the online part of the game ;p
2020 model H.E.V Suit: *Activates modules and calculates stuff, and a very immersive boot-up sequence and actually tells the player that they are indeed wearing a visor or helmet (cuz of the text on the screen)* 2012 model H.E.V Suit: Yo just put this suit piece of metal and fiber on and you're good to go!
Its so fun right, it looks very good and its logical. Finally, it explains the user interface we all see in game LOL. Altho, Gordon dont wear a helm... usually? So its kind of odd if we think about it :P
@@mr.notlegit7940 High tech glasses for 1997 ;p Fear is from 2005-6, its more logical they had those then but not in the Windows 97 age xD Still, good explanation :O I just wish he had his helm on 24/7, it would explain going into radiation and stuff. Without a helm, no suit will help him if he dives deep into it :P
For sure, it really shows and Xen.. Xen is wonderful. I love it to bits, even the more boring and slow parts that i'm not a fan of.. even they look fantastic and feel just right.
@@Starfals thx for the comparison. I knew BM before the release in september 2012. But I always said to me I will play BM when Xen arrives. So here I am, I haven't played BM yet. ^^' So good to know how it looked back then as a free mod.
Black Mesa 2020: + Has more details and better map design + Mostly better and more realistic particle effects (except some fire effects) + Dynamics lighting and shadows + Xen - Many textures and details look out of place due to excessive contrast and low resolution material maps (like bump maps and etc) Black Mesa 2012: + Looks much more smooth, harmonic and consistent - Less details and poorer map design
5:50 what's with the vastly downgraded shadows on the Loader? Everything else looks great, don't get me wrong, but I don't see how that shadow could get that severely downgraded.
Source is limited to 1 realtime shadowmapped spotlight, which in the 1.0 version is put on the front of the tram as a sort of headlight....at least older versions of Source were.
Half Life remake(aka Black Mesa), Resident Evil 3 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 remake. These remake are a must buy for me. Hopefully, the kickstarter of System Shock Remake will be done too.
I havent touched black mesa since its release back in 2012, playing the full release I got the sense in some areas the lighting felt worse or looked really grainy. Looking at comparisons, the 2012 mod looked softer and more vibrant in certain areas, really odd
I never understood why the tram needs headlights. I mean, the facility itself is already lit up plenty and if you're gonna collide with something, it's not like you could do much anyway. Even then, you'de probably still see it without the headlights.
Thats a good point, but it does look cool that way at least lol. The first time i saw the car lights in GTA 4, my mind was blown, and the lights here are pretty similar to those (at least the effect)
I'm sure lol. The old version has the dynamic lights for that scene. One of the Black Mesa devs came in the comments in this video and explained why the old version was better at that part. They will add the dynamic thing later on in the next updates, but as of right now (in that spot) the old one is the better one lol. In most other cases, the new one looks better so dont worry :P
I usually do that in all of my videos lol, i don't know what happened and why i even did that (or what i was thinking ;p) Literally got no answer and i get it, its a silly mistake to make. At least i added the years, so that helps a bit.
Some of the sound effects were better as well, of the levels or alarms (not to mention it had better light at a few places too) Overall tho, steam all the way ;p
They still improve the game, now 1.5 came out and it fixed many problems of this version. This is 1 version behind now (because the new one JUST came out) So ye, old one had places where it does look better, but probably not anymore (i'm making a new video right now)
With the recent Definitive Edition released, how about doing a comparison video of the original Steam release, with the Definitive Edition as well? That would be interesting. 😃
I just did it lol. Its way better than this one too, cus my editing software was failing at the time (still is but much less now lol) Its uploading as we speak xD (so funny that you mention it)
Oh, there are definitely gonna be some texture-restoration mods for this one. It looks more like Half-Life, but I can't decide wether that's for the better...
Even the Black Mesa team will keep on working on the game. There are many textures that are very low ress. While playing, i noticed a ton. I do wonder if they will replace those with more detailed ones or just improve other things altogether.
Honestly it's not so much of improvement. Lighting is still not very intensive, many areas look flat, and some outside areas are way to yellow and generaly oversaturated. The Xen part looks so good that it makes the rest of the game look bad.
One question, are the HECU units upgraded to be better? I like the game but HECU were like millisecond hitscan turrets in BM. The best strategy was to find some corner and camp them with shotgun
@@sirjanska9575 Thats interesting. I really didint notice a huge difference. I need to test that for myself, maybe even compare it. The only thing i noticed was how 1 marine used a bazooka and grenade launcher. It was literally only 1 time i noticed that tho. Maybe i'm killing them too fast to notice
Half-life 1 and 2 are on consoles right? I wonder if this will ever go to them as well. They seem to be very busy at the moment with completing the game tho, so maybe after that?
