um dos melhores remakes de um dos melhores games
Oooooh baby, this one's controversial.
I had read some criticisms of Black Mesa before playing the game, so I knew roughly what to expect, yet I was still astounded (not delighted, not dismayed, but astounded) by some of the decisions that Crowbar Collective made when working on this Valve-certified fan-made remake of the beloved and iconic Half-Life. Obviously, when you're playing a remake after having played the original, it's impossible to consider them two distinct experiences; one must always be comparing the two versions of the same story, the same characters, and the same levels. Fortunately, though, I did only play the original six or so months ago, so I at least evaded the nostalgia goggles.
Black Mesa is weird. It takes a bizarre approach toward remaking Half-Life in which it both seeks to preserve the content of the original game (often to an annoying extent) while also scrapping entirely large chunks of its predecessor and enforcing massive overhauls. This makes it difficult to compare, as the game spans an extraordinary spectrum of Remake Philosophy.
I'll start with some basic stuff.
Music. As it happens, this is what introduced me to Black Mesa. I heard some of Joel Nielsen's soundtrack months before playing Half-Life (though also months after playing Half-Life 2). I liked it and was surprised to later find that people didn't. Then I played Black Mesa. I can see their problem now.
I still hold that the soundtrack for the game is good, or at least fine. "Questionable Ethics 1" is obscenely good, and despite the outcry from many, I think it - along with a few other tracks - possesses some of the spirit of the Half-Life series. That said, the music in this game has a tendency to play at the worst times. It's really indefensible. Every now and then, you have cool moments such as the aforementioned "Questionable Ethics 1" playing during the badass fight in the Lambda Complex lobby; most of the time, it plays at seemingly random points during levels. I got the sense that Joel Nielsen was given concept art for each chapter and was told to compose tracks based off the general vibe without taking into consideration the actual position of the player (a fantastic example is the dramatic and bombastic "Blast Pit 3" playing as the player is attempting to sneak past the stupid fucking tentacle creature).
Overall gameplay. Honestly, Black Mesa feels good to play. The movement and gunplay are both considerably improved from Half-Life for the most part. The movement is so much better in fact that the extended platforming sections in Xen are actually enjoyable (I'll get to Xen later on). Crazy, I know.
Chapters. Here is where the game starts to go off the rails (haha) a bit. The first half of the game is pretty much the same as the original. Minor alterations to the beginning levels were made, but as far as the layout and everything goes, it's the same deal. Once you get to the blur that is Questionable Ethics through to Lambda Core, things get hectic. Once you get to Xen... wow.
Xen is obviously a very controversial location, even in the original Half-Life. The three levels set there were notoriously rushed, and playing through the original iteration of the iconic alien borderland, yeah, you could feel it. Platforming felt terrible in the Black Mesa levels, so forcing you to adapt to the bizarre geography of Xen with dogshit controls was particularly cruel. I've seen some people defend it with the Dark Souls logic of "oh it's supposed to be bullshit and unfun, silly", but I don't buy that. It's just a lot of platforming forced into a game that is not suited to platforming combined with the same shitty enemy spam as previous levels (seriously, anyone who thinks the HECU are actually significantly worse in the remake are delusional. They sucked ass in the original game too).
So, what about the redone Xen? Well, 'redone' is a misleading word to use. Not only is the setting totally different, but so is the level layout. Xen is no longer a bare wasteland, but rather it is colourful and awe-inspiring, populated by all manner of flora and fauna. To some, this is awful. I think it's fine. The only reason the original Xen holds any appeal to me is because I have a thing for old video game graphics and large, empty liminal spaces. Putting that preference aside, I can acknowledge the original location as being just okay. Reworking the alien world entirely is fine in my opinion, though it is certainly a bold and slightly insane choice on the part of CC. I also am not sure exactly how I feel about the loooong scripted chase sequences and slightly repetitive level design. I do really like the platforming segments though.
Well, I'm realising there's wayyyyy more I could say about Black Mesa, but I don't think there's any reason to make this review much longer than it already is. The point I should have reached by now is "it's okay". At times, it's just as cool as Half-Life. At times, it's just as aggravating as Half-Life. At times, it is better than Half-Life. At times, it is worse than Half-Life. At the end of the day, I can respect it for what it is and accept my very mixed feelings on both the game and its source material.
