I've had a very odd experience with this game compared to a lot of people. I started out with Black Mesa which isn't all that uncommon, but I actually chose to play MMod over my first vanilla playthrough given that I liked Half-Life 2's MMod variant. Given what I know has been added with this version, this very much feels like HL2 MMod without some of the bullshit sections of that mod.

The weapon enhancements added here, while not all useful, are nice choices given the game's nature and really add something. The silencers for the pistol and SMG provide a stealth playstyle alongside the crossbow if you want, even if playing this game in stealth feels a little jarring. However, that magnum sniper scope is a game changer given some of the enemies at a distance. Also really appreciate those weapon animations since it made the game play more like a modern boomer shooter than a 1990s FPS.

The enemy AI was also a welcome improvement with smarter movement and a bit more challenge. The military spamming grenades is still annoying, but everything else makes for a welcome challenge.

Combine this all with the ability to play specific chapters (and skip the ungodly long first chapter), new explosion VFX, and some other changes, and this is just an excellent enhancement all around. Highly suggest it for new and veteran players alike.

P.S. The platforming sections of HL1 really make me appreciate certain aspects of Black Mesa a lot more now. Good god were they annoying.

Even after the 25th anniversary update for the original Half-Life, this mod is still a must-play if you're looking for a reason to replay the original but want to spice it up. Revised gunplay and enemy AI make it really refreshing on a replay, and the added visual enhancements and slight level edits make it feel different enough to be a reasonable alternative. The enemy count was increased too, this is great if you're looking for more of a challenge, though it can be annoying early-game when there's more enemies than you have ammo.