Reviews - poshgaloo

Clever with comedic relief and awe-inspiring moments, Fate Reversal has stood the test of time. I just wish there was more if anything. 9.5/10

Though short, Arctic Incident is a fun little adventure. Combat is never too easy or tough while the level design is engaging from setpiece to setpiece. Overall, this mod is worth a quick playthrough. 9/10.

Terrifying and high-octane survival horror made by the talented Andreas Rönnberg when he was just 14, Afraid of Monsters is what happens when Lovecraftian nightmares meet Lynchian surrealism. While the Director's Cut has more things to do, I always have preferred the aesthetic/feel of this over the remake. There's a strange creepy charm about the obviously-retextured HL1 enemies throughout the mod.

Though somewhat rough around the edges, (i.e. the start of the mod is remarkably intense and tough with only a knife and a pistol - and I have faced some bugs that required noclip/quickload) Afraid of Monsters is still a must-play for any survival horror fan. 9/10

A masterclass in HL1 mods, Life's End is humorous, challenging yet fun, and surreal to say the least. Do yourself a favor and download this gem. It runs well on Steam and WON (if you're a nerd.)

A remarkable debut from the enigmatic Neil Manke and long-gone Black Widow Games, USS Darkstar - along with They Hunger - was one of many mods whose greatness impressed Valve themselves. It is easy to see why with this mod/standalone PC Gamer promo release turned many heads. Hell, it was even ported to Dreamcast along with They Hunger. Those are some ultimate bragging rights on Manke's and BWG's behalf.

The detailed, sprawling, occasionally overwhelming level design indeed makes you feel as if you are on this Nostromo-esque spaceship. It manages to feel like a sci-fi pastiche mixed with a reimaging of the main Half-Life 1 plot.

Though this mod is old, I still will not spoil the rest, since there are so many cool things to find. It's just too damn bad we never got anymore mods from Black Widow Games, whose missed potential cannot be understated. 9.5/10

From the mysterious and talented Neil Manke/Black Widow Games, They Hunger is a creepy, funny, and surreal mod that has stood the test of time...for the most part.

Divided into three episodes, the first one is the strongest, helping set the tempo with challenging but fun gameplay and some solid environmental storytelling. Part 2 is a mixed bag with some tedious combat and mazelike places such as the sewers. Part 3 is where the mod somewhat crumbles with copy-paste setpieces, imbalanced difficulty, and a ****-poor final boss only redeemed by a cathartic ending and intriguing intro in the hospital. Props to anyone who somehow has beaten this mod on hard mode - even normal mode in Part 3 is next-to-impossible at times.

While rough in some spots, They Hunger is a must-play for any HL1 fan - as well as USS Darkstar, Manke's other gem.

A well-made rendition of the original, which I first played in the Project: Quantum Leap map pack, Caged is a short but fun map with some cool attention to detail and dark humor.

While very hit-or-miss, (some maps were either too difficult or cryptic, forcing me to cheat - others epic and fun) this is a highly influential mod containing some remarkable levels like Caged, Someplace Else, and Radix. If you dig retro mods, Project: Quantum Leap is a worth a playthrough. 7.5/10

Cleaner's Adventures is an ambitious, well-crafted, yet flawed mod I first played a long time ago and again now.

Pros:
- Cool tie-ins with the HL1 lore/old haunts
- The addition of protagonist Bryan Anderson
- Engaging level design...especially the Xen levels
- Thrilling scripted sequences
- Fun new melee weapon - the lead pipe
- Clever addition of the HEV suit scientist and Gus
- The Displacer Cannon (lots of exploring)
- The mod's interesting "Go to Work" pre-disaster level

Cons:
- Overreliance on headcrabs in corridors, rooms, and vents
- Softlocking bugs (e.g., doors locking you out after a level change, HEV suit scientist not moving/dying suddenly on the lift - a bug that I fixed by closing and opening the game again)
- Imbalanced difficulty (first half of the mod seems way tougher compared to the end - played on medium)
- Lack of pickups at times (I didn't find any armor till about halfway thru the mod)

Despite its shortcomings, Cleaner's Adventures is a 7.5/10 that I will still revisit sometime.

Chaotic, funny, and addictive. Never have I seen so many explosions in a video game. TF2 just never grabbed my attention like this game did - then again I played this one first.

It's not for the faint of heart with its difficulty curve and OP veterans/bots, but TFC is worthwhile if you put your mind to the game's dated yet effortlessly entertaining combat. Some level design (e.g., Casbah, Dustbowl) shows its age too with limited chokepoints for your team, but the fact that a handful of servers are still running for a 25-year-old game says a lot about its replay value.