I had read some criticisms of Black Mesa before playing the game, so I knew roughly what to expect, yet I was still astounded (not delighted, not dismayed, but astounded) by some of the decisions that Crowbar Collective made when working on this Valve-certified fan-made remake of the beloved and iconic Half-Life. Obviously, when you're playing a remake after having played the original, it's impossible to consider them two distinct experiences; one must always be comparing the two versions of the same story, the same characters, and the same levels. Fortunately, though, I did only play the original six or so months ago, so I at least evaded the nostalgia goggles.
Black Mesa is weird. It takes a bizarre approach toward remaking Half-Life in which it both seeks to preserve the content of the original game (often to an annoying extent) while also scrapping entirely large chunks of its predecessor and enforcing massive overhauls. This makes it difficult to compare, as the game spans an extraordinary spectrum of Remake Philosophy.
I'll start with some basic stuff.
Music. As it happens, this is what introduced me to Black Mesa. I heard some of Joel Nielsen's soundtrack months before playing Half-Life (though also months after playing Half-Life 2). I liked it and was surprised to later find that people didn't. Then I played Black Mesa. I can see their problem now.
I still hold that the soundtrack for the game is good, or at least fine. "Questionable Ethics 1" is obscenely good, and despite the outcry from many, I think it - along with a few other tracks - possesses some of the spirit of the Half-Life series. That said, the music in this game has a tendency to play at the worst times. It's really indefensible. Every now and then, you have cool moments such as the aforementioned "Questionable Ethics 1" playing during the badass fight in the Lambda Complex lobby; most of the time, it plays at seemingly random points during levels. I got the sense that Joel Nielsen was given concept art for each chapter and was told to compose tracks based off the general vibe without taking into consideration the actual position of the player (a fantastic example is the dramatic and bombastic "Blast Pit 3" playing as the player is attempting to sneak past the stupid fucking tentacle creature).
Overall gameplay. Honestly, Black Mesa feels good to play. The movement and gunplay are both considerably improved from Half-Life for the most part. The movement is so much better in fact that the extended platforming sections in Xen are actually enjoyable (I'll get to Xen later on). Crazy, I know.
Chapters. Here is where the game starts to go off the rails (haha) a bit. The first half of the game is pretty much the same as the original. Minor alterations to the beginning levels were made, but as far as the layout and everything goes, it's the same deal. Once you get to the blur that is Questionable Ethics through to Lambda Core, things get hectic. Once you get to Xen... wow.
Xen is obviously a very controversial location, even in the original Half-Life. The three levels set there were notoriously rushed, and playing through the original iteration of the iconic alien borderland, yeah, you could feel it. Platforming felt terrible in the Black Mesa levels, so forcing you to adapt to the bizarre geography of Xen with dogshit controls was particularly cruel. I've seen some people defend it with the Dark Souls logic of "oh it's supposed to be bullshit and unfun, silly", but I don't buy that. It's just a lot of platforming forced into a game that is not suited to platforming combined with the same shitty enemy spam as previous levels (seriously, anyone who thinks the HECU are actually significantly worse in the remake are delusional. They sucked ass in the original game too).
So, what about the redone Xen? Well, 'redone' is a misleading word to use. Not only is the setting totally different, but so is the level layout. Xen is no longer a bare wasteland, but rather it is colourful and awe-inspiring, populated by all manner of flora and fauna. To some, this is awful. I think it's fine. The only reason the original Xen holds any appeal to me is because I have a thing for old video game graphics and large, empty liminal spaces. Putting that preference aside, I can acknowledge the original location as being just okay. Reworking the alien world entirely is fine in my opinion, though it is certainly a bold and slightly insane choice on the part of CC. I also am not sure exactly how I feel about the loooong scripted chase sequences and slightly repetitive level design. I do really like the platforming segments though.
Well, I'm realising there's wayyyyy more I could say about Black Mesa, but I don't think there's any reason to make this review much longer than it already is. The point I should have reached by now is "it's okay". At times, it's just as cool as Half-Life. At times, it's just as aggravating as Half-Life. At times, it is better than Half-Life. At times, it is worse than Half-Life. At the end of the day, I can respect it for what it is and accept my very mixed feelings on both the game and its source material.
A passionate fan remake that in some parts, improves on the original. It feels a lot better to play, it sounds a lot better, and it looks so much better. I'm almost tempted to say this is the definitive Half Life One experience, but Black Mesa does a few things, particularly in the level design department I don't 100% agree with. Some of the eerie nature of HL1 is also lost a bit when it comes to how certain characters behave and talk. Furthermore, while Black Mesa's revamped Xen levels are certainly pretty and ambitious, I feel like they go on for far too long and end up dragging. Overall though, I'd say this stands toe to toe with the original, which if you know the legacy of the original Half Life, is not something that is easily done.