I liked the 2012 0.5 version main menu better. It had the iconinc thingy, you know... who, why and how it got all started. Now its some kind of a green ice cream blender XD
My first game was half life 1 the i started play black mesa 2012 then i start play half life episode one lost coast episode 2 and black mesa :) it cost me alot of money :(
I cant because this update simulates Ray Tracing on some levels. Everything i have seen about ray tracing is here in one way or another, except for the mirror reflections. Water is reflected perfectly and it looks gorgeous, shadows and light looks good and its logical and comes from light sources
It didnt as far as i remember. It still looks pretty good there tho (to me). They did add 1 more Xen level in the start of the game with the experiment.
So is it much worse in your opinion?? And there a flashlight shadows in the mod version, it seems you have AMD videocard and haven't found out how to enable them.
I might have to, if Adrian Shephard himself is asking me that lol. I wanna do a comparison of the Hecu new AI first, might add the voice-lines comparison as well
Hi. Did you get this off moddb? If yes, how did you install it? My .7z folder and file are broken and unusable. If you have the working ones, I would like to get them.
I have played the definitive edition and the 2012 mod. the 2012 mod generally looks nicer to me as well as the anti aliasing option being better. I don't know what anti aliasing the current version of Black Mesa uses but it looks worse than what the Source Engine normally uses
@@WednesdayMan Ow, i see what you mean now. Well, its hard for me to notice that cus I usually play on 4K or 1440p from far away. I gotta check that from closer. What resolution do you use btw? I haven't check the 1080p one yet and how that looks
@@Starfals I use 1440p and I have pretty good eyesight so the jagged edges stick out like a sore thumb, that's why I use 8x MSAA on the Black Mesa mod.
Well I think the overall biggest update of the 1.0 version compared to the 2012 free mod version (aside from the latter ofc never will have the xen-levels) is the AI of the Vorgs as well as the marines, which should be much improved. Ofc the visual difference is there as well in form of better lighting/shadow effects.
@@Balnazzardi AI huh? I wonder how different it actually could get. So far it all feels the same to me from every single BM version. Not that its horrible, but i just feel like its the same lol.
I have the purchased version and it doesn't look like any of those looks more similar to 2012, the menus are like in HL2 and not as your 2020 version shows, why?
first one isnt really a good comparison because the menu background changes depending on the chapter your on, should have compared chapter 1 with chapter 1
I cant really pick which background it is, but i'm mostly comparing the UI and the settings, not rly the video of the chapter (which are the same from what i can see, nothing new seems to be added as of right now)
Yep, thats how it is but the black mesa dev came to the comment section and said they will improve those places, so dont worry about it (check his comment for more info i guess)
Yes it is taxing on the hardware and i also had frame drops here and there. I can't complain much tho, i used to play Crysis with 20 fps lol. This runs even at the worst times with a solid 40-45 fps and with a G-sync its still smooth :P P.s. The fps thing is a bigger problem in multiplayer, where you gotta be fast and not lagging all the time
The rock formations look awful in the new one. So bad in fact that it almost looks like they took them directly from og half life 1 lol. I wonder why that’s the case like why did they downgrade the rock textures? Is there a reason?
Most people seem to prefer the new ones, but idk. I also dont mind them too much. The old rocks were really blocky, or in some cases.. they were a bit round like icecream. The new ones look more like hills and rocks, but they do seem a bit off sometimes... old mountains did have a charm to them a swell. Its hard to pick a favorite i guess Reminds me of how tessellation demos showcased rocks.
I feel like the new ones are kind of blurry. They aren't all bad, but I think the contrast between 3D geometry and normal maps just looks weird. Not exactly what you'd call seamless.
the mod : a fan project
made with dedication.
retail : a god tier game created with
focus, commitment, and sheer fucking will.
Both equally great :P Just to imagine how small the Black Mesa team was back then and how good the final product got O_O It's almost shocking. That gives me hope that anyone can make great games. Literally anyone lol (as long as they are talented and dedicated of course)
not level-design wise
@@NewGlock836 they made some changes to streamline the levels... but I will always love HL1's combat and level design, even if some parts were tedious as people have said.
Robert Hennigan xen is much better tho
@@generalfeeessh7764 without a doubt, yes. I think Xen is Black Mesa's selling point.
