Best HL1 version to start with

Half-Life Series
#1

Hi all,

I’m one of those lurkers who has been tracking Black Mesa for a while and finally got impatient and decided to have a look at one of the old nasty looking HL1 games.

Basically i started with HL2, got hooked, and played through the episode instalments after that and now want to go back to the original to experience how it all begins. I’ve done a bit of research into the original vs original with HD pack vs HL: source arguments, and basically haven’t been able to decide for myself which of these will leave the best ‘first’ impression.

Because i’ve started with more recent versions of the game I think i want the version with the best graphics (and fewest glitches) without substantially compromising the authenticity of the game. Which version of HL1 should i get?

note: the game are old enough now that the price difference between them isn’t a factor. I also don’t care about online multilayer, editing or recording capabilities.
I just want the best version of the game from a story mode perspective.

Cheers.

#2

The version? You mean source or the original? Doesn’t matter, the gameplay is the same.

Except for better water.

#3

By version i mean the original vs source

I’ve heard source has additional glitches and i can’t decide whether the graphics are better in source of the hi-def pack for the original.

#4

It’s harder to gib anything in the source version, go for the original

#5

what about the unmodded vs Hi-def question?

#6

You should go for the original since there is shitloads of mods including HD packs and HD mods.

#7

The unmodded version of course. The so called “HD pack” looks like shit.

#8

Diamond’s pack looks pretty good… though I have the original unmodded version.

#9

Try HL-Source Enhanced, current rev. 874. Info is available at the moddb website. It installs as a standalone mod on its own, separate from Steam. The mod creator has already incorporated numerous skin and model mods from well known modders from the HL community, sort of the “best of the best”. I’m playing it now without any problems.
Besides better water textures, you also get shadows, better sparks, better explosions. It certainly is far superior to the original HL.

#10

Thanks guys.

I think Dadster’s suggestion sounds best. I’ll get source off steam and give it a go on it’s own then probably add the enhanced mod

#11

You’ll appreciate Black Mesa more if you play the original game unmodded.

#12

^This.

#13

SOLUTION: Buy them both.

#14

I have both Half Life and Half Life: Source and personally I prefer the latter.

#15

And skyboxes.

And skyboxes.

Honestly you can’t go wrong either way if you just care about experiencing the original Half-Life, but the original shows much more potential through it’s many mods that aren’t available in HL: S.

#16

Original is the original …and so the best…and i agree with Maxey

#17

Go with the original. The only suggestion I make, is that it’s not like Source; you need to save a lot.

#18

Get the original. Then you also have access to the literally hundreds of awesome mods for it. If you can’t get past the retro graphics, you don’t deserve to play it.

#19

^This.

#20

Yeah go with Maxey’s idea here, the graphics may not be great but graphics don’t make the game and Half-Life will forever be a masterpiece.

Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.