Loving bit of far remaking
I still fear the giant fish.
Pros: Great remake of an old classic, mod support, good funplay, improved xen ending was peak.
Cons: Mod support,
Cons: Mod support,
they 'fixed' the MP5 and shotgun so instead of needing to rely on a whole arsenal of explosives, traps and weirdo guns you can just handle every single fight with two guns
they 'fixed' the HECU marines so instead of erratic freaks they just kinda stand around and impose a health tax if you look around a corner
they 'fixed' xen by making it look like it was trending on art station and replacing all the weird cool levels with Half-Life 2 puzzles for some godforsaken reason
they 'fixed' the HECU marines so instead of erratic freaks they just kinda stand around and impose a health tax if you look around a corner
they 'fixed' xen by making it look like it was trending on art station and replacing all the weird cool levels with Half-Life 2 puzzles for some godforsaken reason
миссии на базе сделать интересными, и зен бы сократить и топ игра на 9 была бы
A strong argument against this lingering notion that many gamers seem to have that a fan-made “fixed” remake, remaster or otherwise invasive revision of a game that actively changes core aspects of its identity should ever be taken in as a first impression of, or worse replacement for, an original work of art. And to be perfectly clear, I don’t believe that on any step of the development and production of Black Mesa that Crowbar Collective sought for this to be the intent nor the response to their work. Above all else, Crowbar are very obviously fans of Half-Life, and that passion shines through even from an outside observation of the time, effort, and communication the team put into creating this reimagining. I am also a big fan of Half-Life. That is, a big fan of Half-Life, the 1998 game. The other titles in the franchise haven’t ever quite worked for me the way the first one did, but I can of course acknowledge their very real and important place in both the history of Valve Software and of course the greater gaming industry and its progress at large. With that in mind, the permeating thought I simply couldn’t get out of my head with every later-entry-adjacent puzzle, every bombastic music cue, every chopped-in tie to the later Half-Life series, was that the developers and I were fans of the original game for flat out contradictory reasons.
I would say that I overall had a fairly good time with Black Mesa, but if I were to go down the list of pros and cons of the experience and then proceed to skin that list of the stuff provided by the original Half-Life, I think the list of positives is rather short. I’d like to address those first, because I want to come off at least somewhat positive about an experience I overall… liked. Some of the supplementary radio dialogue did well to add context without feeling invasive to the tone of Half-Life, especially late into the HECU breach as the Xen aliens begin to take over the rest of Black Mesa. I was happy to see the entire Half-Life tool-kit accounted for - Black Mesa was not so revisionist as to excise a weapon or two for the sake of streamlining the experience. Most play rather well but I do feel a greater imbalance was created leading players to favor the shotgun and SMG, which while fun to use shouldn’t and didn’t feel as overwhelmingly obvious selections in most scenarios in the 1998 title. I think the initial Tentacle encounter is probably a little better than the original game as far as detection of sound makers. For all the many, many issues I would have with this game’s take on Xen, I will admit that the abandoned base early on was really cool and felt in line with something the original game could’ve done tonally. And… that’s about where my Black Mesa-specific positives end, unfortunately.
I wish I didn't even need to acknowledge technical problems, but the loading times were worse than the original, my saves got corrupted like four or five times through a single playthrough, and sometimes flags just didn't work several times in a row. Much as I'd love to say these were my biggest issues with this project, sadly they're more of a negligible piece sitting in front of my actual, core problems with Black Mesa.
The overwhelmingly tone-deaf approach to reimagining Half-Life that plagues Black Mesa makes almost every change hard to swallow. I feel as if Half-Life was treated as a game to be ashamed of its own unique tonal identity in the execution of Black Mesa, given how many changes were contingent to keeping pace with the rest of the lesser entries of the series which would follow. And even then, I certainly can’t say that Half-Life 2, Opposing Force, or any of the other entries got nearly as bombastic and maximalist as this. Epic gamer metal tunes blast through previously alienating and uncomfortable hallways and gauntlets. Previously quiet and pensive strolls are stopped in their tracks for far less meaningful interactions than those they emulate from Half-Life 2. Tense, brief, but memorable boss encounters are stretched to the point of nearly a fucking hour at their very worst - frankly, the Gonarch encounter is embarrassingly bad. The entire heart and soul of some of Half-Life’s most curious locations is sucked out and spat out - is this supposed to be Xen, or application art to work on the next Avatar film? It’s frustrating how passionate this piece of art is, because there’s clearly a lack of mutual ground I share with why the game it’s trying to reimagine is so special.