I love how even in instances where no assets were changed, the updated lighting system elevates the visuals so much
Lighting in games can make a simple scene that much more epic. In Minecraft is the best example. From a super flat game, to a gorgeous to look marvel. Underneat? Same blocky textures.
You are totally right!
it's like they remastered their own game before it was released
Yea, pretty much they did :P And thats not the end of it either
Lol yes :P
I like that they added more foliage to the desert. Looks less like Half-Life, but a lot more like New Mexico.
For clarification (since it's needed, apparently):
Black Mesa's updated Earth levels look less like the original Half-Life, but do look more like the part of New Mexico where the game is supposed to take place.
Same! The point is to make the game look more realistic and modern while still having the HL vibe and its working!
well the game does take place in new Mexico.. so
@@thebackyardgamer2606 Yes, that's why I like it.
*aren't both games like. Set in new mexico?*
@@Gwynlordofcinder1234 Yes. The original just didn't look much like it. Black Mesa now actually kinda does.
Black Mesa is what I call a good *Reforged*
Pretty much. Thats what i expected with Reforged.. but instead.. we got.. "reforged"... uhh.. (if u get what i mean)
Warcraft reforged?
@@ishid_anfarded_king not the same if its way worse and unpayable
And same goes with Operation Black Mesa, Guard Duty and Peers Review being the follow-up to toppled the Reforged even further and added another collection to the Half-Life franchise. Despite is fan remake.
27:43 that's beautiful
Sure is :) the lights are great
Black Mesa 1.0 has this sort of "Definitive Edition" feel except there is actual effort put into the graphical updates
That, and imagine if they added in some updated animations for Gordon (like that amazing animation where he picks up his crowbar when entering Xen) getting up from the Resonance Cascade, as well as waking up from his ambush right after the Black Ops assassins. That would add a little cherry on top of this mound of icing, covering an already beautifully crafted cake underneath
Indeed. It feels like the right way to play Half-life 1 or even Black Mesa. 1.0 is the real deal!
It would be really cool to see Gordon have a genuine "oh shit" moment while waking up in the trash compactor
@@HQ_Default Unrelated nice profile pic. Is it suppose to be resembling the Deus Ex cover art?
@@dignusdingus3709 that's the idea
Oops,you're predict the definitive edition
There is huge difference in the lights/shadows.
But there are some cases where the old one has a better mood. Like the rock texture/formations are somehow strange in the new one. In the mod the shapes/model are more simplistic, but don't have that strange feeling.
Also in the tunnel part near the end. In the new version the vehicle have spot lights what looks great, but in this way the tunnel is more bright, don't have that underground feeling.
I agree, also the toxic waste looks really good in the old mod as well. So green and epic.
I also noticed how they had some dynamic lights that were moving from fans and vents that are now completely missing (or just nerfed and made more static)
I agree with the rock textures, I think the team spent too much time in Xen and ended up making New Mexico look like another planet too.
@@Mewtheed xD Thats the funniest and coolest thing i have ever heard. 10/10!
@@Mewtheed Same here! I'm all for improving the visual quality of the game, but I think this beta went a wee bit too far in a few places.
I think the problem with the rock is that 2020 textures look like it was inspired by volcanic rock, maybe? Whereas 2012 looks more like sedimentary rock formations.
I think it would've been better if you showed the 2012 version first and then the 2020.
Yeah, i always do that too. Like i said to that other comment/guy, i dont know why i didnt do that here. I was probably out of my mind LOL.
@@Starfals yea it constantly makes it feel like you're trying to show how much the game "degraded" or got worse with the final release and I know that's not your intent but it's especially true ad when some of the old stuff actually does look better.
I constantly felt like I was watching one of those "downgrade drama" videos
@@TJ.85 Lol, thats funny, i wasn't trying to do that as you noticed, else the name of the video would have been different :P (probably the thumbnail as well.
I found some really bad places in 1.0, so it wont be hard to make it look worse than the old version.
@@TJ.85
And in what does this pose a concern to show the reality?
Surprisingly it didn't bother me that much
NEW Definitive Edition Comparison here:
ruclips.net/video/BmKvC1XYGVM/видео.html&ab_channel=Starfals
It's for the people that kept on asking for a link :P
Old Comment: Had some big video-editor issues, so this is the best i could do. X_X
Anyways, how awesome is this update? Finally adding dynamic lights, dynamic shadows and finally removing the boxy rocks and mountains.
