HL-Blue Shift [old review found]

[dosraider]

Did I already warned you that I've found my ol'backups from that old defunct French AW site? ........

Half Life - Blue Shift

Blue shift is the third part of the HL serie for PC.
Released in 2001 it comes with a high res update pack and full Opposing Force game with improved multiplayer update.
During the install you can choose to install/or not this high res pack. Highly recommended to install it if your videocard/CPU can handle the update, it is a major improvement towards the first HLrelease.

Those who have played HL or OpFor will directly recognise the gameplay, it's the same, with a different but parallel storyline. You are Barney Calhoun, a security officer at Black Mesa. You enter Black Mesa at the same time as Gordon Freeman, you will even see him shortly in the subway, passing by on the way to his work. That's about the nearest you will get to him before he screw things up for everyone. The US marines special forces are also present, and they are your enemy.

At the first glance on the game you will notice that you are using the lower employé entrance, the whole scenery gives you this distinct feeling. This time you aren't a scientist but only a security member. You will need to look for the personel facilities, get some gear and armement, and rejoin your workarea. To get there you will have to use some creativity, as the subway's are out of order, but you will get there, somekind anyway.
That's the moment Gordon Freeman will execute his tests in the anomaly sector, and you will get in deep troubles. Cut off from all, fight your way out, on the way out you will find a lot of monsters and US marines who want to stop you. You also will help some entrapped scientist escape from their catacombes.
Also you will have to make a trip to Xen, but that looks more as a gigantesque maze with some fights and high tech stuffies at the end. The hardest levels are those where you have to engage US marines. Yes, you gonna be busy for some short while.
That's about it.

What more to say? The puzzles are pretty good, not to hard, some logic in them. The AI of the enemies is pretty good, the US marines don't let themselves slaughter as mindless zombies, but gives you a good fight.
As said before, the game is short, if you know HL and OpFor you easely will end this game in less than a day, 4 - 6 houres max.
The best part of this release is the included upgraded HL engine and the high res graphics pack, also the OpFor game is included.

Even if the game deserve a B+ it will only get a C, it's more an addon and upgrade than a full game.

My quote: C

Publisher : Sierra On-Line Inc.
Developer : Gearbox Software.
Platform : Windows.
Released : 2001

High res screenies:

Personel entrance


Not so neat as the scientist subway


Acquiring the needed gear


Your best friend


Target practise


Xen jumping ahead


High Tech stuff on Xen


Kssss in your basket


US Marines


BigBadMotherf****


Whoopsy that hurts

[nickherc]

I hated this game. It was too short, action part was lame (jumping crabs all the time), gameplay was nowhere near the original (tight hallways), just 2 new weapons, no new monsters, nothing. And as I recall it, it was pricey.

Opposing force was much better, I really enjoyed that one.

[DOS Wolf]

I only remember briefly playing this add on. I was not impressed either. But then again by the time I was playing HL1, (2000 I think...) I was not so impressed with the main game, but in love with all it's free mods. I remember there being other add ons or mods like this, one even being from a janitor's perspective, but you basically played the game as you would Gordon Freeman. I could be mistaken though...

But like Nick said, at least with OF you had a totally different game play style to the original game and felt good. And was the hi-rez pack the final pack for the original HL? I know someone tried to up date the game a little later on and no I am not speaking of the remake on Source called Black Mesa. I think the hi-rez pack I am speaking of is the same one they put on PS2. Although they started to make one for the Dreamcast as well, but it fell through which is a shame.

And I use to hate the Sonic Hounds. They would make that dang noise and then hit you from a short distance, even from behind cover as I recall. I use to beat the hell out of them with the crowbar. One eyed little bastards...