I sense much fail in this thread.
Saying “Should I play HL or wait for BMS?” is like asking “Should I play HL or should I wait for God to come down from heaven and pull my toes off?”
Basically, you should play HL because the other one isn’t going to happen in your life time.
I am 34 years old. The life expectancy for males in the United States is 78 and going up precipitously. I am probably in the minority on the older side here. Are you suggesting that BM, which has not even been in development for a decade and is close to completion will not be released in the next 44 years?
Or should I get some sleep because I can’t recognize a joke?
Either way: Play HL1 because it is an awesome game and you will not regret it.
I waited for more than three years because I used to be a graphics-arsehole, then I finally decided to play the original like two weeks ago to pass the time, make me want Black Mesa a little less and because I found out they’re gonna change a bit more than I thought.
It was so awesome I want Black Mesa even more now.
So take this into account and decide for your self.
Hey mankyman. You’re welcome.
Because the original is too awesome to wait, or because you know the wait will be too long? 
The correct answer is both.
You know - chances are you won’t understand BM: S - if you haven’t played HL1 before. There are a lot of inside jokes and a lot of nostalgia moments which made HL1 stick out.
Since BM: S is a re-imagination of the original game, the developers probably implemented some of their own stuff.
Not playing HL1 is like - [insert here]
I don’t actually understand how anyone could play HL2 without playing the first one. Nothing would make any sense.
Funny how some atheists on this forum are so fanatical ._.
Why does it bother people that someone who hasn’t played the original half-life is actually excited to see a remake of it?
Does it really bother people that much?
I have played the original but I can easily see how someone who only played half-life 2 would be interested in having the story input from half-life without the lego-man graphics.
It’s a matter of context. You can’t really appreciate what the dev team made with Black Mesa if you’re not familiar with the original game in the first place.
While the mod can be enjoyed on its own without having played the original, you’re losing a lot on the experience of seeing what’s changed and what’s new since the original HL1.
Besides, there’s really no excuse for not being able to play it now. Even a netbook could play that game.
I know that you gain a deeper understanding of those little details the devs have carefully added and polished, but people are different, and so are their priorities. It just baffles me that it bothers alot of people here that someone has another reason for looking forward to this mod… A less deep and nostalgic reason perhaps… But that still doesn’t mean that they will be completely unable to enjoy the mod as a whole.
Also I can’t say that I agree with the whole “there’s really no excuse for not being able to play it now”-thing. Despite the game being almost omnicompatible some people just don’t have the money. Even if we’re talking about just 5 dollars. And if they did have it, their priorities just might be different.
This whole thing seems kinda like a zombie mob chanting “one of us, one of us…” 
Darn it… Wall’o’text
I say that you will not be able to enjoy the mod to the fullest without first experiencing HL1. Will you be able enjoy the mod without playing HL1? Yes. But you will enjoy the mod much more if you play HL1 first.
And I don’t think of it like “one of us”. I think of it like we’ve all come to the same conclusion independently that HL1 is an awesome game.
We just assume that everyone who’s waiting for BM does it because they played HL1 and want play a modern version of their nostalgia.
arguments accepted
And I hope I didn’t give you the impression that I wouldn’t recommend the original to friends. Because i would… in a heartbeat.
For a few moments there it just kinda looked like a lynch mob getting ready to throw a jedi pony on the stake ._.
edit: oops. Upon closer inspection i looks more like a sith pony.
742 posts on a forum of a remake from the game that you never played.
classic! … now choppy chop …go play!
Play it with this mod when it comes out: https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-redux-v2
Then play the expansions.
Then play some Goldsrc mods.
After about the 177th one Black Mesa will already be out.
Although I also recommend playing vanilla to really get a better sense of how much has changed.
EDIT: This man just bought me Half Life. Holy shit. I don’t know what to say, exactly. So I will express my gratitude via heartfelt fellatio.
Please refer to my last post on page 3…
Yeah, you gotta play Half Life 1 atleast for the experince. The first time I played it, I realized that there was something about this game, something that was different from other games, that makes it incredible and everytime I play it, its like a trip down nostalgia avenue.
(and is it just me or does the smell of cucumber melon hand soap make you immediatly think about half life 1?)
Play the original. It’s a great game.
No problem, just enjoy the best game of all time.
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.