New textures =yay!
awesome developers work on this game and awesome work on this comparison)) thanks. This is incredible game with absolutly insane feeling of taste about everithing: sound and level design, scientific feelings, immersim sim orientation, phisycs, puzzels, gameplay mechanics, gameplay situations, the way of storytelling. True brilliant!!!
Noticed one spot that *should* have a new dynamic light - the originals were projected textures and very heavy on framerates - so they were removed. I made a note, will hopefully update post 1.0. Most of the mod dlights had to be removed for perf reasons, we've been replacing them steadily since the new system came into effect. - Stormseeker
fixed.
@@KonstantinChervyakovkoStantes It sure is! The game is wonderful and i can't believe how a small team of modders made it. Its one of those rare stories i guess
@@thestormseeker I swear, Black Mesa is my Half-life 3 and it also feels like a real HL game as well.
Its not having that cheap feeling of a mod or a low-production/small team kind of game. It feels like a Microsoft/Sony or AAA developers were working on it. I know the story of the team and how long and hard they had to work. I remember going to school (MANY years ago) and always checking how amazing the screenshots were looking.
Reforged and BLizzard failed us, but this.. this is how you remake/remaster a game. You keep it fresh, add a few things, improve on some old things, change things for the better and of course make the graphics modern and fitting with the universe. Something Blizzard never managed to do, but the Black Mesa team did flawlessly.
It changed to good, but when you think about 0.5 looked more impressive for its time 2012, than 1.0 for 2020.
Well sure, it looked really good for 2012, while now we get a much smaller update in comparison to 2012. I get that and you are right lol, but its hard to make an already near perfect game even better. They did a good job with the 1.0 version, it is just an upgrade, its not like a new game or anything so it is logical not to be mindblowingly different (altho at places, it does look like a new game)
The funny thing is that this isn't even final. That's right they said they are gonna release a v1.5 definitive edition, because they aren't happy how the first part of the game looks, compared to XEN.
Indeed! They already massively improved the first part of the game, and i'm sure there is more to come!
Hope they fix the laggy weapon animation in multiplayer and add penetration to the tau gun.
I'm hoping they reintroduce the WGH Vent Maze and On a Rail Uncut back into the game when that update happens. Maybe even add their own version of Uplink that was cut from the original Half-Life so we can have the FULL Black Mesa experience! (Although there is an addon on MobDB that puts the maps for Uplink back into the original Half-Life game when you enter Portal 07 in the Lambda Complex.)
@@EnclaveSOC-102 And don't forget the Hazard Course that already have a mod but it would be better to be implemented in the game.
Kind of torn. Scenes like the one at 5:52 have better general lighting in 1.0, but the walker robot no longer casts dynamic shadows which makes it look worse. Hope they fix the little things like this
There's more updates to come as they get feedback like this.
Zach it casts one, just a bit earlier inside the tunnel
@@Phantron I hope so too
thats a fact I meant lol
Crazy how much difference lighting can make.
They did make huge light and texture improvements but you got to admit that the OG 2012 release still looks awesome, the source engine is something else
This is probably how Half-Life 3 would look like if it was released as promised
For sure, if only Valve didnt make us wait for years... meh. This is another reason why this game rocks. It feeds us.
Us, the hungry Half-life fans
@@Starfals Amen
Ironically, the less "polished" mod version has a more hl2 vibe to it in certain areas, and that's what makes it better than the official release tbh, the new one is too bright and colorful, they definitely wanted to add their own flavour to what they call "reimagined" project, but at times it just seems directionless, anyway, Black Mesa is still one of the best remakes we've ever had so far despite everything.
Thats true, it almost dont feel like Half-Life at times anymore. So i fully agree with you.
The new video that i recently uploaded shows how far the game has come and changed. At some places, you cant even call it a Half-Life game anymore. It looks totally different. The vibe and all. The original mod was pretty much Half-Life 2
Its not bad, but ye, they went for a unique style and i like it, even if its not too similar to HL at times.
they did a great job with making the changes feel a ton bigger, but as it turns out it's mostly lighting improvements with some bigger changes here and there
Wait till you see the 1.5 update that i recently uploaded :P Some pretty big changes
i like both versions, the older one looks cleaner it is easier for you to find the way you have to go 'cause your view is not distracted by all this decoration
Thats a fair point. I had the same problem with Warcraft 3 Reforged. Too much decoration and detail made it hard for me to play lol.
the 2012 hev suit looks much better than the 2020 one imo
There are many things people prefer from the old version it seems
The colors of many levels seem warmer and better
In the new one? Yep, they changed quite a bit there. Some were simple photoshop like edits to make levels darker or brighter or more colorful/contrasty. Others were real big changes and dynamic lights that change the overall look of the game. I still like both versions tho. 2012 looks like Half-life 2 soo much
Now we got to wait for Project Borealis and the series will be complete
Hah right? We dont need Valve lol
@@Starfals we only need gabens blessing, the community takes care of all the rest. Hopefully alyx will give the community some fresh air and new dedicated talent and we might get to do half life 3 after borealis and alyx
I genuinely can't believe Black Mesa fucking exists.
