Half-Life will flip 25 years previous on Nov. 19, and Valve is reflecting on this milestone with a stunning, but totally deserved quantity of pomp. The studio’s first recreation just isn’t solely free to download and preserve, however it simply bought a giant replace full of additives, in addition to bug fixes which were hanging out within the code for the previous quarter century.
This model of Half-Life is now verified on Steam Deck, full with gamepad configurations and on-line play, and has up to date graphics settings together with HUD UI scaling for contemporary screens. Valve cheekily notes, “We constructed most of these items for 640×480 CRTs and apparently a few of you will have upgraded since then.”
When it comes to content material additions, the replace brings Half-Life Uplink to a contemporary viewers. This mini marketing campaign initially debuted on disc, bundled with sure magazines, and with {hardware} like sound playing cards. There’s restored content material, too, like the unique Valve brand intro, plus some multiplayer maps and skins that had been included in a CD bought at retail within the late 90s. Valve degree designers even constructed 4 new multiplayer maps which might be current within the new replace.
Even higher than a free, freshly up to date recreation is a one-hour documentary on how the sport was made to scrub all of it down. To inform the story of simply how Half-Life got here collectively within the late 90’s, Valve teamed up with Danny O’Dwyer of Secret Tape. You may watch that above for those who’d like.
Lastly, Valve is launching a bunch of superb wallpapers, a number of of which function our favourite crowbar-wielding scientist, Gordon Freeman. Try all of this data, together with a prolonged listing of fixes, over on the revamped Half-Life website. Throughout this celebration, all different Half-Life titles are discounted.