Over twenty-five years after the original release of Half-Life, it remains my favorite first-person shooter ever made. It’s just as fresh, just as alien, just as unique as it was in 1998. Thanks to a massive rewrite of the sequel from its original 2001 concept and the subsequent influence it would have on both the remainder of Half-Life as a series and the greater market of first-person shooters, Half-Life remains one of a kind. There really is nothing quite like it. Black Mesa takes that ball, runs with it, and proceeds to make it feel more and more similar to everything else out there. The game is reimagined, but the heart is lost in the process. And no amount of polish can piece that together once it’s scrubbed out. That’s just my take on it, though. I really do send all the hardworking and passionate individuals at Crowbar my earnest congratulations. I respect the dedication, the execution, the grind. It clearly impressed Valve well enough, too. Keep making games, no matter what. Don’t let my equally passionate love for Half-Life put your flame out.
I would say that I overall had a fairly good time with Black Mesa, but if I were to go down the list of pros and cons of the experience and then proceed to skin that list of the stuff provided by the original Half-Life, I think the list of positives is rather short. I’d like to address those first, because I want to come off at least somewhat positive about an experience I overall… liked. Some of the supplementary radio dialogue did well to add context without feeling invasive to the tone of Half-Life, especially late into the HECU breach as the Xen aliens begin to take over the rest of Black Mesa. I was happy to see the entire Half-Life tool-kit accounted for - Black Mesa was not so revisionist as to excise a weapon or two for the sake of streamlining the experience. Most play rather well but I do feel a greater imbalance was created leading players to favor the shotgun and SMG, which while fun to use shouldn’t and didn’t feel as overwhelmingly obvious selections in most scenarios in the 1998 title. I think the initial Tentacle encounter is probably a little better than the original game as far as detection of sound makers. For all the many, many issues I would have with this game’s take on Xen, I will admit that the abandoned base early on was really cool and felt in line with something the original game could’ve done tonally. And… that’s about where my Black Mesa-specific positives end, unfortunately.
I wish I didn't even need to acknowledge technical problems, but the loading times were worse than the original, my saves got corrupted like four or five times through a single playthrough, and sometimes flags just didn't work several times in a row. Much as I'd love to say these were my biggest issues with this project, sadly they're more of a negligible piece sitting in front of my actual, core problems with Black Mesa.
The overwhelmingly tone-deaf approach to reimagining Half-Life that plagues Black Mesa makes almost every change hard to swallow. I feel as if Half-Life was treated as a game to be ashamed of its own unique tonal identity in the execution of Black Mesa, given how many changes were contingent to keeping pace with the rest of the lesser entries of the series which would follow. And even then, I certainly can’t say that Half-Life 2, Opposing Force, or any of the other entries got nearly as bombastic and maximalist as this. Epic gamer metal tunes blast through previously alienating and uncomfortable hallways and gauntlets. Previously quiet and pensive strolls are stopped in their tracks for far less meaningful interactions than those they emulate from Half-Life 2. Tense, brief, but memorable boss encounters are stretched to the point of nearly a fucking hour at their very worst - frankly, the Gonarch encounter is embarrassingly bad. The entire heart and soul of some of Half-Life’s most curious locations is sucked out and spat out - is this supposed to be Xen, or application art to work on the next Avatar film? It’s frustrating how passionate this piece of art is, because there’s clearly a lack of mutual ground I share with why the game it’s trying to reimagine is so special.
Over twenty-five years after the original release of Half-Life, it remains my favorite first-person shooter ever made. It’s just as fresh, just as alien, just as unique as it was in 1998. Thanks to a massive rewrite of the sequel from its original 2001 concept and the subsequent influence it would have on both the remainder of Half-Life as a series and the greater market of first-person shooters, Half-Life remains one of a kind. There really is nothing quite like it. Black Mesa takes that ball, runs with it, and proceeds to make it feel more and more similar to everything else out there. The game is reimagined, but the heart is lost in the process. And no amount of polish can piece that together once it’s scrubbed out. That’s just my take on it, though. I really do send all the hardworking and passionate individuals at Crowbar my earnest congratulations. I respect the dedication, the execution, the grind. It clearly impressed Valve well enough, too. Keep making games, no matter what. Don’t let my equally passionate love for Half-Life put your flame out.