It started as a mod -- a mod that seemed like either a pipe dream that would go unfinished like the zillion other hugely ambitious mods that never see the light of day because ofc they don't, or one that would inevitably end up being an amateurish "but hey, kinda neat idea" anecdote in the history of HL2 modding, let alone the entire Half-Life franchise.
It was listed as vaporware on sites, people figured there was just NO WAY it could ever get done... and yet, fast forward a decade and it launches as a retail product on Steam with numerous upgrades... but still no Xen. Surely that's the end of it right? They went paid, got their money, and they're done. That still was unbelievable that they had made that much.
And yet... in the midst of the real world pandemic, Crowbar Collective drops Xen as promised. They did it. They fucking did it. They released a totally reimagined, but faithful as hell, version of HL1 in the Source Engine, playable from start to finish. And the few things they didn't do like the Hazard Course were picked up by others and easily distributed through the game's built-in Workshop support which, even though it isn't perfect, still brings mods to a wider audience and is sometimes super convenient.
It was a triumph. I'm making a note here: huge success. It's hard to overstate my satisfaction. Crowbar Collective. They did what they must, because they could.
Yea, i even made a comparison about the Hazard course, that one was really well made and it fits Black Mesa 100 %. I agree 100 % with your comment in general too. I remember so many years ago, watching pictures and comparisons of the old Black Mesa builds, and the wait got longer and longer. It was a miracle they even got it out. Let alone the awesome Xen. Xen felt really good to me, a lot better than how it was in HL1. Overall, huge success as you said, the whole project. I just wish more people were playing the online part of the game ;p
2:00 error scientist
2020 model H.E.V Suit:
*Activates modules and calculates stuff, and a very immersive boot-up sequence and actually tells the player that they are indeed wearing a visor or helmet (cuz of the text on the screen)*
2012 model H.E.V Suit:
Yo just put this suit piece of metal and fiber on and you're good to go!
8:31 I just love that suit booting and These litle Details
Its so fun right, it looks very good and its logical. Finally, it explains the user interface we all see in game LOL.
Altho, Gordon dont wear a helm... usually? So its kind of odd if we think about it :P
@@Starfals maybe he has Glases like These in fear 2 Projekt origin:X
@@mr.notlegit7940 High tech glasses for 1997 ;p Fear is from 2005-6, its more logical they had those then but not in the Windows 97 age xD
Still, good explanation :O I just wish he had his helm on 24/7, it would explain going into radiation and stuff. Without a helm, no suit will help him if he dives deep into it :P
wow black mesa has shadows now finally
place on 22:50 of 2012 version look a bit more interesting then final
Thats the funny part. Many parts of the original look better to me. We even lost a few dynamic lights here and there that were in 2012.
That was an old projected texture - which were very heavy on frames, so should have been replaced with the new system - have made a note of it.
@@thestormseeker then it'll surely be back in a future update
@@Fusorf I already fixed it
And i thought it couldn't become even prettier
Same lol. I was really shocked how good it looks now. I expected small changes
Thanks for this video
You cannot say that they did nothing all these years between september 2012 and the release of xen.
For sure, it really shows and Xen.. Xen is wonderful. I love it to bits, even the more boring and slow parts that i'm not a fan of.. even they look fantastic and feel just right.
@@Starfals thx for the comparison. I knew BM before the release in september 2012. But I always said to me I will play BM when Xen arrives. So here I am, I haven't played BM yet. ^^'
So good to know how it looked back then as a free mod.
Changed: Dynamic Lights,Shadows, New Textures, Xen and an immeasurable amount of other stuff
Same: -pony tail-
LOL, i do wish we could see Gordon in a mirror, that would be cool, they could even add pony tail physics when you jump :D
Actually, the guard in the beggining of Anomalous Materials tells you Gordon cut his ponytail.
-Fixed bugs
-Overhauled graphics
-Released Xen
-Removed Ponytail
Sellout...
16:22 Caution! may start epilepsy
Loving that dude's missing textures at 18:42 😂
Me: dude its the same thing!
