Hello there! I’m playing Half Life 1 for the first time. Should I play the original version or should I go with the Black Mesa version which I hear is basically the original games with better graphics? Thank you!
I’d recommend playing the original first, yes. Makes playing the mod a much more rewarding experience when you have perspective of how much things changed.
for critics HL1 will alsoways have a specail place in thier hearts,
but for me black mesa is the way to go from now on, however black mesa isnt finished yet, the final chapter isnt done. so for that you do need the Original HL
HL1 all the way! Also play Blue Shift and Opposing Force when you’re done with HL1.
Black Mesa is even cooler when you’re able to tell how ridiculously close it is to HL1 in some places.
Yeah, it’s really neat to think, “Somehow I recognize this room.”
I recommend holding off on Black Mesa until the full version is completed. 
And in the meantime, you can play the original 
By the time the full version releases, things like Hazard Course and TextFamGuy’s additions will probably be done too (the latter already are I think), making your first experience even more awesome.