Best way to experience the Resonance Cascade by a mile. Xen feels so cool, so legitimately alien while staying a delight to play and explore. I also like a lot of the environments within Black Mesa itself - I think the new engine really allows for a lot of new flourishes that help bring the place to even greater life.
noclipped for achievements :(
a beautiful reimagining of Half-Life that is incredibly accessible for new fans of the series.
I'm probably in the minority here but I thought the combat and level design in general was a bit tedious, and overall I didn't really enjoy it that much, this being my first half life game. The story was great though.
As the first game I played from Valve, I can confidently say, as cheesy as it may sound, that it was a hell of an awesome experience. But to not simply say the game is perfect, I have to mention that there were some parts in the game that I found REALLY boring, like how the maps are so huge and you end up wandering around for HOURS, often feeling bored just roaming without feeling like you're actually progressing in the game, since it takes so long to move from one area to another.
And don't even get me started on Xen, I have no idea what happened with that level, because while the beginning is just amazing, at some point you become the damn electrician for the aliens, and it's so damn annoying having to plug in the sockets like FIFTY times that I really thought about giving up on the game, but I persisted, and the result of that was really awesome.
And don't even get me started on Xen, I have no idea what happened with that level, because while the beginning is just amazing, at some point you become the damn electrician for the aliens, and it's so damn annoying having to plug in the sockets like FIFTY times that I really thought about giving up on the game, but I persisted, and the result of that was really awesome.
A worthy upgrade
The original Half-Life game has always been one of my favorite FPS games (potentially my favorite single player FPS unless you want to count Portal 2), so of course I was definitely interested in Black Mesa as a remake of the game, and on that note... yeah Black Mesa is really damn good.
I know it's a bit corny to be like "haha the fans did it better" but considering how Half-Life: Source was pretty... middling, to say the least, even just as a Source port, I really feel Black Mesa takes much better advantage of the Source engine by just, well, recreating all the assets and art within the engine, resulting in the game just looking visually gorgeous overall - to the point where it doesn't look out of place with more modern FPS games and is easy to forget that it's based off of a game from 1998. I really liked the atmosphere of the original as it is, but Black Mesa enhances it with improved lighting and models. Xen especially looks absolutely gorgeous with the environment, lighting and just seeing all the creatures of space around you in the sky and whatnot.
Not to mention, in addition to being a massive visual overhaul, the game does make some changes to the original gameplay and stage design. This does make it a bit less faithful as a remake to the original, but at the same time I think the aspects that were remade mostly bring about an even better experience. In addition to just being so much nicer looking, Xen in general is a lot more 'cohesive' in this game - whereas in the original it was basically just a bunch of floating platforms that you could get past in a few minutes, Black Mesa actually has you exploring the planet - still involving platforming but taking you through a few different environments with a greater focus on puzzles throughout the journey. It just makes it feel a lot more 'alive', and more like an actual planet, rather than in the original where it was basically just kind of a video game level thrown together. Plus, while this is a bit more related to the story rather than the core game design, I also really liked how Interloper (the final chapter before the final boss) had you interacting with the Vortagaunts in the context of their own society, which without spoiling too much, actually kind of provides some context why they appear more friendly in Half-Life 2 despite being common enemies in the original.
If I did have a criticism on a game design level though, it's that the Interloper chapter does feel a bit too drawn out in my opinion. I think a lot of it just comes down to there being a ton of 'conveyour' sections which you basically have to stand and wait for periods of time while occasionally fighting enemies and avoiding hazards, with the puzzles and setpieces towards the end of the stage kind of just getting more repetitive to the point where about halfway in I was just constantly wishing the chapter would end already.
Otherwise, the same gameplay of Half-Life 1 is pretty much intact - the gunplay and movement especially feels just as good here as they did in the original and there's a really good use of the game's environments in finding ways to traverse.