My trash PC: haha, but im still not going to let you play the game in 60 fps
Black Mesa 2020:
+ Has more details and better map design
+ Mostly better and more realistic particle effects (except some fire effects)
+ Dynamics lighting and shadows
+ Xen
- Many textures and details look out of place due to excessive contrast and low resolution material maps (like bump maps and etc)
Black Mesa 2012:
+ Looks much more smooth, harmonic and consistent
- Less details and poorer map design
5:50 what's with the vastly downgraded shadows on the Loader? Everything else looks great, don't get me wrong, but I don't see how that shadow could get that severely downgraded.
Source is limited to 1 realtime shadowmapped spotlight, which in the 1.0 version is put on the front of the tram as a sort of headlight....at least older versions of Source were.
Awesome! Keep it up!
Thanks! It really looks awesome now, totally worth a new replay
To be honest, in most cases I like the 2012 version way more then 2020
I like it because it's more optimized.
im so glad they toned down the bloom
The bloom is barely there now ye lol. At places, it was REALLY bad and bloomy :P
Half Life remake(aka Black Mesa), Resident Evil 3 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 remake. These remake are a must buy for me. Hopefully, the kickstarter of System Shock Remake will be done too.
I havent touched black mesa since its release back in 2012, playing the full release I got the sense in some areas the lighting felt worse or looked really grainy. Looking at comparisons, the 2012 mod looked softer and more vibrant in certain areas, really odd
So that's why the Black Mesa's prize is now in 2000 plus in my country
I never understood why the tram needs headlights. I mean, the facility itself is already lit up plenty and if you're gonna collide with something, it's not like you could do much anyway. Even then, you'de probably still see it without the headlights.
Thats a good point, but it does look cool that way at least lol. The first time i saw the car lights in GTA 4, my mind was blown, and the lights here are pretty similar to those (at least the effect)
Both of them look far better than the original Half Life from '98.
Indeed, and the even newer version looks even more amazing
We got Black Mesa, we got HL2 Mmod, we only need to wait for Borealis to be ready
Half Life 2 Episode 2 Sector Sweep music
You have good taste for music my man...
Hl2 soundtrack is awesome
lol i like 2012 more. its better. who agree?
In many places, i also prefer it a bit more
around 20:10 are you sure you didn't get these mixed up? the right looks like it has the releases dynamic lighting system
I'm sure lol. The old version has the dynamic lights for that scene.
One of the Black Mesa devs came in the comments in this video and explained why the old version was better at that part.
They will add the dynamic thing later on in the next updates, but as of right now (in that spot) the old one is the better one lol. In most other cases, the new one looks better so dont worry :P
The next time you do a comparison, put the previous version first, then the next, or we can't see the difference.
I usually do that in all of my videos lol, i don't know what happened and why i even did that (or what i was thinking ;p)
Literally got no answer and i get it, its a silly mistake to make. At least i added the years, so that helps a bit.
Why are some shadows in retail black mesa are just circles, also in my opinion retail black mesa kinda look more cartoony
Cus it's more colorful probably
@@Starfals yeah
2012 version has better gun sounds than steam version.
Some of the sound effects were better as well, of the levels or alarms (not to mention it had better light at a few places too) Overall tho, steam all the way ;p
True, i really like these old gun sounds
I'm confused. In some cases the right picture has clearly better textures and dynamic lighting. Am I missing something?
They still improve the game, now 1.5 came out and it fixed many problems of this version. This is 1 version behind now (because the new one JUST came out)
So ye, old one had places where it does look better, but probably not anymore (i'm making a new video right now)
I was surprised of new update when I was back to replay Black Mesa
27:48 do it...
Hes taunting me to do a transition :D
@@Starfalshaha yes! I love it that you added the hazardous environments "d0 ITT" remix XD
@@hiimaRandomGamer Glad at least 1 person noticed it lols, from all the tons of views
The final release is having a lot of bug. Like flashlight doesn't working and textures became black......
Wow, Black Mesa has changed a lot.
With the recent Definitive Edition released, how about doing a comparison video of the original Steam release, with the Definitive Edition as well? That would be interesting. 😃
I just did it lol. Its way better than this one too, cus my editing software was failing at the time (still is but much less now lol)
Its uploading as we speak xD (so funny that you mention it)
@@Starfals That video was fun to watch, I really enjoyed it. Awesome! 😁👍
@@toxicholygrenadethg9906 Haha yea thanks, i'm glad you liked it :D
It was fun to make it too, but it took ages with my broken video making app :D
18:04 Black Mesa 2012 players in BM 2020:
*Vietnam flashbacks*
Oh, there are definitely gonna be some texture-restoration mods for this one. It looks more like Half-Life, but I can't decide wether that's for the better...
