this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2023
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The crazy thing is that Black Mesa isn't made by Valve, but was essentially a fan recreation of the original Half Life. That it fits with Valve's style is just so amazing to me.
Valve style is gameplay first and foremost. While the environment tries to feel rooted with reality it fell short on several aspects. For example, ever notice how you never encounter a single washroom besides the one at Sector C? The physics puzzle too, it's fun and shows off the physics engine but it's impractical irl. And dear lord, the car battery puzzles...
Btw check out the new HL2 mod Swelter. Takes environmental design up to 11. Personally the best atmosphere of any HL source mod I've ever seen.
I honestly don't notice that kind of thing. I usually play games once, and I'm not that into exploration on that first playthrough.
What strikes me about Valve games is that details are way better than I expect. Maybe not realism as you mentioned, but the narrative feels really compelling even with a silent protagonist and no cutscenes. A lot of first person shooters and puzzle games have weaker narratives despite including cutscenes and whatnot.