My only other major criticism of any sort is that the native Linux version of this game is pretty broken. I started the game via the native Linux version and I pretty much immediately noticed issues with the lighting where reflections and shadows would constantly flicker and appear 'broken up' for lack of a better word on top of just being inconsistent with the environment in general (sometimes the lighting would completely change/cut out just by walking two steps in the same exact area and room), and I also noticed some objects that I assume were from later parts of the game appearing transparently through the walls of the room I was in. Plus, after looking it up, I did see quite a few reports of people experiencing massive frame drops throughout the game but I didn't really play the game's native Linux version long enough to really run into anything like that. The next solution was playing the game's Windows version through Proton and that worked better but at the same time, I did run into somewhat frequent stuttering and frame drops, plus the game crashing pretty frequently even after I turned down the settings. Lo and behold, I didn't run into these issues when I ultimately decided to play through the rest of the game on my actual Windows partition on the exact same hardware and at Max settings (at worst the frame rate dipping to ~30FPS at some intense points towards the end of the game). I say all that to warn you, if you're playing this game on Linux, I would recommend playing the game through Proton, but even then you might have to expect some issues. Also I guess the loading screens did feel a bit long but that's kind of just a weird quirk of the Source engine and I imagine it'd be better on an SSD.
But yeah, good fucking game and would definitely recommend playing it if you liked the original Half-Life.
I know it's a bit corny to be like "haha the fans did it better" but considering how Half-Life: Source was pretty... middling, to say the least, even just as a Source port, I really feel Black Mesa takes much better advantage of the Source engine by just, well, recreating all the assets and art within the engine, resulting in the game just looking visually gorgeous overall - to the point where it doesn't look out of place with more modern FPS games and is easy to forget that it's based off of a game from 1998. I really liked the atmosphere of the original as it is, but Black Mesa enhances it with improved lighting and models. Xen especially looks absolutely gorgeous with the environment, lighting and just seeing all the creatures of space around you in the sky and whatnot.
Not to mention, in addition to being a massive visual overhaul, the game does make some changes to the original gameplay and stage design. This does make it a bit less faithful as a remake to the original, but at the same time I think the aspects that were remade mostly bring about an even better experience. In addition to just being so much nicer looking, Xen in general is a lot more 'cohesive' in this game - whereas in the original it was basically just a bunch of floating platforms that you could get past in a few minutes, Black Mesa actually has you exploring the planet - still involving platforming but taking you through a few different environments with a greater focus on puzzles throughout the journey. It just makes it feel a lot more 'alive', and more like an actual planet, rather than in the original where it was basically just kind of a video game level thrown together. Plus, while this is a bit more related to the story rather than the core game design, I also really liked how Interloper (the final chapter before the final boss) had you interacting with the Vortagaunts in the context of their own society, which without spoiling too much, actually kind of provides some context why they appear more friendly in Half-Life 2 despite being common enemies in the original.
If I did have a criticism on a game design level though, it's that the Interloper chapter does feel a bit too drawn out in my opinion. I think a lot of it just comes down to there being a ton of 'conveyour' sections which you basically have to stand and wait for periods of time while occasionally fighting enemies and avoiding hazards, with the puzzles and setpieces towards the end of the stage kind of just getting more repetitive to the point where about halfway in I was just constantly wishing the chapter would end already.
Otherwise, the same gameplay of Half-Life 1 is pretty much intact - the gunplay and movement especially feels just as good here as they did in the original and there's a really good use of the game's environments in finding ways to traverse.
My only other major criticism of any sort is that the native Linux version of this game is pretty broken. I started the game via the native Linux version and I pretty much immediately noticed issues with the lighting where reflections and shadows would constantly flicker and appear 'broken up' for lack of a better word on top of just being inconsistent with the environment in general (sometimes the lighting would completely change/cut out just by walking two steps in the same exact area and room), and I also noticed some objects that I assume were from later parts of the game appearing transparently through the walls of the room I was in. Plus, after looking it up, I did see quite a few reports of people experiencing massive frame drops throughout the game but I didn't really play the game's native Linux version long enough to really run into anything like that. The next solution was playing the game's Windows version through Proton and that worked better but at the same time, I did run into somewhat frequent stuttering and frame drops, plus the game crashing pretty frequently even after I turned down the settings. Lo and behold, I didn't run into these issues when I ultimately decided to play through the rest of the game on my actual Windows partition on the exact same hardware and at Max settings (at worst the frame rate dipping to ~30FPS at some intense points towards the end of the game). I say all that to warn you, if you're playing this game on Linux, I would recommend playing the game through Proton, but even then you might have to expect some issues. Also I guess the loading screens did feel a bit long but that's kind of just a weird quirk of the Source engine and I imagine it'd be better on an SSD.
But yeah, good fucking game and would definitely recommend playing it if you liked the original Half-Life.