Even the Black Mesa team will keep on working on the game. There are many textures that are very low ress. While playing, i noticed a ton. I do wonder if they will replace those with more detailed ones or just improve other things altogether.
круто!!! спасибо за труды👍
No problem/
нет проблем и благодарность
Honestly it's not so much of improvement. Lighting is still not very intensive, many areas look flat, and some outside areas are way to yellow and generaly oversaturated. The Xen part looks so good that it makes the rest of the game look bad.
Black mesa old vs new vision
Hmm interesting
Yea, it was for me too :P
The game was originally half life 1 with half life 2 interface and graphics. Then the interface changed.
27:53 DOO ITTT
3:49
Guys I think Josh is holding Daniel hostage.
Despite some tweaks and improvement old colour grading was better.
One question, are the HECU units upgraded to be better?
I like the game but HECU were like millisecond hitscan turrets in BM. The best strategy was to find some corner and camp them with shotgun
Well thats hard to tell. They seem more or less the same. I'm really not sure and i don't get a feel that they act differently... but they might be?
The HECU ai has been completely overhauled for 1.0 steamcommunity.com/games/362890/announcements/detail/1707362418744405955
@@sirjanska9575 Thats interesting. I really didint notice a huge difference. I need to test that for myself, maybe even compare it. The only thing i noticed was how 1 marine used a bazooka and grenade launcher. It was literally only 1 time i noticed that tho. Maybe i'm killing them too fast to notice
But it makes them more professional and badass that way
Man, I hope this game will come out on consoles.
Half-life 1 and 2 are on consoles right? I wonder if this will ever go to them as well. They seem to be very busy at the moment with completing the game tho, so maybe after that?
Starfals hopefully they do consider trying to release it on consoles.
I mean, the new menu does look pretty console-ish.
They confirmed they won't
I liked the 2012 0.5 version main menu better. It had the iconinc thingy, you know... who, why and how it got all started. Now its some kind of a green ice cream blender XD
The background scene changes depending on your progress
It would be awesome if they had a weapons pack/mod where you could get M4 or M16, M249, etc...
M16 from Blueshift was sooo badass! I kind of miss it as well
2012 has soul
Lol, sounds like the whole WC3 Classic vs Reforged topic ;p
Fanmade will be founder of video game industry!
This is why Indi projects are better. They are made by fans/gamers for fans/gamers. AAA devs are only out to make money.
My first game was half life 1 the i started play black mesa 2012 then i start play half life episode one lost coast episode 2 and black mesa :) it cost me alot of money :(
Lost coast was so cool. I remember getting it and being shocked on how good the water looks :D
Now imagine this with Ray Tracing!
I cant because this update simulates Ray Tracing on some levels. Everything i have seen about ray tracing is here in one way or another, except for the mirror reflections. Water is reflected perfectly and it looks gorgeous, shadows and light looks good and its logical and comes from light sources
Did the Xen environment in Questionable Ethics change? I noticed that in 0.9, despite Xen being released that environment still looked pretty old.
It didnt as far as i remember. It still looks pretty good there tho (to me). They did add 1 more Xen level in the start of the game with the experiment.
@@Starfals Oh yeah I definitely noticed that and was happy to see it. Was worried they'd forget about that.
So is it much worse in your opinion?? And there a flashlight shadows in the mod version, it seems you have AMD videocard and haven't found out how to enable them.
It looks really nice, but I'd say there are some downgrades.
Yea, but it is worth it in the end. A few places do look worse, but thats okay when everything else looks soo good. I cant really complain :P
@@Starfals Can't argue with that.
18:43 Project:PINK MEDIC
Hes a special kind of unicorn soldier
16:22 hl2.exe has stopped working
How you feel wheny you play black mesa 2012 version "Ah $h!t, here we go again" (based on true story)
Lol :P
when i load from questionable ethics to surface tention in 2012:
hl2.exe has stopped working.
2012 : desert
2020 : New Mexico
so they boosted the saturation and added more polys
More lights and shadows too, that were before not so dynamic but ye? Its great right
this is the video I was looking for. If only the transitions didn't look so bad.
Yea, i kind of failed there and gave up on them after more than 2 weeks of trying to make the video ;p At least you can see the difference i guess
Нет. Вернул старое, оригинальное меню. Оно привычние и отлично работает!
Will you do an Hecu Voice comparison?
I might have to, if Adrian Shephard himself is asking me that lol. I wanna do a comparison of the Hecu new AI first, might add the voice-lines comparison as well
Sorry why are you important Adrian?
Hi. Did you get this off moddb? If yes, how did you install it? My .7z folder and file are broken and unusable. If you have the working ones, I would like to get them.
Nope, steam of course. The final updates are just for steam cus its not a free version anymore like the 2012 one
So basically we got crap shadows in 2020.
I have played the definitive edition and the 2012 mod.
the 2012 mod generally looks nicer to me as well as the anti aliasing option being better. I don't know what anti aliasing the current version of Black Mesa uses but it looks worse than what the Source Engine normally uses
Does it look more blurry or you can see more edges? Asking about the AA.
@@Starfals more edges, the source Engine's MSAA cleans up jagged edges much better.
@@WednesdayMan Ow, i see what you mean now. Well, its hard for me to notice that cus I usually play on 4K or 1440p from far away. I gotta check that from closer. What resolution do you use btw?
I haven't check the 1080p one yet and how that looks
@@Starfals I use 1440p and I have pretty good eyesight so the jagged edges stick out like a sore thumb, that's why I use 8x MSAA on the Black Mesa mod.
@@WednesdayMan Yea mine aint perfect so that's like a natural AA :p but also the distance is pretty big from my monitor, so that also adds to it.
This new hud is s l e e k
New version coming Match 5th
Yeah, i wonder if they will change even more? This is already huge
@@Starfals Some bugs maybe, nothing too huge I'm afraid. They made a list about the things that would change on the next version.
@@ZMABR So i guess there wont be any need for a new video from me then :P
Well I think the overall biggest update of the 1.0 version compared to the 2012 free mod version (aside from the latter ofc never will have the xen-levels) is the AI of the Vorgs as well as the marines, which should be much improved. Ofc the visual difference is there as well in form of better lighting/shadow effects.
@@Balnazzardi AI huh? I wonder how different it actually could get. So far it all feels the same to me from every single BM version. Not that its horrible, but i just feel like its the same lol.
A remastered remake
Yeah, its both lol. Totally worth the money and they aint even asking for a lot. They had a few sales too!
I have the purchased version and it doesn't look like any of those looks more similar to 2012, the menus are like in HL2 and not as your 2020 version shows, why?
Because this is the beta of the final release, you got the old version still (but not for long)
I like both but....
*GLOCK MODEL*
first one isnt really a good comparison because the menu background changes depending on the chapter your on, should have compared chapter 1 with chapter 1
I cant really pick which background it is, but i'm mostly comparing the UI and the settings, not rly the video of the chapter (which are the same from what i can see, nothing new seems to be added as of right now)
So my game is weird then.. i still have the old menu
U probably didnt get the new update just yet, or you didnt go to the beta settings on steam
Potato You have to activate public beta
Non beta version 1.0 is scheduled for March 5th.
Either way tomorrow everyone will recieve the final product
22:56 you sure it's not the other way around? I mean 0,5 looks better with those shadows
Yep, thats how it is but the black mesa dev came to the comment section and said they will improve those places, so dont worry about it (check his comment for more info i guess)
But fps is shit now, cuz of their lighting. I have average 150-250, but in certain locations it's drops to 40-50. It's just unplayable
Yes it is taxing on the hardware and i also had frame drops here and there. I can't complain much tho, i used to play Crysis with 20 fps lol.
This runs even at the worst times with a solid 40-45 fps and with a G-sync its still smooth :P
P.s. The fps thing is a bigger problem in multiplayer, where you gotta be fast and not lagging all the time
@Dino Piccinin gtx 1050 max q, yea that's pretty outdated... No just source engine and optimization is shit
@@TiMoChannelHD glad I'm not the only one thinking that way.
which soundtrack is this? 0:15
The rock formations look awful in the new one. So bad in fact that it almost looks like they took them directly from og half life 1 lol. I wonder why that’s the case like why did they downgrade the rock textures? Is there a reason?
Most people seem to prefer the new ones, but idk. I also dont mind them too much. The old rocks were really blocky, or in some cases.. they were a bit round like icecream. The new ones look more like hills and rocks, but they do seem a bit off sometimes... old mountains did have a charm to them a swell. Its hard to pick a favorite i guess
Reminds me of how tessellation demos showcased rocks.
I feel like the new ones are kind of blurry. They aren't all bad, but I think the contrast between 3D geometry and normal maps just looks weird. Not exactly what you'd call seamless.